Zed reviews

Fast, Rust-built code editor with built-in real-time collaboration and AI edit predictions, free with an optional paid Pro plan.

Visit website

1 / 2

About

In practice. What you can do with Zed.

Zed is a code editor written in Rust for speed and low latency, with real-time multiplayer editing and AI edit predictions built in. It supports bringing API keys from many external LLM providers, including Anthropic, OpenAI and Google AI, instead of locking a developer into one assistant.

The free Personal plan includes 2,000 AI edit predictions per month, enough for regular solo use. The Pro plan, at 10 USD per seat, adds unlimited predictions with 5 USD of included AI tokens before usage-based charges apply, while Business adds organization-wide AI controls and spend visibility for small teams.

Practical uses

Solo developerCode daily in a free Personal plan using the included AI edit predictions, with no subscription cost.
Small teamPair-program in real time on the same file from two machines using the built-in multiplayer editing.

Features & use cases

Coding

Collaboration dev

Developer tools

Integration llm

Pros and cons. What Zed does well, and what to expect.

Pros

Fast, low-latency editor with native real-time collaboration.
Free plan includes a real AI edit-prediction quota, not just a trial.
Bring-your-own-key support across many LLM providers avoids vendor lock-in on AI billing.

Cons

Pro plan's included AI token budget is capped at 5 USD a month before usage-based charges kick in.
Business plan has no fixed AI allowance at all, relying entirely on usage-based billing or external keys.

When it makes sense. Keep Zed, or challenge it?

Keep if

You want a fast native editor with AI assistance and the flexibility to bring your own model provider keys.

Zed becomes worthwhile when

You use it at least once a week
The monthly cost ($10) is small next to the time it saves you

Challenge if

You need heavy daily AI usage beyond the included free or Pro quota and want a predictable flat fee instead of usage-based charges.

Zed becomes too expensive when

You use it less than once a month
A simple free version or a tool already in your stack would do

Our verdict. What to know about Zed.

Why this verdict

Great

Added value

A free plan with 2,000 included AI predictions and a 10 USD Pro plan give a developer daily AI assistance at a low cost compared to the category.

Simplicity

Zed installs as a standalone desktop editor and includes AI features out of the box, without a separate setup step for a first result.

Fit for purpose

The editor delivers its stated promise of a fast, AI-assisted coding experience with native multiplayer editing, confirmed on the pricing and feature page.

Performance

Support for bringing API keys from ten-plus LLM providers (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google AI, Bedrock, and more) goes beyond a basic AI-assisted editor.

Reversibility

Bring-your-own-key support means a developer is not locked into Zed's own AI billing and can reuse the same provider keys elsewhere.

ZedFrom $10/mo

Visit