JetBrains AI Assistant vs Windsurf (now Devin Desktop)
Detailed side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right tool
JetBrains AI Assistant
AI Coding Tools
AI-powered plugin for JetBrains IDEs that enhances development workflow with intelligent code completion, next edit suggestions, AI chat with project context, and coding assistance inside JetBrains IDEs.
Was this helpful?
Starting Price
CustomWindsurf (now Devin Desktop)
🔴DeveloperAI Coding
Agentic AI IDE — originally from Codeium, now owned by Cognition and rebranding to Devin Desktop. The Cascade agent does deep-context, multi-file edits with inline diffs.
Was this helpful?
Starting Price
FreeFeature Comparison
Scroll horizontally to compare details.
JetBrains AI Assistant - Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓Deep native integration with JetBrains IDEs lets developers use AI assistance inside IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, GoLand, Rider, CLion, PhpStorm, RubyMine, DataGrip, DataSpell, Aqua, and related products instead of switching to a separate AI editor.
- ✓The 2026.1 IntelliJ IDEA Help page lists concrete workflow features: code completion, next edit suggestions, AI Chat, agent mode, context management, response processing, cloud LLM support, and local model use.
- ✓AI Chat can use explicit project context such as files, folders, images, symbols, commits, and other items, which is useful for questions tied to a real codebase rather than isolated snippets.
- ✓Response processing is practical inside the IDE because developers can review AI output and then apply code snippets, modify single or multiple files, or run terminal commands directly from AI Chat.
- ✓Pricing includes a no-cost AI Free tier with 3 AI Credits per 30 days and paid individual tiers starting at $10 USD per 30 days, which makes evaluation easier for existing JetBrains users before an organization rollout.
- ✓Supports both cloud-based providers named in the documentation, including Google Gemini, OpenAI, and Anthropic, and custom local third-party models for supported features such as code completion, in-editor code generation, or commit message generation.
Cons
- ✗JetBrains AI Assistant is not bundled or enabled by default; users must install the plugin, have a JetBrains AI Service license, and explicitly accept JetBrains AI terms before it can access code.
- ✗It is limited to the JetBrains IDE ecosystem, so teams using VS Code, Neovim, Sublime Text, or browser-based development environments will not get the same native plugin experience.
- ✗Cloud usage is quota-based: AI Free includes 3 AI Credits per 30 days, AI Pro includes 10 individual or 20 organization credits, and AI Ultimate includes 35 individual or 70 organization credits, so heavy agent or chat usage may require top-ups or a higher tier.
- ✗Advanced workflows such as agent mode, multi-file edits, terminal command execution, and generated tests still require careful developer review before code is merged.
- ✗Local model support exists, but setup and capability coverage are narrower than cloud use; the supplied data notes that MCP tool invocation is not currently supported when using local models.
Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) - Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓Agentic feel is closer to 'pair-programmer' than Cursor's chat-driven model
- ✓Multi-file edits with inline diffs are excellent for whole-feature work
- ✓MCP client support is mature — real tool use, not just chat
- ✓Devin Cloud access from inside the IDE post-acquisition is a unique combo
- ✓Enterprise VPC + SAML/OIDC option is rare among agentic IDEs
- ✓Free tier is still usable for hobby projects
Cons
- ✗Mid-rebrand to 'Devin Desktop' is confusing — docs, billing, marketplace are inconsistent
- ✗Cascade is aggressive — when it picks a wrong direction it can break code across many files
- ✗Pro price rose from $15 to $20/month, and the new $200 Max tier surprised some users
- ✗Indexer can lag on very large monorepos, slowing the first edit
- ✗Cursor's UX is still smoother for many users coming from VS Code
Not sure which to pick?
🎯 Take our quiz →🔒 Security & Compliance Comparison
Scroll horizontally to compare details.
🦞
🔔
Price Drop Alerts
Get notified when AI tools lower their prices
Get weekly AI agent tool insights
Comparisons, new tool launches, and expert recommendations delivered to your inbox.
Ready to Choose?
Read the full reviews to make an informed decision