Zed

Zed (zed.dev) is a next-generation code editor built from the ground up for performance and AI-native development — written in Rust for maximum speed and designed to integrate deeply with AI assistance rather than bolting it on as an afterthought. The editor is available as a permanently free Personal plan that includes 2,000 accepted edit predictions per month and unlimited use with your own API keys or external AI agents — including Claude Agent, Codex CLI, and other compatible tools — making it a powerful zero-cost option for developers who have existing AI API access and want to bring it into a modern, high-performance editor. Zed's AI integration goes beyond simple autocomplete: the editor is designed to work with AI agents that can read, edit, and reason across entire codebases, positioning it at the forefront of the agentic coding workflow movement.

The Pro plan at $10/month supercharges the AI experience by providing unlimited edit predictions and including $5 of AI tokens per month — with usage-based billing applying for consumption beyond that included allocation. A free trial is available on the Pro plan. The Business plan at $30 per seat per month adds the organisational controls that enterprise development teams require: org-wide AI model policies for standardising which AI models teams can use, data governance controls for managing how code and data interact with AI services, unified spend visibility across the organisation's AI usage, unlimited edit predictions, and role-based access controls. Order forms for Business plans are available at 25 or more seats, indicating its enterprise positioning.

How Zed Works

Developers download the Zed editor and open their project. The editor provides immediate performance advantages over Electron-based editors — faster startup, lower memory usage, and a more responsive interface — due to its native Rust implementation. AI edit predictions appear inline as the developer types, accepted with a single keystroke. On the Personal plan, developers bring their own API keys for services like Anthropic's Claude or OpenAI's Codex, connecting external AI agents directly to Zed's editing interface. On the Pro plan, Zed's included token allocation enables AI assistance without requiring separate API subscriptions. Agentic coding workflows allow Claude Agent or Codex CLI to traverse and modify the codebase autonomously based on high-level instructions, with Zed providing the editor environment where those changes are applied and reviewed.

Key Features

• Free Personal plan — forever — 2,000 accepted edit predictions per month and unlimited use with own API keys or external agents at no cost
• External AI agent support — Claude Agent, Codex CLI, and other AI agents can operate within Zed using the developer's own API keys on the free plan
• Unlimited edit predictions — no monthly cap on AI-powered inline code suggestions on Pro and Business plans
• $5 tokens included on Pro — monthly AI token allocation included in the Pro plan for use without a separate API subscription
• Usage-based billing beyond $5 — Pro plan scales AI token consumption beyond the included $5 with transparent usage-based billing
• Org-wide AI model policies — Business plan allows organisations to define which AI models are permitted across the team (Business)
• Data governance controls — manage how code and data interact with external AI services to meet compliance requirements (Business)
• Unified spend visibility — single view of AI token and service consumption across the entire organisation (Business)
• Role-based access controls — define what different team members can access and configure within the editor environment (Business)
• Rust-native performance — built in Rust for maximum editor speed, low memory footprint, and responsive performance versus Electron-based alternatives

Zed Pricing

• Personal — $0/forever — 2,000 accepted edit predictions per month. Unlimited use with your own API keys or external AI agents including Claude Agent, Codex CLI, and more. Free forever — no time limit.
• Pro — $10/month — The next-generation code editor with full AI integration. Unlimited edit predictions, $5 of AI tokens included per month, and usage-based billing for consumption beyond $5. Free trial available.
• Business — $30/seat/month — Full Pro capabilities plus org-wide AI model policies, data governance controls, unified spend visibility, unlimited edit predictions, and role-based access controls. Order forms available at 25+ seats.

Personal plan is permanently free with no time limit. Pro free trial available. Always verify current rates at zed.dev/pricing.

Who Should Use Zed?

Zed is designed for developers who want a fast, modern, AI-native code editing experience — particularly those already working with AI agents like Claude Agent or Codex CLI who want a purpose-built editor environment rather than adding AI plugins to a legacy editor. The free Personal plan is compelling for individual developers with existing AI API subscriptions who want to bring their own keys and agents into a high-performance editor at zero subscription cost. Pro suits developers who want Zed's full AI capabilities without managing a separate API subscription. The Business plan is built for engineering organisations that need AI governance, compliance controls, and spend visibility as they roll out AI-assisted development across teams. Teams deeply invested in VS Code's extension ecosystem should consider whether Zed's native extension support covers their key tools before switching.

Frequently Asked Questions