Base44 vs Windsurf Plugin (formerly Codeium)

Base44 takes a different approach from most AI app builders: instead of writing code you can see, it generates complete applications through a chat interface. Describe what you need (“build me a task management app with user auth and Stripe billing”), and it creates the database, UI, backend logic, and authentication. Apps are live immediately with built-in hosting.

Wix acquired Base44 in 2025 for around $80 million, so expect the product to evolve toward the Wix ecosystem over time. The free tier is tight (5 messages per day), but enough to test whether the approach works for your use case. Best for internal tools, simple SaaS MVPs, and founders who want something working today rather than something architecturally perfect.

Codeium was a free AI autocomplete extension that worked in almost any editor: VS Code, JetBrains, Vim, Emacs and more. Its company built the Windsurf editor on top of it and, in April 2025, renamed itself Windsurf, retiring the Codeium brand and renaming the extensions Windsurf Plugin. Cognition bought the Windsurf business later in 2025 and renamed the editor Devin Desktop on 2 June 2026. codeium.com now opens the Devin Desktop site.

The plugins still exist, but Cognition’s documentation lists all of them as in maintenance mode and recommends the Devin Desktop editor, or Devin over ACP inside JetBrains IDEs. For AI completion in your current editor with active development, GitHub Copilot is the usual choice. If you are willing to switch editors, Devin Desktop or Cursor give you completion plus agent features.