Terminal-Based Spec Development
AI-Powered IDE by Codeium
Kiro's specification-driven approach and production focus make it ideal for serious development. Windsurf excels at fast iteration with excellent autocomplete and IDE integration.
Feature | AWS Kiro | Windsurf |
---|---|---|
Primary Interface | Terminal/CLI | Full IDE (VS Code fork) |
Pricing | Free tier + Usage-based | $0-15/month |
Setup Time | 5 minutes | Download & install IDE |
Learning Curve | Moderate (spec syntax) | Low (familiar IDE) |
Primary Focus | Production code generation | Fast AI autocomplete |
Best For | Enterprise applications | Rapid development |
Feature | AWS Kiro | Windsurf |
---|---|---|
Spec-Driven Development | ✅ Core feature | ❌ Not supported |
AI Autocomplete | ❌ Generate complete | ✅ Ultra-fast |
Multi-Agent System | ✅ Built-in | ❌ Single model |
IDE Integration | ❌ Terminal only | ✅ Full IDE |
Model Selection | ✅ Multiple models | ✅ Multi-model |
Context Understanding | ✅ Spec-based | ✅ Codebase-aware |
Test Generation | ✅ Automatic | ⚠️ On request |
Offline Mode | ❌ Cloud-based | ⚠️ Limited |
Team Features | ✅ Built for teams | ✅ Team plans |
Speed | ⚠️ Generation time | ✅ < 200ms |
• Production-ready systems
• Complex architectures
• Team collaboration
• Reproducible builds
• Comprehensive testing
• Enterprise compliance
• Rapid prototyping
• Code completion
• Refactoring
• Learning new languages
• IDE workflow
• Fast iteration
# 1. Create specification kiro spec create payment-service # 2. Define requirements in YAML spec: requirements: - Process payments securely - Handle multiple currencies - Integrate with Stripe # 3. Generate complete service kiro generate # Result: Full service with tests, docs, deployment
// 1. Open Windsurf IDE // 2. Start typing with AI assistance // As you type, Windsurf suggests: function processPayment(amount, currency) { // AI autocompletes implementation // Suggests error handling // Provides best practices } // 3. Use AI chat for refactoring // 4. Iterate quickly with instant feedback
Both tools serve different purposes. Kiro for production-grade systems, Windsurf for rapid development.