How to Use Windsurf AI for Free in 2026

Windsurf (formerly Codeium) is an AI-powered code editor that has gained significant traction as a Cursor alternative. Built on VS Code, it offers intelligent code completion, an agentic coding assistant called Cascade, and a generous free tier that makes it accessible to every developer.

This guide covers everything you need to know about using Windsurf for free: what is included, how to maximize it, and how it compares to paid alternatives.

What Is Windsurf?

Windsurf is developed by Codeium, a company that started with a free AI autocomplete extension and evolved into a full AI code editor. In 2025, they rebranded from Codeium to Windsurf and launched a standalone editor with deeper AI integration.

Key features:

Cascade -- An agentic AI assistant that can read, write, and refactor code across multiple files.
Supercomplete -- AI autocomplete that predicts your next edit, not just the next line.
Flows -- Multi-step AI workflows that combine search, edit, and terminal commands.
Built on VS Code -- All your extensions and settings work out of the box.

Windsurf Free Plan: What You Get

Feature	Free Plan	Pro ($15/mo)	Ultimate ($60/mo)
Autocomplete	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Cascade credits	5 premium actions/day	50 premium actions/day	Unlimited
Flows	Limited	Full access	Full access
Models	GPT-4o mini, Cascade base	Claude Sonnet, GPT-4o	Claude Opus, all models
Supercomplete	Yes	Yes (priority)	Yes (priority)
Context awareness	Basic	Enhanced (full codebase)	Enhanced (full codebase)
Terminal commands	Yes	Yes	Yes
Price	$0	$15/month	$60/month

The free plan is notably more generous than Cursor's free tier in several areas, particularly autocomplete (unlimited vs. 2,000/month).

Step 1: Download and Install Windsurf

Go to windsurf.ai (or codeium.com/windsurf).
Download the editor for your operating system (macOS, Windows, Linux).
Install and open Windsurf.
Sign in with Google, GitHub, or email.
You are automatically on the free plan.

Import VS Code Settings

During onboarding, Windsurf offers to import your VS Code configuration:

Extensions
Keybindings
Settings
Themes

Accept the import to get your familiar environment with AI features added on top.

Step 2: Using Cascade (AI Chat + Agent)

Cascade is Windsurf's AI assistant. Open it with Ctrl+L (or Cmd+L on Mac).

Chat Mode

Ask questions about your code:

What does the handleAuth function in src/lib/auth.ts do?

Cascade reads the file and explains the code in context.

Write Mode

Ask Cascade to write or modify code:

Add input validation to the POST /api/users endpoint using Zod.
Validate email format, password length (min 8), and name (required).

Cascade will:

Read the relevant files.
Generate the changes.
Show you a diff preview.
Apply changes when you approve.

Multi-File Edits

Cascade can work across multiple files in a single request:

Rename the "Post" model to "Article" across the entire codebase.
Update the Prisma schema, all API routes, and React components.

This is where Windsurf's agentic capabilities shine -- it identifies all affected files and makes coordinated changes.

Step 3: Maximize Your Free Credits

The free plan gives you 5 premium Cascade actions per day. Here is how to make each one count:

Batch Your Requests

Instead of making five separate small requests, combine related work into one:

Do all of the following:
1. Create a new API route at /api/projects with GET and POST handlers
2. Add Zod validation for the POST body
3. Create a React component at src/components/ProjectList.tsx that fetches and displays projects
4. Add TypeScript types for the Project model in src/types/

One action, four outputs.

Use Autocomplete for Routine Tasks

Autocomplete is unlimited on the free plan. Use it for:

Completing function bodies
Writing boilerplate code
Filling in repetitive patterns
Auto-importing modules

Save your Cascade credits for complex, multi-file operations.

Leverage the Terminal

Cascade can run terminal commands as part of its workflow. Use this for:

Install the dependencies needed for this project, set up the database,
and run the test suite. Fix any failing tests.

