The best Zed alternatives in 2026
Zed scores 9.1 and ranks #3 in Developer Tools. It's not for everyone: skip it if you depend on a specific VS Code extension or workspace setup. Here's every alternative we rank, and exactly where each one is stronger or weaker.
-
- Better value +0.9
- Less private -0.8
- More features +0.6
- Slower -0.6
Best for: Developers of any level who want one free editor for every language
-
- More private +1.2
- Better value +0.9
- Fewer features -0.7
Best for: Developers on Mac or Linux who live in the terminal
-
- Less private -1.1
- More features +0.8
- Slower -0.7
- Better value +0.4
Best for: Developers and teams who want hosting, code review and CI in one place
-
- Better design +0.8
- Worse value -0.6
- Less private -0.4
Best for: Software teams who want fast, low-friction issue tracking and planning
-
- Better design +0.5
- Slower -0.4
- Worse value -0.4
Best for: Mac power users and developers who live on the keyboard
-
- Worse value -2.0
- Less private -1.4
- Slower -1.0
- More features +0.7
Best for: Developers who want AI help built into every part of their editor
-
- Slower -1.2
- Less private -1.1
- Worse value -0.8
Best for: Developers who want a modern terminal with AI help built in
-
- Slower -2.6
- Weaker design -1.2
- Worse value -1.0
- Less private -0.9
Best for: Developers who build and test containerized apps on their own machine
-
- Slower -2.6
- Worse value -2.2
- Less private -2.0
- Weaker design -1.2
Best for: API developers and QA teams who test and document APIs together
Still deciding on Zed?Read our full review, pros and cons.