Zed
Get a fast, GPU-rendered code editor with real-time multiplayer collaboration and an agent panel that edits code directly in the buffer.
The verdict on Zed: Developers on large codebases who are tired of their editor stuttering on scroll and keystrokes Zed's pitch is raw speed built from the ground up in Rust, instant loading, no scroll lag, no keystroke delay even on large repositories that cause Electron-based editors to stutter. Pricing: Free (2,000 accepted edit predictions; BYOK/external-agent support) / $10/mo Pro ($5 token credit, metered hosted-model overage) / $30/seat/mo Business.
Best For
Developers on large codebases who are tired of their editor stuttering on scroll and keystrokes
Standout Feature
Built from scratch in Rust for genuinely instant performance, with AI integrated as a first-class feature, not bolted on
TL;DR
A real leap in raw speed over Electron-based editors, the extension ecosystem is still smaller than VS Code's.
Alternatives
Fit Score: use-case reference
How this is scoredZed scored 1 to 5 on five dimensions for the named use cases below. Part of our catalog-wide use-case reference, not a product-quality review rating.
Large-codebase editing
3.8/5- Capability
- 4/5
- Reliability
- 3/5
- Value
- 5/5
- Ease
- 4/5
- Compatibility
- 3/5
Edit large repositories with multi-buffer tools and native AI editing rather than adding a separate AI extension. The editor has a free tier, but smaller extension coverage and unfinished Windows support make a switch conditional on platform and extension needs. Hosted AI use can add metered charges beyond the included allowance.
Collaborative Coding
3.2/5- Capability
- 4/5
- Reliability
- 3/5
- Value
- 3/5
- Ease
- 3/5
- Compatibility
- 3/5
Work together in an editor with real-time collaboration built in. Shared editing is a clear fit, but the smaller extension ecosystem and platform limits can complicate team adoption. Confirm collaboration entitlements and any hosted-model charges rather than assuming the free editor covers every team requirement.
Editorial judgment grounded in this tool's own published pricing, features, and our existing pros and cons, not a certification or a measured benchmark. Product quality is assessed separately under our review methodology.
Overview
Not yet reviewedProduct quality is assessed from original evidence. How reviews work.
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.
The source of the legacy catalog rating and review count has not been substantiated. Neither is presented here as a verified review rating or included in review structured data.
Workflow Fit Scores are separate, use-case-specific editorial judgments, not user-review averages. Read the Fit Score methodology.
- • Dramatically faster than Electron-based editors
- • AI deeply integrated, not an afterthought
- • Free editor with a real AI allowance built in: 2,000 accepted edit predictions and bring-your-own-key or external-agent support at no cost
- • Smaller extension ecosystem than VS Code
- • Mac-first (Linux support improving, Windows in progress)
Key Features
- Rust-based performance, near-instant startup
- Native AI editing and chat
- Real-time collaboration
- Multi-buffer editing
- Claude and GPT model support
- Open source
Trust & Data
Verified 2026-09
- Training on your data
- NoZed states data is never used for training by default across its AI features; the Edit Prediction feature has a separate opt-in training mode limited to open-source code under permissive licenses.
- Compliance
- Not published
- Retention
- Not published
- Export
- Not published
Source: zed.dev
As published by the vendor. Verify independently before purchase decisions.
Our Take
The AI agent panel is integrated as a first-class feature that edits code directly in the buffer rather than as a bolt-on extension. The honest tradeoff is ecosystem: the extension library is still smaller than VS Code's, and Windows support is still in progress. For developers on Mac or Linux working with large codebases who are tired of editor lag as their daily friction, it's worth switching. For teams with heavy VS Code extension dependencies, evaluate that gap before committing.