Llama vs Windsurf: which one to choose in 2026?

Community ratings, features, pricing and free plans: the complete head-to-head between Llama and Windsurf to find the right tool for your needs.

Verified

Llama

4.0 (130)

Llama is Meta's suite of open-weight large language models (LLMs), designed to provide developers, researchers, and enterprises with powerful, customizable AI tools. The latest iterations, including Llama 3.1 and Llama 4, offer enhanced reasoning, multilingual support, and multimodal capabilities, positioning Llama as a leading open alternative to proprietary models.

Code AssistantCode GeneratorCode ExplanationDeveloper ToolsChatbotResearch Tool

View details Official site

Verified

Windsurf

4.4 (167)

Windsurf is an agentic IDE created by Codeium and now owned by Cognition (the maker of Devin), which rebranded it as Devin Desktop in June 2026. Its local agent, Cascade — now Devin Local — analyzes your entire project, plans changes, edits multiple files and runs commands to carry out development tasks end to end. It stands out for its deep understanding of large codebases (Fast Context, Codemaps) and free access to its in-house SWE-1.6 model.

Code AssistantDeveloper Tools

View details Official site

Comparison table

Criterion	Llama	Windsurf
Average rating	4.0	4.4
Number of reviews	130	167
Free plan	No	Yes
Plans	Open Access	Free, Pro, Max
Categories	Code Assistant, Code Generator, Code Explanation, Developer Tools, Chatbot, Research Tool	Code Assistant, Developer Tools
Last updated	May 2, 2025	July 8, 2026

See all tools in these categories: Code Assistant, Developer Tools

Our verdict

Llama or Windsurf?

With an average rating of 4.4/5 (167 reviews), Windsurf comes out ahead of Llama (4.0/5, 130 reviews) with our community.

Budget-wise, Windsurf offers a free plan to get started, while Llama does not appear to offer one.

Llama also covers Code Generator, Code Explanation, Chatbot and Research Tool, ground that Windsurf does not directly address.

Features head to head

Llama

Open-weight models with sizes up to 405B parameters
Enhanced reasoning and coding capabilities
Multilingual support across multiple languages
Multimodal processing in Llama 3.2 and beyond
Integration with Meta's platforms and third-party tools
Fine-tuning and customization options for specific applications

Windsurf

Devin Local agent (formerly Cascade): whole-project understanding, multi-file edits and command execution
Plan mode and parallel agent sessions to tackle several tasks at once
Supercomplete and Tab completions included even on the free tier
Codemaps and Fast Context to map and navigate large codebases
Memories and custom rules to remember your project conventions and preferences

Pricing compared

Llama

Open Access

Free access to model weights and documentation
Ability to run models locally or via Meta's API
Support for research and commercial applications
Community support and resources

Windsurf

Free

Light agent usage quota
Tab and Supercomplete completions
Unlimited access to the in-house SWE-1.6 model

Pro

$20 per month
Larger quotas and frontier models (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google)
Access to the accelerated version of SWE-1.6

Max

$200 per month
Substantially higher quotas than the Pro plan
All Pro plan features included

Prices are indicative and may change — check the official sites for up-to-date pricing.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Llama and Windsurf?

Both tools share the Code Assistant and Developer Tools space, but Llama also covers Code Generator, Code Explanation, Chatbot and Research Tool.

Llama or Windsurf: which one is rated higher?

Windsurf earns the better average rating: 4.4/5 (167 reviews), versus 4.0/5 (130 reviews) for Llama.

Can you use Llama or Windsurf for free?

Llama does not offer a free plan as far as we know, and Windsurf offers a free plan.

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