JetBrains IDEs vs Windsurf comparison

JetBrains and Windsurf are both solutions in the IDE category. JetBrains is ranked #5 with an average rating of 6.0, while Windsurf is ranked #4 with an average rating of 7.8. JetBrains holds a 7.9% mindshare in IDE, compared to Windsurf’s 8.6% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of JetBrains users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Windsurf users who would recommend it.

JetBrains IDEs

Read 4 JetBrains IDEs reviews

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761 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Windsurf

Read 4 Windsurf reviews

3,157 Views
758 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

JetBrains IDEs

Windsurf

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 19, 2025

JetBrains IDEs and Windsurf are competing in the software development industry. JetBrains IDEs hold an upper hand due to their comprehensive toolset and robust support.

Features:JetBrains IDEs offer intelligent code assistance, extensive plugin support, and integration capabilities. Windsurf is known for its customizable interface, versatility, and strong collaboration tools.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service:JetBrains IDEs have a straightforward installation process with responsive customer service. Windsurf features a flexible deployment model tailored to specific needs, though it requires more initial setup.

Pricing and ROI:JetBrains IDEs have a higher setup cost with substantial ROI through increased productivity and speed. Windsurf presents a cost-effective option with a lower entry cost, aiming for careful evaluation to enhance its value.

To learn more, read our detailed JetBrains IDEs vs. Windsurf Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

JetBrains IDEs vs. Windsurf

December 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

JetBrains IDEs

Ranking in IDE

5th

Average Rating

8.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Windsurf

Ranking in IDE

4th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

5.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

AI Code Assistants (4th), AI Software Development (9th)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the IDE category, the mindshare of JetBrains IDEs is 7.9%, up from 3.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Windsurf is 8.6%, down from 9.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

IDE Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Windsurf	8.6%
JetBrains IDEs	7.9%
Other	83.5%

IDE

Featured Reviews

Souhardyya Biswas

Software Engineer at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

Long-term coding has benefited from intuitive UI and tools but now needs lighter performance

I am using the code completion feature in IntelliJ, and it helps me with my development processes. I use advanced debugging tools. The advanced debugging tools are useful for resolving code issues. The integration with version controls is seamless. GitHub is what I use. For my professional role, I need to use GitHub Enterprise, and the way it is set up in my enterprise, it does not allow linking it with IntelliJ. That is where I am stuck using the CLI. GitHub itself has a very robust CLI, so I have no complaints there. For personal use, GitHub integrates really well with IntelliJ. The UI is pretty good and very intuitive. I actually use the new UI which IntelliJ provides, and that is very intuitive and good.

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reviewer2748786

Founding BackEnd Engineer

Enhancing productivity with advanced code generation and low-cost accessibility

What they can do further and venture into next is to provide a CLI environment, similar to the command-line interface environment that Cursor offers. It allows for running a cursor agent from the command line to make changes, review pull requests, or access certain other capabilities. These capabilities are currently not in Windsurf. Windsurf focuses on the productivity and the ID/editor part. I would rather look for the inclusion of pull request reviews or a kind of a TRD or technical requirement general documentation generation, or system diagram generation directly from the codebase in Windsurf itself. These should be the next obvious features they launch for developers. In our team, there are certain people who use Windsurf regularly and appreciate using it. However, it is not a collaborative tool where someone is going to use the same tool and interact in the same IDE. Everyone does their local development, pushes it to different Git branches, someone reviews the PR, and then merges the branch. It is very localized in that sense.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Good support for refactoring."

"Having the complete development environment in Linux in the same way as in Windows is already the best."

"I have seen a return on investment with Windsurf because I have saved time and money and needed fewer resources since using it."

"As we're experimenting with different AI IDEs, Windsurf has positively impacted my organization by providing options."

"Windsurf has positively impacted my organization by increasing productivity, because during a one-week hackathon we were able to build a product from scratch that would have taken at least two to three weeks, making the time savings substantial."

Cons

"One of the most important things to improve is the consumption of resources, mainly memory."

"Sometimes, plugins (from third parties) are not updated."

"I chose 7 out of 10 because I've used Cursor as well, and sometimes I feel Cursor hallucinates less compared to Windsurf."

"Since using Windsurf, I notice more errors, but we deliver approximately twice as fast."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

12%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Manufacturing Company

Outsourcing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Windsurf?

I would rate it two out of 10 for cost. It is very cheap compared to other tools in the market because 80% of the time, we are happy with their free model capabilities. Only 20% of the time do we g...

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What needs improvement with Windsurf?

I have no suggestions at the moment for how Windsurf can be improved. I would not add more about the needed improvements, even small things that could make my experience better.

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What is your primary use case for Windsurf?

I have been using Windsurf off and on for the last year. My main use case for Windsurf is for software development. Currently, we're working on an API, and Windsurf will help us develop a particula...

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Replit vs JetBrains IDEs

Compared 9% of the time

NetBeans vs JetBrains IDEs

Compared 6% of the time

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Cursor vs Windsurf

Compared 24% of the time

Amazon Q vs Windsurf

Compared 15% of the time

Claude for Enterprise vs Windsurf

Compared 12% of the time

Qodo Gen vs Windsurf

Compared 6% of the time

Tabnine vs Windsurf

Compared 5% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IDE

December 2025

Download JetBrains IDEs product report

Buyer's Guide

IDE

December 2025

Download Windsurf product report

Overview

At JetBrains, code is our passion. For over 15 years we have strived to make the strongest, most effective developer tools on earth. By automating routine checks and corrections, our tools speed up production, freeing developers to grow, discover and create.

JetBrains

Windsurf offers a strategic approach to digital transformation, providing tools for optimizing processes. It's aimed at businesses looking to enhance efficiency and adapt to changing market demands through technology-driven solutions.

Targeted at enterprises, Windsurf integrates seamlessly with existing systems to improve workflow and data management. By offering customizable options, it meets diverse business requirements, enabling companies to stay competitive in a fast-paced environment. Its user-focused design ensures accessibility and ease of use, helping teams achieve their goals swiftly.

What are the key features of Windsurf?

Integration Capability: Connects with numerous software platforms, ensuring smooth data flow.
Customizable Options: Offers flexibility to tailor functionalities to specific business needs.
User-Friendly Interface: Designed for ease of adoption with minimal training requirements.
Real-Time Data Analysis: Provides immediate insights to support decision-making.

What benefits and ROI does Windsurf offer?

Increased Productivity: Streamlines operations leading to time and resource savings.
Cost Efficiency: Reduces overhead by optimizing processes and systems.
Improved Decision-Making: Real-time insights aid in strategic planning.
Scalability: Easily adapts as business grows without significant additional investment.

In areas like manufacturing and retail, Windsurf improves supply chain management and customer engagement. In healthcare, it optimizes patient data management, while in finance, it enhances compliance and reporting processes, each tailored to meet industry-specific challenges.

Windsurf

Sample Customers

Citi, Siemens, Salesforce, Twitter, HP, New York Times, Pintrest, Airbnb, Expedia, Samsung, Volkswagen, Wikipedia, NASA

Dell, Anduril, MongoDB, Zillow, Atlassian

Buyer's Guide

JetBrains IDEs vs. Windsurf

December 2025

Free Report: JetBrains IDEs vs. Windsurf

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