As AI-powered coding tools and code generation solutions continue to reshape how we write code, Codeium's Windsurf and Devin stand out as two leading AI programming assistants in the market. Both offer advanced AI-powered development capabilities, but while Windsurf focuses on enhancing developer productivity through intelligent code completion and AI chat features, Devin positions itself as a fully-fledged autonomous coding assistant, capable of handling complex development tasks.
This comparison will help you understand the key differences and make an informed decision for your development needs.
Feature Comparison
Code Completion and Generation
Windsurf
Windsurf offers sophisticated code generation and completion capabilities with contextually aware in-line and multi-line suggestions. The AI coding tool adapts to your development style and provides relevant code snippets across front-end, back-end, and full-stack development. Its fill-in-the-middle (FIM) completions are particularly useful for boosting developer productivity when handling complex code patterns.
Devin
As an advanced AI programming assistant, Devin takes code generation to a new level by operating as an autonomous development tool. Beyond simple code completions, it can write entire functions, implement features, and even build complete web applications. It includes the ability to write, test, and debug code independently, making it more of a collaborative AI development teammate than just a completion tool.
AI Chat Capabilities
Windsurf
Windsurf's Cascade feature provides an innovative AI chat interface that allows developers to interact naturally with the tool. It offers two distinct modes: Write, for making direct codebase modifications, and Chat, for general inquiries and discussions about the codebase. In both instances, Cascade maintains context awareness of previous interactions.
Devin
Devin's chat capabilities are deeply integrated into its workflow, allowing developers to communicate through multiple channels, including Slack and its own web interface. The AI can understand complex requirements, discuss architectural decisions, and execute tasks based on natural language conversations, making it feel more like an interaction with a human teammate.
Context Awareness
Windsurf
Windsurf maintains context awareness through the use of its advanced LLM models, which allows the tool to understand the structure and flow of your code. It considers your current file, project context, and coding patterns to provide relevant suggestions and responses.
Devin
Devin demonstrates superior context awareness with its ability to understand entire codebases, maintain knowledge across sessions, and create machine snapshots for preserving development environment states. It can track changes across multiple files and understand complex project architectures.
Privacy and Security
Windsurf
Windsurf prioritizes user privacy with robust data handling policies. Users can opt out of code snippet telemetry, and the platform ensures secure handling of personal information and code. The privacy settings are user-configurable through account settings.
Devin
Devin offers enterprise-grade security with SOC 2 Type II certification, data encryption in transit and at rest, and comprehensive access controls. It supports VPC deployment options, custom data retention policies, and secure credential sharing through Secrets Manager.
Pricing
Windsurf
- Free Plan:
- 5 User Prompt credits
- 5 Flow Action credits
- Free Trial:
- 50 User Prompt credits
- 200 Flow Action credits (2 weeks)
- Pro Plan:
- $15/month
- 500 User Prompt credits
- 1500 Flow Action credits monthly
- Pro Ultimate Plan:
- $60/month
- Unlimited User Prompt credits
- 3000 Flow Action credits monthly
Devin
- Teams Plan:
- $500/month
- Unlimited seats
- ACU allocation
- Slack integration
- Shared workspace features
- Enterprise Plan:
- Custom pricing
- SSO with Okta
- VPC deployment
- Advanced analytics
Conclusion
Windsurf and Devin represent two different approaches to AI-powered development. Windsurf excels as a sophisticated code generation and completion tool, offering immediate productivity gains through its intelligent suggestions and AI chat features. It's particularly well-suited for developers looking to enhance their existing workflow with AI-powered programming assistance.
Devin, on the other hand, positions itself as a more comprehensive AI development solution, acting as an autonomous team member capable of handling complete programming tasks. While it may have a steeper learning curve, it offers more extensive capabilities for teams looking to automate significant portions of their development process. The choice between these AI coding tools will largely depend on whether you need a powerful programming assistant (Windsurf) or a more autonomous AI teammate (Devin).