Discover/Roo Code vs Windsurf IDE
Roo Code
VS
Windsurf IDE

Roo Code vs Windsurf IDE

An in-depth comparison of Roo Code and Windsurf IDE — pricing, features, ratings, and more.

Roo Code
4.3
6 reviews
Windsurf IDE
4.9
164 reviews
Higher rated

Side-by-Side Comparison

Roo Code
Windsurf IDE
Category
AI Coding Assistant
AI Coding Assistant
Pricing
Free
Free tier; Pro at $15/month; Teams at $35/user/month
Pricing model
free
freemium
Rating
4.3 ★
4.9 ★
Reviews
6
164
Platforms
VS Code
Windows, macOS, Linux
API Access
✗ No
✗ No
Open Source
✓ Yes
✗ No

Key Features

Roo Code
  • Boomerang tasks (sub-agent delegation)
  • Enhanced token management
  • Multiple provider support
  • Custom mode system
  • Improved context handling
Windsurf IDE
  • Cascade agentic AI
  • Multi-file code editing
  • Terminal command execution
  • Codebase understanding
  • VS Code compatible
  • Multiple AI models
  • Flows for automation

Pros & Cons

Roo Code
Pros
  • + More configurable than Cline
  • + Active community
  • + Open source
Cons
  • Fork may lag behind upstream
  • Still requires API keys
Windsurf IDE
Pros
  • + Cascade is very capable autonomously
  • + Good VS Code compatibility
  • + Free to start
  • + Fast and responsive
Cons
  • Cascade can make mistakes requiring review
  • Newer than Cursor
  • Credits can run out quickly on free tier