Zed

Fast code editor written in Rust for macOS, Linux and Windows, with optional paid AI features.

Our verdict

Zed is for developers who want a fast, open-source editor and are happy to add their own AI keys or pay for hosted models. Skip it if you want to edit in a browser.

What it does well

Free Personal plan; use your own API keys or external agents at no extra cost
Source code is public under GPL-3.0-or-later, with Apache-2.0 parts
Built-in debugger, Git support and remote development

Where it falls short

No browser version; apps are for macOS, Linux and Windows only
Hosted AI needs Pro: US$10/month with US$5 of tokens, then usage-based
Business plan has no bundled AI credits and SSO is not yet available

Zed describes itself as a minimal code editor built for speed and collaboration with humans and AI, written from scratch in Rust to use multiple CPU cores and the GPU. It is available for macOS, Linux and Windows. The site lists a debugger built on the Debug Adapter Protocol, native Git support, remote development, multibuffer editing, Vim and Helix modes, Dev Containers and a built-in REPL.

On the AI side it lists agentic editing, edit predictions, an inline assistant, and support for external agents such as Claude Agent, Codex and OpenCode through ACP, plus MCP servers. You can turn AI features off. The source code is licensed primarily under GPL-3.0-or-later, with Apache-2.0 components where marked.

Pricing is in US dollars. Personal is US$0 forever and works with your own API keys or external agents. Pro is US$10 per month with unlimited edit predictions and US$5 of tokens for Zed-hosted models; use beyond that is billed at API list price plus 10%. Pro has a 14-day trial with no credit card. Business is US$30 per seat per month with org-wide AI policies and no bundled credits.

Zed compared

Visual Studio Code vs Zed

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Last updated 16 October 2026. Facts checked against the official site on 16 October 2026. How we make money