Devin Desktop review: the former Windsurf as an agent command center
Last reviewed: September 2026
Verdict
Devin Desktop is the strongest alternative to BAND for desktop. Its Agent Command Center manages local and cloud agents from one Kanban view, ACP brings in third-party agents, and Devin's cloud coordinator can delegate to and message child Devins. It ranks second (7.8/10) because the deepest coordination is between Devins, not across vendors.
7.8/10
Best for: One IDE managing local and cloud agents, including Devin's own coordinator
- Agent-to-agent handoff (25%)
- 7.5
- Multi-vendor agents (20%)
- 8.0
- Local execution (15%)
- 8.0
- Shared visibility (15%)
- 8.5
- Human intervention (10%)
- 7.5
- Setup effort (8%)
- 8.0
- Price (7%)
- 7.0
What is Devin Desktop?
Cognition announced Devin Desktop on June 2, 2026 as "the next generation of Windsurf," and windsurf.com now redirects to devin.ai/desktop. It is an IDE plus an Agent Command Center that Cognition describes as a way to manage "fleets of local and cloud agents from one surface." The command center is the default surface, with every local and cloud agent on a single Kanban view. Locally it runs Devin Local, a Rust rewrite that succeeds Cascade; in the cloud it runs Devin in VMs. Cognition's own model, SWE-2, launched on September 10, 2026.
How does multi-agent work run in Devin Desktop?
There are three layers, and it helps to keep them apart.
- Kanban command center: every agent, local or cloud, shows up as work on one board. This is shared visibility.
- Spaces: Cognition says Spaces "enable related agents to share context," so agents on related tasks do not start blind.
- Managed Devins: a cloud Devin can delegate to "a team of managed Devins working in parallel, each running in its own isolated VM." The coordinator scopes work, monitors progress, resolves conflicts, compiles results and can message child sessions. This launched March 19, 2026.
Third-party agents join through the Agent Client Protocol (ACP): "any ACP-compatible agent can run inside Devin Desktop alongside Devin." Cognition names Codex, Claude Agent and OpenCode.
Run your agents as a team
BAND for desktop lets your coding agents hand work to each other in shared rooms while you stay in the loop. Claude Code joins via BAND's plugin; Codex, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode are listed as integrations. Sessions stay on your machine (macOS or Linux).
What works in Devin Desktop, and what to watch out for?
What works
- The most complete single product in the category: IDE, board, local and cloud agents, and a real coordinator.
- ACP gives it genuine multi-vendor support.
- Spaces address the context problem directly.
Watch-outs
- The explicit delegation and messaging model applies to Devin's own cloud sessions. Cognition does not document third-party ACP agents handing tasks to each other in the same way.
- It is an IDE. If your team lives in terminals or another editor, adopting it means switching tools, not adding a layer.
- Pricing changed in April 2026 when new self-serve plans were introduced.
- Not open source (ACP itself is an open protocol).
How much does Devin Desktop cost?
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Light quota, limited models |
| Pro | $20/mo | Frontier models, cloud agents; SWE-2 free in Devin Desktop and CLI through Oct 10, 2026 |
| Max | $200/mo | Higher usage |
| Team | $80/mo + $40/mo per seat | Up to 200 users |
| Enterprise | Custom | SSO, optional VPC |
What are the key facts about Devin Desktop?
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Vendor | Cognition |
| Formerly | Windsurf |
| Execution | Local (Devin Local) and cloud VMs |
| Third-party agents | Via ACP (Codex, Claude Agent, OpenCode named) |
| Coordination | Kanban command center, Spaces, managed Devins with messaging |
| Open source | No |
| Entry price | Free; Pro $20/mo |
Who should use Devin Desktop?
Teams willing to standardise on one IDE that want local and cloud agents on one board and value Devin's coordinator for cloud work.
Who should look elsewhere
Teams that want to keep their current editors and terminals and have agents from several vendors hand off to each other; see BAND for desktop vs Devin Desktop.
How does Devin Desktop compare?
Questions about Devin Desktop
Is Devin Desktop the same as Windsurf?
Yes. Cognition says "Devin Desktop is the new name for Windsurf," and windsurf.com redirects to devin.ai/desktop.
Can Devin Desktop run Claude Code or Codex?
It runs ACP-compatible agents alongside Devin; Cognition names Codex, Claude Agent and OpenCode.
How much does Devin Desktop cost?
Free, Pro at $20/month, Max at $200/month, Team at $80/month plus $40 per seat, and custom Enterprise, as of September 2026.