Quick answer
Bolt or Windsurf? Choose Bolt if you want developers who want AI speed but will edit the code. Choose Windsurf if you want developers who want agent orchestration built into the editor. On our scoring rubric, Bolt came out at 8.1/10 vs 7.8/10 — full breakdown below.
At a glance
| Bolt | Windsurf | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Developers who want AI speed but will edit the code | Developers who want agent orchestration built into the editor |
| Price from | $20/mo | $20/mo |
| Our score | 8.1 | 7.8 |
| Generates | Any JS framework (Vite-based) | Anything — editor-based |
| Code ownership | Full — lives in the editor | Yours by definition |
| Deploy | Netlify integration | Bring your own |
Where each one wins
Bolt strengths
- Full code visibility in the browser
- Stronger on custom logic than Lovable
- WebContainers — instant environment
Windsurf strengths
- Agent Command Center orchestrates multiple agents across the repo
- Devin Local (SWE-1.6) handles multi-file edits well
- Clean, focused UX
Bolt weaknesses
- Slower to first working app
- UI output needs manual polish
- Token burn on large projects
Windsurf weaknesses
- Smaller ecosystem than Cursor
- No longer undercuts Cursor on price
- Same "read the code" requirement
Pricing side by side
| Plan | Bolt | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 — Token allowance resets daily | $0 — Generous credits for light use |
| Pro | $20/mo — More tokens; usage-based beyond | $20/mo — Level with Cursor; agent-orchestration focus |
Our verdict
Bolt (8.1/10): The right pick when a project will outgrow prompting — you're already in the code.
Windsurf (7.8/10): Now Devin Desktop — Cognition's agent-first take on the AI editor, priced level with Cursor.
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