Zed
The fastest AI code editor — built in Rust for speed and collaboration
Founded
2019
Starting Price
$0
Category
AI Coding Assistants
Last updated February 7, 2026
About Zed
Zed is a high-performance, open-source code editor built from scratch in Rust with GPU-accelerated rendering. Created by the team behind GitHub's Atom editor, Zed delivers sub-60ms response times, native AI agentic editing, real-time multiplayer collaboration with voice chat, and support for dozens of LLM providers. It's designed for developers who demand speed without sacrificing AI capabilities.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Fastest code editor available — sub-60ms response times from Rust + GPU acceleration leave VS Code and Cursor behind
- Best-in-class real-time collaboration with shared cursors, voice chat, and screen sharing built natively
- Fully open-source (GPL/AGPL) with no vendor lock-in and transparent development
- Flexible AI integration — bring your own API keys or use built-in providers (Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepSeek, Ollama, etc.)
- Pro plan at $10/month is half the cost of Cursor Pro while including token-based AI credits
Key Features
Rust-Powered Performance
Built from scratch in Rust with GPU-accelerated rendering, delivering sub-60ms response times — faster than VS Code, Cursor, and Sublime Text
Agentic AI Editing
Agent Panel lets AI agents understand your codebase, answer questions, and directly make multi-file changes autonomously
Edit Predictions
AI-powered multi-line autocomplete from Zeta, Mercury Coder, Sweep, Ollama, or GitHub Copilot that predicts your next edits as you type
Real-Time Collaboration
Shared cursors, live co-editing, voice chat, and screen sharing built natively — no extensions needed
Multi-Provider AI Support
Works with Anthropic, OpenAI, Google AI, DeepSeek, Mistral, Ollama, OpenRouter, Amazon Bedrock, and more
Inline Assistant
Select code or terminal output and describe changes in natural language — AI transforms it in place
Built-In Git Integration
First-class support for staging, committing, pulling, pushing, viewing diffs, and branch management without leaving the editor
Pricing
Personal
$0/forever
- Full code editor — free forever
- 2,000 accepted edit predictions/month
- Use your own API keys or external agents
- Real-time collaboration
- All extensions and themes
Best For
Performance-Critical Development
Work with large codebases without lag or slowdowns — Zed's Rust engine handles massive files and projects that choke Electron-based editors
Remote Pair Programming
Collaborate in real-time with shared cursors, voice chat, and screen sharing — no setup or extensions needed
AI-Assisted Coding with Choice
Use any AI provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, local Ollama models) or bring your own keys instead of being locked into one vendor
Open-Source Development
Contribute to the editor itself or build extensions — Zed's open-source nature means full transparency and community-driven features
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Best for performance-conscious full-stack developers who refuse to sacrifice editor speed for AI features, and who value open-source transparency and real-time collaboration.
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6 Best Lightweight Code Editors for Speed & Performance (2026)
Best overall lightweight code editor for developers who want modern features without sacrificing speed — Zed's Rust + GPU architecture delivers the fastest editing experience available in a graphical editor.
