Ranked 3 of 7 in best code editors and IDEs
A fast editor with multiplayer editing included in every plan, and a free Personal plan. AI features need Pro or your own API keys, and the Business plan is priced per seat.
Best for Fast editing with built-in collaboration
About Zed
Zed is a native code editor built for speed and real-time collaboration, so several people can edit the same project together. It runs on macOS, Linux and Windows. The Personal plan is free and includes unlimited use with your own API keys or external agents, while the Pro plan adds Zed-hosted AI models with a $5 token allowance and usage billing beyond it.
Zed is a fit for developers who want a fast editor and collaboration without setting up a plugin stack. AI features need the Pro plan or your own keys, and the Business plan adds org-wide AI model policies and admin controls at $30 per seat each month. Its source is published on GitHub, mostly under GPL-3.0 with Apache-2.0 components.
Key features
- Real-time multiplayer editing
- Edit predictions
- Bring your own API keys
- Native macOS, Linux and Windows builds
Strengths
- Free Personal plan with no time limit
- Built-in multiplayer collaboration
- Source published on GitHub
Limits
- AI features need Pro or your own API keys
- Business plan costs $30 per seat each month
Where Zed ranks
| List | Rank | Score | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Code editors and IDEs | 3 of 7 | 88.0 | Fast editing with built-in collaboration |
| Best AI coding assistants | 7 of 7 | 79.5 | Fast editor with optional AI and real-time collaboration |
Alternatives to Zed
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Questions about Zed
- Is Zed free?
- Zed can be used without paying: Personal free; Pro $10 a month; Business $30 per seat a month. Check the vendor’s pricing page for current limits.
- Is Zed open source?
- Yes. Zed publishes its source code under the GPL-3.0 license.
- Which platforms does Zed support?
- Zed is available on: macOS, Linux, Windows.
- What is Zed best for?
- Fast editing with built-in collaboration. In our ranking of code editors and IDEs it is number 3 of 7 with a score of 88.0.
- What are the best alternatives to Zed?
- The highest-ranked alternatives on listme.name are Visual Studio Code, Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot.