Windsurf (Devin Desktop) AI Agents: The Complete Guide
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Discover how Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) uses local AI agents like Devin Local to automate code creation, terminal execution, and debugging.
Windsurf (which rebranded to Devin Desktop on June 2, 2026) is an editor built to act as an agent runtime, moving beyond basic autocompletion to execute multi-step engineering tasks directly on your machine.
- Devin Local: The Rust-rewritten successor to the original Cascade engine. (Cascade reaches its end-of-life on July 1, 2026).
- Agent Command Center & Spaces: Features that allow developers to manage fleets of local and cloud agents, share context and Git worktrees, and ship projects directly from the editor.
- The Shift: A transition from direct instruction-by-instruction prompting to full task delegation via local agents.
The Rebrand Explained
Cognition (the company behind the cloud-based autonomous engineer, Devin) acquired the Windsurf team and folded the editor into the Devin product family as Devin Desktop.
What this means in practice:
- The Windsurf editor updates automatically to Devin Desktop.
- Existing plans, pricing tiers, and keyboard shortcuts carry over.
- Cascade is replaced by Devin Local, a local-first agent rewritten in Rust that offers up to 30% greater token efficiency and support for parallel subagents. Cascade remains active until July 1, 2026.
What is an AI Coding Agent?
Unlike standard code completion tools that suggest the next line of code, an agent takes a high-level goal and executes a series of steps to achieve it.
- Standard Copilot: Completes a specific
fetchfunction. - Agent: Reads the API documentation, writes the fetch function, handles errors, creates the UI component, and troubleshoots any layout issues that arise.
Pricing Plans
Devin Desktop offers several pricing tiers tailored to individual developers, teams, and enterprises:
| Plan | Price (per month) | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 25 prompt credits/month, unlimited Tab autocomplete, in-IDE previews, plugins for 40+ IDEs, 1 app deployment/day |
| Pro | $15 / seat | 500 prompt credits/month, premium models (including SWE-1.5), fast context indexing and Codemaps, in-IDE previews, app deployments, add-on credit purchases ($10 for 250 credits) |
| Teams | $30 / seat | Everything in Pro, admin dashboard and analytics, priority support, up to 200 users |
| Enterprise | $60 / seat | Everything in Teams, RBAC, SSO/SCIM, longer contexts, highest-priority support, cloud, hybrid, or self-hosted deployment options |
Note: A Max tier is also available at $200/month for advanced resource needs.
From Cascade to Devin Local
Where Cascade served as Windsurf’s original context engine, Devin Local handles agentic execution in Devin Desktop. It operates in four main stages:
- Scans: Maps the file tree and indexes exact files and lines using Fast Context.
- Reads: Imports relevant files and parses shared Spaces (shared Git worktrees and context).
- Plans: Lays out a plan of action, spawning subagents for parallel tasks.
- Executes: Runs terminal commands and updates status on a visual task board.
The default model is Cognition’s proprietary SWE-1.6 model, with Claude, GPT, and Gemini available as fallbacks on Pro plans and above. The editor also supports the Agent Client Protocol (ACP), letting developers plug in third-party agents.
Tutorial: Building a Feature with an Agent
Below is how to build a typical component using Devin Desktop's agentic workflow.
Step 1: The Prompt
Provide the agent with a clear goal:
"Create a newsletter signup component. Use
zodfor validation andreact-hook-form. It should post to/api/subscribe. Handle loading and error states."
Step 2: The Plan
Devin Local analyzes the workspace and presents a step-by-step plan for approval:
- Create
components/Newsletter.tsx. - Create
app/api/subscribe/route.ts. - Install
zodandreact-hook-form(requires permission to runnpm install).
Step 3: Execution
Once approved, the agent executes the terminal commands and writes the files. You can track progress on a Kanban-style board in the Agent Command Center while continuing to work on other parts of the codebase.
Step 4: Self-Healing
If the project encounters a build or compilation error, the agent detects it:
"I see a type error in
route.ts. I'm fixing it now." The agent rewrites the problematic code and validates the fix automatically.
The Limits of Autonomy
While agents handle complex logic well, they have limitations:
- Infinite Loops: An agent can occasionally enter a loop trying to resolve side-effect bugs created by its own fixes. Capping budgets for subagents is recommended to prevent excessive token consumption.
- Context Drift: Agents may lose track of subtle design details or user experience nuances over long sessions.
- Best Practice: Delegate structural, logical, and backend tasks to the autonomous agent, while keeping visual styling and user-experience design under human supervision.
Devin Desktop vs. Standalone Devin
- Devin (Cloud): A fully autonomous software engineer running on remote cloud infrastructure.
- Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): A local-first agent that runs directly on your machine.
Both applications interface with the Agent Command Center, enabling developers to run quick tasks locally using Devin Local while delegating long-running operations to the cloud version of Devin, tracking both processes side-by-side.