AI Development4 min readJanuary 2026

Cursor vs Windsurf vs Antigravity: AI IDE Comparison

January 2026: Cursor, Windsurf, and Google's new Antigravity IDE compared. Agentic capabilities, benchmarks, and pricing for every developer workflow.

Digital Applied Team
January 8, 2026
4 min read
76.2%

Antigravity SWE-bench

$20

Cursor Pro/month

5

Antigravity parallel agents

$15

Windsurf/month

Key Takeaways

Antigravity is New:: Google launched Antigravity November 2025 - a major agentic IDE with 'Manager View' running 5 parallel agents and Chrome integration
Windsurf Acquired:: Cognition (Devin AI) acquired Windsurf (formerly Codeium) in July 2025, bringing Cascade AI and enterprise features under Cognition's umbrella
SWE-bench Battle:: Antigravity achieves 76.2% SWE-bench, Cursor leads at ~77%, Windsurf similar - all significantly outperform standalone models
Price Comparison:: Cursor $20/month Pro, Windsurf $15/month, Antigravity free preview with ~$20/month Pro expected
All VS Code Forks:: All three are VS Code forks, meaning your extensions and settings transfer seamlessly between them

January 2026 marks a new era in AI-powered development environments. Google Antigravity's November launch disrupted the market with parallel agent orchestration. Windsurf's acquisition by Cognition (Devin AI) brought new agentic capabilities to Cascade AI. Cursor continues iterating on its pioneering agentic features. This comprehensive comparison helps you choose the right IDE for your development needs.

AI IDE Landscape January 2026

The AI IDE market has consolidated around three major players, each with distinct strengths and backing:

Cursor

Launched: 2023 (pioneer)

Valuation: $29.3B (Nov 2025)

Specialty: Agent mode, Composer

Models: Claude, GPT, custom

Best for: Mature agentic features

Windsurf

Acquired: Cognition (July 2025)

Previously: Codeium

Specialty: Cascade AI, minimal UI

Models: Claude, GPT, custom

Best for: Cost-conscious teams

Antigravity

Launched: November 2025

Company: Google

Specialty: Manager View, 5 agents

Models: Gemini 3 Pro

Best for: Parallel agent orchestration

Google Antigravity: The New Challenger

Google Antigravity, launched November 18, 2025, represents Google's serious entry into the agentic IDE space. Named for its goal to "reduce the gravitational pull of tedious coding tasks," Antigravity brings unique capabilities to the market.

Manager View: 5 Parallel Agents

Antigravity's headline feature is Manager View - the ability to orchestrate up to 5 AI agents working simultaneously on different parts of your codebase:

  • Parallel Processing: Each agent works on separate files/components
  • Human-in-the-Loop: You review and approve changes from each agent
  • Context Sharing: Agents can share context when tasks overlap
  • Automatic Conflict Resolution: System detects and handles merge conflicts

Chrome Integration

Deep Chrome integration enables browser automation alongside coding:

  • Test your web app directly from the IDE
  • Agents can interact with browser for E2E testing
  • Screenshot capture for visual debugging
  • Network request inspection for API debugging

Antigravity Key Stats

  • SWE-bench: 76.2%
  • Context: Gemini 3 Pro's 1M tokens
  • Pricing: Free preview, ~$20/month Pro expected
  • Chrome: Native browser integration

Cursor: The Agent Pioneer

Cursor pioneered the agentic IDE category and continues to lead with its $29.3 billion valuation (November 2025). Its Agent mode and Composer multi-file editing set the standard for AI-assisted development.

Key Features

  • Agent Mode: Fully autonomous coding with file system access
  • Composer: Multi-file editing with natural language instructions
  • Supermaven Autocomplete: Acquired for best-in-class completions
  • Model Flexibility: Claude, GPT, and custom model support
  • MCP Integration: Model Context Protocol for tool connections

Why Developers Choose Cursor

  • Most Mature: 2+ years of agentic development experience
  • Community: Largest user base and ecosystem
  • Reliability: Battle-tested on production codebases
  • Model Diversity: Use Claude for quality, GPT for speed

Windsurf: The Cognition Acquisition

Windsurf's acquisition by Cognition (Devin AI) in July 2025 transformed the competitive landscape after an earlier OpenAI deal collapsed. Previously Codeium's IDE, Windsurf now benefits from Cognition's advanced AI agent technology while maintaining its Cascade AI and competitive $15/month pricing.

Cascade AI Technology

  • Deep Context: Maintains understanding across entire projects
  • Autonomous Agent: Can implement features across multiple files
  • Minimal UI: Designed for "flow state" development
  • Model Flexibility: Supports Claude, GPT, and other leading models

Post-Acquisition Changes

  • Devin AI Integration: Enhanced agentic capabilities from Cognition's flagship product
  • Enterprise Features: Enhanced security and compliance
  • Pricing Maintained: Still $15/month, undercutting Cursor
  • Team Focus: Improved collaboration features

Performance Benchmarks

MetricCursorWindsurfAntigravity
SWE-bench~77%~75%76.2%
Terminal-Bench 2.0~65%~63%~68%
Multi-file TasksExcellentVery GoodVery Good
Parallel Agents115
Context WindowModel-dependentGPT-5.2 (400K)1M (Gemini)

Agentic Capabilities Compared

FeatureCursorWindsurfAntigravity
Agent ModeAgent modeCascadeManager View
Multi-File EditComposerCascadeParallel agents
File System AccessYesYesYes
Terminal AccessYesYesYes
Browser IntegrationLimitedLimitedChrome native
MCP SupportYesYesVia Gemini

Pricing Analysis

PlanCursorWindsurfAntigravity
Free Tier2 weeks trialLimitedPreview (full)
Pro/Individual$20/month$15/month~$20/month expected
Business/Team$40/month$30/monthTBA
EnterpriseCustomCustomCustom

Which IDE to Choose

Choose Cursor When:

  • You want the most mature agentic features with 2+ years of refinement
  • Model flexibility matters - use Claude, GPT, or custom models
  • MCP integration is important for your tool ecosystem
  • You value the largest community and ecosystem

Choose Windsurf When:

  • Budget is a primary concern - $15/month is the best value
  • Cognition's Devin AI integration appeals to you
  • You prefer a minimal, distraction-free UI
  • Enterprise security features matter (post-Cognition acquisition improvements)

Choose Antigravity When:

  • Parallel agent orchestration (Manager View) matches your workflow
  • Chrome integration for web development is valuable
  • You want Gemini 3 Pro's 1M token context
  • Free preview access is attractive before committing

Accelerate Your Development Workflow

Whether you choose Cursor, Windsurf, or Antigravity, our team can help you integrate AI-powered development tools into your workflow for maximum productivity.

Free consultation
IDE selection guidance
Workflow optimization

Frequently Asked Questions

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