Windsurf / Devin Desktop
Windsurf was Cognition's VS Code–based AI IDE. In June 2026 it became Devin Desktop: same editor foundation, with an agent command center as the default surface.
Last reviewed: June 2026
Windsurf rebranded to Devin Desktop on June 2, 2026. Existing Windsurf installs update over the air; plans and extensions carry over. Official announcement: Windsurf is now Devin Desktop.
What Changed in the Rebrand
| Before (Windsurf) | After (Devin Desktop) |
|---|---|
| AI IDE with Cascade agent | Agent Command Center as default home |
| Single-agent focus | Kanban view of local + cloud agents |
| Windsurf branding | Unified Devin product family |
What did not change: VS Code compatibility, extensions, keybindings, LSPs, and the full editor experience remain available.
Devin Desktop Surfaces
| Component | Role |
|---|---|
| Agent Command Center | Manage multiple agents (in progress, blocked, ready for review) |
| Devin Local | Rewritten local agent (Rust); replaces Cascade as default |
| Devin Cloud | Autonomous cloud agent on isolated VM; returns PRs |
| Spaces | Shared context across related agents, files, and PRs |
| Editor | Classic IDE view to debug, trace, and edit agent output in place |
FAQ: Devin Desktop FAQ.
Agent Client Protocol (ACP)
Devin Desktop supports ACP, an open protocol that runs third-party agents inside the same command center:
- OpenAI Codex
- Claude Agent
- OpenCode
- Custom in-house agents
This matters if you want one IDE to orchestrate multiple vendor agents instead of locking into a single model provider. See OpenAI Codex and Claude Code.
Devin Desktop vs Cursor
| Devin Desktop | Cursor | |
|---|---|---|
| Default UX | Multi-agent Kanban | Chat / Agent in sidebar |
| Cloud agent | Devin Cloud built in | Background agents |
| Third-party agents | ACP (Codex, Claude, etc.) | MCP tools; model picker |
| Best for | Orchestrating agent fleets | Single-repo IDE agent workflow |
| Heritage | Windsurf / Codeium lineage | VS Code fork, AI-native |
Many developers evaluate both. Pick Devin Desktop if you manage many agents; pick Cursor if you live in one repo agent loop.
Effective Workflow
- Scope in Spaces to group related tasks (feature branch, PR, docs pass)
- Delegate to Devin Cloud for long autonomous work; stay on Devin Local for tight iteration
- Review Kanban before merging. Treat "ready for review" like any AI diff
- Jump to editor for last-mile fixes agents miss (CSS nuance, edge cases)
Prompt with boundaries, same as Prompting for Code:
Add rate limiting to app/api/chat/route.ts only.
Use the existing in-memory pattern from middleware.ts.
Run npm test. Do not modify client components.
MCP and Rules
Devin Desktop inherits Windsurf's MCP and project-context patterns. Connect internal tools via Building MCP Servers. Persist stack conventions in Project Rules.
When Devin Desktop Shines
- Multiple parallel agents: API refactor, tests, and docs at once
- Cloud handoff: spin up Devin Cloud for large autonomous tasks
- Multi-vendor agents: Codex and Claude in one command center via ACP
- Windsurf alumni: zero migration; same subscription and extensions
When to Prefer Another Tool
- Simple inline completions: GitHub Copilot
- Terminal-only / CI: Claude Code or Codex CLI
- AWS shop: Amazon Q Developer
- Google Cloud / Android: Gemini Code Assist