Zed
Fast open-source Rust editor with an agent panel, edit predictions and ACP support for external agents like Claude Agent and Codex.
- License
- GPL-3.0 / AGPL-3.0 / Apache-2.0
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Own API keys
- Yes
- Checked
- 2026-09-24
Zed works with OpenAI-compatible APIs. Grab a free key and a model from the catalog: for coding · for agents · providers and base URLs
Zed alternatives
Microsoft's open-source editor with built-in GitHub Copilot chat, agent mode and inline suggestions; also supports your own model keys.
AI-first fork of VS Code with agent mode, Tab autocomplete, codebase indexing and multi-model chat.
The Windsurf IDE, renamed by Cognition in June 2026: VS Code-based editor with Devin agents, Tab autocomplete and ACP support.
ByteDance's VS Code-based AI IDE with chat, agent and SOLO modes, autocomplete and MCP support.
AWS agentic IDE built around spec-driven development: prompts become requirements, design and tasks, with hooks and parallel agents.
Google's agent-first development platform: the Antigravity IDE plus an agent manager, CLI and SDK for running coding agents in parallel.
FAQ
Is Zed free?
Personal plan: the editor is free forever with 2,000 accepted edit predictions and unlimited AI through your own keys, local models or external agents; no hosted AI credits.
Does Zed work with free models?
Yes. It supports your own keys and OpenAI-compatible APIs, so you can plug in free models from OpenRouter, Groq, NVIDIA Build, or a local Ollama.
What license does Zed use?
GPL-3.0 / AGPL-3.0 / Apache-2.0. The source code is open.