The short version
- Want another AI editor? Try Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf), Zed, Kiro or Google Antigravity.
- Want to stay in VS Code or JetBrains? Try GitHub Copilot or Cline.
- Happy in the terminal? Try Claude Code, OpenAI Codex or Aider.
- Want agents working while you're in the editor? Add Chief, below, to run your coding agents on your projects in the background.
Where Chief fits
Chief isn't an editor, so it works with whichever editor you choose from this list. Cursor and the other editors make you fast at the keyboard. Chief sets goals, keeps your agents working on them and tells you what needs you.
- Bring the agents you already use. Chief runs Claude Code, Codex, Gemini through the Antigravity CLI, Qwen Code, OpenCode, Kimi Code, Muse Code and DeepSeek Harness on your own machine, with your own accounts.
- Set a goal once. Chief plans the work as milestones with acceptance criteria, dispatches them to your agents and reviews each result against its criteria.
- Turn on Auto mode. Set a task limit and a weekly cap on your provider's usage, and Chief keeps working toward your goals.
- Open the results in any editor. Agents commit to your repository on your machine, so their work is right there in Cursor, Zed, VS Code or whichever editor you like.
Chief has a free plan with no credit card required.
The 9 best Cursor alternatives
1. Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf)
Best for: developers who want an agentic AI editor backed by Devin.
Devin Desktop is the new name for Windsurf. It's Cognition's desktop app for managing local and cloud coding agents from one place, with a full IDE built in, and it comes with Free, Pro, Max, Teams and Enterprise plans. If you were looking for a Windsurf alternative, Devin Desktop is where Windsurf lives now. Chief vs Windsurf →
2. GitHub Copilot
Best for: teams that want AI in the editor they already use, tightly linked to GitHub.
GitHub Copilot works in VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Visual Studio, Xcode and more. Agent mode handles multi-step changes in your editor, and Copilot's coding agent takes an issue and opens a pull request. It offers a choice of models and code review on pull requests. Chief + Copilot →
3. Zed
Best for: developers who want a very fast, open-source editor with agents built in.
Zed is a high-performance, open-source code editor written in Rust, with real-time collaboration. Its Agent Panel runs Zed's own agent and external agents such as Claude Code and Codex through the open Agent Client Protocol.
4. Kiro
Best for: teams that like to plan before they build.
Kiro is AWS's agentic IDE built around spec-driven development. It turns a prompt into requirements, a design and a task list that live in your repository, then works through the tasks. Kiro also comes as a CLI.
5. Google Antigravity
Best for: developers who want Gemini models in an agent-first editor.
Google Antigravity is Google's agent-first development platform, with an editor and a manager view for running agents across tasks. Its companion Antigravity CLI (agy) brings the same agent to the terminal, and Chief runs it with your own Google sign-in. Chief + Gemini →
6. Cline
Best for: developers who want an open-source agent inside VS Code with full control over each step.
Cline is an open-source coding agent for VS Code, with JetBrains support and a CLI. You bring your own model provider, and Cline shows its plan and each action as it works, so you can approve changes step by step.
7. Claude Code
Best for: developers who want a powerful agent in the terminal or alongside their editor.
Claude Code is Anthropic's coding agent. It runs in the terminal, in VS Code and JetBrains, in a desktop app and on the web, and it handles large multi-file changes with Claude models. Chief runs Claude Code on your machine. Chief + Claude Code →
8. OpenAI Codex
Best for: developers with a ChatGPT plan who want OpenAI's models.
Codex is OpenAI's coding agent, available as the open-source Codex CLI, an IDE extension and cloud tasks, all signed in with your ChatGPT account. Chief runs Codex alongside your other agents. Chief + Codex →
9. Aider
Best for: developers who like a terminal pair programmer and a clean git history.
Aider is an open-source AI pair programmer for the terminal. It works with most large language models through your own API keys and commits each change to git with a clear message. Chief + Aider →
Cursor alternatives compared
| Tool | What it is | Where you use it | Models | With Chief |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief | Manages your agents toward your goals | Web and mobile; agents run on your machine | The agents and models you bring | ✅ It's Chief |
| Cursor | Coding agent and AI editor | Desktop editor, CLI, web and Slack | Models from several providers | Use it alongside Chief |
| Devin Desktop | Cognition's agent app and IDE (formerly Windsurf) | Desktop app with a built-in IDE | Local and cloud Devin agents | Use it alongside Chief |
| GitHub Copilot | GitHub's AI assistant and coding agent | VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, Xcode and more | A choice of models | Use it alongside Chief |
| Zed | Open-source editor with an Agent Panel | Desktop editor | Zed's agent plus external agents | Use it alongside Chief |
| Kiro | AWS's spec-driven agentic IDE | Desktop editor and CLI | Models offered in Kiro | Use it alongside Chief |
| Google Antigravity | Google's agent-first platform | Desktop app and agy CLI | Gemini models | ✅ Chief runs the CLI |
| Cline | Open-source agent | VS Code, JetBrains and CLI | Your choice of provider | Use it alongside Chief |
| Claude Code | Anthropic's coding agent | Terminal, IDEs, desktop and web | Claude models | ✅ Chief runs it |
| OpenAI Codex | OpenAI's coding agent | Terminal, IDE extension and cloud | OpenAI models | ✅ Chief runs it |
| Aider | Open-source pair programmer | Terminal | Most LLMs, via your keys | Use it alongside Chief |
How to choose
- Do you want a new editor? Devin Desktop, Zed, Kiro and Google Antigravity are full editors. Copilot and Cline add AI to VS Code or JetBrains without switching.
- Do you want an agent instead of an editor? Claude Code, Codex and Aider work from the terminal next to any editor.
- Do you want several agents working at once? Pick the editor you like, then add Chief to plan the work, run your agents and review the results.
This guide is published by Chief. Product details were checked in October 2026; check each vendor's site for current features and plans.
FAQ
What is the best alternative to Cursor?
It depends on how you like to work. Devin Desktop, Zed, Kiro and Google Antigravity are full AI editors. GitHub Copilot and Cline bring agents into VS Code and JetBrains. Claude Code and Codex are agents you run in the terminal next to any editor.
What happened to Windsurf?
Cognition renamed Windsurf to Devin Desktop in 2026. If you're looking for a Windsurf alternative, Devin Desktop is the same editor under its new name, and every other tool on this list is an option too.
Is there a free Cursor alternative?
Zed, Cline and Aider are open source and free to install; with Cline and Aider you pay your model provider for usage. GitHub Copilot and several other tools also offer free tiers; check their pricing pages for current limits.
Can I use Chief with Cursor?
Yes. Chief runs your coding agents on your machine and they commit to your repository, so you can open and edit their work in Cursor, or any other editor on this list.
Is Chief an alternative to Cursor?
Chief does a different job. Cursor is where you write and edit code with AI. Chief manages your coding agents: it plans the work, dispatches it to agents like Claude Code and Codex, and reviews the results. Many developers use both. Chief vs Cursor →