Tabby ML — Open-source Windsurf alternatives

Tabby is an open-source AI coding assistant that empowers developers to code faster and smarter, offering a self-contained alternative to GitHub Copilot. Every team can set up its own LLM-powered code completion server with ease. It requires no DBMS or cloud service. Solo developers prefer it for complete control over their code and models.

Strengths

Self-contained deployment with no external dependencies or cloud services required
Free, open-source, and compatible with major Coding LLMs including CodeLlama, StarCoder, and CodeGen
OpenAPI interface enables easy integration with existing infrastructure and Cloud IDEs
Suggests multi-line code or full functions in real-time
Open-source license allows companies to customize code for specific requirements
Complete data privacy with local hosting capabilities

Weaknesses

Requires technical setup and maintenance compared to cloud solutions
Limited IDE support - Visual Studio IDE integration not yet available
Model performance depends on selected LLM and local hardware resources
Smaller community compared to commercial alternatives

Best for

Teams and solo developers prioritizing data privacy and infrastructure control.

Pricing plans

Community — Free — Self-hosted, unlimited usage
Enterprise — Unknown — Unknown features and limits

Tech details

Type: AI coding assistant
IDEs: VSCode, JetBrains, and other IDEs
Key features: Multi-line code completion, full function suggestions, real-time assistance
Privacy / hosting: Self-hosted, no cloud dependencies, complete data control
Models / context window: CodeLlama, StarCoder, CodeGen, context size varies by model

When to choose this over Windsurf

You need complete control over code data and privacy policies
Your team requires customizable AI models without cloud dependencies
You want easy integration with existing infrastructure through OpenAPI

When Windsurf may be a better fit

You prefer managed cloud services without deployment overhead
You need extensive IDE integrations beyond current Tabby support
You want commercial support and enterprise features out-of-the-box

Conclusion

Tabby empowers developers to code faster and smarter while maintaining complete control over their development environment. Its self-contained architecture eliminates external dependencies. The open-source approach makes it ideal for teams prioritizing privacy and customization. Support for major coding LLMs ensures flexibility in model selection.