Zed is an open-source, GPU-accelerated code editor built in Rust by the creators of Atom and Tree-sitter, designed for raw editing speed and real-time collaboration. It opens large projects in under 200ms, scrolls at 120fps with no jank, and includes a native AI assistant powered by Claude and GPT-4o. One of the fastest-rising AI developer tools in 2026, Zed is gaining practitioners who find VS Code too slow for large-codebase work.
High-performance code editor built for AI collaboration. Real-time multi-player editing with AI models built directly into the editing experience.
What Is Zed Editor and Is It Actually Faster Than VS Code?
Zed is measurably faster than VS Code for most operations: projects open in under 200ms vs VS Code's 1–3 seconds on large repos, and large files scroll without jank. The difference is architectural — Zed is written in Rust with a custom GPU rendering pipeline (GPUI), while VS Code runs on Electron with a JavaScript extension host. For developers who work on large codebases daily or simply want a snappier editor, the speed difference is real and noticeable from the first session.
Zed vs Cursor: Which AI Code Editor Is Better in 2026?
Cursor and Zed target different developer profiles. Cursor is a VS Code fork with deep AI integration — full agentic mode, codebase indexing, and a large plugin ecosystem inherited from VS Code. Zed is a ground-up rebuild optimized for raw editing speed, real-time collaboration, and a native AI assistant (Claude and GPT-4o). If you have a large VS Code extension setup and need AI agents: Cursor. If you prioritize editing speed, work on large files, and want simpler AI assistance without overhead: Zed. Zed's heat score is rising faster than Cursor's in 2026, signaling a practitioner shift.
Is Zed Free?
Zed's core editor is completely free and open-source (Apache 2.0 on GitHub). The built-in AI features include a free tier with access to smaller models for basic completions. Zed Pro ($20/mo) adds Claude Sonnet and GPT-4o for AI assistance and inline editing. There are no per-seat charges for teams using the editor itself — only the AI features have a paid tier. For the base editing experience, Zed is fully free forever.
Heat Score
0–100 viral momentum index combining social buzz, search trends & growth velocity
26
14-day trend
+4
24h
-44
Heat Score Breakdown
Creator Buzz (30%)10
Search Interest (25%)92
Community Discussion (20%)2
Growth Momentum (25%)0
A.R.C. Score
A.R.C. ratings are calculated for developer infrastructure and API-first tools. This tool hasn't been evaluated yet or falls outside the A.R.C. scope.
🔓Data Lock-In Index
100/ 100
Lower = more portable. 0 = fully open, 100 = maximum lock-in.
✗ Webhooks Out✗ Bulk Export✗ Open Formats
Pricing
free
Best For
Teams & Solo
Compare Zed vs…
Deep-Dive Audit Report$2.99
GitHub health score, founder track record, full A.R.C. breakdown, category peer comparison, and 14-day score forecast — in one printable report.
One-time purchase · No subscription