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Windsurf Is Now Devin Desktop: The 2026 Rebrand Explained
Windsurf no longer ships under its own name. Cognition renamed it Devin Desktop on June 2, 2026, and windsurf.com now answers with an HTTP 308 permanent redirect to devin.ai/desktop. It is the same IDE, the same editor, the same extensions and keybindings. The name changed, the local agent was replaced, and the pricing page moved.
If you arrived looking for Windsurf vs Cursor, this is still that comparison. The Windsurf column simply has a new label on it now. AI Perks covers the founder credit programs that fund both sides.
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The Evidence: Windsurf.com Redirects to Devin
You do not have to take anyone's word for the rebrand. The domain itself confirms it:
$ curl -I https://windsurf.com
HTTP/2 308
location: https://devin.ai/desktop
A 308 is a permanent redirect. It tells search engines and browsers that the resource has moved for good and that the method and body must be preserved. Cognition did not park the domain or leave a landing page. Every request to windsurf.com is now handed to Devin Desktop.
Cognition's own documentation states it just as plainly: Devin Desktop is the new name for Windsurf, with the same IDE, the same editor, and the same features, unified under the Devin brand.
What Actually Changed and What Did Not
Most of the confusion around this rebrand comes from people assuming a rename means a rebuild. It mostly did not.
| Area | Before (Windsurf) | After (Devin Desktop) |
|---|---|---|
| Product name | Windsurf | Devin Desktop |
| Domain | windsurf.com | devin.ai/desktop (308 redirect) |
| Owner | Cognition | Cognition |
| Rollout | n/a | Over-the-air update, June 2, 2026 |
| Local agent | Cascade | Devin Local |
| Primary view | Editor | Agent Command Center |
| Editor, extensions, keybindings | Preserved | Preserved |
| Existing plan and price | n/a | Unchanged for existing users |
| Settings and config | n/a | Ported automatically |
Nothing was removed. The classic editor experience, your extensions, your workflows and your language servers are all still there. Cognition delivered the change as a normal over-the-air update rather than a reinstall or a migration wizard.
The strategic reason is consolidation. Cognition now runs four products under one brand: Devin Cloud, Devin Desktop, Devin CLI, and Devin Review. Windsurf was the odd name out.
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Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Cloud $350,000 credits
Eligible for early-stage startups
Lovable $6,000 credits
Eligible for early-stage startups
Devin Desktop Pricing in 2026
Devin Desktop has a genuine free tier, which is the single biggest change for anyone who bounced off Windsurf's old credit limits.
| Plan | Monthly | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Unlimited local tab completions and inline edits |
| Pro | $20 | Individual agent usage |
| Max | $200 | High-volume agent usage |
| Teams | $80 + $40 per seat | Team management plus per-seat usage |
The free tier is the headline. Unlimited local tab completions and inline edits with no monthly cap is a real offer, not a trial. For developers who mostly want fast autocomplete and quick in-file edits, the effective cost is $0 indefinitely.
On the Teams plan, adding a full seat unlocks Devin Desktop plus $40 per month of usage that works across all Devin products, so the seat spend is not locked to the editor alone.
Existing Windsurf subscribers were not repriced. Cognition confirmed that current plans continue to work exactly as before, including legacy Windsurf Enterprise agreements.
Cascade Is Gone: Meet Devin Local
The one genuine product change underneath the rename is the local agent.
Cascade was retired and replaced by Devin Local, which runs the same architecture as Devin CLI. Cognition kept Cascade available through July 2026 as a transition window, so as of today it is no longer the default path.
What Devin Local brings over Cascade:
- Up to 30% better token efficiency on the same work
- Subagent support for splitting a task across parallel workers
- Sandboxing for safer command execution
- Shared architecture with Devin CLI, so terminal and editor behave alike
- Inherited settings from your existing Windsurf configuration
Pricing for the local agent did not move. If you were on prompt-based credits with Cascade, Devin Local bills the same way.
One caveat worth knowing: the Windsurf JetBrains plugin is in maintenance mode and Cascade inside it is being deprecated. If your team runs IntelliJ or PyCharm rather than the standalone editor, that path is winding down.
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Apply directly through these verified programs.
