How do I start the Windsurf Pro trial, and how many credits do I get during the trial?

Most developers discover Windsurf Pro the same way I did: you install the editor, hit that first Cmd+I, and suddenly you want the “no limits” version to see how far you can push Cascade and Tab. The good news is: starting a Pro trial is fast, and you get a meaningful chunk of credits to actually ship something real—not just toy around.

Quick Answer: You can start the Windsurf Pro trial directly from the Windsurf app or pricing page by selecting the Pro plan and creating an account. The trial lasts 2 weeks and includes 100 prompt credits, with full access to Pro features and models during that period.

The Quick Overview

What It Is: A 2‑week Windsurf Pro trial that unlocks all Pro features, including premium AI models and full Fast Context, with a limited pool of trial credits.
Who It Is For: Developers and teams who want to test Windsurf’s agentic IDE—Cascade, Tab, Previews, and more—before committing to a paid subscription.
Core Problem Solved: Lets you evaluate how Windsurf fits your real workflow (multi-file edits, terminal commands, previews, PRs) without an upfront purchase.

How It Works

At a high level, the Windsurf Pro trial is a time‑boxed, credit‑limited version of the Pro plan. You get 14 days and 100 prompt credits to run Cascade, use premium models, and explore the full Fast Context experience inside the Windsurf Editor and supported plugins.

During the trial:

You enable the Pro trial from the app or web:
- Install Windsurf (desktop or plugin).
- Sign in or create an account.
- Choose the Pro plan when prompted and select the Free Trial option if you’re eligible as a first‑time user.
You get 2 weeks + 100 credits unlocked:
- Your account is upgraded to a Pro trial for 14 days.
- You receive 100 prompt credits for that trial period.
- During those 2 weeks, you have access to all Pro features and all Premium Models available to Pro users.
You decide whether to convert to paid Pro:
- If you love it and upgrade, you move to the paid Pro subscription with 500 prompt credits/month and access to all Premium Models, SWE‑1.5, and full Fast Context.
- If you don’t upgrade, the trial ends, Pro features are removed, and you can continue on the Free tier (with its own limits).

Features & Benefits Breakdown

Even during the trial, you’re not getting a cut‑down experience—you’re test‑driving real Pro capabilities.

Core Feature	What It Does	Primary Benefit
Pro Trial (2 weeks)	Unlocks Pro for 14 days with 100 credits	Enough time to run a real project through Windsurf and see if it fits your daily workflow
All Premium Models	Gives access to higher‑capability models (including SWE‑1.5 and other premium options)	Better reasoning on large, complex codebases and multi‑file changes
Full Fast Context access	Lets Cascade ingest more of your repo, edits, and conversation history at once	Deeper flow awareness so you explain intent less and get more relevant, lint‑clean changes

Note: During the trial, you’re effectively experiencing the “Pro stack”—the same models and context capabilities paid Pro users rely on, just with a smaller credit pool.

Ideal Use Cases

Best for evaluating Windsurf in your real stack: Because the trial includes full Fast Context and premium models, you can point Cascade at your actual monolith or microservices, not just a sample repo, and see how it handles multi‑file edits, tests, and refactors.
Best for teams piloting before a rollout: Because the trial mirrors Pro behavior, tech leads or DX owners can simulate a smaller rollout, measure impact on shipping speed, and then decide whether to move to Pro or Teams (which adds per‑user credits and org controls).

Limitations & Considerations

2‑week time limit: The Pro trial runs for two weeks only. Plan a focused evaluation window—pick a feature, refactor, or migration you want Windsurf to help you ship during that period.
100 credit cap during trial: You get 100 prompt credits for the entire trial. That’s enough to do real work, but not infinite. Use credits on higher‑leverage flows—multi‑file changes, complex reasoning, or Previews‑driven UI iteration—rather than one‑off tiny prompts you could handle with basic autocomplete.

Also keep in mind:

Trial eligibility: The two‑week free trial is available for first‑time users only. If you’ve already used a Pro trial in the past on the same account, you may not see the trial option again.
Credits vs. paid Pro: The trial’s 100 credits are separate from the 500 prompt credits/month you get once you become a paid Pro user.

Pricing & Plans

Windsurf’s Pro trial is your on‑ramp into the paid tiers:

Pro (Individual):
- $15/month
- 500 prompt credits/month after your trial
- Includes all Free features, all Premium Models, SWE‑1.5, full Fast Context
- Add‑on credits available at $10 for 250 credits
Teams:
- $30 per user/month
- 500 prompt credits per user/month
- Add‑on credits available for purchase
- Layered with org‑level controls and billing
Enterprise (200+ users):
- Let’s talk for custom pricing and deployment
- Designed for larger orgs needing advanced security (SSO, RBAC, ZDR defaults, Hybrid/Self‑hosted) and governance.

The Pro trial sits on top of this structure: you get a time‑boxed, 2‑week preview of Pro before your paid subscription and monthly 500‑credit allocation start.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I actually start the Windsurf Pro trial?

Short Answer: Install Windsurf, sign in, choose the Pro plan, and select the Free Trial option if you’re a first‑time user.

Details:
You can start from either the desktop editor or the web:

Install Windsurf (from windsorf.ai or your plugin marketplace if you’re using the JetBrains integration).
Sign in or create an account.
Navigate to Settings → Billing or visit the Pricing page.
Select the Pro plan. If you’re eligible, you’ll see a 2‑week free trial option—pick that instead of entering payment for an immediate subscription.
Confirm the upgrade. Your account is now on Pro trial with a visible credit balance (100 credits) and a trial end date.

From there, start using Cascade (Cmd+I in editor or terminal), Tab, Previews, and other Pro surfaces as you normally would. Each AI‑powered operation that counts as a “prompt” will draw from your 100‑credit trial pool.

How many credits do I get during the Pro trial, and what happens after it ends?

Short Answer: You get 100 prompt credits for the 2‑week trial. After it ends, you either switch to the paid Pro plan with 500 credits/month, or you fall back to the Free tier if you don’t upgrade.

Details:
During the trial:

Your account shows 100 trial credits.
Those credits are consumed whenever you:
- Run Cascade with a prompt.
- Use premium models with larger or more complex context windows.
- Trigger AI‑powered actions that require a model call (e.g., multi‑file refactors, complex explanations, or tests generation).

When the trial ends:

If you subscribe to Pro:
- Your plan switches to Pro at $15/month.
- You receive 500 prompt credits/month going forward.
- You keep access to all Premium Models, SWE‑1.5, and full Fast Context.
If you do not subscribe:
- Your account downgrades back to the Free tier.
- Pro‑only features and premium model access are removed.
- Any remaining trial credits expire; you operate under Free‑tier limits instead.

If you need more volume beyond Pro, that’s when Teams or Enterprise becomes relevant—especially if you’re rolling out to a broader group of engineers.

Summary

Starting the Windsurf Pro trial is straightforward: choose Pro, select the free trial, and you’re in. You get two weeks and 100 prompt credits to run real work through Cascade and Tab, backed by all Premium Models, SWE‑1.5, and full Fast Context. Use that window to wire Windsurf into your actual workflow—terminal, tests, previews, and PRs—and decide whether the ongoing 500 credits/month on Pro is right for you or your team.

Next Step

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