Zed
High-performance, multiplayer code editor from the creators of Atom and Tree-sitter, with parallel AI agents and Rust-based speed.
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What is Zed?
Zed is an open-source, next-generation code editor crafted for speed and collaboration with humans and AI. Written from scratch in Rust to efficiently leverage multiple CPU cores and GPU, it delivers blazing-fast performance with native speed for editing, UI interactions, and typing. The editor is available for macOS, Linux, and Windows.
Key features include built-in multiplayer collaboration for chatting with teammates, coding together, and sharing screens; agentic editing that enables fluent collaboration between humans and AI agents; parallel agents that run multiple threads across several projects; native Git support for staging, committing, pulling, pushing, and viewing diffs; a built-in debugger based on the Debug Adapter Protocol; edit predictions powered by Zeta2 (an open-weight language model); Vim and Helix modal editing bindings; multibuffer editing that composes excerpts from across the codebase; remote development where code runs on a remote server; and a growing extensions ecosystem with hundreds of extensions for language support, themes, and more.
Zed is designed for developers who want a minimal, fast code editor with first-class AI integration. It's particularly suited for those working with AI agents, teams that collaborate in real-time, developers who value performance, Vim/Helix users, and anyone transitioning from VS Code, IntelliJ, PyCharm, or WebStorm who wants a modern alternative.
Zed pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
Personal: $0 forever - includes 2,000 accepted edit predictions and unlimited use with your API keys or external agents like Claude Agent, Codex CLI. Pro: $10/month - includes unlimited edit predictions and $5 of tokens included, with usage-based billing beyond $5 at API list price +10%. Business: $30 per seat per month - includes org-wide AI model policies, data governance controls, unified spend visibility, unlimited edit predictions, role-based access controls; order forms available at 25+ seats. Two-week free trial of Pro plan comes with $20 token credits and unlimited accepted edit predictions (Anthropic Opus not available in trial).
Zed pros
- Blazing-fast performance written in Rust with GPU acceleration
- Native AI speed - edits 50 files visible as changes happen at 120fps
- Built-in multiplayer collaboration for real-time team coding
- Agentic editing with fluent human-AI collaboration
- Parallel agents run multiple threads across several projects
- Unlimited use with external API keys (Claude Agent, Codex CLI, etc.)
- Native Git support with staging, committing, diffs, and more
- Built-in debugger based on Debug Adapter Protocol (DAP)
- Edit predictions powered by open-weight Zeta2 model
- First-class Vim mode with text objects and marks
- Helix mode support for modal editing enthusiasts
- Multibuffer editing composes excerpts across codebase in one surface
- Remote development with code running on remote server
- Growing extensions ecosystem with hundreds of extensions
- Language Server Protocol support for language intelligence
- Works with any agent via ACP (Claude Agent, Codex, OpenCode)
- Open source editor with open-data Zeta model and open protocol ACP
- Easy settings configuration via Settings Editor
- Support for 2,000+ accepted edit predictions on free plan
- CLI integration to use Zed from command line
Zed cons
- Free Personal plan limited to 2,000 accepted edit predictions
- Pro plan costs $10/month with only $5 token credits included
- Usage-based billing beyond $5 on Pro plan at API price +10%
- Business plan at $30/seat/month doesn't bundle fixed LLM credits
- No free trial for Business plan
- SSO, SAML, and SCIM not currently available
- Some intricate settings only accessible via JSON file, not Settings Editor
- Not available on iOS or Android
- Some AI models (Anthropic Opus) not available in free trial
- Open source means admin controls only govern Zed-hosted services specifically
Frequently asked questions about Zed
What is Zed?
Zed is an open-source, next-generation code editor crafted for speed and collaboration with humans and AI. Written from scratch in Rust to efficiently leverage multiple CPU cores and GPU, it delivers fast performance with built-in multiplayer collaboration, agentic editing, parallel agents, native Git support, a built-in debugger, edit predictions, and Vim/Helix modal editing bindings.
Is Zed free to use?
Yes, Zed has a Personal plan that is free forever. It includes 2,000 accepted edit predictions and unlimited use with your own API keys or external agents like Claude Agent, Codex CLI, and more. You can also disable all AI features if you want to use Zed purely as a code editor.
What platforms does Zed support?
Zed is available for macOS, Linux, and Windows. It is not available on iOS or Android.
Can I use my own API keys instead of paying for Zed AI?
Yes, you can use your own API keys. Zed currently supports Amazon Bedrock, Anthropic, GitHub Copilot, Deepseek, Google AI, LM Studio, Mistral, Ollama, OpenAI, OpenRouter, Vercel, and more. You can set them up via the LLM providers docs.
What AI models are available in Zed?
Zed hosts models like Claude Opus and GPT 5.4 with simple pricing and no API keys to manage. You can also connect models through Ollama to run locally, or bring your own API keys from any provider like Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google. Note that Anthropic's Opus models are not available in the free trial.
What happens if I exceed Pro's $5 token credits?
Once you use up your included monthly credits, you'll be billed for additional token usage at API list price +10%. Charges occur at the end of the month or for every additional $10 incurred, whichever comes first. You can also set a spending cap to manage costs.
Does Zed support Vim mode?
Yes, Zed has first-class modal editing via Vim bindings, including features like text objects and marks. You can enable vim_mode in settings. Helix mode is also available for Helix users.
What is the difference between Pro and Business plans?
Pro is for individual developers and comes with Zed-hosted AI models and unlimited Edit Predictions. Business is an org-level layer on top of Pro, not a replacement. Members can hold their own Pro subscriptions. Business adds admin controls over AI features, data sharing policies, and unified billing across every seat. Business seats don't bundle fixed LLM credits.
Can I use Zed without AI features?
Yes. Zed is first and foremost a code editor with blazing-fast performance, true multiplayer collaboration, and focus on developer productivity. You can disable all AI features if you'd like by setting disable_ai to true in your settings.
What is agentic editing in Zed?
Agentic editing enables fluent collaboration between humans and AI. You can delegate work to an agent, follow its progress live, and review changes with ease. The agent discovers context, edits files, and stays on track until done. Changes are reviewed in an editable unified diff where you can accept or reject all changes before committing them.