📦VS🌊
Amazon Q Developer vs Windsurf
Coding Tools — Side-by-side comparison
Quick Verdict
Windsurf has a higher rating (4.4 vs 4.2). Windsurf is more affordable starting at $15/mo. Amazon Q Developer offers more features (6 vs 5).
Pricing Comparison
Amazon Q Developer
FreeFree
Pro$19/user/mo
Windsurf
FreeFree
Pro$15/mo
Enterprise$30/user/mo
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Amazon Q Developer | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| Chat Interface | ✓ | ✓ |
| Code Generation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Image Generation | ✗ | ✗ |
| File Upload | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web Browsing | ✗ | ✗ |
| API Access | ✓ | ✗ |
| Custom GPTs | ✗ | ✗ |
| Voice Mode | ✗ | ✗ |
| Plugin Ecosystem | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mobile App | ✗ | ✗ |
| Max Context | Full project | Full codebase |
Pros & Cons
Amazon Q Developer
Pros
+ Deep AWS integration
+ Free tier is generous
+ Security scanning built-in
+ Java/Python modernization tools
Cons
- Best value only for AWS users
- Less general-purpose than Copilot
- Smaller community
- IDE support more limited
Windsurf
Pros
+ Generous free tier
+ Fast completions
+ 70+ language support
+ Works in many IDEs
Cons
- Less accurate than Copilot for complex code
- Smaller community
- Brand confusion from renaming
Best For
Amazon Q Developer
AWS developersEnterprise Java/.NET teamsCloud infrastructure teamsSecurity-conscious organizations
Windsurf
Budget-conscious developersTeams wanting free AI codingMulti-IDE usersDevelopers who want local options