Use @-Mentions for Context

Reference specific files and symbols to give Cascade better context without using extra credits on clarification:

@src/lib/db.ts @src/types/user.ts
Add a function to get all users with their associated posts, using the existing Prisma client.

Step 4: Supercomplete (Free Unlimited Autocomplete)

Supercomplete goes beyond traditional autocomplete. Instead of just predicting the next token, it predicts your next edit based on your recent changes.

For example, if you just renamed a variable in one place, Supercomplete will suggest renaming it in the next occurrence. If you added error handling to one function, it suggests similar handling for the next function.

Tips for getting the most from Supercomplete:

Accept with Tab. Press Tab to accept suggestions, Escape to dismiss.
Write a comment first. Comments guide better completions.
Be consistent. Supercomplete learns from patterns in your current session.

Windsurf vs. Cursor: Free Tier Comparison

Feature	Windsurf Free	Cursor Free
Autocomplete	Unlimited	2,000/month
AI chat/agent	5 premium/day	50 fast/month
Model quality	GPT-4o mini	Claude Sonnet (limited)
Multi-file edits	Yes	Yes
VS Code compatibility	Full	Full
Offline mode	No	No
Price	$0	$0

Windsurf wins on autocomplete volume (unlimited vs. 2,000). Cursor wins on monthly AI chat budget (50/month is ~1.7/day, but they accumulate).

For developers who rely heavily on autocomplete, Windsurf's free plan is clearly better. For developers who prefer batch coding sessions with the AI chat, Cursor's monthly allocation may be more flexible.

Windsurf vs. Cursor: Paid Tier Comparison

Feature	Windsurf Pro ($15/mo)	Cursor Pro ($20/mo)
Autocomplete	Unlimited	Unlimited
Premium AI actions	50/day	500/month
Agent mode	Cascade	Composer
Model access	Claude, GPT-4o	Claude, GPT-4o
Background indexing	Yes	Yes
Price	$15/month	$20/month

Windsurf Pro is $5 cheaper per month and offers 50 actions per day (up to 1,500/month) compared to Cursor's 500/month.

Step 5: Use Windsurf with Your Own API Keys

For unlimited AI usage beyond the free credits, you can connect your own API keys:

Go to Settings > AI Provider.
Add your API key for OpenAI, Anthropic, or any OpenAI-compatible provider.
Select your preferred model.

Free API key sources:

Google AI Studio -- Free Gemini 2.5 Pro access.
Groq -- Free, fast Llama inference.
OpenRouter -- Free tier models available.

Step 6: Useful Keyboard Shortcuts

Action	macOS	Windows/Linux
Open Cascade	`Cmd+L`	`Ctrl+L`
Inline edit	`Cmd+K`	`Ctrl+K`
Accept autocomplete	`Tab`	`Tab`
Dismiss suggestion	`Escape`	`Escape`
Toggle Cascade panel	`Cmd+Shift+L`	`Ctrl+Shift+L`
Open terminal	Cmd+`	Ctrl+`
Command palette	`Cmd+Shift+P`	`Ctrl+Shift+P`

Free Alternatives to Consider

If Windsurf's free tier is not enough, consider these fully free options:

Tool	Type	Best For
Continue.dev	VS Code extension	Bring-your-own-key flexibility
Cline	VS Code extension	Agentic coding with any model
Aider	CLI tool	Terminal-based AI coding
Void	VS Code fork	Fully open-source editor
Claude Code	CLI tool	Anthropic's official CLI

Wrapping Up

Windsurf offers one of the most generous free tiers in the AI code editor space. Unlimited autocomplete, 5 daily Cascade actions, and full VS Code compatibility make it a strong choice for developers who want AI assistance without a monthly bill. For heavier use, the Pro plan at $15/month undercuts Cursor while offering comparable features.

If your projects involve AI-generated media like images, video, or talking avatars, try Hypereal AI free -- 35 credits, no credit card required. It pairs well with any code editor for building AI-powered applications.