Cursor vs Zed
Cursor and Zed are both AI code editors. Here's how they line up on the things that actually decide it — price, platform, and what they plug into.
| Cursor | Zed | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free tier | Free tier |
| Platform | windows, mac, linux | windows, mac, linux |
| Works with | claude, chatgpt | claude, claude-code |
| In one line | An AI-first code editor built on VS Code — inline completions, chat, and multi-file edits powered by leading AI models. | Fast, open-source AI code editor with built-in edit predictions, multiplayer collaboration, and support for external agents like Claude Code via your own API keys. |
Which should you pick?
Both sit at a similar price point, so cost won't decide it. They both work with claude, so if that's your setup either one fits. For the full picture, read the reviews below — the verdict is where the real difference shows up.