Claude $10,000 credits
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OpenAI $2,500 credits
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Eligible for early-stage startups
AWS $300,000 credits
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Cloud $350,000 credits
Eligible for early-stage startups
Lovable $6,000 credits
Eligible for early-stage startups
Your Windsurf Config Still Works
This is the question most migrating users actually have, and the answer is reassuring.
.windsurfrulesat your workspace root is still read.windsurf/rules/is kept as a fallback directory.devin/rules/is the new preferred location and takes precedenceAGENTS.mdfiles are read natively.cursor/rules(.mdcfiles) can be imported into.devin/rules/
That last line matters if you are evaluating both tools. Devin Desktop will ingest Cursor's rule format, so moving a ruleset between the two is not a rewrite.
Directory-based rules support activation triggers in their frontmatter, so a rule can apply always, only when the model judges it relevant, only for files matching a glob, or only when you invoke it manually.
Devin Desktop vs Cursor: The 2026 Comparison
With the rebrand settled, here is how the two stack up today.
| Dimension | Devin Desktop (ex-Windsurf) | Cursor |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | Cognition | Anysphere |
| Free tier | Unlimited local tab completions and inline edits | Hobby: limited agent requests, Composer access |
| Entry paid tier | Pro, $20/month | Individual, $20/month |
| Top individual tier | Max, $200/month | Ultra (under Individual) |
| Team tier | $80/month plus $40 per seat | $40 per user/month |
| Enterprise | Available | Custom |
| Local agent | Devin Local | Composer and Agent |
| Cloud handoff | Devin Cloud (separate SKU) | Cloud agents |
| Multi-agent view | Agent Command Center (Kanban, Spaces) | Agents interface |
| Rules format | .devin/rules/, reads Windsurf and Cursor rules | .cursor/rules |
The free tiers are where they now differ most. Devin Desktop gives unlimited local completions and inline edits at $0. Cursor's Hobby plan caps agent requests. If completions are the bulk of your usage, Devin Desktop is cheaper by default. If you lean on agent runs, both funnel you to $20.
At the team level the math flips. Cursor is a flat $40 per user. Devin Desktop is $80 per month plus $40 per seat, so a two-person team pays more on Devin Desktop and a ten-person team closes most of the gap, since that per-seat $40 carries usage across Devin Cloud, Devin CLI, and Devin Review, not only the editor.
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Apply directly through these verified programs.
Claude $10,000 credits
Eligible for early-stage startups
OpenAI $2,500 credits
Eligible for early-stage startups
Anthropic $25,000 credits
Eligible for early-stage startups
AWS $300,000 credits
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Cloud $350,000 credits
Eligible for early-stage startups
Lovable $6,000 credits
Eligible for early-stage startups
Which One Should You Pick
Pick Devin Desktop If
- You want unlimited local completions at $0 and nothing more
- You already had Windsurf installed and your config ported cleanly
- You want one command center for local and cloud agents
- You expect to use Devin Cloud, Devin CLI or Devin Review alongside the editor
- You value subagents and sandboxing in the local agent
Pick Cursor If
- You want the larger ecosystem: more tutorials, more extensions, more community threads
- You prefer flat per-seat team pricing with no base fee
- Your team is small, where $40 per user beats $80 plus per-seat
- You have existing
.cursor/rulesand a team already trained on them
Run Both If
- You want redundancy during heavy work
- Your developers disagree about editors, which they will
- You have enough free credits to bring your own key to both
- You want to hedge, which the last eighteen months should have taught you
How to Get Free Credits for Both
| Source | Available Credits | How to Get |
|---|---|---|
| Free Anthropic credits (BYOK) | $1,000 - $25,000+ | AI Perks Guide |
| Free OpenAI credits (BYOK) | $500 - $50,000+ | AI Perks Guide |
| Devin Desktop founder programs | $500 - $5,000 | AI Perks Guide |
| Cursor founder programs | $500 - $5,000 | AI Perks Guide |
| Devin Desktop free tier | Unlimited local completions | Direct signup |
| Student verification (.edu) | Discounted or free tiers | Direct signup |
Total potential: $2,000 - $90,000+ in stacked credits across both tools
The exact program names and the order you should apply in are inside AI Perks. The AI Perks team comes from Y Combinator, Techstars, Antler, 500 Global, and Google for Startups.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
Claude $10,000 credits
Eligible for early-stage startups
OpenAI $2,500 credits
Eligible for early-stage startups
Anthropic $25,000 credits
Eligible for early-stage startups
AWS $300,000 credits
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Cloud $350,000 credits
Eligible for early-stage startups
Lovable $6,000 credits
Eligible for early-stage startups
Step-by-Step: Migrate or Choose
Step 1: Get free credits via AI Perks so model spend is not what decides this for you.
