AI Coding Agent Platforms
How do I start the Windsurf Pro trial, and how many credits do I get during the trial?
7 min read
Starting a Windsurf Pro trial is straightforward, and it’s designed to get you into flow quickly without forcing a long commitment up front. You can spin it up in a few clicks, explore Cascade, Tab, and premium models in your real workflow, and only worry about billing once you know it fits.
Quick Answer: You can start the Windsurf Pro trial directly from Windsurf’s pricing page or in-app billing screen as a first-time user. The trial runs for two weeks and includes 100 prompt credits; after upgrading to paid Pro, you’ll get 500 prompt credits per month plus the ability to buy add-ons.
The Quick Overview
- What It Is: A 2‑week Windsurf Pro trial with a fixed pool of 100 prompt credits so you can test the “agentic IDE” experience—Cascade, Tab, premium models, and fast context—on your own code.
- Who It Is For: First‑time Windsurf users (or free users who haven’t subscribed before) who want to evaluate Pro features on personal or team repos before committing.
- Core Problem Solved: It removes the guesswork from “Will this actually speed up my shipping?” by giving you enough time and credits to try multi‑file edits, terminal help, previews, and PR workflows in your real environment.
How It Works
When you start a Windsurf Pro trial, your account is temporarily upgraded to the Pro feature set. You’ll see Pro capabilities unlocked in the Windsurf Editor—premium models (including SWE‑1.5 and Gemini 3 Pro preview), full fast context, and higher-intensity Cascade and Tab usage. Under the hood, each interaction with the models draws from a pool of 100 prompt credits allocated for your two-week trial.
Once the trial ends, you can either subscribe to Pro and get 500 prompt credits per month going forward, or drop back to the free tier. If you subscribe, you can also buy add‑on credits in 250‑credit blocks.
Here’s the typical flow:
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Start the trial from the pricing or billing page:
As a first‑time subscriber, you click “Start Free Trial” on the Pro plan (either on windsor.ai/pricing or directly inside the app’s billing/settings panel). You’ll see confirmation that you’re on a 2‑week Pro trial with 100 credits. -
Use Windsurf Pro features during the trial:
Work in the Windsurf Editor like you normally would: call Cascade for multi‑file changes, use Tab for Supercomplete and workflow jumps, run Cmd+I in the terminal, and experiment with premium models. Each of those AI interactions consumes prompt credits from your 100‑credit trial balance. -
Decide whether to upgrade or revert:
Before or when the trial ends, choose whether to continue on paid Pro (and get 500 prompt credits per month plus add‑on options) or fall back to the free experience. If you upgrade, your subscription and monthly credits kick in; if not, you simply lose Pro-only capabilities and revert to the limits of the free tier.
Features & Benefits Breakdown
| Core Feature | What It Does | Primary Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| 2‑Week Pro Access | Unlocks Pro capabilities (premium models, SWE‑1.5, fast context) for 14 days. | Lets you experience the “first agentic IDE” at full power on your own codebase before paying. |
| 100 Trial Prompt Credits | Gives you a fixed pool of credits for AI-powered actions during the trial. | Enough runway to test Cascade, Tab, and previews in real workflows without worrying about immediate billing. |
| Simple Upgrade Path | One click to move from trial to Pro; 500 credits/month plus add‑ons afterward. | No migration pain—your projects, settings, and context stay exactly where they are as you upgrade. |
Ideal Use Cases
- Best for evaluating agentic coding in a real repo: Because the trial lets you run full-fidelity Cascade sessions on your actual monorepo, try terminal assistance, and see how Windsurf handles lint/test loops without committing to a paid plan.
- Best for security‑sensitive teams doing early validation: Because you can pair the Pro trial with Windsurf’s documented security posture (SOC 2 Type II, FedRAMP High environments, zero data retention defaults on Teams/Enterprise) while keeping procurement gated behind a simple upgrade decision.
Limitations & Considerations
- First‑time trial only: The Pro trial is available for first‑time users only. If you’ve already subscribed to Pro in the past, you typically won’t be eligible for another free Pro trial on the same account.
- 100‑credit trial cap: The 2‑week trial includes 100 prompt credits—not the full 500 credits/month you get on paid Pro. Plan your testing sessions so you can meaningfully exercise Cascade, Tab, and premium models without burning through credits on trivial requests.
Pricing & Plans
Here’s how the trial fits into Windsurf’s broader pricing:
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Trial for Pro:
- Duration: 2 weeks
- Trial Credits: 100 prompt credits
- Eligibility: First-time users only
- Cost: $0 during the trial window
-
Pro Plan:
- Price: $15 per month (individual subscription)
- Credits: 500 prompt credits per month after your trial
- Models: All Premium Models, including SWE‑1.5 and access to “Full Fast Context”
- Add‑ons: Additional credits available at $10 per 250 credits
-
Teams Plan:
- Price: $30 per user per month
- Credits: 500 prompt credits per user per month
- Extras: Centralized billing, organization controls, and the ability to scale Pro-like capabilities across your engineering org.
-
Enterprise:
- Pricing: “Let’s talk” (custom, for 200+ users and stricter requirements)
- Credits: Typically handled via tailored agreements (often unlimited or negotiated)
- Extras: SSO, RBAC, Hybrid or Self-hosted options, advanced analytics, and enterprise-grade data-retention controls.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I actually start the Windsurf Pro trial?
Short Answer: Go to the Windsurf pricing page or in-app billing section, select the Pro plan, and click “Start Free Trial” as a first-time subscriber.
Details:
From a browser, head to the Windsurf pricing section and look for the Pro plan (marked with “Pro” and a “2 week free trial with 100 credits” note). Click “Start Free Trial,” sign in or create an account, and confirm the trial. If you’re already inside the Windsurf Editor, you can usually reach the same flow through the account/billing menu. Once active, your account is flagged as Pro for 14 days and you’ll see your trial credit balance reflected in the app.
How many credits do I get in the Windsurf Pro trial, and what happens after?
Short Answer: You get 100 prompt credits during the 2‑week Pro trial. After the trial, if you subscribe to Pro, you receive 500 prompt credits per month and can buy add‑ons.
Details:
The Pro trial is explicitly described as “2 week free trial with 100 credits.” Those 100 prompt credits are used whenever you call into AI-powered functionality—Cascade sessions, Tab completions that hit the model, premium model calls, and so on. When the trial ends, you choose whether to upgrade:
- If you upgrade to Pro, you move to the paid $15/month plan with 500 prompt credits every month. If you need more, you can purchase add-on packs at $10 per 250 credits.
- If you don’t upgrade, your account reverts to the free capabilities and any remaining trial credits are no longer available. You still keep your code, settings, and local workflows; you just lose Pro‑only model access and the extra monthly credits.
Summary
The Windsurf Pro trial is a focused, low-friction way to see if an agentic IDE actually changes how you ship. You get 2 weeks of Pro features and 100 prompt credits to push Cascade through real tasks, lean on Tab in your actual repo, and feel how fast context and premium models plug into your existing flow. When the trial wraps, you can either upgrade to Pro for 500 prompt credits a month (with add-on options) or drop back to free without losing your work.