Zed

Zed is a next-generation code editor built from scratch in Rust for maximum performance, loading codebases instantly, scrolling without lag, and responding to keystrokes with no perceptible delay, even on large repositories that cause other editors to stutter. This performance foundation is the starting point for Zed's AI integration: where VS Code with Copilot is an existing editor with AI added as an extension, Zed treats AI as a first-class architectural component with dedicated UI surfaces and direct model communication without extension overhead. Inline AI editing, a persistent AI panel for conversation and code review, and slash commands that invoke context-aware AI actions within the editing flow all feel native to the editor rather than bolted on. Real-time collaboration, simultaneous editing by multiple users with cursor presence and voice channels, is built into Zed's core, enabling the 'Google Docs for code' experience that requires separate tools in other editors.

The Zed AI integration supports Anthropic Claude and a growing set of model providers through a configuration file, with the model selection balancing capability and cost per interaction type. Runs on macOS and Linux (Windows support in active development). The editor itself is free and open-source under the GPL license. Zed is strongest for developers who treat editor performance as a quality-of-life priority and want deeper AI integration than extension-based approaches provide, particularly macOS and Linux developers who find VS Code's performance inadequate on large codebases.