Cursor vs Windsurf for React Development in 2026

AI IDEs for React Developers

Cursor and Windsurf (formerly Codeium) are both AI-native IDEs built on VS Code. For React developers, both offer code completion, component generation, and AI chat. But their approaches to AI assistance differ in meaningful ways for frontend development.

Feature Comparison

Feature	Cursor	Windsurf	Winner
React component generation	Excellent (Composer)	Good (Cascade)	Cursor
JSX/TSX completion	Very accurate	Very accurate	Tie
Multi-file editing	Composer mode	Cascade flows	Tie
Codebase understanding	Deep indexing	Good indexing	Cursor
Tailwind CSS support	Excellent	Good	Cursor
Inline suggestions speed	Fast	Very fast	Windsurf
Free tier	Limited	More generous	Windsurf
Model options	GPT-4o, Claude, custom	Proprietary + GPT-4o	Cursor
VS Code extensions	Full compatibility	Full compatibility	Tie
Price	$20/mo	Free / $15 mo	Windsurf

React Component Generation

Cursor’s Composer mode excels at generating complete React components. Describe a component and Cursor creates the component file, test file, types, and styles in one operation. Windsurf’s Cascade feature offers similar multi-file generation but Cursor’s output tends to follow React best practices more consistently.

Code Completion Speed

Windsurf’s inline completions appear faster than Cursor’s, with lower latency between typing and suggestion appearance. For fast-paced React development where you’re quickly building out components, this speed difference is noticeable. Cursor’s completions are slightly slower but often more contextually relevant.

Tailwind CSS Support

React developers heavily use Tailwind CSS, and Cursor handles Tailwind completion better. It suggests appropriate utility classes based on the component’s purpose and existing styling patterns in your project. Windsurf provides Tailwind completions but with less project-specific awareness.

Next.js / Remix / React Router

Both tools understand modern React meta-frameworks. Cursor has a slight edge with Next.js App Router patterns (server vs client components, layouts, loading states). Windsurf handles these well but may occasionally suggest patterns from older versions.

Pricing Advantage

Windsurf offers better value: a more generous free tier and a Pro plan at $15/month vs Cursor’s $20/month. For budget-conscious developers or teams, Windsurf delivers strong React development support at lower cost.

Our Recommendation

Choose Cursor ($20/mo) for professional React development where codebase understanding and multi-file generation matter. Best for large projects, teams using Tailwind, and Next.js development.

Choose Windsurf ($15/mo or free) for fast, responsive React coding at a lower price point. Best for individual developers, smaller projects, and those who prioritize inline completion speed.