Windsurf Launches SWE-1
On Thursday, Windsurf, the fast-growing startup known for its AI tools tailored to developers, announced the release of its first AI model family: SWE-1. The release includes three models — SWE-1, SWE-1-lite, and SWE-1-mini — designed to handle the full spectrum of software engineering, not just code generation.
Windsurf has traditionally built tools for “vibe coding,” where engineers collaborate with AI to build and refine code through chat interfaces. The launch of in-house models marks a significant shift for the company, from building AI-powered tools to also building the AI models that power them.
A Broader Engineering Focus
Nicholas Moy, Head of Research at Windsurf, emphasized this distinction. “Coding is not software engineering,” he said in a launch video. Most current models excel at generating code, but they fall short in complex, real-world engineering workflows. SWE-1 is designed to work across multiple environments — terminals, IDEs, the web — capturing the full scope of a modern developer's workflow.
Windsurf trained SWE-1 using a custom dataset that includes incomplete code states, long-running tasks, and multi-surface interactions. The company calls it a “new training recipe” that better reflects actual developer behavior.
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Performance and Access
While SWE-1 doesn't yet beat the most advanced models like Claude 3.7 Sonnet, it performs competitively with GPT-4.1, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and Gemini 2.5 Pro. The company says it’s cheaper to run and offers better task alignment for engineers.
SWE-1-lite and SWE-1-mini will be available to all users, while SWE-1 itself will be reserved for paid subscribers. Pricing hasn’t been announced, but Windsurf promises an affordable alternative to existing tools.
Signals of What’s Next
With rumors of OpenAI’s $3 billion acquisition of Windsurf, some may be surprised by this move. However, SWE-1 may be Windsurf’s way of staking a claim in AI model development, beyond application design. The company hints that SWE-1 is just the beginning.
