Quick Summary
Windsurf
An AI-enhanced IDE offering intelligent code suggestions, collaborative tools, and advanced project management capabilities.
Rating:
4.5/5
GitLab Duo
An AI-powered assistant integrated into GitLab, enhancing development workflows with smart code suggestions, security insights, and workflow automation.
Rating:
4.2/5
Tool Overview
1st
Windsurf
Agentic AI Assistant
2nd
GitLab Duo
AI Assistant
Features
Features
| Feature | Windsurf | GitLab Duo |
|---|---|---|
| Subtype | IDE | Plugin, Web App |
| Recommendation | Recommended | Promising |
| 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 | — |
| Smart Code Suggestions | — | Real-time assistance during development to reduce cognitive load |
| Natural Language Code Explanations | — | Easily understand complex codebases with plain language explanations |
| Automated Test Generation | — | Ensures comprehensive test coverage |
| Proactive Vulnerability Detection | — | Identifies and explains vulnerabilities before deployment |
| AI-Powered Merge Request Summaries | — | Streamlines code review processes |
| Interactive Chat Interface | — | Quick help with configurations and Git commands |
| CI/CD Pipeline Root Cause Analysis | — | Identifies pipeline failures and suggests solutions |
| AI Impact Dashboard | — | Tracks development metrics and productivity improvements |
Pricing
Pricing Plans
| Plan | Windsurf | GitLab Duo |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 Basic access with limited features | $0 Basic AI capabilities for individual developers |
| Pro | $18/month Advanced AI model integration and collaboration tools | $25/month Advanced workflow automation and vulnerability scanning |
| Enterprise | Custom Scalable solutions for large teams | Custom Enterprise-level customization and support |
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
GitLab Duo
Pros
- •Strong integration across the DevSecOps pipeline
- •Proactive security vulnerability detection
- •Streamlined workflows through AI-powered merge requests
- •Context-aware root cause analysis for CI/CD
Cons
- •IDE integration lags behind competitors
- •Initial setup can be complex
- •Some features are still in beta
Our Recommendation
Based on the comparison above, we recommend Windsurf for most users because:
- Best overall feature set
- Competitive pricing
- Strong user ratings