Zed
High-performance, multiplayer code editor built in Rust with AI integration and real-time collaboration.
Overview
Zed is a high-performance, multiplayer code editor built in Rust with AI integration and real-time collaboration. It handles native speed, multiplayer, ai assist, and vim mode, and it's best suited for developers wanting a fast, collaborative code editor. Launched in 2022, it's a relatively recent entrant that's been gaining traction.
The core product is entirely free. Since it's open-source, you can self-host for free with no user limits. It's designed for small teams, striking a balance between simplicity and collaboration features.
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
Quick info
- Category
- Developer Tools
- Starting price
- Free
- Free tier
- Fully free
- Open source
- Yes
- Best for
- Small teams
- Founded
- 2022
Last updated 2026-04-12
Top alternatives to Zed
Free, open-source code editor from Microsoft with extensions, integrated terminal, and Git support.
Suite of IDEs (IntelliJ, WebStorm, PyCharm, etc.) with advanced refactoring, debugging, and tooling.
Hyperextensible text editor built on Vim with Lua scripting, LSP support, and modern architecture.
Zed comparisons
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