Zed

What is Zed?

Zed is a minimal code editor written in Rust, designed for speed and real-time collaboration with both teammates and AI agents. Available for macOS, Linux, and Windows, it prioritizes performance by leveraging multiple CPU cores and GPU acceleration to handle large files and complex operations efficiently.

The editor supports agentic workflows, allowing users to run AI agents in parallel to edit files, navigate code, and execute tools at native speed. It includes built-in chat functionality for team collaboration, enabling developers to work on shared projects and screen-share directly within the editor. The codebase is open source and actively developed, with public repositories for the core editor and cloud infrastructure components. Zed integrates with language servers (LSP) for language support and offers extensions for customization. The platform is free to download and use locally, with additional collaborative features available through cloud-based team workspaces.

Recent development focuses on accessibility improvements, including screen reader support through AccessKit integration, alongside performance optimizations for text rendering and file operations. The editor handles multicursor editing, sophisticated search-and-replace operations, and project navigation tools. Its architecture separates concerns across multiple components: GPUI (the graphics/UI framework), rope-based buffer management for efficient text handling, and modular crate organization for maintainability.

Zed targets developers working with modern languages and frameworks, particularly those seeking faster startup times and lower resource consumption compared to Electron-based editors. The collaborative features appeal to distributed teams, while the AI agent support addresses the emerging workflow of using LLMs for code generation and refactoring. The project has gained traction among developers prioritizing performance-first tooling.

Comparable editors include Visual Studio