Windsurf Alternative: Greta vs. Windsurf (Now Devin Desktop)
Looking for a Windsurf alternative? First, a fact worth knowing: Windsurf isn't sold under that name anymore. Following Cognition's acquisition of Windsurf, the product was rebranded to Devin Desktop in 2026 — windsurf.com now redirects to Devin, and the old windsurf.com/pricing URL lands directly on devin.ai/pricing. It's still fundamentally the same kind of tool: an AI coding assistant built for developers who already write and evaluate code, known for speed and its autonomous "Cascade" mode. Greta is a different kind of tool entirely — a no-code app building platform that turns plain-English descriptions into a full working app, with no coding knowledge required. If you already code and liked what Windsurf offered, that same tool is now Devin Desktop. If you don't code and want an easy app builder instead, that's what Greta is built for.
How we compared Greta and Windsurf/Devin Desktop
This comparison is based on each vendor's public pricing pages, product documentation, and reporting on the Windsurf-to-Devin-Desktop rebrand. Figures below are current as of August 2026; confirm current numbers on each vendor's own pricing page before you decide, especially given how recently this rebrand happened.
Windsurf alternative at a glance
| Greta | Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | No-code app building platform — builds full-stack apps (UI, backend, database, deploy) from plain-English prompts | AI coding assistant with an autonomous "Cascade" mode, now part of Cognition's Devin product line |
| Best for | People who don't code and want to describe an app and get a working product | Indie developers and teams who already code and want speed plus a strong price-to-feature ratio |
| Coding knowledge required | None — plain-English descriptions only | Yes — it assumes users can read and evaluate generated code |
| Free plan | Yes — 30 credits/month (5/day), code viewer, 3 design systems, community support | Yes — Devin's Free tier: light quota for agent coding, limited model availability, unlimited inline edits and Tab completions |
| Entry paid price | $20/mo (Starter); welcome offers often bring this down — check the pricing page for what's live today | $20/mo (Devin Pro) — increased quotas, access to frontier models |
| Top individual tier | Business — $200/month, 1,000 credits/month | Max — $200/month, significantly higher quotas than Pro |
| Team plan | Team management included from the Pro tier | Teams — $80/month base + $40/month per developer seat, centralized billing |
| Output | A complete, deployed app — frontend, backend, database included | Edited and generated code inside your existing project, which you still build and deploy yourself |
| Growth/SEO layer | Built-in — pages keep improving for search and AI-answer-engine visibility after launch | Not applicable — a coding tool, not an app-building or growth platform |
| Maker | Questera | Cognition (which acquired Windsurf's independent team) |
Sources: greta.sh/pricing and devin.ai/pricing (the current live destination for windsurf.com/pricing), as of August 2026.
Wait — is Windsurf still called Windsurf?
Not as a separately sold product. Cognition, the company behind the AI software engineer Devin, acquired Windsurf, and the product was folded into Cognition's lineup as Devin Desktop. The old windsurf.com/pricing URL now redirects directly to devin.ai/pricing, and Devin's current pricing page makes no reference to "Windsurf" at all. If you're specifically looking for the tool you remember as Windsurf, Devin Desktop is where it lives now — the underlying coding-assistant experience is the closest continuation of it.
Why look for a Windsurf alternative?
To be fair to Windsurf/Devin Desktop: for developers who already code, it's built to be fast and genuinely useful, and the "Cascade" autonomous mode is a real differentiator for handling substantial tasks with less hand-holding. The reasons to look elsewhere aren't a knock on the tool — they're usually about fit:
You don't code, and it assumes you do. Like other AI coding assistants, it assumes users can read and evaluate generated code — a real requirement, not a formality. If that's not you, the tool's speed and autonomy don't change the fact that you'd need to review what it produces.
You want an app, not an editor. It accelerates writing and editing code inside a project you already have — it doesn't build a backend, database, or deployment pipeline from a plain description the way a no-code app building platform does.
The rebrand itself is a signal worth weighing. A recent acquisition and rename can mean roadmap and pricing changes are still settling. If you want a stable, purpose-built tool rather than one mid-transition, that's worth factoring in.
Where Windsurf/Devin Desktop wins
Its core strength — speed, a strong price-to-feature ratio, and the autonomous Cascade-style mode that can complete substantial tasks with less supervision — is real and well-documented. For a developer already comfortable reading and evaluating generated code, particularly an indie developer watching cost closely, it remains a strong pick, and Greta isn't trying to replace that use case.
Where Greta wins
Greta isn't a faster way to write code — it's a way to skip needing to write or evaluate code at all. You describe the app you want, and Greta builds the full-stack product: frontend, backend, database, and deployment, with genuine code ownership and no vendor lock-in, so what gets built is actually yours. It adds team collaboration with role-based access, a built-in database, and a creator marketplace of templates to start from. It's also a stable, purpose-built platform rather than a tool that just changed hands and names — and because Greta is built for the whole lifecycle, it keeps improving the app's visibility in search and AI answer engines after launch, which is where non-technical founders' real bottleneck usually is.
Can I build internal tools without code using either of these?
Not with Windsurf/Devin Desktop — it's a coding assistant, so building an internal tool still means someone on your team writes and maintains the code. Greta can build internal tools (admin panels, dashboards, internal workflows) directly from a plain-English description, no developer required. See Greta's admin panel builder and templates for internal tools and dashboards for what that looks like in practice.
How to choose
- You already code and want speed plus an autonomous mode for bigger tasks → Windsurf/Devin Desktop.
- You don't code and want an easy app builder that just builds the thing → Greta.
- You need to build internal tools or dashboards without a developer → Greta.
- You want the simplest possible path from a plain-English idea to a live app → Greta.
- You want the broader picture beyond just these two → see the best AI app builders roundup for the wider vibe coding tools list.
Frequently asked questions
What happened to Windsurf? Is it still around?
Windsurf was acquired by Cognition, the company behind Devin, and rebranded to Devin Desktop. It's no longer sold as a standalone product under the Windsurf name — windsurf.com's pricing page now redirects to devin.ai/pricing.
What are the best Windsurf alternatives?
Greta is a strong Windsurf alternative if you want an easy app builder instead of a coding assistant — no coding knowledge required. If you still want a coding-assistant-style tool but prefer a different one, Cursor and GitHub Copilot are the other commonly compared options.
What does Windsurf vs Cursor vs Greta look like?
Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) and Cursor are both AI coding assistants for developers who already write code — the choice between them usually comes down to price-to-feature ratio and autonomy features. Greta is a different category entirely: a no-code app building platform for people who don't want to write or evaluate code at all.
Is Greta a no-code app building platform?
Yes. Greta builds the frontend, backend, database, and deployment from plain-language prompts, with no coding required to get a working app live.
Can I use Greta or Windsurf/Devin Desktop for internal tools?
Greta can build internal tools directly from a plain-English description — admin panels, dashboards, and internal workflows — with no developer needed. Windsurf/Devin Desktop is a coding assistant, so building an internal tool with it still requires someone who can write and maintain code.
Bottom line
If you already code and want a fast, autonomous coding assistant, that tool now lives under the Devin Desktop name. If you don't code and want an easy app builder that handles the whole build for you, try Greta free or see Greta's pricing to compare plans directly.