Canopy vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) for coding agents

If you remember Windsurf as one Cascade chat inside an editor, update the comparison. Cognition renamed Windsurf to Devin Desktop in June 2026 and put a multi-agent command center in front of its IDE. Canopy organizes supported installed coding CLIs in real terminals around local projects, services, Preview, and Git review. The useful choice is how your actual agents, app, and review fit together.

Use the current product name and feature set

Cognition's June 2026 announcement and transition FAQ say Devin Desktop is the successor to Windsurf, retaining its editor, extensions, settings, and workflows. Its Agent Command Center organizes local and cloud sessions by status; Spaces group sessions, PRs, files, and shared context. Devin Local succeeds Cascade as the primary local agent, while the docs also describe third-party ACP agents. A comparison that says Windsurf cannot run several agents, share task context, preview an app, or review a diff would be stale. Check the installed version and plan before depending on a feature.

Public documentation checked 28 September 2026; verify the installed version, platform, and plan.
Workflow decision	Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf)	Canopy
Agent interface	Devin Local and compatible agents through ACP in an IDE	Supported installed CLIs in real PTYs; integration depth varies by CLI
Multiple tasks	Agent Command Center and Spaces for local and cloud sessions	Agents rail, project context, worktrees, and session-linked review
Running app	Built-in browser previews, including for ACP agents	Saved local services, detected URLs, and Preview
Review	Editor diff review; Quick Review for Devin Local changes	Agent Workspace, Git/PR context, and review tasks
Away from desk	Devin Cloud work can run on its own VM	Canopy Remote reaches the running local host; CLI cloud modes are separate
Accounts	Devin plan for built-in agents; external ACP provider bills separately	Each installed CLI retains its own account and billing

Decide whether the agent protocol matters

Devin Desktop's ACP documentation lists Codex CLI, Claude Agent, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, and custom compatible agents. It says external-agent operations and billing stay with that agent provider, and availability depends on plan and admin settings. Canopy instead starts supported installed CLI programs inside PTYs, preserving their terminal interface; its published parity audit records different resume, event, usage, and file-attribution coverage. ACP compatibility is not the same claim as terminal compatibility. If a specific CLI command, approval prompt, or plugin matters to you, test it in both products rather than assuming the two routes expose identical controls.

Give Devin Desktop its editor and cloud strengths

Devin Desktop has a full editor, extensions, language tooling, and browser preview. Its Quick Review is an independent review action for Devin Local changes; the docs do not claim it works for legacy Cascade or every ACP agent. The command center brings local and Devin Cloud agents into one board, with a cloud handoff path for work that should continue after a laptop closes. Spaces can pass project context to a new session when sharing is enabled. These are substantial parts of a complete workflow, especially for someone who makes hands-on edits or wants a hosted worker. Do not compare Devin Cloud with Canopy Remote as if both run on the same host: one runs on a cloud VM, while the other controls the user's running desktop.

Test where Canopy's local project view helps

Canopy's current-main README describes projects with supported CLI terminals, isolated worktrees, saved website/API/worker commands, detected ports, Preview, files, diffs, and PR context. Its local-first architecture and optional Remote and Team paths may fit someone who already has separate CLI accounts and wants to inspect a whole local stack. That does not make Canopy an editor-extension replacement or a hosted agent platform. Main-branch product docs can be ahead of the latest installer, so confirm the exact Canopy release before making the decision. The choice may also be to use a CLI in both environments for different tasks.

Run one task through both workflows

Start from the same repository commit and define one bounded outcome: fix a settings-form error, run the website and API, show success and failure states, ask a second agent for a review finding, and inspect the final diff and PR checks. In Devin Desktop, record whether you used Devin Local, an ACP agent, or Devin Cloud, the Space and worktree, and how Preview worked. If you used Devin Local, record Quick Review; otherwise document the review route you actually used. In Canopy, record the installed CLI, branch, saved component commands, detected URL, agent attention state, and review result. Keep the same model and account when isolating workspace differences; compare cloud work separately. Record accepted behavior, manual coordination, retries, and costs from their actual provider sources. A first-response speed or screenshot is not a finished-task result.

Copyable resources

Devin Desktop and Canopy trial card

Use the same task and starting commit; label cloud execution separately.

Repository/start commit and task: [ ]
Success, failure, and review acceptance checks: [ ]
Devin Desktop version, plan, agent route (Local/ACP/Cloud), model/account: [ ]
Canopy release, installed CLI, model/account: [ ]
Worktree and branch in each attempt: [ ]
Website/API/worker commands and URL verified: [ ]
Second-agent review finding and final diff: [ ]
Human coordination, retries, and provider usage source: [ ]
Which workflow produced the clearer accepted result, and what remained uncertain: [ ]

Frequently asked questions

Is Windsurf a separate product from Devin Desktop now?

Cognition says Windsurf was renamed Devin Desktop in June 2026; the IDE, settings, and extensions were carried forward. Check current branding and the version you installed.

Can Devin Desktop run Codex or OpenCode?

Its ACP documentation lists those compatible agents, subject to plan and configuration. Test the specific agent and workflow you need; ACP integration and Canopy's PTY-based CLI integration are different routes.

Does Canopy Remote keep working after my laptop closes?

It needs a running reachable Canopy host. Devin Cloud is a separate hosted execution path; compare it separately from local remote control.

Does either workspace pool my third-party model subscriptions?

No. Devin Desktop's ACP docs say external-agent billing is between the user and that provider. Canopy's installed CLIs likewise retain their own credentials, limits, and billing.

Browse more Canopy questions →