Bolt vs Windsurf:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Bolt had more branded searches than Windsurf among AI coding assistants worldwide. Bolt had about 110,000 branded searches, while Windsurf had 87,400. Bolt made up 1.5% of all AI coding assistant searches we track, and Windsurf accounted for 1.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about AI coding assistants, Windsurf appeared in two of the five answers and Bolt in one. Windsurf was mentioned before Bolt in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Bolt, about 26% more searches than Windsurf
Who does AI mention more?
Windsurf, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Bolt in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Windsurf, named ahead of Bolt in 2 of 3 answers
Follow Bolt vs Windsurf and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top AI coding assistants in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Windsurf was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Bolt was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Windsurf was listed before Bolt in two out of three answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Cursor1st
Claude Code2nd
GitHub Copilot3rd
OpenAI Codex4th
Replit5th- Windsurf6th
Lovable7th- Bolt8th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Claude Code5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Cursor5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- GitHub Copilot5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- OpenAI Codex3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Windsurf2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Replit1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Bolt1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Lovable1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about AI coding assistants
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which AI coding assistant should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best AI coding assistants?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best AI coding assistant for help coding?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“ai coding assistant”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“programming ai assistant”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Bolt or Windsurf more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Bolt and Windsurf by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight AI coding assistants we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Bolt, Windsurf. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Claude Code | Replit | OpenAI Codex | Cursor | GitHub Copilot | Bolt | Lovable | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 24.9% | 25.2% | 7.9% | 17.7% | 17.1% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 3.1% |
| Nov 2025 | 28% | 22.9% | 6.5% | 19.5% | 15.6% | 2% | 2% | 3.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 31.4% | 26.8% | 5.3% | 15.6% | 14.7% | 1.6% | 2% | 2.7% |
| Jan 2026 | 50.9% | 19.9% | 4.1% | 11.7% | 9.3% | 0.97% | 1.4% | 1.6% |
| Feb 2026 | 50.2% | 16.2% | 11.5% | 9.6% | 9.1% | 0.79% | 1.2% | 1.5% |
| Mar 2026 | 56.8% | 14.8% | 7% | 8.7% | 10% | 0.59% | 0.88% | 1.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 55% | 14.3% | 8% | 8.1% | 11.6% | 0.57% | 1.3% | 1.2% |
| May 2026 | 48.7% | 15.6% | 14.5% | 7.6% | 10.2% | 0.76% | 1.4% | 1.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 49.2% | 15.7% | 11% | 10.9% | 9.1% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 1.6% |
| Jul 2026 | 46.2% | 18.3% | 14.6% | 9% | 7.1% | 1.6% | 2% | 1.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 43.2% | 20.9% | 13.1% | 10.1% | 7.9% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.1% |
| Sep 2026 | 43.7% | 21.4% | 13.9% | 8.6% | 8.2% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.2% |
How has the Bolt and Windsurf comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands once in the 12 months ending September 2026: Bolt took it in July 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bolt’s share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide moved from 2.3% to 1.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 110K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Windsurf’s share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide moved from 3.1% to 1.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 152K to 87.4K.
How did search popularity change for AI coding assistants worldwide in September 2026?
1 change
Estimated monthly branded searches for Windsurf worldwide fell 42.4% over 12 measured months, from 152K to 87.4K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
16 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Bolt’s and Windsurf’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among AI coding assistants
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.