Week 15 — a bonus episode of my “I Used It for a Week” series. After 14 weeks of AI-first tools, I wanted to test the opposite approach: a speed-first editor that added AI, rather than an AI tool that added an editor.

Zed is built in Rust. It opens in under 100 milliseconds. It renders at 120 FPS. It uses less memory than VS Code’s empty window. And in 2026, it added AI features — an assistant panel, inline transformations, agentic workflows, and multi-model support.

The question isn’t whether Zed is fast. It’s whether the AI features are good enough to compete with Cursor and Windsurf.

The Setup

Download Zed (free, open-source, Mac and Linux). Open settings, add your API key:

{
  "assistant": {
    "default_model": {
      "provider": "anthropic",
      "model": "claude-sonnet-4.6"
    }
  }
}

Zed supports Claude, GPT, Gemini, Ollama, and any OpenAI-compatible provider. The setup is similar to Continue.dev but built into the editor natively.

What Blew Me Away

The speed is real

I’ve been using Cursor (an Electron app) for months. Switching to Zed felt like upgrading from a hard drive to an SSD. Everything is instant — file opening, search, switching between files, even AI responses feel faster because the UI never blocks.

This matters more than you’d think. When your editor responds in 5ms instead of 50ms, you stay in flow. The cumulative effect over a full day of coding is significant.

Multibuffer editing

Zed’s killer feature for AI work is multibuffer editing. When the AI suggests changes across multiple files, Zed shows all the changes in a single scrollable view — like a unified diff but editable. You can accept, reject, or modify changes across files without switching tabs.

Cursor has multi-file editing too, but Zed’s implementation is faster and more intuitive.

Real-time collaboration + AI

Zed has built-in real-time collaboration (like Google Docs for code). Combined with AI, this means two developers can work on the same file while the AI assists both of them. I tested this with a colleague — we were pair programming with AI as a third participant. It’s a workflow no other tool supports.

Battery life

On my MacBook, Cursor drains about 15% battery per hour of active coding. Zed uses about 5%. For developers who work from coffee shops or flights, this is a real advantage.

What Frustrated Me

AI features are behind Cursor

The honest truth: Zed’s AI is good but not Cursor-level. The autocomplete is less accurate, the chat responses are slower to render (despite the fast UI), and there’s no equivalent to Cursor’s Composer for complex multi-step tasks.

Zed’s AI feels like Copilot-level — solid inline completions and a chat panel. Cursor’s AI feels like a pair programmer. The gap is closing but it’s still there.

No Windows support

Zed is Mac and Linux only. If your team has Windows developers, Zed isn’t an option. This is a dealbreaker for many teams.

Extension ecosystem is small

VS Code has 40,000+ extensions. Zed has a growing but much smaller ecosystem. If you rely on specific VS Code extensions (Docker, database clients, specific language tools), check if Zed has equivalents before switching.

The AI agent is new

Zed recently added agentic AI capabilities — the AI can run terminal commands, read files, and make multi-step changes. But it’s early. Cursor’s agent mode is more mature and handles complex tasks more reliably.

Zed vs Cursor vs VS Code + Copilot

Feature	Zed	Cursor	VS Code + Copilot
Speed	✅ Fastest	⚠️ Electron	⚠️ Electron
AI quality	Good	Best	Good
Autocomplete	Good	Excellent	Good
Agent/Composer	Early	Mature	Basic
Collaboration	✅ Built-in	❌ No	❌ Live Share (separate)
Price	Free	$20/mo	$10/mo
Platform	Mac/Linux	All	All
Extensions	Growing	VS Code compatible	40,000+

My Verdict After 7 Days

Zed is the editor I want to use full-time but can’t — yet. The speed is addictive, the multibuffer editing is brilliant, and the collaboration features are unique. But the AI gap with Cursor is real, and the missing Windows support limits team adoption.

If you’re a Mac developer who values speed and doesn’t need Cursor-level AI, Zed is already the best editor available. If AI capability is your priority, Cursor is still ahead.

My prediction: in 12 months, Zed’s AI will catch up. The Rust foundation gives them a performance advantage that Electron-based editors can never match. When the AI features mature, Zed becomes the obvious choice.

Best for: Mac/Linux developers who value speed, teams that use real-time collaboration, developers who want a free alternative to Cursor.

Not for: Windows users, developers who need Cursor-level AI, anyone dependent on VS Code extensions.

Rating: 8/10 — The fastest editor with the most potential. The AI needs 6 more months to compete with Cursor, but the foundation is unbeatable.

Related reviews: Cursor AI · Claude Code · GitHub Copilot · Best AI Coding Tools 2026

FAQ

Is Zed AI worth switching to?

If you’re on Mac or Linux and value raw editor speed, yes — Zed opens in under 100ms, uses a fraction of VS Code’s memory, and the multibuffer editing is brilliant. The AI features are good but not yet Cursor-level, so switch for the speed and stay for the AI as it matures over the next 6-12 months.

Is Zed faster than VS Code?

Dramatically. Zed is built in Rust and renders at 120 FPS with sub-5ms response times for file operations. VS Code and Cursor are Electron apps that can’t match this performance. On a MacBook, Zed uses about 5% battery per hour vs Cursor’s 15% — a real difference for mobile developers.

Does Zed support AI coding?

Yes — Zed has built-in AI features including an assistant panel, inline code transformations, and an early agentic mode that can run terminal commands and make multi-step changes. It supports Claude, GPT, Gemini, and Ollama. The AI is solid but still maturing compared to Cursor’s more established agent and Tab completion system.

Related: Cargo Cheat Sheet