Can it replace VS Code?

For many workflows, yes: speed and collaboration are real advantages. The gap is extensions: if your work depends on specific VS Code extensions, check for equivalents before switching.

Download Zed - Free Software

About Zed

Zed is what happened when the people who built Atom decided the problem was never the idea, only the speed. Written in Rust with its own GPU-accelerated UI framework, it is a code editor built on a custom GPU-accelerated UI framework, and it treats multiplayer editing as a first-class feature: share a project link and a teammate is editing alongside you, Google-Docs style, with voice and screen sharing built in.

The editor covers the expected modern ground: tree-sitter syntax awareness, language server support for real completions and diagnostics, an integrated terminal, Vim mode, and a growing extension ecosystem. The current headline is the AI work: an agent panel that can edit code across files, with support for your own API keys or external agents like Claude Code, so you are not locked to one vendor's model. The editor itself is free and open source (GPL-3.0); the AI usage is where Zed Industries sells plans, with a free tier for trying it.

It is no longer a Mac-only curiosity: Windows and Linux builds are first-class now, with version 1.26.2 released in late October 2026 and the macOS dmg around 84 MB. The honest caveats: the extension library is still much smaller than VS Code's, some languages feel better supported than others, and heavy AI use means a subscription conversation eventually. Verdict: the first editor in years with a genuinely different angle (native Rust, real-time collaboration, vendor-flexible AI); try it for a week on a real project.

Key Features

Rust and GPU architecture

Built in Rust on a custom GPU-accelerated UI framework rather than Electron

Real-time multiplayer

Share a link and edit the same project together, with built-in voice and screen sharing

Agent panel for AI coding

AI agents that edit across files, with your own API keys or external agents like Claude Code

Full language-server support

Real completions, diagnostics, and go-to-definition via LSP and tree-sitter

Pros & Cons

Pros

Native Rust codebase on a GPU-accelerated UI framework, not Electron
Real-time collaboration built in instead of bolted on
Open source with rapid, public development
Vendor-flexible AI: bring your own keys or agents
Now truly cross-platform on Windows, macOS, and Linux

Cons

Extension ecosystem is still far smaller than VS Code’s
Some languages and debuggers are better supported than others
Heavy AI use points you toward a paid plan
Young editor: expect the occasional rough edge in workflows VS Code polished years ago

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Zed free?

The editor is free and open source under GPL-3.0. What can cost money is AI usage: Zed sells plans for its hosted AI features, with a free tier, and you can also plug in your own API keys or external agents.

Who makes Zed?

Zed Industries, founded by the creators of Atom and Tree-sitter. The whole editor is written in Rust, including its custom GPU-accelerated UI framework.

Which platforms does it run on?

macOS, Linux, and Windows, all with native builds. The current version is 1.26.2 (October 2026), and the macOS download is about 84 MB.

Zed