Compare local process management with AI-first and open source editors.
Windsurf (originally Codeium) is a VS Code fork with the Cascade flow-aware agent, proprietary SWE-1.5 model, Supercomplete Tab, live previews, and MCP support. After a failed OpenAI acquisition process and a major Google talent-and-licensing deal that took the founders, Cognition acquired the product in July 2025. Pricing is competitive: free with 25 credits/mo, Pro $15/mo, Teams $30/mo. The best Windsurf alternatives depend on what you are trying to replace. Solo is the strongest fit if you want local agents and project commands managed outside the editor with auto-restart, file-watch restarts, and CPU/memory monitoring. Cursor (widely reported as heavily funded) is strong if you still want an AI-native editor with more scale, 8 parallel background agents, and 40+ AI models. Zed (~$42M raised, free GPL v3) is strong if you want a faster open source editor with ACP and 20+ agents.
Start with the capability you want to replace. Each option overlaps with Devin Desktop in a different way.
Recommended option
A lightweight local environment for agents, project commands, shell sessions, and process visibility on macOS and Windows.
Best for moving agents, shell sessions, and shared project commands out of the editor into a dedicated local workspace with auto-restart, file-watch restarts, and CPU/memory monitoring. Free for 4 projects, Pro $99/year.
Best for
Best for workflow separation.
Recommended option
An agent-first coding product with a VS Code-based IDE, cloud agents, Bugbot, automations, and models from Cursor and major providers. Acquired by SpaceX in August 2026.
Best for developers who still want an AI-first editor with major funding backing and scale, 8 parallel background agents, BugBot PR review, 40+ AI models, and event-driven automations. Pro $20/mo.
Best for
Best for tighter AI-native editing with more stability.
Recommended option
A fast, open source code editor with GPU-accelerated rendering, built-in AI, ACP for external agents, and real-time multiplayer collaboration.
Best for developers who want a faster, open source editor (GPL v3, ~$42M raised) with ACP supporting 20+ external agents and real-time multiplayer. Free editor, $10/mo Pro.
Best for
Best for fast, open source editor workflows.
Start with Solo if you want to break the IDE-centric model and get a dedicated local process dashboard. Start with Cursor if you still want an AI-first editor with more stability and 8 parallel background agents. Start with Zed if you want a faster, open source editor with ACP and multiplayer.
Compare the products and workflows closest to Devin Desktop, including where Solo fits.
Solo is a lightweight desktop terminal workspace for local agents, project commands, interactive terminals, and long-running services. It sits beside your editor, keeps your stack visible, and gives Claude Code, Codex, and the rest of your tools one shared local control surface.
Solo is built by Aaron Francis, creator of faster.dev and Database School, and VP of Marketing at Laravel. He built Solo after running Claude Code alongside his own dev stack and getting tired of juggling nine terminal tabs just to keep local agents, services, and project commands visible.
He is also a dad to two sets of twins, which tends to create a strong preference for software that reduces chaos instead of adding more of it. That is why Solo keeps showing up in these comparisons as the local workspace around your tools, not another editor or orchestrator trying to absorb the whole workflow.
Free for four projects on macOS and Windows.
Start with a terminal and add the programmable meta-harness when you need to coordinate agents with your local development stack.
“I can't live without it.”
