Devin Desktop: what it is, and what happened to Windsurf

What is Devin Desktop?

Devin Desktop is a code editor with AI agents built in. Cognition's docs call it "an AI IDE with Devin built in": you run an agent on your own machine, hand work to Devin in the cloud, and watch all of your agents from one place.

It's still a full IDE. Cognition's launch post says the editor, extensions, keybindings, language servers and workflows are "backwards-compatible with Windsurf and VSCode". What's new is the screen you land on. The Agent Command Center lists every session, local or cloud, so you can manage agents in one view and jump back into the editor to make changes by hand. The product page also lists Tab, which predicts your next edit, Fast Context for finding the right files, and Spaces, which group sessions, pull requests, files and context.

It also runs agents from other companies. Through the Agent Client Protocol (ACP), Devin Desktop supports Codex, Claude Agent, OpenCode and other ACP-compatible agents, including ones a company builds for itself.

What happened to Windsurf?

Cognition bought it, then renamed it. Scott Wu announced the deal to acquire Windsurf on July 14, 2025, including its product, trademark, brand and team. Windsurf then had $82M in annual recurring revenue.

On June 2, 2026, Windsurf became Devin Desktop. Cognition's Devin Desktop FAQ gives the reason: it put Devin Cloud, Devin Desktop, the Devin CLI and Devin Review under one brand. Windsurf users got the change as an over-the-air update, and windsurf.com now redirects to devin.ai/desktop.

What changed from Windsurf to Devin Desktop?

Mostly names, the default view and the main agent. Here's what the FAQ lists:

It also reads AGENTS.md and can import .cursor/rules. Your settings, extensions and workflows move over on their own.

What is Devin Local, and what happened to Cascade?

Devin Local is the agent that replaced Cascade. Cognition rewrote it from scratch in Rust, and the launch post says it uses up to 30% fewer tokens and supports subagents. Its docs say it shares its harness with the Devin CLI, so both have the same agent modes, permission rules and skills format.

It doesn't do everything Cascade did. Memories don't carry between sessions, and workflows, App Deploys and Arena Mode aren't available. Cognition's migration wizard turns memories and workflows into skills.

Cognition said Cascade would stay available through July 1, 2026, so teams could move over gradually. The current docs still describe an agent selector for new conversations and an admin control that turns Cascade off. New tabs default to Devin Local.

Which models does Devin Desktop use?

Cognition's own SWE models, plus frontier models. The models page lists SWE-2, Cognition's latest, and older ones such as SWE-1.7 and SWE-1.6. SWE-1-mini powers Tab. On the self-serve plans, SWE-2 is free in Devin Desktop and the Devin CLI through November 30, 2026, though not in Devin Cloud sessions. On the Free plan, SWE-1.6 is the only model.

Claude and GPT models are on the list too, and Cognition recommends Fusion for most people. Fusion pairs a frontier lead model with a cost-efficient sidekick model.

How does Devin Desktop relate to Devin Cloud and the Devin CLI?

Devin Desktop and the Devin CLI run locally, and Devin Local, the agent in Devin Desktop, shares its harness with the CLI. Devin Cloud is a separate product: the original Devin, which works in its own virtual machine with a desktop and browser, keeps going after you close your laptop, and has Knowledge, Playbooks and Secrets, which the CLI doesn't support yet. Both local tools can start Devin Cloud sessions and hand work to them.

From Devin Desktop, you can hand a plan to Devin Cloud in one click. Devin builds it on its own machine while you keep coding, and the session shows up next to your local ones. Cognition says this is included on the self-serve Pro, Max and Teams plans, and on Enterprise it has to be turned on by an admin.

On Devin Enterprise and legacy Windsurf Enterprise plans, the Devin CLI comes bundled with Devin Desktop once an admin turns it on. Otherwise you install it on its own.

How do you download and install Devin Desktop?

Download it from devin.ai/download. There are builds for macOS (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows (x64 and arm64) and Linux. On Linux, the setup guide recommends the deb or rpm package over the tarball, because the tarball doesn't update itself. With the repository added, it's sudo apt install devin-desktop or sudo dnf install -y devin-desktop.

The first launch offers to install the devin-desktop terminal command, then asks you to sign in with a Devin account or create a free one. You can import settings from VS Code or Cursor from the command palette. The download page also has Devin Next, an early-access beta, and the Windsurf plugin for JetBrains IDEs.

Which plans include Devin Desktop?

It depends on whether you're on a Windsurf plan or a Devin plan.

Windsurf plans. Nothing changed. The FAQ says "Pricing is unchanged", including legacy Windsurf Enterprise plans. Devin Local "uses the exact same pricing model as Cascade", so if you paid in prompt credits, you still do. Devin Cloud isn't part of these plans: "Devin Cloud remains a separate SKU", and Cognition sends you to your account team for it.

Devin plans. The pricing page lists Free at $0, Pro at $20 a month, Max at $200 a month, and Teams from $80 a month, a minimum that $40 full seats count toward, so two seats still cost $80. Cognition's self-serve docs say one quota on Pro and Max covers Devin Desktop, the Devin CLI and Devin Cloud. On Teams, a full seat includes Devin Desktop and a flex seat doesn't. Free comes with unlimited Tab completions and inline edits, a light quota and only SWE-1.6. Devin pricing explains the quota and the Teams seats.

Where Buildful fits

Devin Desktop is an editor you work in, with agents beside you. Buildful is a background coding agent: you describe a task in the browser, Slack or Linear, it runs in a private cloud sandbox, runs your checks, tests UI changes in a real browser and opens a pull request on GitHub.

Smart Mode picks the right open-weight model for each task, and on Pro and Team you can pick a frontier model like Claude or GPT yourself, with prepaid credit or your own API key. Buildful Pro is $10 a month for 1,000 tasks, or ₹750 in India, and Team is $40 a month for 3,000 tasks shared by unlimited members (₹3,500 in India). Buildful vs Devin puts the two side by side, and Devin alternatives covers other options. If you're comparing editors, Devin vs Cursor is the closer match.

Frequently asked questions

Is Devin Desktop the same as Windsurf?

Yes. Devin Desktop is Windsurf's new name since June 2, 2026, built on the same IDE. The main changes are the Agent Command Center as the first screen and Devin Local in place of Cascade. Extensions, settings, workflows and plans carried over.

What happened to Windsurf?

Cognition, the company behind Devin, agreed to buy Windsurf on July 14, 2025 and renamed it Devin Desktop on June 2, 2026. Windsurf users got the new name as a regular update, and windsurf.com now redirects to devin.ai/desktop.

Is Devin Desktop free?

There's a Free plan at $0 with unlimited Tab completions and inline edits, a light quota and SWE-1.6 as its only model. Paid Devin plans start at $20 a month on Pro, and they also cover Devin Cloud and the Devin CLI.

Do I need Devin Cloud to use Devin Desktop?

No. Cognition says you can use Devin Desktop with local agents only. Devin Cloud is included on the self-serve Pro, Max and Teams plans, and on legacy Windsurf plans it's a separate purchase through your account team.

Can Devin Desktop run Claude Code or Codex?

Yes, through the Agent Client Protocol. At launch, Cognition listed Codex, Claude Agent, OpenCode and other ACP-compatible agents, which get the same Agent Command Center view as Devin's own agent.

Is Cascade still available in Devin Desktop?

Devin Local replaced Cascade as the main agent. Cognition kept Cascade through July 1, 2026 for gradual migration, and its docs still describe picking it in the agent selector unless an admin turns it off.