Kilo Code vs Windsurf: Which AI Agent Is Better?
An in-depth comparison of Kilo Code and Windsurf across output quality, autonomy, reliability, speed, value, and ease of use. Vote for your favorite.
An in-depth comparison of Kilo Code and Windsurf across output quality, autonomy, reliability, speed, value, and ease of use. Vote for your favorite.
Either way, you pay for the model calls. A median coding-agent day on our gateway is 95 requests and 8.6 million tokens. The table prices every step at one model’s rate.
Kilo Code runs on Standard Compute, where each step goes to the cheapest model that can do it: routine steps go to efficient open models, hard ones to frontier models such as Claude Fable 5.1 or GPT-6 Astra.
| Model | Typical day | Busy day |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 5.5 | $7.34 | $59.10 |
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 | $3.67 | $29.55 |
| GPT-6 Luna | $0.23 | $2.43 |
Fixed monthly plans from $19. Eligible new accounts can try $0.25 of compute first, no card. Trial terms
Pick a winner in each category. You can change your vote anytime. 3 votes cast so far.
Kilo CodeWindsurfChoose Kilo Code if you are vS Code users who want an open-source AI coding assistant. Choose Windsurf if you are developers who want an affordable AI editor with agentic capabilities.
In our editorial scoring, Windsurf leads in 3 of six categories (output quality, autonomy and speed), while Kilo Code leads in 1 (value). On price, Kilo Code runs free (free models or byo key) / kilo pass from $19/mo and is open source; Windsurf runs free / $20 pro / $200 max (as devin desktop) and is proprietary.
Across 3 community votes on this matchup, Kilo Code currently leads in 2 of six categories. Cast your own vote above to move the needle.
What it costs to run Kilo Code
Best API for Kilo Code →
4 options compared, with prices and limits
Standard Compute sends each step to the cheapest model that can do it, on providers we vet for price, uptime and speed. Plans start at $19 a month, and eligible new accounts can try $0.25 of compute with no card. Choose your agent below to connect.
See the trial and activation steps →
More on Kilo Code: How do I run Kilo Code on a fixed monthly budget?
Kilo Code is an open-source (MIT) coding agent that runs as a VS Code extension, a JetBrains plugin and Kilo CLI (a fork of OpenCode). It supports multi-file editing, refactoring and context-aware code generation. The tools are free: you can start on its free models without a card, bring your own key for any OpenAI-compatible API, or buy models through Kilo's gateway at provider rates, with the optional Kilo Pass from $19 a month adding bonus credits.
Windsurf began as Codeium's AI-first code editor, known for its Cascade agent. Cognition (the company behind Devin) bought it in 2025, and since June 2026 it ships as Devin Desktop, "the next generation of Windsurf": an agent command center with a built-in VS Code-style IDE; windsurf.com now redirects there. Plans are shared with Devin: Free, Pro at $20 a month and Max at $200, each with a usage allowance that refreshes daily and weekly, and extra usage billed at API prices.
Kilo Code runs on Standard Compute
