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Cursor vs Windsurf: Which Agentic IDE Wins?

•1 min read

Two editors have risen to the top of the AI coding hierarchy: Cursor and Windsurf.

The Design Philosophy

Cursor believes in Velocity. It wants to predict your next edit before you think of it.

Windsurf believes in Agency. It isn't just trying to type for you; it's trying to work for you.

Performance Benchmarks

Performance benchmark comparison chart of Cursor vs Windsurf AI code editors showing speed, prompt count, and automation metrics

We ran a standard refactor task:

  • Cursor: Completed in 45 seconds with 2 prompts.
  • Windsurf: Completed in 2 minutes, BUT it created the files, moved the code, and deleted the old script automatically.

Winner?

For speed, Cursor wins. For automation, Windsurf takes the crown.