Quick Summary
Windsurf
An AI-enhanced IDE offering intelligent code suggestions, collaborative tools, and advanced project management capabilities.
Rating:
4.5/5
Amazon Q Developer
An AI-powered coding assistant integrated into the AWS ecosystem, offering intelligent assistance, legacy code modernization, and secure development workflows.
Rating:
4.2/5
Tool Overview
1st
Windsurf
Agentic AI Assistant
2nd
Amazon Q Developer
Agentic AI Assistant
Features
Features
| Feature | Windsurf | Amazon Q Developer |
|---|---|---|
| Subtype | IDE | CLI, Plugin |
| Recommendation | Recommended | Developing |
| Privacy | Contextual Data Encryption | — |
| AI Model Support | Limited AI model options | — |
| Collaboration | Real-time team collaboration with intelligent assistance | — |
| Terminal Integration | Direct command execution via chat | — |
| Code Checkpoints | Simplified reversion with checkpoint system | — |
| Conversational Development Support | — | Natural language interactions for AWS services and troubleshooting |
| Smart Code Completion | — | Context-aware code suggestions to streamline development |
| Security-First Development | — | Automated vulnerability scanning with actionable recommendations |
| Legacy Code Modernization | — | Upgrade outdated codebases (e.g., Java 8 to Java 17) |
| Seamless IDE Integration | — | Supports popular IDEs like Visual Studio Code and JetBrains |
| Automated Documentation | — | Generates real-time documentation and performance analytics |
Pricing
Pricing Plans
| Plan | Windsurf | Amazon Q Developer |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 Basic access with limited features | $0 Basic AI capabilities for AWS-integrated projects |
| Pro | $18/month Advanced AI model integration and collaboration tools | $25/month Advanced collaboration and modernization tools |
| Enterprise | Custom Scalable solutions for large teams | Custom Scalable AWS-integrated AI for large teams |
Pros & Cons
Windsurf
Pros
- •Deep contextual understanding of codebases
- •Powerful Cascade Technology for task automation
- •Real-time collaboration features
- •Strong terminal integration
Cons
- •Limited support for diverse AI models
- •Advanced features require familiarization
- •High resource consumption for large projects
Amazon Q Developer
Pros
- •Deep integration with AWS ecosystem
- •Strong legacy code modernization capabilities
- •Automated vulnerability scanning and security recommendations
- •Effective documentation and analytics tools
Cons
- •Slower response times under heavy loads
- •Limited AI model flexibility
- •Context management across larger projects is inconsistent
Our Recommendation
Based on the comparison above, we recommend Windsurf for most users because:
- Best overall feature set
- Competitive pricing
- Strong user ratings