AI Perks curates and provides access to exclusive discounts, credits, and deals on AI tools, cloud services, and APIs to help startups and developers save money.
Is there a Windsurf student discount?
No. A review of the pricing page and docs found no student or education discount for Windsurf or Devin Desktop. The best public value is the Free plan, plus $65,000 in Devin credits in the AI Perks catalogue.
The review put it plainly: "We found no student or education discount on the pricing page or in the docs." That means a student cannot walk up to the Windsurf pricing page and get a cheaper Pro plan by proving enrolment.
What you can do is combine the plan that never expires with credits and student perks listed elsewhere. The perk card shows who qualifies and how to claim.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
Perplexity $84
Eligible for early-stage startups
Windsurf is now Devin Desktop: what changed?
Windsurf has been renamed Devin Desktop. The rename took effect on June 2, 2026, and the vendor's wording is "Devin Desktop is the new name for Windsurf." If you search for Windsurf pricing today, you will land on Devin pages.
The rename did not change what you pay. The FAQ says: "Your current plan continues to work exactly as it does today. Pricing is unchanged."
Devin Desktop is bundled into Devin's Free, Pro, Max and Teams plans rather than sold separately. It runs on macOS, Windows and Linux, so most student laptops are covered.
What does the Free plan include?
The Free plan is the closest thing to a student tier. It includes a light quota to code with agents, limited model availability, unlimited inline edits and unlimited Tab completions. Free tier users only have access to the SWE-1.6 model.
The Free plan does not expire. One review calls it "effectively the trial", and the details were checked on devin.ai/pricing on October 23, 2026. Cognition describes it as "for getting started, with limited access to Devin and selected features."
For coursework that is mostly editing and autocomplete, that can be enough. For long agent runs, the light quota is the limit you will hit first.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
Perplexity $84
Eligible for early-stage startups
How do the paid plans compare?
Here is the public Windsurf pricing picture, with no student rate on any row.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Light agent quota, limited models, unlimited inline edits and Tab completions |
| Pro | $20 a month | Everything in Free, plus frontier models, free SWE-2 use and cloud agent access |
| Max | $200 a month | Larger included quota |
| Teams | $80 a month minimum plus $40 a month per full seat | Full seats get a Pro-sized quota and Devin Desktop |
Max costs ten times what Pro does ($200 divided by $20). Flex seats on Teams get no Desktop access, a full seat is required for Devin Desktop, and Teams is capped at 200 users.
Can you get a free trial of a paid plan?
Probably not. One source reports that free trials of paid plans are not currently offered and that support cannot apply one to your account. Its suggested route is to subscribe and request a refund before using the subscription if you change your mind.
The usage docs say trials are a promotional offer, not an entitlement, and are only made available to a subset of customers. Trials are generally not offered to anyone who has previously used Devin, Windsurf or Codeium, including under a different account or plan. Eligibility is determined automatically and is not subject to appeal.
So if you already tried Windsurf or Codeium in an earlier semester, do not count on a trial. Start from the Free plan and decide from there.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
Perplexity $84
Eligible for early-stage startups
Which student perks can you claim instead?
Since there is no Windsurf student rate, the practical move is to pair the Free plan with credits and student perks. These are the amounts in the catalogue. Each card shows who qualifies and how to claim.
| Company | Free credits | How to get |
|---|---|---|
| Devin (Cognition) | $65,000 | Get this perk |
| JetBrains (students) | $199 | Get this perk |
| GitHub (students) | Up to $120 | Get this perk |
| OpenAI Codex (students) | $100 | Get this perk |
Total across these four perks: up to $65,000 + $199 + $120 + $100 = $65,419 in free credits and tool value.
The Devin card is the one that matters most for Devin Desktop users, since it is the same product family. The other three cover editors, repositories and a coding agent, so you can mix tools without paying for each one. For a deeper look at the agent option, see Codex for Students 2026: $100 in Free Codex Credits.
How to use Devin Desktop for free, step by step
Step 1: Get credits via AI Perks. Open the AI Perks catalogue, filter for student and education cards, and start with the Devin credits card. The card shows who qualifies and how to claim.
Step 2: Add the student tool perks. Open the JetBrains, GitHub and Codex cards and claim the ones that fit your stack.
Step 3: Install Devin Desktop on the Free plan. It works on macOS, Windows and Linux, and the Free plan does not expire. You get unlimited inline edits and Tab completions from day one.
Step 4: Save agent runs for the work that needs them. The Free plan has a light agent quota and only the SWE-1.6 model, so use agents on the hard tasks and rely on Tab for the rest.
Step 5: Upgrade only if the limits bite. Pro is $20 a month. Because trials are unlikely, the refund-before-use route is the only safety net one source describes.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
Perplexity $84
Eligible for early-stage startups
What happens when a paid plan or promo ends?
If you cancel a paid plan, nothing is lost abruptly. The docs say that after the billing period ends, "you'll be downgraded to the Free plan." Your account stays, and the Free plan limits apply.
There is one dated deadline to watch. SWE-2 is free for self-serve plans in Devin Desktop and Devin CLI through November 30, 2026. After that, list pricing applies, and the offer does not cover Devin cloud sessions.
FAQ
Does Windsurf offer a student discount?
No student or education discount was found on the pricing page or in the docs. The Free plan does not expire, so students can use it indefinitely. For discounts on other tools, AI Perks lists student offers and the amounts each card carries.
Is Windsurf free for students?
Windsurf, now Devin Desktop, has a Free plan that anyone can use, students included. It has a light agent quota, limited models, and unlimited inline edits and Tab completions. Free tier users only get SWE-1.6. It is free for everyone, not a student-specific plan.
Is Devin Desktop the same as Windsurf?
Yes. Devin Desktop is the new name for Windsurf, effective June 2, 2026. The vendor states that current plans keep working and pricing is unchanged. It is included in Devin's Free, Pro, Max and Teams plans rather than sold separately.
Can students get Devin credits?
The catalogue lists $65,000 in Devin credits. The card shows who qualifies and how to claim, so check it before you plan around the amount. More student offers are tracked at getaiperks.com.
How much does Windsurf Pro cost?
Pro is $20 a month. It adds frontier models, free SWE-2 use and cloud agent access on top of Free. Max is $200 a month with a larger quota, and Teams starts at an $80 monthly minimum plus $40 per full seat.
Can I try Pro before paying?
Unlikely. One source says free trials of paid plans are not currently offered and support cannot apply one. Trials are promotional, only for some customers, and generally not for past Devin, Windsurf or Codeium users. Compare student perks at getaiperks.com first.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
ChatGPT $80
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Gemini $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
GitHub Up to $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
Perplexity $84
Eligible for early-stage startups
Get the credits before you pay for a plan
Windsurf and Devin Desktop have no student discount, but the Free plan never expires and the catalogue carries student perks and credits worth far more than a Pro subscription. Check the cards, claim what fits, and upgrade only if the Free limits hold you back.
Get free AI credits at getaiperks.com →
Browse every student and education perk, with amounts and claim details, at getaiperks.com.
