Side-by-Side Comparison · 2026

Windsurf (formerly Codeium) vs Kiro: Full Comparison (2026)

Windsurf (formerly Codeium) is ai-first ide, now devin desktop (renamed from windsurf on 2 june 2026). Kiro is aws's spec-driven agentic ide and cli. Use the breakdown below to find the right fit for your needs.

Windsurf (formerly Codeium)

Windsurf (Cognition AI)

Freemium
vs

Kiro

Amazon Web Services

Freemium
This page presents factual information sourced from publicly available vendor documentation and product pages. AIHub does not endorse either product. The right tool depends on your specific use case, team, and requirements — we recommend evaluating both tools directly before making a decision.

Side-by-Side Overview

Pricing Model
Windsurf (formerly Codeium): FreemiumKiro: Freemium
API Access
Windsurf (formerly Codeium): Not availableKiro: Not available
Platforms
Windsurf (formerly Codeium): WebKiro: macOS, Windows, Linux, CLI
Integrations
Windsurf (formerly Codeium): —Kiro: —
Vendor
Windsurf (formerly Codeium): Windsurf (Cognition AI)Kiro: Amazon Web Services
Category
Windsurf (formerly Codeium): Code AssistanceKiro: Code Assistance
Launch
Windsurf (formerly Codeium): —Kiro: Jul 2025 (preview); GA Nov 17, 2025

About Windsurf (formerly Codeium)

Codeium rebranded to Windsurf in late 2024, launching an AI-first IDE (fork of VS Code) with Cascade - an agentic engine that can autonomously plan and execute multi-step coding tasks. Cognition AI (makers of Devin) acquired Windsurf in July 2025, after OpenAI's reported $3B bid lapsed and Google licensed the technology and hired its leadership; Cognition's terms were not publicly disclosed. On 2 June 2026 Cognition renamed Windsurf to Devin Desktop, keeping pricing and the editor the same.

Designed For

  • Code completion
  • Agentic coding
  • Refactoring
  • Multi-file edits
Full Windsurf (formerly Codeium) details

About Kiro

Kiro is an agentic IDE from AWS built on Code OSS. It turns prompts into requirements, design and task specs before agents write code. It also ships with a terminal-based Kiro CLI, property-based testing against specs, and checkpointing.

Designed For

  • Spec-driven feature development
  • Agentic coding in the IDE
  • Terminal agent workflows
Full Kiro details

Strengths & Limitations

Windsurf (formerly Codeium)

Strengths

  • Cascade agentic engine
  • Free tier available
  • 70+ languages
  • VS Code compatible

Limitations

  • New product, less mature than Cursor
  • Cognition acquisition uncertainty

Kiro

Strengths

  • Specs and requirements generated before code
  • Property-based testing checks code against specs
  • Checkpointing to roll back agent steps
  • Team sign-in via AWS IAM Identity Center

Limitations

  • Credit-based usage makes costs harder to predict
  • Free tier is small (50 credits/mo)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Windsurf (formerly Codeium) and Kiro?

Windsurf (formerly Codeium) is ai-first ide, now devin desktop (renamed from windsurf on 2 june 2026), while Kiro is aws's spec-driven agentic ide and cli. Windsurf (formerly Codeium) is designed for Code Assistance; Kiro is designed for AWS-centric teams, Developers who want structured specs before code. The right fit depends on your specific requirements.

How do the pricing models compare?

Windsurf (formerly Codeium) is available under a Freemium model. Kiro is available under a Freemium model. Kiro's entry tier starts at $0/mo. Always verify pricing on each vendor's official website as it may change.

How do I choose between Windsurf (formerly Codeium) and Kiro?

Consider your team's technical requirements, budget, existing tooling, and use case before deciding. We recommend signing up for free trials or demos of both tools where available, and consulting each vendor's documentation. AIHub provides this comparison for informational purposes only.