Cursor vs Zed
Comprehensive side-by-side comparison — features, pricing, performance, and more.
Updated May 2026
Trust & Reliability
Cursor
Customers (per vendor):Stripe, OpenAI, Datadog +7
GDPR
SOC 2
Zed
Overall Winner: Cursor
8.0/10 vs Zed at 7.3/10
Leads in:
Output Quality
Ease of Use
Customizability
AI Comparison Summary
Cursor
8.0
avg score
Zed
7.3
avg score
Cursor leads overall — particularly in Customizability.
Based on 6 dimensions
How scores are calculatedOverall Winner
Cursor
8.0 / 10
Cursor
Best For
Individual developers seeking AI-powered coding assistance
Engineering teams aiming to accelerate development cycles
Organizations needing advanced code review and debugging tools
Developers working with complex or large codebases
Not Ideal For
Beginner programmers who prefer a simpler, non-AI-assisted environment
Teams strictly requiring on-premise or fully self-hosted AI models for all operations
Users who prefer a lightweight text editor over a full-featured IDE
Zed
Best For
Collaborative coding for development teams
AI-assisted code generation and refactoring
High-performance code editing for individual developers
Debugging and testing across multiple programming languages
Not Ideal For
Users who require extensive plugin ecosystems not yet available in Zed's extensions
Developers who prefer a fully cloud-based IDE without a desktop client
Teams needing advanced project management features integrated directly into the editor
* Verdict is based on our algorithmic scoring of publicly available data. Learn about our methodology
Cursor is best for
💻Coding & Dev10.0🤖Automation & Agents7.0✍️Writing & Content3.0
Zed is best for
🤖Automation & Agents8.0🔍Research8.0🎧Customer Support8.0
Filter by your use case:
Pros & Cons
CursorPros
- Significantly boosts developer productivity
- Deep codebase understanding for accurate AI assistance
- Supports a wide range of cutting-edge AI models
- Integrates seamlessly into existing developer workflows (GitHub, Slack)
- Offers robust enterprise-grade security and compliance features
- Provides flexible deployment across desktop, CLI, web, and mobile
Cons
- Requires developers to adapt to an AI-first IDE workflow
- Advanced features and integrations are primarily for paid tiers
- Reliance on external LLM providers for core AI capabilities
- Potential for high switching costs due to deep integration into development environment
- No explicit mention of on-premise deployment for core product
ZedPros
- Extremely fast and responsive due to Rust-based architecture
- Seamless real-time collaboration features including screen sharing
- Integrated AI tools like Agentic Editing and Edit Prediction enhance productivity
- Comprehensive native Git support simplifies version control workflows
- Supports a wide range of programming languages via LSP and extensions
- Offers a free plan with core editor features and external AI integration
Cons
- Vim mode is still a work in progress with missing fundamental parts
- Multi-file code actions do not yet support undoing file-system changes
- Project browser does not persist project settings once the window is closed
- Does not yet support restricting project-wide search to specific paths
- Currently only supports sharing the entire screen during collaboration
Weighted Score — Adjust What Matters to You
Pick a profile or drag sliders — scores and radar update instantly on the right.
Quick profiles:
Ease of Use5
Output Quality5
Value for Money5
Customizability5
Support & Ecosystem5
Integration Power5
Dimension Comparison
Cursor
8.0
/ 10
Your pick
Zed
7.3
/ 10
Dimension Breakdown
Ease of Use
AIHow easy it is to get started and use daily
Cursor
8.0▲ +1.0
Zed
7.0
Output Quality
AIQuality and accuracy of generated results
Cursor
9.0▲ +1.0
Zed
8.0
Value for Money
AICost vs. features and output quality
Cursor
8.0
Zed
8.0
Customizability
CalculatedAbility to tailor to specific needs
Cursor
8.0▲ +2.0
Zed
6.0
Support & Ecosystem
AIDocumentation, community, and support quality
Cursor
7.0
Zed
7.0
Integration Power
CalculatedAbility to connect with other tools and workflows
Cursor
8.0
Zed
8.0
Calculated = derived from verified integration count and API/open-source signals. AI = LLM-assessed from public website content. Methodology
Data is sourced from public information and vendor websites. It may not always be up-to-date — verify pricing and features directly with the vendor before purchasing.Report inaccuracy
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Cursor or Zed?
Both are strong options. Cursor has a rating of 0.0/5 (0 reviews), while Zed has a rating of 0.0/5 (0 reviews). The best choice depends on your specific use case, budget, and workflow requirements.
Is Cursor cheaper than Zed?
Cursor starts at free (freemium model). Zed starts at free (freemium model) with a free trial. Use the Cost Calculator above for a detailed estimate.
What are the main differences between Cursor and Zed?
Cursor — "Built to make you extraordinarily productive, Cursor is the best way to code with AI.". Zed — "A minimal code editor crafted for speed and collaboration with AI.". Key differences include their pricing models, platform support, integrations, and technical capabilities. See the Feature Comparison table above for a complete side-by-side breakdown.