Zed

Ultra-fast collaborative code editor with AI

$10/mo AI plan code-editorcollaborativerust

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8.4 /10 Expert Score

Features

Pricing

Ecosystem

Performance

4.8 /5 G2 Rating (60+ reviews)

About

Zed is a high-performance collaborative code editor written in Rust that prioritizes raw speed and real-time collaboration above all else. Unlike Electron-based editors that consume hundreds of megabytes of memory, Zed launches instantly and renders at the GPU level for buttery-smooth scrolling and editing, even on large files and monorepos with thousands of files. Zed's AI features are built around an optional hosted LLM service that provides inline code generation, agentic editing, and context-aware completions. The editor supports real-time multiplayer editing with channel-based collaboration—ideal for pair programming, code reviews, and mob programming sessions. Vim mode is first-class, with deep modal editing support that won't disappoint terminal veterans. Zed is best for developers who prioritize performance and want an editor that never gets in the way. It excels for Rust, TypeScript, Python, and Go development, though language support is more limited than VS Code. The AI features require a $10/month subscription, while the core editor is free and open source with 55,000+ GitHub stars. Real-time collaboration, GPU-accelerated rendering, and multi-buffer editing make it a compelling choice for performance-focused teams willing to trade extension breadth for speed.

Key Features

AI inline assistance
Agent editing mode
Real-time collaboration
Vim mode
Multi-buffer editing
GPU-accelerated rendering

Deals, Discounts & How to Save

Core editor free & open source (Apache 2.0)BYO API key instead of $10/mo hosted AI plan

Maximize free tiers before subscribing—most AI editors have generous free plans. Students should always apply for education discounts (often 50%+ off). If you use multiple IDEs, choose an editor with a permissive free tier to avoid paying twice.

Pros

Blazing fast startup and editing
Real-time collaborative editing
Open source, hackable

Cons

Smaller extension ecosystem
AI features require subscription
Limited language support vs VS Code

Pro Tips for Zed

Zed's GPU-accelerated rendering makes it the fastest code editor available. On large monorepos with thousands of files, Zed opens instantly while VS Code takes 5-10 seconds.

Use multi-buffer editing to search and replace across the entire project at once. Press Ctrl+Shift+F (Cmd+Shift+F) and results open in an editable multi-buffer — changes apply to every file instantly.

The inline AI assistant (Ctrl+Enter) is context-aware across your entire project. Select a function, press Ctrl+Enter, and ask for a refactor — Zed knows the types, imports, and conventions from your whole codebase.

Zed's real-time collaboration is the best in class. Share a workspace link, and team members join with full cursor sync, shared terminals, and audio chat — no pairing plugin needed.

Agent editing mode can make multi-file changes autonomously. Describe the change in natural language, review the diff, and approve — Zed handles the implementation across files.

If the $10/month AI plan is too much, use the free core editor with your own API key via the built-in model configuration. You get the same AI features without the subscription.

Zed's Vim mode is the most faithful Vim emulation outside of Neovim. If you're a Vim user, you'll feel at home instantly — including macros, registers, and command-line mode.

For TypeScript/JavaScript developers, enable 'inlay hints' in settings. Zed shows inferred types inline as you type, making it easier to understand complex generics without hovering.