Windsurf vs Tabnine
Windsurf
Quick Verdict
Windsurf excels at ai-native development and large codebases with a score of 91/100. Windsurf, now part of OpenAI following the acquisition of Codeium, competes in the Cursor-class editor category with an emphasis on agentic workflows.
Tabnine
Quick Verdict
Tabnine excels at code completion and privacy-conscious development with a score of 86/100. Tabnine stands out for its privacy-first approach and highly personalized AI suggestions.
📊 Visual Score Comparison
Side-by-side comparison of key performance metrics across six evaluation criteria
Technical Specifications
| Feature | Windsurf | Tabnine |
|---|---|---|
| Core AI Model(s) | Primarily powered by OpenAI models (GPT-4.1, o3) with the Cascade agent for agentic workflows. Legacy Codeium models may still be used for low-latency autocomplete. | Tabnine uses its own proprietary, private AI models for code completion and chat. It also allows users to switch to third-party models from providers like Anthropic (Claude), OpenAI (GPT), Cohere, and Mistral. |
| Context Window | Supports large context windows via OpenAI's frontier models. Cascade agent maintains multi-file context for complex refactoring tasks. | Tabnine is context-aware, analyzing your local IDE environment and project files to provide relevant suggestions. The Enterprise plan allows connecting to an organization's entire codebase (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket) for more deeply personalized, context-aware recommendations. |
| Deployment Options | Desktop application for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Enterprise plans available with SSO and team management features. | Tabnine offers flexible deployment. It is available as a secure multi-tenant SaaS for all users. For Enterprise customers, it offers fully private deployments on-premises, in a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), or in a completely air-gapped environment. |
| Offline Mode | Limited offline capabilities; core AI features require cloud connectivity to OpenAI's infrastructure. | Yes, Tabnine's AI can run locally on a developer's machine, on a server behind a firewall, or in the cloud, supporting offline use cases. |
Core Features Comparison
Windsurf Features
- Cascade agent for autonomous multi-step coding tasks
- Agentic workflows for multi-step tasks
- Context-aware code completion and refactoring
- Multi-file edits and project-wide reasoning
- Native editor experience with low-latency responses
- Deep integration with OpenAI models
Tabnine Features
- Personalized AI code completion
- Privacy-focused local processing
- Support for multiple programming languages
- Custom model training on your codebase
Pricing & Value Analysis
| Aspect | Windsurf | Tabnine |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing URL | View Windsurf Pricing | View Tabnine Pricing |
| Overall Score | 91/100 | 86/100 |
| Best For | AI-Native Development, Large Codebases, Agentic Workflows, OpenAI Ecosystem Users | Code Completion, Privacy-conscious Development, Personalized AI |
Best Use Cases
Windsurf Excels At
- Multi-file feature development with agent-guided refactors
- Complex codebase changes coordinated across modules
- Rapid iteration with in-editor AI for generation and fixes
- Teams invested in the OpenAI ecosystem seeking a native editor experience
Tabnine Excels At
- Personalized code completion that learns from your team's coding patterns and maintains consistency across projects
- Privacy-compliant AI assistance for enterprises with strict data security requirements and air-gapped environments
- Custom AI model training on proprietary codebases for domain-specific programming languages and frameworks
Performance & Integration
| Category | Windsurf | Tabnine | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| IDE Support | Windsurf is a standalone VS Code-based editor. Also offers extensions for VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, and Neovim. | Tabnine supports a wide range of IDEs, including VS Code, the JetBrains suite (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, etc.), Visual Studio, Eclipse, and Neovim. | Tie |
| Community | Active community | Active community | Tie |
| Data Richness | Comprehensive | Comprehensive | Tie |
| Overall Score | 91/100 | 86/100 | Windsurf |
The Bottom Line
Both Windsurf and Tabnine are capable AI coding tools, but they serve different needs. Windsurf scores higher (91/100 vs 86/100) and excels in ai-native development and large codebases. The choice depends on your specific workflow, team size, and technical requirements.
Choose Windsurf if: you prioritize ai-native development and large codebases and want the higher-rated option (91/100).
Choose Tabnine if: you prioritize code completion and privacy-conscious development and don't mind a slightly lower score for specialized features.