# Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) vs GitHub Copilot

> Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) vs GitHub Copilot: GitHub Copilot is our pick, leading for beginners and free plans. They split on trains on your code? and.

![Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) logo](https://www.versusref.com/logos/devin-desktop.png) ![GitHub Copilot logo](https://www.versusref.com/logos/github-copilot.png)

Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) (Agentic AI IDE (ex-Windsurf) inside the Devin family; shares plans with Devin Cloud and Devin CLI) and GitHub Copilot (Multi-model IDE extension plus Copilot cloud agent (formerly 'coding agent'; cloud_agent) and Copilot CLI (terminal_agent). Billing moved from premium requests to GitHub AI Credits on 2026-06-01.) are AI coding agents platforms, priced from $20/mo and $10/mo respectively. Below: the bottom line, verified head-to-head facts, and real production costs.

AI coding agents platforms · 35 facts compared · all sourced · pricing verified Oct 2, 2026

## Bottom line

GitHub Copilot wins six of seven use cases. Devin Desktop's cheapest paid plan is $20/mo, while GitHub Copilot's is $10/mo, and Copilot publishes 1,000 base plus 500 flex credits on Pro and 2,000 code completions a month on its no-cost tier, which carries Beginners and Free Plans. Local model support and bring-your-own-key, which Devin Desktop lacks on self-serve plans, win Local Models and Open Source. Wider surfaces and direct VS Code support take Terminal Workflows and VS Code. Devin Desktop keeps Enterprise with self-hosted deployment, SSO with SCIM and zero data retention.

## Verdict summary

| Use case | Winner | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Beginners | GitHub Copilot | A predictable, low bill matters most for newer developers. |
| Enterprise | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Neither vendor's training policy, as published, settles the question on its own, so the deployment and control features decide it. |
| Free Plans | GitHub Copilot | What the free tier actually allows decides this. |
| Local Models | GitHub Copilot | Running models on your own machine is what matters most here, and only GitHub Copilot states that it runs local models. |
| Open Source | GitHub Copilot | The license matters most to teams that want to read or fork the agent, and neither Devin Desktop nor GitHub Copilot publishes one, nor GitHub stars or a supported provider list. |
| Terminal Workflows | GitHub Copilot | Where the agent runs matters most for shell-centric work. |
| VS Code | GitHub Copilot | Editor support decides this. |

## Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) vs GitHub Copilot: head-to-head facts

| Fact | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | GitHub Copilot | Verified |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| How usage is metered | Time windows + per-token ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/desktop/accounts/quota)) | $ usage pool + per-token ([source](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/billing/usage-based-billing-for-individuals)) | Oct 2 |
| What the free plan allows | "Light quota to code with agents" ([source](https://devin.ai/pricing)) | Copilot Free: 2,000 code completions/month ([source](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/get-started/plans)) | Oct 2 |
| Cheapest paid plan (monthly) | $20 ([source](https://devin.ai/pricing)) | $10 ([source](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/get-started/plans)) | Oct 2 |
| Top individual plan | $200 ([source](https://devin.ai/pricing)) | $100 ([source](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/get-started/plans)) | Oct 2 |
| Usage included at entry tier | n/a | Pro: 1,000 base + 500 flex = 1,500 GitHub AI... ([source](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/billing/usage-based-billing-for-individuals)) | Oct 2 |
| Rate-limit window | "Pro and Teams full seats have a daily and weekly... ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/admin/billing/self-serve)) | monthly credit allowance ([source](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/rate-limits)) | Oct 2 |
| Bring your own API key | Partial: no general BYO API key on current self-serve plans ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/admin/billing/chatgpt)) | true ([source](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/customize-copilot/use-byok-models)) | Oct 2 |
| Models available | Model selector (self-serve token-cost table, dated... ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/desktop/models)) | Claude Haiku 4.5, Opus 4.7 +20 more ([source](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/get-started/plans)) | Oct 2 |
| Pick the model per task | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/desktop/models)) | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/get-started/plans)) | Oct 2 |
| Runs local models | n/a | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/customize-copilot/use-byok-models)) | Oct 2 |
| Where it runs | desktop IDE (VS Code-based, macOS/Windows/Linux) +2 more ([source](https://devin.ai/desktop)) | IDE extensions, GitHub.com (Chat, agents panel) +7 more ([source](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/get-started/plans)) | Oct 2 |
| Autonomous multi-file edits | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/desktop/devin-local)) | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-feature-matrix)) | Oct 2 |
| Runs terminal commands | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/desktop/devin-local)) | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/cloud-agent/about-cloud-agent)) | Oct 2 |
| Background / cloud agents | ✓  Yes ([source](https://devin.ai/desktop)) | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/cloud-agent/about-cloud-agent)) | Oct 2 |
| Opens PRs from issues | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/integrations/linear)) | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/cloud-agent/about-cloud-agent)) | Oct 2 |
| MCP support | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/desktop/devin-local)) | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/get-started/plans)) | Oct 2 |
| Trains on your code? | Self-serve: "By default ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/admin/security)) | From 2026-04-24 ([source](https://github.blog/news-insights/company-news/updates-to-github-copilot-interaction-data-usage-policy/)) | Oct 2 |
| Zero data retention option | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/admin/security)) | n/a | Oct 2 |
| Self-hosted / VPC deployment | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/enterprise/deployment/overview)) | ✗  No ([source](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/get-started/plans)) | Oct 2 |

## Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) vs GitHub Copilot pricing: true cost at 3 usage tiers

Real monthly cost at 3 developer profiles: hobbyist (~5 h/week), full-time developer (~25 h/week of daily agent use), team of 5. Most vendors do not publish how much usage a plan covers, so the full-time row spans the cheapest to the top individual plan unless the vendor publishes its own guidance for daily users. Bring-your-own-key and open-source agents show the model bill you pay the provider, never $0.

| Volume | Buyer | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | GitHub Copilot | Note |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ~5 h/week of agent use | Hobbyist | $20/mo | $10/mo | Side projects and evenings. Priced at each vendor's cheapest paid plan (annual billing where offered), the tier every vendor sells for light use. |
| ~25 h/week, daily multi-file agent tasks | Full-time developer | $20-$200/mo | $10-$100/mo | Daily agent use. Most vendors do not publish how much usage a plan covers, so this shows the span from the cheapest to the top individual plan; where a vendor publishes its own guidance for daily agent users, that figure is used instead. |
| 5 seats | Team of 5 | $200/mo | $95/mo | Priced from each vendor's own team plan: per-seat prices x 5, flat team plans as published. A tool with no published team price shows that rather than a guess. |

## Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) vs GitHub Copilot: verdicts by use case

### Beginners → GitHub Copilot

A predictable, low bill matters most for newer developers. Devin Desktop's cheapest paid plan is $20/mo, while GitHub Copilot's is $10/mo, and Copilot publishes its entry allowance of 1,000 base plus 500 flex credits on Pro, which Devin Desktop does not. On the free plan, Copilot Free states 2,000 code completions a month, while Devin Desktop describes only a light quota to code with agents. Both offer checkpoints and rollback for undoing agent mistakes. Copilot also runs on more surfaces, including IDE extensions and GitHub.com.

### Enterprise → Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf)

Neither vendor's training policy, as published, settles the question on its own, so the deployment and control features decide it. Devin Desktop offers a self-hosted or VPC deployment, while GitHub Copilot does not. Devin Desktop also documents SAML/OIDC SSO with SCIM on Enterprise and a zero data retention option, neither of which Copilot publishes. Both list SOC 2 and admin audit logs, but Copilot's are vendor claimed while Devin Desktop's are verified. For a security review, that combination clearly favors Devin Desktop.

### Free Plans → GitHub Copilot

What the free tier actually allows decides this. GitHub Copilot Free states 2,000 code completions a month, while Devin Desktop offers only a light quota to code with agents, with no published number. Copilot also supports bringing your own API key, whereas Devin Desktop has no general bring-your-own-key option on current self-serve plans. If you upgrade, Copilot starts at $10/mo versus $20/mo, and Copilot runs local models, which Devin Desktop does not publish.

### Local Models → GitHub Copilot

Running models on your own machine is what matters most here, and only GitHub Copilot states that it runs local models. Devin Desktop does not publish local model support. Neither publishes a license or a supported provider list. Copilot also supports bringing your own API key, while Devin Desktop has no general bring-your-own-key option on current self-serve plans, which further limits how far you can steer it away from its hosted models.

