Cline vs Windsurf Plugin (formerly Codeium)
Pricing
Cline: Free (open source), you pay for the AI API you choose
Windsurf Plugin (formerly Codeium): Brand retired, plugin in maintenance mode under Devin Desktop
Description
Cline: Open-source VS Code extension that acts as an autonomous coding agent. Bring your own AI model
Windsurf Plugin (formerly Codeium): The Codeium autocomplete extension, renamed Windsurf Plugin in 2025 and now a maintenance-mode companion to Devin Desktop, formerly Windsurf IDE
Pros
- Use any AI model (Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, local models): you control the cost
- Can browse the web, run terminal commands, create files, and edit code autonomously
- Free and open source: no subscription, just API costs
- Existing installs keep working in VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, Vim, Neovim, Jupyter, Chrome and Eclipse
- Keeps AI completions in your current editor instead of switching IDEs
Cons
- API costs are on you and can surprise you if you are not watching
- Setup takes more work than commercial alternatives: API keys, model selection, configuration
- Quality depends entirely on which AI model you pick
- All plugins are in maintenance mode: no new features
- Cascade in the JetBrains plugin is being deprecated, and the JetBrains remote plugin is no longer maintained
- The maker recommends Devin Desktop, or Devin over ACP in JetBrains, instead
Details
Cline is a VS Code extension that turns your editor into an AI coding agent. Pick your AI model (Anthropic Claude, OpenAI, local models through Ollama), give it a task, and it will plan, write code, run commands, and iterate. It asks for permission before each action, so you stay in control.
The big advantage over Cursor is flexibility and transparency. You see exactly what you are paying (API costs per request), you can switch models anytime, and there is no subscription. The big disadvantage is that you have to manage all of that yourself. If you want something that just works out of the box, Cursor is easier. If you want to pick your own model and only pay for what you use, Cline is the way.
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.
Cline verified
Windsurf Plugin (formerly Codeium) verified
