# Windsurf vs Trae

Published January 1, 2026 · Updated August 10, 2026

Windsurf is the top pick for most Mac users looking at AI IDEs. It is free. Trae is the stronger choice if you are moving off Cursor Pro. Windsurf: Windsurf was acquired by Cognition and is now Devin Desktop; the Homebrew cask was removed. Download: https://devin.ai/desktop Install Trae with Homebrew: brew install --cask trae.

For most Mac users in 2026, Windsurf is the better choice for AI IDEs because it scored higher on the price, license, and catalog ordering fields we store. Windsurf: Windsurf was acquired by Cognition and is now Devin Desktop; the Homebrew cask was removed. Download: https://devin.ai/desktop Install Trae with Homebrew: brew install --cask trae. Choose Trae instead if you are moving off Cursor Pro.

## Head to head

| Factor | Windsurf | Trae |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Open Source | No | No |
| Replaces | Cursor Pro ($20/month) | Cursor Pro ($20/month) |
| Best for | ai, code editor, codeium | ai, ide, bytedance |
| Install | Windsurf was acquired by Cognition and is now Devin Desktop; the Homebrew cask was removed. Download: https://devin.ai/desktop | brew install --cask trae |
| Category | Developer Tools | Developer Tools |

## Windsurf

AI-powered code editor by Codeium

Install: Windsurf was acquired by Cognition and is now Devin Desktop; the Homebrew cask was removed. [Download from the official site](https://devin.ai/desktop)

[Windsurf on Bundl](https://bundl.run/apps/windsurf)

## Trae

Adaptive AI IDE by ByteDance with deep model integration

Install: `brew install --cask trae`

[Trae on Bundl](https://bundl.run/apps/trae)

## Features

- **Agentic coding.** Cascade/Devin stack is the stronger agent story in August 2026.
- **Pricing entry.** Trae wins sticker price by a wide margin.
- **Model access.** Both expose strong model menus; packaging differs.
- **Completions.** Windsurf Free is kinder for unlimited Tab.
- **Ownership & trust.** Different trust profiles; neither is a clean indie story.
- **VS Code familiarity.** Trae is the easier VS Code lookalike for many migrants.
- **macOS support.** Both fine on modern Apple Silicon.
- **Team / cloud agents.** Devin Cloud + Teams packaging is stronger for org rollout.

## FAQ

### Who wins Windsurf vs Trae in August 2026?

Windsurf for overall agent depth. Trae for lowest paid entry ($3 Lite / $10 Pro).

### Is Windsurf still $15 Pro?

No. Public Devin pricing lists Pro at $20/month.

### Does Trae include SOLO on Lite?

No. Official plans docs enable TraeCode SOLO from Pro upward, not Free or Lite.

### Who owns Windsurf?

Cognition AI. Branding often says Devin Desktop.

### Is Trae discontinued?

No. Docs and pricing are active as of 2026-08-09.

### Which is better for students?

Trae Free/Lite unless you need Cascade specifically.

### Do both run on macOS Tahoe?

Yes. Both ship Mac desktop builds suitable for Tahoe 26.x daily use.

### Should regulated teams use Trae?

Only after a vendor security review. ByteDance ownership is a common blocker.

## Sources

- [Devin plans and pricing](https://devin.ai/pricing)
- [Devin Desktop product page](https://devin.ai/desktop)
- [Cognition acquires Windsurf](https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/cognition-maker-of-the-ai-coding-agent-devin-acquires-windsurf/)
- [Trae plans and billing docs](https://docs.trae.ai/ide/new-plans-and-billing)
- [Trae official site](https://www.trae.ai/)
- [Trae pricing page](https://www.trae.ai/pricing)
- [Cognition Windsurf blog](https://cognition.ai/blog/windsurf)
- [Homebrew cask for Trae](https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-cask/blob/master/Casks/t/trae.rb)

## Related

- [Windsurf vs Cursor](https://bundl.run/compare/windsurf-vs-cursor)
- [Windsurf vs Visual Studio Code](https://bundl.run/compare/windsurf-vs-vscode)
- [Windsurf vs Zed](https://bundl.run/compare/windsurf-vs-zed)
- [Google Antigravity vs Windsurf](https://bundl.run/compare/antigravity-vs-windsurf)
- [Claude vs Windsurf](https://bundl.run/compare/claude-vs-windsurf)
- [Cursor vs Trae](https://bundl.run/compare/cursor-vs-trae)
- [Kiro vs Trae](https://bundl.run/compare/kiro-vs-trae)

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