Overview

Zed brings together core editing tools, native Git operations, a debugger, remote development, and language server support. Multi-cursor and column editing plus macro recording give experienced editors useful ways to work, while hundreds of extensions cover languages, themes, and more. This range makes Zed a practical candidate for readers seeking more than a text editor without moving to a heavyweight IDE.

AI options include Amazon Bedrock, Anthropic, GitHub Copilot, Google AI, OpenAI, and other providers, as well as API keys and external agents. Teammates can chat, code together, and share screens and projects. The team says it has 15 years of experience with tools including Atom, Electron, and Tree-sitter; Zed is based in Denver, Colorado.

Key features

Editing and development

Multi-cursor editing, column editing, macro recording, language server support, and a built-in debugger make Zed capable of supporting varied coding workflows. Remote development extends that workspace beyond local projects. Native Git covers staging, committing, pulling, pushing, and viewing diffs, keeping common version-control tasks close to the editor.

AI and collaboration

Provider choice is a meaningful advantage for developers who already use a particular AI service or prefer their own API keys or external agents. Personal allows unlimited use through API keys or external agents, but its 2,000 accepted edit predictions are a real ceiling for anyone relying on that feature. Pro removes the prediction limit, though its included token allowance and overage terms still matter.

Chat, shared coding, screen sharing, and project sharing make Zed relevant to collaborative work as well as solo editing. Business adds organization controls, governance, billing visibility, and role-based access. Admins can restrict hosted models, disable edit predictions, and lock data-sharing settings. However, SSO, SAML, and SCIM are planned rather than currently available, a significant gap for organizations that require those identity controls.

Pricing

Personal: $0.00 USD per free, forever. It includes a free code editor, 2,000 accepted edit predictions, and unlimited use with API keys or external agents. This is the sensible starting point for individuals who can stay within the prediction cap or supply their own AI connection.
Pro: $10.00 USD per month, billed monthly. It includes unlimited edit predictions and $5 of tokens. Usage beyond the included $5 is billed at API list price plus 10%, so the subscription price is not a ceiling on AI costs. The 14-day trial ends earlier if its $5 balance is used; it includes unlimited accepted edit predictions and $5 of GPT-5.6 Luna usage, with no credit card required.
Business: $30.00 USD per month. It adds team and organization controls, governance, billing visibility, and role-based access controls. There is no minimum seat count, and organizations of any size can use the plan; order forms are available at 25+ seats. Business is the fit for teams needing administrative oversight, but it does not currently provide SSO, SAML, or SCIM.

The cheaper Personal plan gives up unlimited edit predictions and Business administration. Pro is the direct upgrade for individuals who need unlimited predictions; Business is for organizational controls rather than simply a larger prediction allowance.

Platforms

Zed supports Linux, macOS, and Windows, giving desktop users on all three platforms access to the same broad editor category.

Who it's for

Zed is best suited to developers who want editing, Git, debugging, extensions, and multiple AI connection options in one editor. It also fits teams that value shared coding and project collaboration, provided Business’s current identity-feature gap is acceptable. Readers who need SSO, SAML, or SCIM now should look elsewhere; individuals who rarely use edit predictions may find Personal adequate without paying for Pro.

Pros and cons

Pro: Native Git, a debugger, remote development, and language server support bring several development tasks into one editor.
Pro: Multiple hosted providers plus API-key and external-agent support avoid tying AI use to a single provider.
Pro: Personal offers unlimited API-key or external-agent use at $0.00 USD per free.
Con: Personal caps accepted edit predictions at 2,000, while Pro token usage above $5 incurs API list price plus 10%.
Con: Business lacks SSO, SAML, and SCIM today, limiting its fit for organizations that require those identity features.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, browse Code editors, Text Editors, Go IDEs, PHP IDEs, AI Code Editors, or Pair Programming Software.

Neovim is a free alternative for readers who want a free editor available across desktop, Android, API, and self-hosted platforms.
Visual Studio Code is a free alternative for readers who want an editor that also runs on the web.
EmEditor is a Windows-only alternative with a Professional Monthly Subscription at $6.00 USD per month, billed monthly, with licensing counted per computer.
VSCodium is another free option for Linux, macOS, and Windows.
BBEdit is a macOS alternative with a permanent free mode for core editing features after its evaluation period.
Kate is a free editor for Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Notepad++ is a free Windows text and source code editor under the GPL license.
Micro is a free option for Linux, macOS, and Windows, distributed as a single static binary with no dependencies.

Verdict

Choose Zed if you want a capable cross-platform code editor that puts Git, debugging, collaboration, and flexible AI connections in one place. Personal is a credible free starting point, while Pro suits individuals who need unlimited edit predictions and can manage token overages. Teams should weigh Business’s useful controls against its current lack of SSO, SAML, and SCIM; that gap is the clearest reason to choose another editor.

	Devin Desktop	Zed
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	No	Yes
Paid from	$20/mo	$10/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Linux, macOS, Windows	Linux, macOS, Windows
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Agent mode	Yes	—
Paid from	—	10 /user/mo

Devin Desktop vs Zed

Devin Desktop

Zed