Amazon Q Developer vs WindsurfComparisonUpdated 2026-03-16
SUMMARY
Amazon Q Developer (CLI) uses markdown configuration while Windsurf (IDE) uses markdown. They differ on 4 of 11 compared features. Both tools provide AI-assisted development but take different approaches to project configuration.
FEATURE COMPARISON
| Feature | Amazon Q Developer | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| Config format | markdown | markdown |
| Hierarchy support | ✗ | ✓ |
| Global config | ✓ | ✓ |
| Project config | ✓ | ✓ |
| Subdirectory scoping | ✗ | ✓ |
| File inclusion / imports | ✗ | ✗ |
| Ignore file | ✗ | .codeiumignore |
| IDE integration | CLI | ✓ |
| Schema / structure | Free-form (Markdown) | Free-form (Markdown) |
| Git committed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Encoding | UTF-8 | UTF-8 |
FILE MAPPING
| Purpose | Amazon Q Developer | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| Project rules | .amazonq/rules/*.md | .windsurf/rules/*.md |
SIDE-BY-SIDE CODE SAMPLES
Amazon Q Developer
.amazonq/rules/*.md
markdown
# React Component Standards
## Purpose
Ensure consistent React component patterns across the frontend codebase.
## Priority
High
## Instructions
- Use functional components with TypeScript
- Define props interfaces above the component
- Use React.FC only when children are expected
- Colocate styles using CSS Modules (*.module.css)
- Extract hooks into separate files when reused
- Memoize expensive computations with useMemo
- Use React.lazy for route-level code splitting
Windsurf
.windsurf/rules/*.md
markdown
---
trigger: glob
globs: "**/*.test.ts"
---
# Testing Conventions
- Use Vitest as the test runner
- Colocate test files next to source files
- Use describe blocks organized by function/component name
- Prefer userEvent over fireEvent in component tests
- Mock external services; never hit real APIs in unit tests
KEY DIFFERENCES
Amazon Q Developer: Not supported. Windsurf: Supported.
Amazon Q Developer: Not supported. Windsurf: Supported.
Amazon Q Developer: Not supported. Windsurf: .codeiumignore.
Amazon Q Developer: CLI. Windsurf: Supported.
WHICH SHOULD I USE?
Choose based on your IDE/CLI preference. If you use Amazon Q Developer, configure .amazonq/rules/*.md. If you use Windsurf, configure .windsurfrules. Many projects include config files for multiple tools so each team member can use their preferred editor.
PORTABILITY TIP
sync-instructions.sh
bash
# Maintain a single source of truth:
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md CLAUDE.md
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md .cursorrules
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md AGENTS.md
SEE ALSO
Tool pages:
File references:
agentconfig.ing2026-03-16COMPARE(1)