Devin Local vs Cascade
Devin Local is the primary local agent in Devin Desktop (IDE pair programming). Windsurf Cascade is the legacy agentic chat surface in the same desktop app with higher baseline token use and memories/workflows. They are comparable as desktop coding agents — not as substitutes for Cloud Devin autonomous VM sessions.
Devin Local shares the same agent harness as Devin CLI, with up to ~30% fewer tokens than legacy Cascade on the same tasks and better prompt caching.
This page answers devin local vs cascade, cascade vs devin local, cascade is disabled devin, and this model is only in Devin Local. For autonomous cloud work, see Cloud ACUs. For quota and ACU meters, see Devin token usage.
Hub: Tokenminning in Devin.
Devin Local vs Cascade
| Dimension | Devin Local | Windsurf Cascade |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Primary desktop coding agent | Legacy agentic chat in Devin Desktop |
| Execution | Local IDE — your machine | Local IDE — your machine |
| Token profile | Lower; better caching | Higher baseline |
| Subagents / plan mode | Yes (Local-only features) | No |
| Memories / workflows | Skills instead | Cascade memories & workflows (legacy) |
| Status | Primary path | Legacy through July 1, 2026 |
| Cloud VM work | Use CLI handoff or Cloud | Not for autonomous VM sessions |
Adaptive (default on many self-serve plans) routes simple desktop and CLI work to lighter models underneath — orthogonal to Local vs Cascade choice.
Cascade vs Devin Local — which should I use?
| Scenario | Pick |
|---|---|
| New desktop work in 2026 | Devin Local — primary path, lower tokens, subagents |
| Legacy Cascade workflow until July 2026 | Cascade temporarily, then migrate |
| “Cascade is disabled” or missing agent | Enable Devin Local (below) — Cascade is being retired |
| Autonomous VM-scale task | Cloud Devin — not Local or Cascade |
Fix “Cascade is disabled” / missing Cascade
Searches for cascade is disabled devin usually mean Cascade was turned off during migration to Devin Local:
- Command Palette → Devin: Open Cascade Migration Wizard — move memories/workflows to skills
- Devin User Settings → Agents → enable Devin Local → restart Desktop
- Optional: set
devin.cascade.enabled=falsein user settings after Local is working — disables Cascade entirely - Agent selector (bottom-right) → Devin Local for new tabs
If Cascade still appears greyed out, confirm your plan includes Desktop access and that Devin Local is enabled — Cascade is legacy through July 1, 2026.
Fix “this model is only in Devin Local”
The model or harness requires Devin Local, not Cascade:
- Agent selector (bottom-right) → Devin Local
- Or: Command Palette → Devin User Settings → Agents → enable Devin Local → restart
- After migration:
devin.cascade.enabled=falseto disable Cascade entirely
Some features are Local-only: plugins, subagents, plan mode, worktree sessions. See Devin Local docs .
Enable Devin Local
If the agent is missing:
Cmd+Shift+P/Ctrl+Shift+P→ Devin User Settings- Agents tab → toggle Devin Local on
- Restart Devin Desktop
New tabs default to Devin Local when available.
Migrate from Cascade
Run Devin: Open Cascade Migration Wizard (Command Palette) to move workflows and memories toward skills.
| Cascade feature | Devin Local note |
|---|---|
| Memories | Local does not persist memories — migrate critical items to skills |
| Workflows | Not on Local — migrate to skills |
| Pricing | Same credit/quota model as Cascade on self-serve |
When to use which
| Task | Use |
|---|---|
| Daily coding, refactors | Devin Local |
| Legacy workflow until July 2026 | Cascade (temporary) |
| Greenfield autonomous app in VM | Cloud — not Local |
Subagents
Devin Local subagents spawn independent context chains — powerful but multiply inference when parallel. Restrict spawning for routine search.
Hand off to cloud
When Local work grows beyond IDE-scale edits, use Devin CLI /handoff or delegate from Devin Desktop’s Agent Command Center to a cloud session — do not keep an oversized Local thread running for VM-scale tasks.