### Open Source → GitHub Copilot

The license matters most to teams that want to read or fork the agent, and neither Devin Desktop nor GitHub Copilot publishes one, nor GitHub stars or a supported provider list. What separates them is flexibility in models: Copilot states it runs local models and supports bringing your own API key, while Devin Desktop does not publish local model support and has no general bring-your-own-key option on current self-serve plans. That is a modest edge, not an open-source endorsement.

### Terminal Workflows → GitHub Copilot

Where the agent runs matters most for shell-centric work. GitHub Copilot lists IDE extensions, GitHub.com and seven more surfaces, while Devin Desktop lists its VS Code-based desktop IDE and two more. Both run terminal commands, though Copilot's is vendor claimed and Devin Desktop's is verified. Both offer background or cloud agents, project rules files and MCP support, so those do not separate them. Copilot's wider reach outside a single desktop IDE gives it a slight edge.

### VS Code → GitHub Copilot

Editor support decides this. GitHub Copilot works directly in VS Code, plus Visual Studio, JetBrains IDEs, Eclipse and more, while Devin Desktop centers on its own IDE, which is VS Code-based, with six more editors listed. Both make autonomous multi-file edits, offer checkpoints and rollback, and index the codebase. Copilot also publishes its entry allowance of 1,000 base plus 500 flex credits on Pro, which Devin Desktop does not. Staying in VS Code itself tips it to Copilot.

## Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) vs GitHub Copilot: common questions

### Is Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) cheaper than GitHub Copilot?

No. GitHub Copilot is cheaper. Devin Desktop's cheapest paid plan is $20/mo, while GitHub Copilot's is $10/mo. Devin Desktop's top individual plan is $200/mo, while GitHub Copilot's is $100/mo. For teams, Devin Desktop costs $40/user/mo and GitHub Copilot costs $19/user/mo.

### Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) vs GitHub Copilot: which is better for beginners?

GitHub Copilot is the better fit for most beginners. Devin Desktop's cheapest paid plan is $20/mo, while GitHub Copilot's is $10/mo, and Copilot publishes its Pro allowance of 1,000 base plus 500 flex credits. Copilot Free includes 2,000 code completions a month, while Devin Desktop offers a light quota to code with agents. Both offer checkpoints and rollback.

### How much do Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) and GitHub Copilot team plans cost?

Devin Desktop's team plan costs $40/user/mo, while GitHub Copilot's team plan costs $19/user/mo. Devin Desktop also offers an Enterprise plan through contact sales; GitHub Copilot does not list a contact-sales enterprise plan.

### Is Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) or GitHub Copilot better for enterprise security?

Devin Desktop offers a self-hosted or VPC deployment, Enterprise SSO via SAML/OIDC with SCIM, and a zero data retention option. GitHub Copilot does not offer self-hosted deployment. Both list SOC 2 and admin audit logs, though Copilot's are vendor claimed. Copilot publishes data residency in the United States and European Union.

### Can I bring my own API key to Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) or GitHub Copilot?

GitHub Copilot supports bringing your own API key. Devin Desktop offers only partial support, with no general bring-your-own-key option on current self-serve plans.

### How do usage limits work on Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) vs GitHub Copilot?

Devin Desktop meters usage with time windows plus per-token charges, and Pro and Teams full seats have daily and weekly limits. GitHub Copilot uses a dollar usage pool plus per-token metering with a monthly credit allowance. Beyond the plan, Copilot charges $0.01 per AI credit, while Devin Desktop bills extra usage as on-demand credits at API list pricing.

### What is the most expensive individual plan for GitHub Copilot?

GitHub Copilot's top individual plan is $100/mo, compared with $200/mo for Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf). Copilot's entry plan starts at $10/mo.

### Which model does Devin Desktop use by default?

Devin Desktop recommends Fusion as its default model, and you can pick the model per task from its model selector. It publishes a maximum context of 1M tokens on selected models.

### Does Devin Desktop run parallel and background agents?

Yes. Devin Desktop supports both parallel agents and background or cloud agents, and it can open pull requests from issues. Its most recent release is v3.10.48, dated 2026-09-29.

Source: https://www.versusref.com/coding-agents/devin-desktop-vs-github-copilot/