Coding Agents

Cursor vs Windsurf

How Cursor and Windsurf compare on real-world demand, licensing, adoption and positioning — straight from the Agent Reality Index.

Agent Reality Index

Cursor #1 in Coding Agents · 98.8 / 100 Windsurf #5 in Coding Agents · 79.5 / 100

Dimension	Cursor	Windsurf
Agent Reality Index	98.8 / 100 (#1)	79.5 / 100 (#5)
Monthly search demand	~368k/mo	~49k/mo
Licensing	Proprietary / closed-source	Proprietary / closed-source
Developer adoption	No public repo	No public repo
Positioning	Autonomous · Editor-integrated	Autonomous · Editor-integrated

The verdict

Cursor leads Windsurf on the Agent Reality Index (98.8 vs 79.5), driven mainly by stronger real-world search demand — the heaviest factor in the index. Windsurf remains a credible choice where its positioning fits your workflow better; the row above shows where the two diverge.

Figures auto-generated from the Agent Reality Index and refreshed monthly. How the index is built →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Cursor and Windsurf?

How Cursor and Windsurf compare on real-world demand, licensing, adoption and positioning — straight from the Agent Reality Index.

Is Cursor or Windsurf better?

How do Cursor and Windsurf compare on the Agent Reality Index?

On the Agent Reality Index, Cursor scores 98.8 of 100 (ranked #1 in Coding Agents) and Windsurf scores 79.5 of 100 (#5 in Coding Agents). The index weights real-world demand most heavily and refreshes monthly.