Windsurf AI: what the editor is and how to work with it from Russia

Windsurf is a code editor with a built-in AI agent, and in concept it is the closest relative of Cursor. Many people search for "what is Windsurf AI" after seeing it in reviews or after finding that it does not open from Russia. Below: what the product is, how it differs from Cursor, what changed in its documentation, and which tools work with your own key if Windsurf is unavailable.

The facts about Windsurf come from its official documentation as of 18 October 2026. We do not give prices or subscription terms here: they change, so check the current plan on the service's site.

Windsurf AI: what it is

Windsurf is an IDE built on the VS Code codebase. The documentation states that VS Code and Cursor settings can be imported on first launch, and the onboarding lets you pick a theme and keybindings. The main parts of the product:

• Cascade is the agent that reads the project, edits files and runs terminal commands. It has modes (Code, Plan and Ask in the current documentation), checkpoints, memories and rules, AGENTS.md files, workflows and hooks.
• Tab is autocomplete that suggests not just the next line but also jumps within the file and imports.
• Command is an in-editor edit from a natural-language request (Cmd/Ctrl+I by default).
• Terminal, web app previews, commit messages and MCP servers surround the agent.

The documentation mentions Windsurf's own models (the SWE family) as well as third-party models. The list and its cost depend on your version and plan: check the model selector in the editor itself.

What changed: Windsurf and Devin

If you open the Windsurf documentation today, you will see the Devin brand. The installation page is titled "Welcome to Devin Desktop", Linux packages are named devin-desktop, and the windsurf package is kept as a transitional one. For sign-in it says an account from Devin is used, and if you have trouble you can log in manually with a Devin API key. The documentation also describes the product as developed by Cognition.

The practical conclusion: if you read old guides that say Windsurf, button and package names may not match the current version. Check the documentation rather than screenshots from two years ago.

How Windsurf differs from Cursor

Both products are editors with an agent inside, so they look alike. The differences are in the details:

We do not compare answer quality or speed: that depends on the model, the project and your habits. Put both on one small task and see for yourself. A longer comparison of approaches is in Claude Code vs Windsurf↗.

Windsurf does not work in Russia: what you can do

The causes vary: signing in to the account, how the subscription is paid, availability of the service in your country. The service itself sets the access and payment terms, and they can change. Windsurf's documentation lists the supported ways to pay for a subscription: check whether yours is among them. The good news is that working with an AI agent is not tied to one editor.

If you need an agent in an editor or terminal on your own key, there are tools where you set the API address and key yourself:

• Claude Code is a terminal agent configured with environment variables.
• Cline and Kilo Code are VS Code extensions with an agent: setup↗. Roo Code, often mentioned alongside them, was shut down on May 15, 2026, according to its documentation.
• OpenCode is a terminal agent.
• Cursor, if you specifically want a VS Code fork with an agent: guide↗.

From Russia these tools work through the gateway: the balance is topped up via SBP (plus the payment page's 8.5% fee), MasterCard or crypto. One fetch_... key works in all of these tools, and the single dollar balance is spent only on tokens.

What it costs

An example on prices as of 18 October 2026. The claude-sonnet-5-5 model on Zukko: input 0.4 and output 2 dollars per 1M tokens (the provider's prices in our table are 2 and 10). A task that consumed 1M input tokens and 100K output tokens:

• on Zukko: 1 × 0.4 + 0.1 × 2 = 0.4 + 0.2 = $0.60;
• at the official prices from the table: 1 × 2 + 0.1 × 10 = 2 + 1 = $3.00.

Agents repeat the context on every step, so the real spend depends on the cache. For Claude the cache discount comes from the Anthropic format (Claude Code, Anthropic SDK); in the OpenAI format all input is billed at the input price. A detailed look: prompt caching↗.

How to choose without tying yourself to one editor

1. If you specifically want the Windsurf interface and it opens for you, use it on the service's terms.
2. If you want a key with spend in dollars and per-key limits, pick an agent that accepts your own API address.
3. If the team already uses different editors, create a separate key per person or project and cap the daily limit.
4. Before choosing, test the tool on two or three of your own tasks and compare the result and token usage.

You can create a key in the Zukko dashboard↗; guides for each tool are in the Zukko documentation.

FAQ

Is Windsurf the same as Cursor?

No. They are different products from different companies with a similar idea: an editor with an agent that works with your project. Cursor is a VS Code fork; Windsurf, per its documentation, is also built on the VS Code codebase and supports importing settings from both VS Code and Cursor.

Why does the Windsurf documentation say Devin?

The documentation shows that the product now appears under the Devin Desktop brand, while the old Windsurf name remains in package names and addresses. For plans and terms, check the service's site.

Can I connect Windsurf to Zukko?

Not the built-in agent: per the Windsurf documentation, your own key (BYOK) is accepted only for a few Claude models, and there is no field for your own API address. You can install the Cline extension inside the editor and connect it to the gateway, or use Claude Code, Kilo Code, OpenCode or Cursor, where the connection is described in our documentation.

Is there a free way to try an agent?

We do not promise free access. Check the terms of Windsurf's own free plan on its site. If you only want to pay for tokens, a Zukko top-up starts at $1, and per-key limits stop you from spending more than you set.