Updated: 2026-07-07

Zed[1] is the editor built by Nathan Sobo (Atom’s creator) and team, after leaving GitHub. Released open-source in January 2024, it is an explicit bet: "Atom but genuinely fast, written in Rust, with live collaboration as a native feature". In a world dominated by VS Code and its forks (Cursor, Codespaces), is there room for another editor? This article takes an honest look at what Zed offers, where it shines, and where it still falls short.

Key takeaways

  • Zed is written in Rust with its own GPU-rendering UI framework. No Electron, no WebView. The latency and memory difference is real and measurable.

  • Real-time collaboration is native, not a bolt-on plugin: integrated voice, shared cursors, and following mode designed into the core.

  • The extensions ecosystem is the current weakness: VS Code has a clear advantage for corporate extensions and devcontainer/remote workflows.

  • For developers working in pairs or teams of 3-4 with Rust/Go/JS/TS/Python stacks, Zed is the most interesting alternative to VS Code in years.

  • Released under GPL v3 (core) + Apache 2.0 (components), it does not depend solely on the company for its continuity.

The technical bet

Zed is 100% Rust. Its own UI framework, GPUI, renders directly on GPU via Metal (macOS) and eventually Vulkan (Linux). No Electron, no WebView.

Practical, measurable consequences:

  • Exceptional latency: keyboard to screen in ~8 ms, notably lower than VS Code.

  • Low memory use: ~100-200 MB vs 500 MB-1 GB for Electron applications.

  • Fluid scrolling and navigation even on large files.

  • Sub-second startup, even with large projects.

For anyone coding several hours a day, the difference is noticeable, particularly on laptops with integrated GPUs.

Live collaboration, not bolt-on

The differentiating feature is native collaboration, integrated from day one, not added as a later plugin:

  • Integrated voice (like Discord) between project collaborators.

  • Shared cursors for each collaborator, colour-coded and named.

  • Following mode: follow what another is viewing. File switches, line jumps, all synchronise automatically.

  • Share project with one click to channel members.

Not "Live Share on top". Built into the core from the start. The collaboration model is "work together in the same editor", not "async co-edit". For remote pair programming, this is the best experience available in an open-source editor.

Languages and LSP

Zed supports LSP. Languages with mature support: Rust, JavaScript / TypeScript, Python, Go, Markdown, JSON, YAML, TOML, C/C++ via clangd. Supported but less polished: PHP, Ruby, Elixir, Swift, Zig, Lua.

Zed vs VS Code vs Cursor

Aspect Zed VS Code Cursor
Runtime Rust + native GPU Electron Electron (VS Code fork)
Edit latency <10 ms ~30 ms ~30 ms
Memory ~200 MB ~500 MB+ ~500 MB+
Collaboration Native, high quality Live Share (extension) Live Share
AI Integrated Copilot (extension) Strong integrated
Extensions Basic Vast Vast
Remote dev Limited Excellent (SSH, Containers) Good
Platforms macOS now, Linux beta, Windows in progress macOS/Linux/Windows macOS/Linux/Windows
Open source GPL v3 + Apache 2.0 MIT (with telemetry) Closed

Zed is faster. VS Code is more extensible and mature. Cursor is better for AI-intensive workflows.

AI integration

Zed ships AI features across several providers:

  • Inline completion: similar to Copilot, with OpenAI, Anthropic, or local models.

  • Code chat: a side panel for questions about the open file.

  • /ai command: targeted code transformations.

  • Local model support via Ollama for full privacy.

The integration is solid but not as refined as Cursor’s multi-file Composer. If AI is the central axis of your workflow, Cursor probably still wins.

The open-source model

Zed released its code under GPL v3 + Apache 2.0 in January 2024. This opens the core to external contributions, permits forks (none serious yet), and gives confidence in longevity; the editor does not depend solely on the company.

Zed Industries maintains Zed Channels (collaboration SaaS) as the proprietary component. The editor itself is fully open.

Installation

# macOS
brew install --cask zed

# Linux (Ubuntu 22.04+, Debian 12+, Arch, Fedora)
curl -f https://zed.dev/install.sh | sh

First launch asks for a GitHub login to enable collaboration features. Without login it works offline, but without collaborative capabilities.

Migration from VS Code

Basic steps to switch:

  • Install Zed.

  • Import keybindings (VS Code preset in settings).

  • Install extensions for your main languages.

  • Reconfigure AI settings with your API key.

  • Give it one honest week.

What you will lose: your VS Code-specific extension repertoire. What you will gain: performance, native collaboration, and a leaner editor.

Where Zed shines and falls short

Best for: pairs and teams of 3-4 working on the same code; remote pair programming with integrated voice; laptops struggling with VS Code memory; Rust/Go/JS/TS/Python stacks.

Falls short for: specific corporate extensions that don’t exist in Zed; remote dev with SSH, containers, or WSL; Python data science and notebooks; Windows (still in development); large teams with heavy devcontainer flows.

Conclusion

Zed is a serious editor, not a toy. It is out of preview and its business model (open editor + collaboration SaaS) is plausible. For developers who value performance and real-time collaboration, it is the most interesting VS Code alternative in years. For large teams with corporate extension ecosystems or heavy devcontainer and remote flows, VS Code (or Cursor) remain more productive. Time will tell whether Zed achieves what Atom could not: enough critical mass to thrive long-term.

Sources

  1. Zed