What is the difference between Zed and Fig (Amazon Q)?

Zed is best for Developers wanting a fast, collaborative code editor, while Fig (Amazon Q) is best for Developers wanting autocomplete for the terminal. Zed starts at Free and Fig (Amazon Q) starts at Free.

Is Zed or Fig (Amazon Q) cheaper?

Zed starts at Free and is free. Fig (Amazon Q) starts at Free and is free.

Is there a free alternative to Fig (Amazon Q)?

Both Zed and Fig (Amazon Q) offer free tiers.

Zed vs Fig (Amazon Q)

Zed is high-performance, multiplayer code editor built in Rust with AI integration and real-time collaboration, while Fig (Amazon Q) is terminal autocomplete with IDE-style completions for hundreds of CLI tools. Zed is open source and can be self-hosted, giving you full control over your data. Zed is built for developers wanting a fast, collaborative code editor, whereas Fig (Amazon Q) targets developers wanting autocomplete for the terminal.

At a glance

	Zed	Fig (Amazon Q)
Best for	Developers wanting a fast, collaborative code editor	Developers wanting autocomplete for the terminal
Starting price	Free	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	✓	—
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	✓	—
AI Assist	✓	—
Autocomplete	—	✓
Dotfiles	—	✓
Multiplayer	✓	—
Native Speed	✓	—
Plugins	—	✓
Scripts	—	✓
Vim Mode	✓	—

Zed

Strengths

Open source and transparent
Includes Native Speed as a core feature, purpose-built for developer tools workflows
Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
The core product is free with no paywalled essentials

Weaknesses

May lack some advanced features
Self-hosting is free but requires server maintenance and DevOps knowledge
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Ecosystem of third-party integrations is smaller than the market leaders in developer tools

Try Zed → Full review

Fig (Amazon Q)

Strengths

Includes Autocomplete as a core feature, purpose-built for developer tools workflows
Includes Scripts as a core feature, purpose-built for developer tools workflows
The core product is free with no paywalled essentials
Includes dotfiles alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

May lack some advanced features
Some advanced features require upgrading to a paid plan
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Ecosystem of third-party integrations is smaller than the market leaders in developer tools

Try Fig (Amazon Q) → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Both Zed and Fig (Amazon Q) are free, so this decision comes down to features and philosophy rather than budget.

Feature gaps: Zed offers AI Assist, Multiplayer and Native Speed that Fig (Amazon Q) lacks. Fig (Amazon Q) brings Autocomplete, Dotfiles and Plugins that Zed does not have.

Team fit: Zed is geared toward small teams teams, while Fig (Amazon Q) is aimed at individual users and small setups. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Open source: Zed is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. Fig (Amazon Q) is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.

Where each tool shines: Zed's biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. includes native speed as a core feature, purpose-built for developer tools workflows. Fig (Amazon Q)'s biggest strengths are: includes autocomplete as a core feature, purpose-built for developer tools workflows. includes scripts as a core feature, purpose-built for developer tools workflows.

Watch out for: With Zed, users commonly note that may lack some advanced features. With Fig (Amazon Q), the main complaint is that may lack some advanced features.

Choose Zed if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: developers wanting a fast, collaborative code editor
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need AI Assist and Multiplayer
You care about includes native speed as a core feature, purpose-built for developer tools workflows
Your team size fits the small teams profile Zed is designed for

Choose Fig (Amazon Q) if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: developers wanting autocomplete for the terminal
You specifically need Autocomplete and Dotfiles
You care about includes scripts as a core feature, purpose-built for developer tools workflows
Your team size fits the individuals profile Fig (Amazon Q) is designed for