Zed

What is Zed?

Zed is a code editor built in Rust with GPU acceleration, aimed at developers who care about how quickly a large project opens and responds. It is open source, supports real-time multiplayer collaboration, and ships weekly releases. AI is optional: you can turn all of it off, bring your own API keys from providers such as Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Ollama or OpenRouter, run external agents like Claude Agent or Codex CLI, or pay for Zed-hosted models. Agents work in the same buffer as you and can run in parallel across a codebase. The Personal plan is free, Pro costs $10 per month and includes $5 of token credit and unlimited edit predictions, and Business costs $30 per seat per month with org-wide controls over AI features, data sharing and spend. Verified university students can get the Student plan free for one year.

Use cases

• Edit code in a fast native editor
• Pair-program with teammates in real time
• Run AI agents on a codebase from inside the editor
• Get inline edit predictions while typing
• Connect your own model API keys or local models
• Roll out an editor with org-wide AI policies
• Use external agents such as Claude Agent or Codex CLI

Who it's for

• Software developers
• Engineering teams
• Students
• Open-source contributors

Why use Zed

• The editor itself is free forever, with no account needed, so AI is a choice instead of a requirement.
• Bring-your-own-key support means you can send AI spend straight to your existing provider contract.
• Open source code lets a security team read what the editor does instead of relying only on a privacy policy.
• Agents and humans share one buffer and context, which keeps review and edits in a single place.
• Business admins can disable hosted models, turn off edit predictions and lock data-sharing settings across the org.

Zed features

• Native editor written in Rust with GPU-accelerated rendering
• Real-time multiplayer collaboration
• Agents that edit in the same buffer and can run in parallel
• Unlimited edit predictions on Pro, Student and Business
• Zed-hosted models billed at provider list price plus 10%
• Bring your own API keys or external agents on the free plan
• AI features can be disabled completely
• Prompts are not stored or used for training unless you opt in
• Business admin controls for models, data sharing and spend
• Weekly releases and a fully open source codebase

Zed integrations

• Anthropic
• OpenAI
• Google AI
• GitHub Copilot
• Amazon Bedrock
• DeepSeek
• Mistral
• Ollama
• LM Studio
• OpenRouter
• Vercel
• Claude Agent
• Codex CLI

How to get started with Zed

1. Install Zed and open a project; no sign-in is required for the editor.
2. Optionally connect AI by adding your own API keys, an external agent, or a Zed Pro trial.
3. Use agents and edit predictions inside the editor, or switch them off.
4. Invite teammates to a shared session for live collaboration.
5. Upgrade to Pro for hosted models or Business for org-wide controls and consolidated billing.

Zed limitations

• Zed-hosted models and edit predictions need a Pro, Student or Business plan
• Pro includes $5 of tokens a month; usage beyond that is billed per token
• Business has no free trial and no bundled AI credits
• Enterprise sign-on (SSO, SAML, SCIM) is on the roadmap but not available yet

Zed pricing

Zed is open source, so you can use and self-host it for free. Paid plans start at $10 per month, according to the official pricing page on 24 Oct 2026.

Zed plans

• Personal

  $0 forever

  • Unlimited use with your API keys or external agents
  • Disable AI entirely if you prefer

• Pro

  $10 per month

  14-day free trial, no credit card

  • Unlimited edit predictions
  • $5 of tokens included
  • Usage-based billing beyond $5
  • Zed-hosted models

• Student

  Free

  one year for verified university students

  • Unlimited edit predictions
  • $10/month in token credits
  • Most hosted models included

• Business

  $30 per seat, per month

  Order forms available at 25+ seats

  • Org-wide AI model policies
  • Data governance controls
  • Unified spend visibility
  • Unlimited edit predictions
  • Role-based access controls

Plans as listed on the official pricing page on 24 Oct 2026. Prices can change and may vary by country or exclude tax. Check the official pricing page.

Zed alternatives

The main Zed alternatives listed on Debuly are Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Void, Kilo Code, Qwen Code and fx. The table compares pricing and platforms; order is A–Z.

1. 

   Cursor

   AI code editor and coding agent with cloud agents, Bugbot code review and multi-provider models, sold with Grok and X plans.

   CodingAutomation and agentsDeveloper platforms
   FreemiumVisit Cursor (official site)
2. 

   fx

   Small open-source coding agent CLI written in Zig, with shell-style output and a library for embedding the agent in other software.

   CodingDeveloper platforms
   Open sourceVisit fx (official site)
3. 

   GitHub Copilot

   GitHub's AI coding assistant for code completion, chat and agents in VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, the CLI and GitHub.com.

   CodingAutomation and agents
   FreemiumVisit GitHub Copilot (official site)
4. 

   Kilo Code

   Open-source AI coding agent for VS Code, JetBrains and the CLI, with 500+ models, bring-your-own-key and team plans.

   CodingDeveloper platformsAutomation and agents
   FreemiumVisit Kilo Code (official site)
5. 

   Qwen Code

   Free open-source coding agent from the Qwen team that runs in a terminal, IDE, desktop app or chat and works with many model providers.

   CodingDeveloper platformsAutomation and agents
   Open sourceVisit Qwen Code (official site)
6. 

   Void

   Open source AI code editor, a VS Code fork that connects directly to any LLM with chat, agent mode and inline edits.

   CodingDeveloper platforms
   Open sourceVisit Void (official site)

Zed FAQ

Sources & verification

Facts on this page come from the official sources below, each with the date we read it. Written by Debuly; the vendor did not review this page.

Image credits

• Logo: from zed.dev · fetched 24 Oct 2026 · Vendor trademark, used only to identify the product; removed on request
• Cover: none collected yet, so a generated tile is shown.

Spot an error? Report an issue with this listing. We also remove a logo or image on the owner's request.