Step 2: Update your editor. If you still run Windsurf, take the over-the-air update. Your settings, extensions and keybindings port automatically.
Step 3: Move your rules to .devin/rules/. Your old .windsurfrules still works, but the new directory takes precedence and supports activation triggers.
Step 4: Start on the Devin Desktop free tier. Unlimited local completions and inline edits cost nothing, so measure your real agent usage before paying.
Step 5: Trial Cursor in parallel on the same repository for a week and compare on your actual work, not benchmarks.
Step 6: Apply to founder programs for either via AI Perks.
Step 7: Re-evaluate quarterly. This category renamed an entire product in ninety days. Assume it moves again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Windsurf dead?
No. Windsurf was renamed Devin Desktop on June 2, 2026. windsurf.com returns an HTTP 308 permanent redirect to devin.ai/desktop. The IDE, editor, extensions and keybindings all continue. Only the branding and the local agent changed. Free credits for it are at AI Perks.
What happened to Windsurf and why is it now Devin?
Cognition, which owns both products, consolidated its lineup under a single brand: Devin Cloud, Devin Desktop, Devin CLI and Devin Review. Windsurf became Devin Desktop through an over-the-air update. Nothing was removed and existing plans were not repriced.
Does Devin Desktop have a free tier?
Yes. Devin Desktop's free tier includes unlimited local tab completions and inline edits with no monthly cap. Paid plans are Pro at $20/month, Max at $200/month, and Teams at $80/month plus $40 per seat. Stack free model credits from AI Perks on top.
Devin Desktop vs Cursor, which is better?
Devin Desktop wins on the free tier with unlimited local completions and on unified local plus cloud agent management. Cursor wins on ecosystem size and flat $40 per-user team pricing. Both start at $20/month for individuals. Run both free with credits from AI Perks.
Do my Windsurf settings and rules still work?
Yes. Settings port automatically. Your .windsurfrules file is still read, .windsurf/rules/ works as a fallback, and .devin/rules/ is the new preferred location that takes precedence. Devin Desktop also reads AGENTS.md and can import Cursor's .mdc rules.
What happened to Cascade?
Cascade was replaced by Devin Local, which shares its architecture with Devin CLI. It offers up to 30% better token efficiency, subagent support and sandboxing. Cascade stayed available through July 2026. Pricing did not change. Fund either with credits from AI Perks.
Did Windsurf pricing change after the rebrand?
No. Cognition confirmed existing plans continue to work exactly as before, including legacy Windsurf Enterprise agreements. New buyers see Devin Desktop pricing: free, $20 Pro, $200 Max, and $80 plus $40 per seat for Teams. Compare credit stacking at AI Perks.
Is the Windsurf JetBrains plugin still supported?
The Windsurf JetBrains plugin is in maintenance mode and Cascade inside it is being deprecated. If your team works in IntelliJ or PyCharm rather than the standalone editor, plan for that path winding down.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
Claude $10,000 credits
Eligible for early-stage startups
OpenAI $2,500 credits
Eligible for early-stage startups
Anthropic $25,000 credits
Eligible for early-stage startups
AWS $300,000 credits
Eligible for early-stage startups
Google Cloud $350,000 credits
Eligible for early-stage startups
Lovable $6,000 credits
Eligible for early-stage startups
The Verdict
Windsurf is not gone, it is renamed. Devin Desktop is the same editor under Cognition's unified brand, with Devin Local in place of Cascade and a genuinely free tier that Windsurf never had. Cursor is still the bigger ecosystem with simpler team pricing.
The honest answer for most developers in 2026: start on Devin Desktop's free tier because unlimited local completions cost nothing, trial Cursor beside it for a week, and let free model credits from AI Perks make the decision low-stakes either way.
Stop guessing which AI editor to pay for. Get $2,000-$90,000+ in stacked credits at getaiperks.com.
