Two agentic approaches to AI coding. One is an enhanced IDE. One is a unified development environment.
AI-powered code editor built by Codeium on top of VS Code. Features Cascade for agentic coding and AI Flows for automated workflows. Popular as a Cursor alternative with a generous free tier and $15/month Pro plan.
Agent-first UDE (Unified Development Environment). Built for everyone—developers, PMs, vibe coders. Zero config, everything unified in one app. AI agents do the work, you provide direction.
| Feature | Windsurf | Orbit |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | AI-enhanced IDE | Agent-first UDE |
| Base | VS Code fork | Purpose-built platform |
| AI Model | Codeium's models + GPT-4 | Multi-model (Claude, GPT, Gemini) |
| Target user | Developers seeking Cursor alternative | Developers, PMs, vibe coders |
| Key AI feature | Cascade (agentic coding) | Multi-agent orchestration |
| Setup required | Some (extensions, config) | None (1-click everything) |
| Built-in browser | No | Yes (full Chromium + DevTools) |
| Built-in deployment | No | Yes |
| Workflows | AI Flows (automated tasks) | Agent workflows (end-to-end) |
| Free tier | Yes (25 credits/month) | Yes (free during beta) |
| Pro pricing | $15/month | Free during beta |
| Philosophy | Agentic IDE experience | Everything unified, AI-native |
Approach
Windsurf
AI-enhanced IDE
Orbit
Agent-first UDE
Base
Windsurf
VS Code fork
Orbit
Purpose-built platform
AI Model
Windsurf
Codeium's models + GPT-4
Orbit
Multi-model (Claude, GPT, Gemini)
Target user
Windsurf
Developers seeking Cursor alternative
Orbit
Developers, PMs, vibe coders
Key AI feature
Windsurf
Cascade (agentic coding)
Orbit
Multi-agent orchestration
Setup required
Windsurf
Some (extensions, config)
Orbit
None (1-click everything)
Built-in browser
Windsurf
No
Orbit
Yes (full Chromium + DevTools)
Built-in deployment
Windsurf
No
Orbit
Yes
Workflows
Windsurf
AI Flows (automated tasks)
Orbit
Agent workflows (end-to-end)
Free tier
Windsurf
Yes (25 credits/month)
Orbit
Yes (free during beta)
Pro pricing
Windsurf
$15/month
Orbit
Free during beta
Philosophy
Windsurf
Agentic IDE experience
Orbit
Everything unified, AI-native
Windsurf is an AI-powered code editor built by Codeium, the company behind the popular Codeium autocomplete extension. It's a VS Code fork with deep AI integration, positioning itself as "the first agentic IDE."
Key features include:
Windsurf has grown rapidly, with over 800,000 active developers using the platform. It's particularly popular among developers looking for a Cursor alternative at a lower price point.
Windsurf has genuine strengths worth considering:
If you're looking for a capable AI coding assistant at a lower price than Cursor, Windsurf is a solid choice.
Orbit isn't trying to be a better Windsurf. It's a different category entirely:
The philosophy is different: Windsurf makes coding with AI easier. Orbit makes building software easier—whether or not you know how to code.
Both Windsurf and Orbit represent the future of AI-assisted development, but they're solving different problems.
Windsurf is an excellent choice if you want an affordable, capable AI coding assistant that feels like VS Code. Cascade is genuinely impressive for multi-file editing, and the pricing is competitive.
Orbit is for those who want to rethink the entire development experience. If you're tired of juggling browser tabs, terminal windows, and deployment dashboards—or if you're not a developer but want to build software—Orbit offers a fundamentally different approach.
The best way to decide? Try both. Windsurf has a free tier, and Orbit is free during beta.
Free during beta. No setup required—see the difference in 5 minutes.
Join thousands of builders who've switched to unified development.