Onlook vs Zed

Comprehensive side-by-side comparison — features, pricing, performance, and more.

Updated October 2026

Onlook

On Off, Inc.

The Developer Tool for Designers.

Freemium

70% verification coverage

Zed

Zed Industries

Minimal, fast code editor for speed & AI collaboration

Open Source

83% verification coverage

Trust & Reliability

Onlook

Users:10K-100K

Zed

Uptime:100.0%Status page

GDPR

Overall Winner: Zed

6.2/10 vs Onlook at 4.7/10

Leads in:

Support

Integration

Compliance & Data Protection

Scores are AI-estimated from publicly available data — not an independent test or a verified user rating. How we rank →

AI Comparison Summary

Onlook

4.7

avg score

Zed

6.2

avg score

Zed leads overall — particularly in Support and Integration and 1 more.

Onlook has an edge in Ease of Use.

Based on 7 dimensions

Scores are AI-estimated from publicly available data — not an independent test or a verified user rating. How we rank →

Overall Winner

Zed

6.2 / 10

Onlook

Best For

Designers working with React codebases

Product teams aiming to bridge design and engineering workflows

Developers seeking transparency and flexibility in design tools

Teams prototyping and building websites with AI assistance

Zed

Best For

Developers seeking a fast, collaborative code editor

Teams needing real-time code collaboration and AI assistance

Engineers who prefer Vim keybindings and advanced text manipulation

Developers working with Rust, TypeScript, or Python

* Verdict is based on our algorithmic scoring of publicly available data. Learn about our methodology

Onlook is best for

✍️Writing & Content7.0💬Chat & Conversation7.0🎨Image & Design5.0

Zed is best for

✍️Writing & Content8.0💬Chat & Conversation8.0🔍Research8.0

Filter by your use case:

Limitations

Onlook

Cons

Currently in closed beta
Hosted cloud version requires contacting the team for pricing

Zed

Cons

Vim mode is a work in progress and not yet ready for full-time use
SSO, SAML, SCIM, and SOC 2 are planned but not currently available
Does not support restricting project-wide search to specific paths
Projects are not persistent and disappear when the window is closed
Screen sharing currently only supports sharing the entire screen

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

Customization5

Support5

Integration5

Compliance & Data Protection5

Performance5

Planning Quality5

Dimension Comparison

Onlook

4.7

/ 10

Zed

6.2

/ 10

Clear winner

Dimension Breakdown

Ease of Use

How intuitive is onboarding, UI navigation, and day-to-day usage for the target audience?

Onlook

6.0▲ +2.0

Zed

4.0

Customization

Calculated

How much can users tailor workflows, settings, prompts, or outputs to their needs?

Onlook

5.0

Zed

5.0

Support

How strong is the documentation, customer support, community, and learning resources?

Onlook

4.0

Zed

9.0▲ +5.0

Integration

Calculated

How well does it connect with other tools, APIs, and workflows?

Onlook

4.0

Zed

6.0▲ +2.0

Compliance & Data Protection

Calculated

Compliance certifications and data-protection posture, counted from ten verified signals: SOC 2 Type II, GDPR compliance, HIPAA, WCAG AA/AAA, PII redaction, licensed-only training, a published sub-processor list, a downloadable DPA, not training on user data, and a documented deletion path

Onlook

1.0

Zed

5.0▲ +4.0

Performance

Calculated

Latency + throughput speed

Onlook

8.0

Zed

8.0

Planning Quality

Calculated

Multi-step planning depth + replanning capability

Onlook

—

Zed

—

Calculated = derived from structured signals (integration count, API/open-source config, compliance certs, response-time). AI = LLM-assessed from public website content. Methodology

Task Performance

Onlook

Task

Zed

3.0

Code Completion

8.0

3.0

Bug Detection

6.0

4.0

Code Explanation

7.0

4.0

Refactoring

8.0

2.0

Test Generation

6.0

3.0

Multi Language Support

9.0

7.0

Context Understanding

8.0

2.0

Documentation Generation

5.0

2.0

Performance Optimization

4.0

1.0

Security Scanning

3.0

1.0

Api Management

2.0

3.0

Ci Cd Integration

3.0

* Task scores (1–10) are algorithmically generated from publicly available data.

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, Onlook or Zed?

Both are strong options. Onlook is a strong choice, while Zed is a strong choice. The best choice depends on your specific use case, budget, and workflow requirements.

Is Onlook cheaper than Zed?

Onlook starts at free (freemium model). Zed starts at free (open_source model) with a free trial. Use the Cost Calculator above for a detailed estimate.

What are the main differences between Onlook and Zed?

Onlook — "The Developer Tool for Designers.". Zed — "Minimal, fast code editor for speed & AI collaboration". 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.

Can I use Onlook and Zed together?

Yes, many teams use both tools together for different purposes. Use the Stack Builder section above to combine Onlook and Zed with other tools and save your AI toolkit.

Does Onlook or Zed have a free plan?

Onlook is available for free. Zed is a paid tool with a free trial. Always verify current pricing directly with the vendor.

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