Zed

Zed is a high-performance, multiplayer code editor built in Rust by the creators of Atom and Tree-sitter. It is platform-native, dramatically faster than Electron-based editors like VS Code, and designed from the ground up for collaboration between humans and AI — supporting AI edit prediction, external agent integration, and real-time multiplayer editing.

Whether you want an ultra-fast editor, AI completion tuned to your workflow, or a home for your Claude Code and Codex sessions, Zed positions itself as the future of code editing.

Key Features

1. Rust-Powered Performance

Zed is a native application, not a web wrapper. It launches instantly, renders large files smoothly, and never slows down your workflow — a core reason developers switch from VS Code and Neovim.

2. AI Edit Prediction

Zed's AI completion predicts your next edit, not just the next token. The default provider is Zeta2, an open-weight model trained on open-source code with public weights. You can also use GitHub Copilot (Next Edit Suggestions), Mercury Coder, Codestral, or Ollama for fully local prediction.

3. External Agents via Agent Client Protocol (ACP)

Run Claude, Codex, OpenCode, Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, or Pi Coding Agent as ACP-integrated external agents — in the editor or in terminal threads, with parallel agent sessions and thread-based workflows.

4. Multiplayer Collaboration

Real-time collaborative channels let teams edit the same project together. Worktrees and git branch management are handled directly from the UI.

5. Built-In Developer Tools

A built-in debugger (breakpoints, variable inspection), Vim mode, highly configurable keymaps, and extensions make Zed both friendly and powerful.

Use Cases

• Daily Coding: An editor that feels instant even in large monorepos.
• AI-Assisted Development: Edit prediction plus full agent integration in one place.
• Remote Pairing: Real-time multiplayer for pair programming and onboarding.
• Multi-Agent Workflows: Run several coding agents in parallel threads without leaving the editor.

Pricing

• Editor: Free and open source (core).
• Zed AI: Optional subscription for Zed-hosted models (GPT-5.2, Claude, Gemini), with a free trial.
• Bring Your Own Key: Use any provider's API key — including ChatGPT, Anthropic, or local Ollama models — without Zed AI.

Advantages & Unique Selling Points

1. Performance: Native Rust means a fundamentally faster editing experience.
2. Agent-Neutral: Not locked to one AI vendor — external agents, LLM providers, or terminal agents.
3. Purpose-Built AI Model: Zeta2 is the only model trained specifically for how Zed works.
4. First-Class Collaboration: Multiplayer is built in, not bolted on.

User Reviews

"This is probably the smoothest AI experience that I've found across all the IDEs — better than VS Code and Cursor." — Mehul Mohan, developer

"I can close it out, I can pull it up again and it just launches — it's just so much nicer than VS Code." — Chris Titus Tech, YouTube review

"Zed is a high-performance, multiplayer code editor built in Rust by the creators of Atom and Tree-sitter." — GitHub Changelog

Getting Started

1. Install: Download Zed from zed.dev for macOS, Linux, or Windows.
2. Sign In: Create a free account to access collaboration and AI features.
3. Configure AI: Choose Zeta2, connect GitHub Copilot, or add an external agent via ACP.
4. Start Editing: Open a project and try Edit Prediction with Tab-to-accept.

Limitations

• Zed AI Is Paid: Beyond the free trial, Zed-hosted models require a subscription.
• Not Fully IDE-Like: Some features (e.g., certain debuggers, mature plugin ecosystem) are still catching up to VS Code.
• Training Considerations: By default Zed does not collect data, but you must opt in if you want code included in training.
• Young Ecosystem: Extensions and plugins are fewer than VS Code's marketplace.

Conclusion

Zed combines the performance of a native Rust editor with genuinely thoughtful AI integration — edit prediction, external agent support, and multiplayer collaboration in a single fast package. For developers tired of Electron bloat who still want powerful AI workflows, Zed is one of the most exciting editors available. If you're evaluating a Cursor or VS Code replacement, Zed deserves a serious trial.

Recommended for: Performance-focused developers, Rust enthusiasts, and teams wanting built-in AI agent support and multiplayer.

Not recommended for: Users heavily dependent on the full VS Code extension ecosystem or those who prefer a single managed AI subscription.