Zed
4.6
Zed is a code editor built for speed and real-time collaboration, written to keep input latency low on large projects. AI is optional rather than central, and you can supply your own API key, which makes it the editor of choice for people who want fast editing without a model in the loop by default.
- Commercial use OK
- Free tier
- Pricing
- $10/mo
- Free tier
- Free tier
- Commercial use
- Permitted
- Japanese UI
- Not confirmed
- Enterprise contract
- Not confirmed
What it is good for
- Large repositories where editor latency is noticeable
- Pair programming and live collaborative editing
- Developers who want AI available but not always on
- Teams uneasy about code being sent to a vendor by default
Strengths and trade-offs
Strengths
- Genuinely fast on large projects
- Real-time collaborative editing built in, not bolted on
- AI is optional and works with your own API key
- Open source core
Trade-offs
- Extension ecosystem is far smaller than VS Code's
- AI features are less developed than in AI-native editors
- Some languages have weaker support
Editors' review
Fast first, AI optional — the opposite order from most new editors
Most editors released since 2024 put the model at the centre and accept the latency. Zed inverts that: the editing experience is the product, and AI is something you turn on. On a large repository the difference in responsiveness is immediately obvious.
Bring-your-own-key matters beyond cost. It means code is sent to a provider you have a contract with, under terms you chose, rather than through the editor vendor by default.
The cost is ecosystem. VS Code has an extension for everything and Zed does not, so check your languages and tools before switching. For people whose main complaint is that their editor feels slow, that trade is often worth it.
Verdict
The right editor if speed is your complaint and you want AI on your own terms.
Compiled from official documentation and public sources, with our own editorial judgement. We do not publish figures we cannot source.