Windsurf for Nonprofits

Visit windsurf.com and decide whether you want to use the standalone Windsurf Editor or install plugins for JetBrains IDEs.

• Standalone Editor: Download for Windows, macOS, or Linux. Ideal if you're switching from VS Code or starting fresh.
• JetBrains Plugin: Install via your JetBrains IDE plugin marketplace. Ideal if you're already using IntelliJ, PyCharm, or similar.

Sign up for a free Windsurf account. No credit card required. The free tier is free forever, not a trial—you'll get 25 prompt credits per month, unlimited Tab completions, and access to all premium AI models.

If your nonprofit has students or educational programs, check Windsurf's education program page for potential student pricing benefits.

Open an existing codebase or start a new project. Begin by using Tab for code completions—this will feel familiar if you've used other AI assistants.

To experience Cascade's autonomous capabilities, try describing a multi-step task: "Refactor the authentication module to use JWT tokens instead of session cookies, update all related files, and add error handling." Cascade will plan the workflow, identify affected files, and execute changes across your codebase.

Review Windsurf's documentation for best practices on writing effective prompts for Cascade and leveraging contextual memory features.

If your nonprofit handles sensitive data (donor information, financial systems, confidential program details), review and configure Windsurf's privacy settings. Consider upgrading to Pro or Teams plans if you need guaranteed privacy mode.

Monitor your credit usage in the Windsurf dashboard. With 25 credits on the free tier, you'll want to be strategic about when to use Cascade for complex workflows vs. relying on unlimited Tab completions for simpler tasks.

If you find the free tier insufficient, the Pro plan at $15/month provides 500 credits—a 20x increase that should accommodate most active development projects.

Windsurf offers a generous free tier that's free forever for individuals, including 25 prompt credits per month, unlimited Tab completions and AI commands, access to all premium models (GPT-4, Claude, Gemini), and unlimited previews and deploys. While there's no specific nonprofit discount mentioned publicly, the free tier is robust enough for individual developers or small projects. Student pricing is available through their education program. For teams, contact Windsurf directly about potential nonprofit pricing.

Windsurf is the new name for Codeium—the company rebranded in April 2025. They're the same product, with Windsurf representing the evolution toward agentic AI coding with the Cascade AI engine. The rebrand clarified the company's focus on multi-step autonomous coding (Cascade), fast completions (Tab/Supercomplete), and enterprise features. If you were using Codeium, Windsurf is the continued evolution of that same platform with more advanced agentic capabilities.

Windsurf positions itself as an 'agentic IDE' where the AI autonomously handles multi-step coding tasks through the Cascade engine—more autonomous than Cursor's Composer or GitHub Copilot's agents. Windsurf's free tier (25 credits/month with all models) is more generous than Cursor's (2,000 completions only). Pricing: Windsurf Pro is $15/month vs. Cursor Pro $20/month vs. GitHub Copilot $10/month. Windsurf includes both a standalone editor and JetBrains plugins. Key differentiator: Cascade's ability to remember codebase patterns across sessions and execute complex workflows autonomously.

Yes. Windsurf offers two options: (1) The standalone Windsurf Editor—a complete IDE similar to VS Code with AI built-in, or (2) Windsurf plugins for JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, etc.), allowing you to keep your existing development environment while adding Windsurf's AI capabilities. This flexibility makes Windsurf accessible whether you prefer to switch to their editor or integrate with tools you already use.

Windsurf supports 70+ programming languages, including all major languages nonprofits commonly use: Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Java, C#, PHP, Ruby, Go, Swift, Kotlin, and Rust. It works well with popular frameworks like React, Next.js, Django, WordPress, Laravel, and Node.js. The AI features are trained on a broad range of languages, so even niche or specialized languages often receive good support.

Windsurf's privacy controls vary by tier. Free tier users should review the privacy policy regarding data usage. Pro and higher tiers typically include privacy mode options. Teams and Enterprise plans include centralized privacy controls, SSO, and RBAC (role-based access control), which are critical for nonprofits handling sensitive donor data, financial systems, or confidential program information. Always configure privacy settings appropriately based on the sensitivity of your codebase and consult Windsurf's current privacy policy.

Yes. Windsurf is designed for experienced developers or those with intermediate+ coding skills. While the Cascade AI engine can autonomously handle complex coding tasks, you still need to understand programming fundamentals, software architecture, security best practices, and how to review and test AI-generated code. Windsurf accelerates development for those who already know how to code—it's not a tool for non-technical staff to suddenly build applications from scratch.

Cascade is Windsurf's AI engine that handles multi-step coding tasks autonomously. Unlike traditional AI assistants that respond to single prompts, Cascade can plan, execute, and iterate on complex workflows—like refactoring a feature across multiple files, integrating a new API, or debugging an issue across your codebase. Cascade 'remembers' important details about your codebase and workflow patterns across sessions, making it context-aware and increasingly helpful over time. It's designed to reduce the back-and-forth typically needed with AI coding assistants.