Windsurf vs Lokal: Which is better?

Windsurf is an AI-powered IDE developed by Codeium, featuring Cascade — an agentic AI system that can plan and execute multi-step coding tasks across an entire codebase. Unlike assistants that respond to individual prompts, Cascade maintains full awareness of your project structure, terminal state, and recent changes to autonomously implement features, fix bugs, and refactor code end-to-end. Windsurf also includes real-time AI autocomplete, inline chat, and deep integration with popular language servers, making it one of the most capable agentic development environments available.

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Lokal

Lokal is a software application designed for developers, providing tunneling services that facilitate the sharing of local endpoints through public URLs or .local domains. It features an integrated AI assistant for debugging, HTTP inspection, and supports various programming languages through customizable SDKs. Users can choose between a lifetime license for personal use or a cloud subscription for persistent public URLs, with options for both self-hosting and cloud-based solutions.

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Windsurf vs Lokal: Which is better?

Key features

Windsurf

Cascade agent — plans and applies coordinated multi-file edits.
Context awareness — tracks your actions to stay in sync with the codebase.
AI autocomplete and chat — inline suggestions plus a built-in assistant.
Multi-model support — works with leading frontier models.

Lokal

Public URL and .local Domain Support: Allows sharing of local endpoints with public URLs or .local domains, along with debugging features like HTTP Inspection and AI Assistant integration.
SDK and Framework Integration: Offers highly customizable SDKs for various programming languages and frameworks, including Go, Rust, Ruby, Python, PHP, and Laravel.
Cloud and Self-Hosting Options: Provides flexibility with both cloud and self-hosting solutions, facilitated by Docker Compose for easy setup.
Lifetime and Cloud Licensing: Offers a one-time purchase for a lifetime license with features like unlimited .local domains and a yearly cloud plan with persistent public URLs and priority support.
Developer-Centric Features: Focuses on enhancing developer experience with tools that improve efficiency, feedback loops, and debugging speed, including an integrated AI Assistant.

Useful for

Windsurf

Developers who want an AI agent that can plan and carry out multi-step coding tasks.
Engineers who prefer an editor that keeps context as the codebase changes.
Teams that want AI autocomplete, chat, and an agent in a single IDE.

Lokal

Enables developers to share local endpoints with public URLs or .local domains, simplifying collaboration and testing.
Integrates mDNS and Public URL functionalities in one platform, reducing the need for multiple tools.
Offers a robust developer experience with features like HTTP Inspection and an integrated AI Assistant for debugging.
Provides flexible deployment options, allowing users to choose between cloud and self-hosted solutions.

Use cases

Windsurf

Letting an AI agent implement a feature across multiple files.
Getting context-aware autocomplete while writing code.
Asking the editor to debug or explain existing code.

Lokal

Develop and debug applications using Lokal's tunneling service with public URLs or .local domains.
Utilize the integrated AI Assistant for enhanced debugging and problem-solving efficiency.
Access and manage multiple devices and domains through a single platform, simplifying development workflows.
Implement customized SDKs for various programming languages and frameworks to enhance application development.
Use Lokal for both cloud and self-hosted solutions, providing flexibility for different project needs.

Price

Windsurf

Free tier with limited AI usage.
Paid plans add higher limits and more capacity.

Lokal

Lifetime License: $57 USD (one-time payment) for 3 devices (1 seat), unlimited https .local domains, self-hosted Public URL, and various features including HTTP Inspection with AI Assistant.
Lokal Cloud: $50 USD per year for 5 devices (2 seats), 10 Lokal Persistent Public URLs, and additional features including priority support and 100GB monthly bandwidth.
Enterprise Quote: Custom pricing available for additional features like OAuth, Custom Interstitial, and Audit Trail.