Pick GitHub Copilot if…
you don't want to change editors, you care about PR reviews on GitHub, or you want to keep the bill as low as possible.
This is really a choice between adding AI to the editor you have and adopting a new editor built around an autonomous agent. Copilot is the plugin; Windsurf, now Devin Desktop, is the agent IDE.
GitHub Copilot ($10/mo) is the cheaper, lower-friction choice for completions, chat and PR reviews in VS Code or JetBrains. Windsurf ($20/mo) costs more but includes Devin cloud agents that write, test and ship code with less hand-holding.
| App | Free tier | Paid from | Top plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Copilot | Yes | $10/mo | $100/mo | Developers already living in VS Code/JetBrains/GitHub who want autocomplete, chat, and PR reviews without leaving their workflow |
| Windsurf (Devin Desktop) | Yes | $20/mo | $200/mo | Developers who want Devin's autonomous coding agent paired with a full IDE, not just a chat sidebar |
Monthly prices in US dollars before tax, from each vendor's official pricing (US list price; weekly-billed plans converted to a monthly figure). Updated October 7, 2026
| GitHub Copilot | Windsurf (Devin Desktop) | |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | Plugin for VS Code, JetBrains, plus GitHub PRs | Standalone AI IDE with cloud agents |
| Free tier | 2,000 completions/mo, Haiku 4.5 & GPT-5 mini | Unlimited inline edits & Tab, light model quota |
| Agents | Agent mode on Pro; trails dedicated agent editors | Cloud agents (Devin) included in Pro |
| Heavy-use tiers | Pro+ $39/mo, Max $100/mo | Max $200/mo, extra usage at API pricing |
you don't want to change editors, you care about PR reviews on GitHub, or you want to keep the bill as low as possible.
you want to hand whole tasks to an agent and are willing to work in a new IDE to get it.
Copilot Pro includes agent mode with your choice of Claude, GPT or Gemini models, but its agent mode still trails dedicated agentic editors like Windsurf.
For everyday typing, Windsurf's free plan includes unlimited inline edits and Tab completions, while Copilot Free stops at 2,000 completions a month. Both limit access to the stronger models.
On Copilot, yes: Pro+ at $39/mo adds Opus access and more credits. Windsurf jumps straight from Pro to Max at $200/mo.
How we choose: prices come from each vendor's official pricing page and are re-checked every week. We take no affiliate fees, so rankings aren't for sale.