Codeium - Free AI Coding That Actually Works

The Free Tier That Actually Works

When Codeium launched in 2022, I was skeptical. Another "free" AI coding tool? Usually that means like 50 requests per day or some bullshit limit designed to annoy you into paying. But these ex-Facebook engineers actually meant it - genuinely unlimited usage with no hidden catches. Most developers I talk to like Codeium because it doesn't hit you with usage limits.

I've been hammering their free tier for over a year. Never hit a limit, never got throttled, never saw a paywall popup. While GitHub Copilot was charging $10/month and competitors were playing token limit games, Codeium just... worked. All day, every day, across 40+ different editors including that weird JetBrains setup I use for Java projects.

The privacy thing was actually decent too - they have opt-out training policies instead of defaulting to "we own your code." Matters when you're working on anything remotely sensitive.

Then Windsurf Happened and Everything Changed

In November 2024, they dropped Windsurf and suddenly I'm not just getting autocomplete suggestions - this thing writes entire features. I asked it to "add user authentication" to a React project and watched it create database models, API routes, frontend forms, and middleware across multiple files. Took maybe 10 minutes and somehow worked on the first try. The official blog explains their motivation - they realized autocomplete wasn't enough for complex multi-file edits.

The "Cascade" agent is either brilliant or terrifying, depending on your perspective. Instead of suggesting the next line, it understands your entire project structure and can refactor code across multiple files simultaneously. Technical analysis shows this multi-file coherence is what sets it apart from traditional code completion. I've seen it:

• Add complete CRUD operations for new data models
• Refactor authentication from JWT to sessions across a bunch of files
• Migrate a React app from class components to hooks (painful but correct)
• Set up Docker configurations that actually work

The catch: When it screws up, it screws up everywhere. I asked it to "optimize database queries" once and it rewrote half my ORM setup with weird bugs that took me most of the afternoon to track down. Maybe 3-4 hours of debugging hell, including time spent on Stack Overflow trying to figure out what the AI did wrong. The thing doesn't know when it's being too aggressive.

What Actually Happens Under the Hood

Windsurf automatically picks between different AI models like Claude, GPT-4, and Gemini based on what you're asking for. The recent updates improved the model routing so it's better at picking the right AI for your task. You don't choose - it just works behind the scenes.

The context window is huge compared to other tools, so it can read your entire medium-sized codebase at once. This is why it can make changes across multiple files that actually make sense together. GitHub Copilot has a way smaller context window - it's like coding with tunnel vision compared to Windsurf's ability to see the whole project.

Recent Cascade Updates: The latest version added Windsurf Previews, where Cascade can actually see your running web application and fix UI issues in real-time. I can click on a broken React component in the preview and tell Cascade "fix this layout" - it sees exactly what I'm pointing to and fixes it across multiple files. The auto-linter catches mistakes before I notice them, fixing lint errors automatically without burning credits.

The Corporate Drama Nobody Asked For

After some Silicon Valley acquisition drama - deals falling through, leadership getting poached, Cognition eventually acquiring them - there was the usual corporate chaos. Staff layoffs, organizational restructuring, typical startup stuff. But honestly? The tools kept working exactly the same.

While Cursor started charging crazy token fees and GitHub Copilot added "premium request" limits, Codeium/Windsurf stuck with their unlimited free tier. Either they're playing the long game or they have infinite VC money. Either way, I'm not complaining.

Bottom line: Codeium evolved from "decent free Copilot" to "holy shit it built my entire backend." When Windsurf's Cascade agent works, you feel like a 10x engineer. When it breaks, you spend hours debugging AI spaghetti. But it's still free, which makes it hard to hate.

So how does it actually stack up against the competition? Let me break down what these tools actually cost and deliver...

Setting Up Codeium/Windsurf (And What Actually Breaks)

Just Start with the VS Code Extension

Look, don't overthink this.

Install the [Codeium VS Code extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?item

Name=Codeium.codeium) first.

Takes 2 minutes, works immediately, costs nothing. You'll know within a day if AI coding is for you.

The setup is actually painless

• no credit card, no complex configuration, just sign up and start typing. I've installed it on a bunch of different machines and it's worked every time. VS Code, JetBrains, Vim, whatever
• they have plugins for everything.

