Zed

Overview

If you have been coding for a while, you probably remember Atom. It was hackable and pretty, but it was slow. The same team that built Atom (and Tree-sitter) is back, but this time they have ditched the web technologies.

Zed is a high-performance code editor written entirely in Rust. Its entire existence is a reaction to the dominance of Electron-based editors like VS Code. While VS Code is capable, it can feel bloated and sluggish on large projects. Zed goes the other direction. It prioritizes raw speed, stability, and "video game" levels of responsiveness.

It is not just a fast text box, though. It is designed for the modern era where AI and remote collaboration are part of the daily workflow. Instead of relying on third-party plugins that break with every update, Zed bakes these features directly into the core architecture. If you are tired of your editor eating 4GB of RAM just to open a JSON file, this is the tool you should be looking at.

Key Features

Here is what actually makes Zed different from the editor you are currently using.

1. GPU-Accelerated Rendering (GPUI)

Most editors render the UI using the CPU or standard web rendering engines. Zed built a custom framework called GPUI that rasterizes the entire window on your GPU.

The result is a target frame rate of 120 FPS. Latency is virtually non-existent. When you type, the character appears instantly. When you scroll through a massive file, there is no stutter. It sounds like a minor detail, but once you get used to this level of fluidity, going back to a standard editor feels like wading through mud.

2. Native "Multiplayer" Collaboration

Pair programming usually involves screen sharing, which is laggy and blurry, or using plugins that often desync. Zed treats collaboration as a first-class citizen using CRDTs (Conflict-free Replicated Data Types).

You can share a workspace with a teammate, and they can jump in immediately. You see their cursor, they see yours. You can edit different files simultaneously or use "Follow Mode" to lock your view to theirs. It even has built-in voice chat, so you do not need to have Zoom running in the background. It basically operates like Google Docs, but for code, and without the overhead.

3. Deeply Integrated AI

Zed doesn't just slap a chat window on the side. It integrates Large Language Models (LLMs) into the editing experience via the Assistant Panel and inline generation.

It supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP), meaning the AI can actually talk to your local tools, read your documentation, and understand your project structure. They also introduced "Zeta," a custom open-source model optimized specifically for edit predictions. It tries to predict what you are going to type next based on your codebase, acting as a super-charged autocomplete.

4. Multibuffers

This is a feature I wish every IDE had. Multibuffers allow you to view and edit code excerpts from different files inside a single tab.

If you run a project-wide search for a specific function, Zed presents the results in a Multibuffer. You can edit the code right there in the search results view without opening twenty different tabs. It is incredible for refactoring or bulk renaming across a large project.

Pricing

As of late 2025, Zed has moved to a token-based model for its hosted AI services. The editor itself remains largely free for the core experience.

• Zed Free (Personal)

  • Cost: $0.
  • The Deal: You get the full editor, all collaboration features, and the ability to use your own API keys (BYOK) for OpenAI, Anthropic, or Ollama.
  • Bonus: Includes 2,000 free "edit predictions" per month via their hosted infrastructure.

• Zed Pro

  • Cost: $10/month.
  • The Deal: You get everything in Free, plus a $5 monthly credit for tokens.
  • Convenience: You do not need to manage your own API keys. You get out-of-the-box access to premium models like GPT-5, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and Gemini 2.5.
  • Overage: Once your $5 credit is gone, you pay the API list price + 10%. This is a transparent way to access high-end models without a markup subscription.

• Zed Enterprise

  • Cost: Custom.
  • The Deal: SSO enforcement, security compliance, and management features for large teams.

• Trial: There is a 14-day Pro trial that gives you $20 in credits to test the waters.

Pros & Cons

The Good

• Speed: It is undeniably the fastest editor on the market. Startup time is instant, and large files open without hesitation.
• Linux & Windows Support: It started as Mac-only, but the Linux and Windows builds are now live and perform well.
• Out-of-the-Box Utility: It comes with sensible defaults for Git, Terminal, and LSP (Language Server Protocol). You do not need to spend three hours configuring it just to write code.
• Collaboration: The multiplayer aspect is the best implementation I have seen. It works reliably.

The Bad

• Extension Ecosystem: This is the biggest hurdle. The library is growing, but it is tiny compared to VS Code. If you rely on a very specific plugin for a niche framework, it might not exist in Zed yet.
• JSON Configuration: There is no settings menu with checkboxes. You have to edit a JSON file to change your settings. If you are a power user, this is fine. If you prefer a UI, this is annoying.
• Remote Development: Features like Remote SSH and Dev Containers are present but not as polished or seamless as VS Code's implementation.
• Stability: Because the team moves fast, updates can occasionally introduce bugs. It is stable enough for daily work, but it definitely feels like software in active development.

Verdict

Zed is a breath of fresh air in a market saturated with heavy, web-based editors. If you value performance above all else, or if you are working on a team that pairs frequently, Zed is an easy recommendation. The "video game" responsiveness makes coding feel tactile and precise in a way that is hard to describe until you try it.

However, if you live and die by a specific set of VS Code extensions or need a heavy-duty GUI for managing your settings, you might find the switch jarring.

My advice: Download the free version. It costs nothing. Try it for a morning on a side project. Even if you don't switch permanently, it will make you realize just how slow your current editor actually is.