Macaron vs Windsurf (now Devin Desktop)
Windsurf, the AI IDE, became Devin Desktop in June 2026: the same editor under Cognition's Devin brand, with a new default agent. Macaron is a desktop app that runs Claude Code and Codex, with undo for each turn, your checks before and after, and isolated computers.
Updated October 2, 2026 · Other products described as of October 2, 2026
Short answer. Pick Devin Desktop if you want a full AI editor with its own models, tab completion, and local and cloud agents in one place. Pick Macaron if you want to keep your own editor and run Claude Code or Codex on a machine that can't touch your files, with your checks run before and after each change.
What happened to Windsurf
On June 2, 2026, Windsurf became Devin Desktop, made by Cognition. windsurf.com now redirects to devin.ai, and the docs describe it as the same IDE and the same editor, unified under the Devin brand. Its default agent for new tabs is now Devin Local; the older Cascade agent is being retired, and features such as Cascade's named checkpoints and memories belong to it. This page compares Macaron with Devin Desktop as it is today. For Devin's cloud agent, see Macaron vs Devin.
At a glance
- What it is
- Devin Desktop (Windsurf)An AI IDE based on VS Code, for macOS, Windows and Linux
- MacaronA desktop app that runs coding agents beside the editor you already use
- Agents
- Devin Desktop (Windsurf)Devin Local by default; agents such as Codex CLI and Claude Agent over ACP on Pro, Max and Teams
- MacaronClaude Code, Codex and Macaron's own agent
- Models
- Devin Desktop (Windsurf)Cognition's SWE models plus models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and others, within plan quotas
- MacaronYour own keys or subscriptions: Anthropic, OpenAI, Bedrock or Vertex
- Where it runs
- Devin Desktop (Windsurf)Your machine, with optional OS-level sandboxing and git worktree sessions; cloud agents through Devin Cloud
- MacaronA folder on your Mac, or a Computer: an isolated Linux machine per agent, in Docker on your Mac or in the cloud
- Permissions
- Devin Desktop (Windsurf)Deny, Ask or Allow rules for file reads, file writes, commands, HTTP and MCP
- MacaronClaude Code's and Codex's own permission modes, with each request shown in the thread to allow or deny
- Review
- Devin Desktop (Windsurf)Edits run after you approve them; Quick Review runs a second agent over the diff
- MacaronAn "Edited N files" card per turn with undo, Review for the diff, your checks before and after, and an optional second-model reviewer
- Price
- Devin Desktop (Windsurf)Free, then Pro at $20 a month and Max at $200 a month
- MacaronOne Macaron plan; models on your own keys at your provider's price; cloud machines billed by the hour
| Devin Desktop (Windsurf) | Macaron | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An AI IDE based on VS Code, for macOS, Windows and Linux | A desktop app that runs coding agents beside the editor you already use |
| Agents | Devin Local by default; agents such as Codex CLI and Claude Agent over ACP on Pro, Max and Teams | Claude Code, Codex and Macaron's own agent |
| Models | Cognition's SWE models plus models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and others, within plan quotas | Your own keys or subscriptions: Anthropic, OpenAI, Bedrock or Vertex |
| Where it runs | Your machine, with optional OS-level sandboxing and git worktree sessions; cloud agents through Devin Cloud | A folder on your Mac, or a Computer: an isolated Linux machine per agent, in Docker on your Mac or in the cloud |
| Permissions | Deny, Ask or Allow rules for file reads, file writes, commands, HTTP and MCP | Claude Code's and Codex's own permission modes, with each request shown in the thread to allow or deny |
| Review | Edits run after you approve them; Quick Review runs a second agent over the diff | An "Edited N files" card per turn with undo, Review for the diff, your checks before and after, and an optional second-model reviewer |
| Price | Free, then Pro at $20 a month and Max at $200 a month | One Macaron plan; models on your own keys at your provider's price; cloud machines billed by the hour |
Where code runs and what it can touch
Devin Local works on your machine with access to your local files, tools and environment. Its docs describe optional OS-level sandboxing, with file system isolation and network allow and deny lists that admins can enforce, and sessions in git worktrees that you merge back with a click. Cloud agents run through Devin Cloud, a separate product.
Macaron's Computers are Linux machines with no access to your Mac's files, keys or Docker socket, in Docker on your Mac or on a server you connect over SSH. A sandbox copy of a folder works there, and Apply to Mac writes the result back only if it applies cleanly.
Undo and review
Cascade offered named checkpoints you could revert to, which its docs say can't be undone once reverted. For Devin Local, the docs describe approving edits before they run and merging worktree sessions back, and we didn't find a per-turn checkpoint. Quick Review asks a second agent to review the diff, with Cognition's own review model free on every plan.
Macaron makes every agent turn a checkpoint with an undo button, runs your test, lint and typecheck scripts before and after, and can ask a second model to review the diff.
Pricing
As published on devin.ai/pricing on October 2, 2026. Legacy Windsurf plans continue unchanged for existing customers.
- Free
- Price$0
- IncludesA light quota, limited models, unlimited inline edits and Tab
- Pro
- Price$20 a month
- IncludesHigher quotas, all models, Devin Cloud access, extra usage at API pricing
- Max
- Price$200 a month
- IncludesMuch higher quotas
- Teams
- Price$80 a month plus $40 a month per full developer seat
- IncludesUp to 200 users
- Enterprise
- PriceCustom
- IncludesSSO, VPC deployment, admin controls and analytics
| Devin plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | A light quota, limited models, unlimited inline edits and Tab |
| Pro | $20 a month | Higher quotas, all models, Devin Cloud access, extra usage at API pricing |
| Max | $200 a month | Much higher quotas |
| Teams | $80 a month plus $40 a month per full developer seat | Up to 200 users |
| Enterprise | Custom | SSO, VPC deployment, admin controls and analytics |
Quotas refresh daily and weekly. Agents you add over ACP, such as Codex, bill through their own provider. One Macaron plan; models on your own keys at your provider's price; cloud machines billed by the hour.
Who should pick which
- You want one AI editor with tab completion, its own models and agents built in: Devin Desktop.
- You want local and cloud agents managed from the same app: Devin Desktop with Devin Cloud.
- You'd rather keep VS Code, Zed or your terminal and add an agent workspace beside it: Macaron.
- You want Claude Code or Codex on your own subscription, on a machine that can't touch your Mac: Macaron.
- You want your tests run before and after every change: Macaron.
What Macaron doesn't do
No Slack integration, no mobile app, no hosted SLA, no multiplayer, and no visual browser testing of its own beyond the AI end-to-end tests. It also isn't an editor: there's no tab completion and no models of its own.
Questions
Is Windsurf still available?+
As Devin Desktop. windsurf.com redirected to devin.ai/desktop on October 2, 2026, and Cognition's docs say it's the same IDE under the Devin name.
Can Devin Desktop run Claude Code?+
Its docs list Claude Agent and Codex CLI among the agents it can run over ACP, on Pro, Max and Teams, billed through each agent's own provider.
Does Devin Desktop sandbox the agent?+
Its docs describe optional OS-level sandboxing for Devin Local that admins can enforce. Macaron's Computers are separate Linux machines.
Is there a free plan?+
Yes, with a light quota and limited models. Macaron's desktop app is free for local work; you pay your model provider directly.
Sources and dates
- devin.ai/desktop (windsurf.com redirects here)devin.ai, read October 2, 2026
- Devin pricingdevin.ai, read October 2, 2026
- Devin Desktop FAQdocs.devin.ai, read October 2, 2026
- Devin Desktop docs: Devin Localdocs.devin.ai, read October 2, 2026
- Devin Desktop docs: ACP agentsdocs.devin.ai, read October 2, 2026
- Devin Desktop docs: Cascadedocs.devin.ai, read October 2, 2026
- Devin Desktop docs: Quick Reviewdocs.devin.ai, read October 2, 2026
Facts about other products come only from these pages, on the dates shown; prices are as published that day. Macaron's own details are as shipped on October 2, 2026. Products change, so check their sites for the latest.