The official installation guide covers all 70+ supported languages and editors.

Only try Windsurf IDE after you know you like AI coding.

It's a whole new editor to learn, and while the Cascade agent is impressive, it's also a memory hog that crashes on large TypeScript projects. Performance reviews confirm the memory issues.

Start simple with the lightweight VS Code plugin instead.

How to Not Fuck Up with Windsurf's Cascade (Updated for 2025)

If you decide to try Windsurf, here's what I learned after debugging way too much AI code, plus the new features that actually help:

Don't micromanage the AI:

Saying "implement user auth" works better than "create a validateEmail function that checks for @ symbols and domain suffixes." User reports show Cascade is weirdly good at high-level tasks and terrible at following detailed instructions.

The best practices guide confirms this approach.

Use the new Windsurf Previews:

The recent updates added live preview capabilities.

Now I can run my React app in Windsurf, click on broken UI elements, and tell Cascade "fix this button alignment." It sees exactly what I'm pointing to and fixes it across multiple files. This cut down on a lot of the back-and-forth debugging I used to do.

Let auto-linter save your ass: The new auto-linter catches mistakes before you commit them.

If Cascade introduces 4 lint errors, it automatically fixes them in the next step without burning credits. This solved my biggest complaint about AI-generated code being messy.

Your codebase matters: Cascade works great on clean React/Node.js projects with clear folder structures.

It completely shits the bed on legacy codebases with inconsistent naming or weird architecture. If your project looks like it was written by a parade of different interns over the years, fix that first.

Start small: I once asked Cascade to "refactor the entire authentication system" and it touched way too many files.

Took me forever to review and fix the subtle bugs. Now I do one feature at a time: auth login, then signup, then password reset.

Much easier to debug when something goes wrong.

What Works (And What Breaks) Across Different Editors

VS Code Extension: Works flawlessly 95% of the time.

The [Codeium extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?item

Name=Codeium.codeium) plays nice with other extensions, doesn't slow down your editor, and the inline suggestions actually respect your code style.

Sometimes conflicts with GitHub Copilot if you have both installed

• disable one or the other.

JetBrains Stuff: The plugin works but feels clunky compared to VS Code.

Intelli

J's aggressive refactoring suggestions sometimes clash with AI suggestions, creating weird conflicts. Still usable, just not as smooth.

Vim/Neovim: Surprisingly good.

The Vim plugin and Neovim version don't try to be fancy

• just basic autocomplete that doesn't break your workflow. GitHub documentation shows installation takes under 5 minutes.

If you're a terminal purist, this works fine.

The Stuff That Actually Breaks (And How to Fix It)

Windsurf Memory Issues:

Windsurf IDE eats RAM like Chrome. On my 16GB Mac

Book, it uses a bunch of memory for a medium-sized React project. If you're on 8GB, forget about it. Close other apps or stick with the VS Code extension.

Network Hiccups: When your internet craps out, AI coding stops working.

Obviously. But Codeium's servers also go down occasionally (maybe once a month). No offline mode means no AI when that happens. Keep regular coding skills sharp.

Corporate Firewall Hell: If your company blocks random API endpoints, Codeium won't work.

IT will need to whitelist their domains.

This takes forever in most corporate environments

• couple weeks if you're lucky. The enterprise documentation has the full networking requirements.

Plan accordingly.

Extension Conflicts: Running Codeium and GitHub Copilot together creates weird suggestion conflicts.

Pick one and disable the other. Same with Tabnine or any other AI coding assistant.

Privacy: What Actually Happens to Your Code

Read the privacy policy because most people don't:

• Free tier:

Your code may be used to train their models unless you opt out in settings

• Pro tier: Includes opt-out by default, but they still process your code for inference

• Enterprise:

On-premises deployment available if you really can't stand cloud processing

For side projects, I don't care. For work projects with sensitive IP, think carefully. The AI needs to see your code to help, which means sending it to their servers. Decide if that's acceptable for your situation.

Bottom line: Set reasonable expectations. These tools make you faster at writing boilerplate and standard patterns. They don't replace understanding what the code actually does or knowing how to debug when things go wrong.

Got questions about the setup process or how these tools actually work in practice? Here are the answers to what people really want to know...