Amazon Q Developer vs Windsurf
A detailed comparison of Amazon Q Developer and Windsurf. See how they stack up on features, pricing, and user ratings.
Quick Summary
Windsurf leads with a 4.5/5 rating compared to Amazon Q Developer's 4.1/5. Amazon Q Developer is designed for small to enterprise companies, while Windsurf targets solopreneur to enterprise organisations. Both tools offer free plans, so you can try each before committing.
Amazon Q Developer
AWS's AI coding assistant with agentic development, security scanning, and deep AWS integration
Rating
4.1/5
Best for
Small to Enterprise
Free trial
No
Free plan
Yes
Windsurf
AI-native code editor with Cascade agentic engine, acquired by Cognition AI (Devin) in late 2025
Rating
4.5/5
Best for
Solopreneur to Enterprise
Free trial
No
Free plan
Yes
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Amazon Q Developer | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| Bug Detection | ||
| Code Completion | ||
| Code Explanation | ||
| Code Generation | ||
| IDE Integration | ||
| Multi-Language Coding | ||
| Terminal / CLI Integration | ||
| Data Privacy Controls | ||
| Natural Language Chat |
Pricing Comparison
Amazon Q Developer
Free
Free
Pro
$19/mo
Windsurf
Free
Free
Pro
$15/mo
Teams
$30/mo
Enterprise
$60/mo
Pros & Cons
Amazon Q Developer
Pros
- +Deep AWS integration makes cloud development easier
- +Free tier is genuinely usable for individual developers
- +Security scanning catches vulnerabilities early
- +Code transformation helps modernise legacy codebases
Cons
- -Heavily AWS-focused — less useful outside the AWS ecosystem
- -Code completion quality behind Copilot and Cursor
- -Relatively new with fewer community resources
- -Chat experience less polished than competitors
Windsurf
Pros
- +Generous free tier with unlimited basic completions
- +Cascade agentic mode handles multi-step tasks autonomously
- +Fast completions with low latency
- +Trains on your codebase for personalised suggestions
Cons
- -Less established than GitHub Copilot
- -Agentic features can sometimes go off track
- -Enterprise features still maturing
- -Smaller community and fewer resources than Copilot
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Amazon Q Developer if:
- • Your company is Small to Enterprise size
- • You want to start with a free plan
- • Deep AWS integration makes cloud development easier
Choose Windsurf if:
- • Your company is Solopreneur to Enterprise size
- • You want to start with a free plan
- • Generous free tier with unlimited basic completions
- • Higher user ratings matter to you (4.5 vs 4.1)