Windsurf alternative
Buildful vs Windsurf
Windsurf is an AI code editor, renamed Devin Desktop in June 2026. You code in it on your computer, next to its agent, and can send a task to Devin in the cloud. Buildful skips the editor. You describe a change, and a tested pull request comes back.
1,000 tasks for $10 a month.About a cent a task.
Your first 3 tasks are free. No card needed.
Stay with Windsurf if
- You want AI inside the editor you code in all day, with suggestions as you type.
- You like accepting or rejecting each edit as it happens, on your own machine.
- You already pay for a Devin plan and use most of it.
Switch to Buildful if
- You'd rather describe the change than write it.
- You'd rather the agent worked in its own cloud machine than on your computer.
- You want your tests run on every change, and every UI change tried in a real browser and recorded.
- You'd rather have 1,000 tasks a month for $10 than a daily and weekly quota.
At a glance
How Windsurf and Buildful compare
| Compared on | Windsurf | Buildful |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Pro $20 a month, with a daily and weekly quota; past it, usage is billed at API prices. Max $200 for heavier use. | Pro is $10 a month for 1,000 tasks. Team is $40 for 3,000. Free to try with 3 tasks. |
| Where it runs | In the Devin Desktop editor on your computer. Tasks you send to Devin run in Cognition's cloud. | In a private cloud sandbox, one per task, deleted when the task ends. Nothing runs on your computer. |
| To get started | Download Devin Desktop and open your project. | Sign up and connect a GitHub repo. |
| Models | Cognition's SWE models, and models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and others. | Buildful picks the right open-weight model for each task. On Pro and Team, pick a frontier model yourself, like Claude or GPT, with prepaid credit or your own API key. |
| What you get back | Edits in your editor, which you review and commit, or a pull request from a Devin cloud session. | A pull request on your GitHub repo, ready to review and merge. |
| Testing | Runs the commands you or its agent choose. Devin cloud sessions can test in a browser and record it. | Runs your repo's checks, then tests UI changes in a real browser and records it. |
Try it on your repoYour first 3 tasks are free. No card needed. |
Compare Buildful with other tools
Why we built Buildful
Great software shouldn't depend on who can afford a $200 subscription.
- A model chosen for each taskBuildful picks the right open-weight model for each one. Frontier models, whenever you choose.
- Your repos, your pull requestsEvery change is a pull request on your GitHub. One task can change several repos, one PR each. Nothing reaches main without you.
- Tested before you mergeYour checks run, and every UI change is tested in a real browser and recorded.
Tasks can also start from Slack or Linear
Switching from Windsurf
Frequently asked questions
Is Windsurf the same as Devin Desktop?
Yes. Cognition renamed the Windsurf editor Devin Desktop in June 2026, and windsurf.com now points to it. Plans and settings carried over.
Can I keep using Windsurf with Buildful?
Yes. Buildful opens pull requests on the same GitHub repo you open in the editor. Pull the branch whenever you want to keep working on it by hand.
Do I need to install anything?
No. Buildful runs every task in a private cloud sandbox. You need a browser and a GitHub repo.
What happens to my repo?
Buildful works on a new branch and opens a pull request. Nothing reaches your main branch until you review the change and merge it.
Your first 3 tasks are free. No card needed.