Compare / Roo Code vs Windsurf
Head-to-head
Roo Code vs Windsurf.
Side-by-side on ratings, pricing, pros, cons, and the honest take on which to pick. Both are in our coding agent category — direct competitors.
| Roo Code | Windsurf | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.0 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Category | Coding Agent | Coding Agent |
| Tech level | developer | developer |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Pricing | Free and open-source. BYOK — pay only for API calls to your chosen provider. No Roo Code subscription fee. | Free tier (limited). Pro ~$15/month. Teams ~$30/user/month. |
| Best for | Developers who want Cline-style agentic coding with more structured role separation — Architect mode for planning, Code mode for implementation, Debug mode for fixing. Useful for complex tasks that benefit from keeping the AI's focus narrow. | Developers who want the fastest IDE-native coding agent — strong on autocomplete speed, large codebase understanding, and autonomous multi-file refactors without leaving the editor. |
| Not for | Non-VS Code developers — Roo Code is VS Code only. Anyone wanting a managed hosted solution rather than BYOK. | Teams wanting terminal-first or headless agent workflows. Windsurf is IDE-bound — Claude Code or Aider are better for CLI-driven automation. |
Our verdict on Roo Code
Free open-source VS Code agent with role-specific modes: Architect, Code, Debug, Test. Strong model flexibility. 23.7k GitHub stars. A focused Cline fork.
Full Roo Code review →Our verdict on Windsurf
Codeium's AI IDE. Cascade handles multi-file edits autonomously. Fast autocomplete edges Cursor on speed; Flows runs complex tasks without you in the loop.
Full Windsurf review →Roo Code
What works
- Role-specific modes (Architect, Code, Debug, Test) keep the AI focused on one job at a time
- Fully free — no subscription, just API costs
- Model-agnostic: works with Claude, GPT, Gemini, and local models
- Permission-based command approval before any command runs
- Open source — transparent about what it's doing and why
What doesn't
- VS Code only — no JetBrains, no CLI-first workflow
- Smaller community than Cline (23.7k vs 61k stars)
- Mode switching adds cognitive overhead for simple tasks — sometimes you just want to ask and get an answer
- Less enterprise support infrastructure than Cursor or Cline
Windsurf
What works
- Fastest autocomplete in the category — Supercomplete predicts before you finish
- Cascade agent completes multi-file tasks autonomously end-to-end
- Flows layer handles complex goals with full autonomy
- Strong large-codebase understanding — indexes your full repo
- Active development post-OpenAI acquisition
- Free tier is genuinely usable — low friction to evaluate
What doesn't
- IDE-bound — no CLI or headless mode for server-side automation
- Less customisable than Claude Code for complex multi-step workflows
- VS Code extension ecosystem support slightly behind pure VS Code
- OpenAI acquisition raises questions about long-term model flexibility
Which to pick
We'd default to Windsurf (4.5/5 vs 4.0/5) for most builders. Pick Roo Code if you fit its best-for case specifically: developers who want cline-style agentic coding with more structured role separation — architect mode for planning, code mode for implementation, debug mode for fixing. useful for complex tasks that benefit from keeping the ai's focus narrow.
Honest middle: most serious operators end up using more than one tool. If you're early in your AI agent journey, our five-question picker recommends a starting platform from your specific situation.
Common questions
Roo Code vs Windsurf — which should I pick?
We rate Windsurf 4.5/5 vs 4.0/5 for Roo Code. Windsurf wins for developers who want the fastest ide-native coding agent — strong on autocomplete speed, large codebase understanding, and autonomous multi-file refactors without leaving the editor. — but pick Roo Code if you fit its specific best-for case (Developers who want Cline-style agentic coding with more structured role separation — Architect mode for planning, Code mode for implementation, Debug mode for fixing. Useful for complex tasks that benefit from keeping the AI's focus narrow.). See the head-to-head table above for the full breakdown.
Is Roo Code or Windsurf cheaper?
Roo Code's pricing: Free and open-source. BYOK — pay only for API calls to your chosen provider. No Roo Code subscription fee. Windsurf's pricing: Free tier (limited). Pro ~$15/month. Teams ~$30/user/month. The right "cheaper" pick depends on usage volume and what's included — see the pricing row in the table above.
What's Roo Code best for?
Developers who want Cline-style agentic coding with more structured role separation — Architect mode for planning, Code mode for implementation, Debug mode for fixing. Useful for complex tasks that benefit from keeping the AI's focus narrow.
What's Windsurf best for?
Developers who want the fastest IDE-native coding agent — strong on autocomplete speed, large codebase understanding, and autonomous multi-file refactors without leaving the editor.
Are Roo Code and Windsurf direct competitors?
Yes — both are coding agent options. They target similar builders, which is why the head-to-head matters.
Compare Roo Code against other options