# Elicit vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf)

> Elicit: AI research assistant for literature search, systematic reviews and evidence reports
> Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): Agent-first IDE for running local and cloud coding agents in one place

- Elicit profile: https://finderatlas.com/tools/elicit
- Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) profile: https://finderatlas.com/tools/windsurf
- Comparison page: https://finderatlas.com/compare/elicit-vs-windsurf
- Last reviewed: November 2026

## Verdict

Elicit is listed under Education & Research and Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) under Coding AI. Both have a free plan or trial. Only Elicit is available on Web and offers an API. Only Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) is available on Windows, macOS and Linux.

### Choose Elicit if

- You want a tool built for literature reviews.
- Free plan with unlimited search across 138M+ papers.
- Sentence-level citations for AI-generated claims.

### Choose Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) if

- You want a tool built for managing multiple coding agents.
- Free plan with unlimited Tab completions and inline edits.
- Full IDE that stays compatible with VS Code and Windsurf extensions.

## Pricing

| | Elicit | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Free plan or trial | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | $0 | $0 |

## Features

| Feature | Elicit | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Research Agent | Yes | Not listed |
| Research Reports | Yes | Not listed |
| Systematic Literature Review | Yes | Not listed |
| Data extraction tables | Yes | Not listed |
| Library | Yes | Not listed |
| Routines | Yes | Not listed |
| Chat with papers | Yes | Not listed |
| Zotero import | Yes | Not listed |
| API and MCP server | Yes | Not listed |
| Agent Command Center | Not listed | Yes |
| Spaces | Not listed | Yes |
| Full IDE | Not listed | Yes |
| Devin Local | Not listed | Yes |
| Agent Client Protocol support | Not listed | Yes |
| Tab and Supercomplete | Not listed | Yes |
| Fast Context | Not listed | Yes |
| Devin Cloud handoff | Not listed | Yes |
| MCP and extensions | Not listed | Yes |
| SWE-2 model | Not listed | Yes |

## Platforms

| Platform | Elicit | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Web | Yes | No |
| Windows | No | Yes |
| macOS | No | Yes |
| iOS | No | No |
| Android | No | No |
| API | Yes | No |
| Browser Extension | No | No |
| Linux | No | Yes |
| JetBrains Plugin | No | Yes |

## Elicit strengths

- Free plan with unlimited search across 138M+ papers
- Sentence-level citations for AI-generated claims
- Structured extraction of paper details into tables
- Dedicated systematic review workflow and Routines for tracking new research
- API and MCP server for use with other tools

## Elicit limitations

- Research Agent and Reports usage is limited on the free plan
- Systematic reviews, Routines and API access need Pro at $75 per user per month ($49 billed annually)
- Pricing page shows only annual-billing rates for Pro and Scale
- Focused on research; not a general-purpose assistant
- No mobile app

## Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) strengths

- Free plan with unlimited Tab completions and inline edits
- Full IDE that stays compatible with VS Code and Windsurf extensions
- One view for managing local, cloud and third-party agents
- Supports ACP agents such as Codex, Claude Agent and OpenCode
- Available on macOS, Windows and Linux

## Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) limitations

- Paid plans have daily and weekly usage quotas, and extra usage is billed at API pricing
- Pro rose to $20 per month, and Max costs $200 per month
- The rename and the move to devin.ai changed menus, docs and branding, and some names such as the JetBrains plugin still say Windsurf
- Cascade was retired in favour of Devin Local, so Cascade workflows had to migrate

## FAQ

**Is Elicit better than Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf)?**

It depends on your workflow. Elicit is built for literature reviews. Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) is built for managing multiple coding agents.

**What are the key feature differences between Elicit and Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf)?**

Elicit: AI research assistant for literature search, systematic reviews and evidence reports. Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): Agent-first IDE for running local and cloud coding agents in one place.

**Does Elicit or Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) have a free plan?**

Yes, both do. Elicit is freemium and Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) is freemium, and each has a free plan or trial.

**Which is cheaper, Elicit or Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf)?**

Both can be used for free. Paid plans differ in limits and features, so compare the tiers in the pricing table above.