agentconfig.ing
Lovable vs WindsurfUpdated 2026-03-16

SUMMARY

Lovable (Platform) uses markdown configuration while Windsurf (IDE) uses markdown. They differ on 5 of 11 compared features. Both tools provide AI-assisted development but take different approaches to project configuration.

FEATURE COMPARISON

FeatureLovableWindsurf
Config formatmarkdownmarkdown
Hierarchy support✗✓
Global config✗✓
Project config✓✓
Subdirectory scoping✗✓
File inclusion / imports✗✗
Ignore file✗.codeiumignore
IDE integrationPlatform✓
Schema / structureFree-form (Markdown)Free-form (Markdown)
Git committed✓✓
EncodingUTF-8UTF-8

SIDE-BY-SIDE CODE SAMPLES

Lovable
AGENTS.md
markdown
# Project Instructions

## Stack
- React 19 with TypeScript
- Supabase for backend (auth, database, storage)
- TailwindCSS v4 + shadcn/ui components
- Vite for building

## Architecture
- Feature-based folder structure
- Each feature owns its components, hooks, and types
- Shared components in src/components/ui/
- All API calls go through src/lib/supabase.ts

## Conventions
- Use shadcn/ui components before creating custom ones
- Mobile-first responsive design
- Use Supabase RLS policies for authorization
- Prefer server-side filtering over client-side

## Brand
- Primary color: #6366F1 (indigo)
- Font: Inter for body, Cal Sans for headings
- Rounded corners (radius-lg) on all cards
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

1. Hierarchy support

Lovable: Not supported. Windsurf: Supported.

2. Global config

Lovable: Not supported. Windsurf: Supported.

3. Subdirectory scoping

Lovable: Not supported. Windsurf: Supported.

4. Ignore file

Lovable: Not supported. Windsurf: .codeiumignore.

5. IDE integration

Lovable: Platform. Windsurf: Supported.

WHICH SHOULD I USE?

Recommendation

Choose based on your IDE/CLI preference. If you use Lovable, configure AGENTS.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

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