Zed is a code editor built entirely from scratch in Rust, not a VS Code fork, which gives it GPU-accelerated rendering and sub-millisecond input latency that editors built on web technology can't easily match. AI isn't an extension bolted onto an existing interface here; it's built into the core, with an agentic editing mode that can plan and apply changes across multiple files using Claude, GPT, or local models.
Real-time collaboration is built into the editor's protocol itself rather than added through a plugin, so multiple people can work in the same file with the kind of low latency that matters for pair programming, not just a shared cursor that lags. That architecture choice, building collaboration and performance in from day one instead of layering them on later, is Zed's main technical bet against editors like VS Code and its many forks.
It's free for personal use permanently, with a Pro plan at $10 a month for additional AI usage. Zed has built a loyal following among developers who care specifically about editor performance, even as most of the market's attention goes to Cursor and Windsurf.