Amazon Q Developer vs Windsurf (2026): Which AI App Is Better?

Both are popular ai coding assistants & app builders. Here is how Amazon Q Developer and Windsurf stack up on price, strengths and weaknesses, and which one we would pick.

Amazon Q Developer

AWS-native coding agent for building and operating on AWS

7.6 /10

Pricing: Free plan, paid from $19/mo

Pros

Knows AWS services and best practices
Free tier for individuals
Automated Java and .NET migrations

Cons

Generic coding quality is average
Best value only if you are on AWS

Visit Amazon Q Developer ↗

Windsurf

Agentic IDE with Cascade flows and a generous free tier

8.5 /10

Pricing: Free plan, paid from $15/mo

Pros

Cascade agent is fast and context-aware
Cheaper than Cursor
Plugins for many editors

Cons

Ownership changes have unsettled some users
Model access limited on lower tiers

Visit Windsurf ↗

Amazon Q Developer vs Windsurf at a glance

	Amazon Q Developer	Windsurf
Editor score	7.6 / 10	8.5 / 10
Pricing model	Freemium	Freemium
Starting price	$19/mo	$15/mo
Reader upvotes	0	0
Best for	aws, agent, java migration	ide, agent, autocomplete

Our pick

Windsurf edges it with a score of 8.5 versus 7.6. Windsurf is the better fit if you value: cascade agent is fast and context-aware, cheaper than cursor. Choose Amazon Q Developer instead if you need: knows aws services and best practices, free tier for individuals.