Does Zed or Haystack have a free plan?

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

Zed vs Haystack

Q: Can I use Zed and Haystack together?

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

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

Updated May 2026

Zed

Zed Industries

A minimal code editor crafted for speed and collaboration with AI.

0.0(0)

FREEMIUM

95% data quality

Haystack

deepset GmbH

Open-source AI framework for production-ready agents, RAG, and context engineering.

0.0(0)

FREEMIUM

88% data quality

Trust & Reliability

Zed

Users:100K-1M

Customers (per vendor):José Valim, Ethan Perez, Dan Abramov +2

GDPR

Haystack

Too Close to Call

Haystack (7.5) vs Zed (7.3) — difference of 0.2 points

AI Comparison Summary

Zed

7.3

avg score

Haystack

7.5

avg score

Haystack leads overall — particularly in Customizability.

Based on 6 dimensions

How scores are calculated

Overall Winner

Haystack

7.5 / 10

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

Haystack

Best For

Building production-ready AI agents

Developing advanced RAG pipelines

Creating multimodal AI applications

Orchestrating complex LLM workflows

Not Ideal For

Non-technical users seeking a no-code AI solution

Simple, single-model AI tasks without complex orchestration needs

Users who prefer a fully managed, proprietary platform without code involvement

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

Zed is best for

🤖Automation & Agents8.0🔍Research8.0🎧Customer Support8.0

Haystack is best for

✍️Writing & Content8.0💬Chat & Conversation8.0🤖Automation & Agents7.0

Filter by your use case:

Pros & Cons

Zed

Pros

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

Haystack

Pros

Open-source with a strong community
Highly modular and flexible architecture
Extensive integrations with models and databases
Supports complex agentic workflows with full control
Designed for rapid prototyping to production deployment

Cons

Text-to-SQL capabilities are still evolving and require careful evaluation
Retrieval augmentation performance can be challenging with unbalanced datasets
Fine-tuning open-source models requires suitable, domain-specific datasets for optimal performance

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

Zed

7.3

/ 10

Haystack

7.5

/ 10

Your pick

Dimension Breakdown

Ease of Use

How easy it is to get started and use daily

Zed

7.0▲ +1.0

Haystack

6.0

Output Quality

Quality and accuracy of generated results

Zed

8.0▲ +1.0

Haystack

7.0

Value for Money

Cost vs. features and output quality

Zed

8.0

Haystack

8.0

Customizability

Calculated

Ability to tailor to specific needs

Zed

6.0

Haystack

8.0▲ +2.0

Support & Ecosystem

Documentation, community, and support quality

Zed

7.0

Haystack

8.0▲ +1.0

Integration Power

Calculated

Ability to connect with other tools and workflows

Zed

8.0

Haystack

8.0

Calculated = derived from verified integration count and API/open-source signals. AI = LLM-assessed from public website content. Methodology

Task Performance

Zed

Task

Haystack

8.0

Code Completion

2.0

7.0

Bug Detection

3.0

7.0

Code Explanation

3.0

8.0

Refactoring

3.0

6.0

Test Generation

2.0

8.0

Multi Language Support

7.0

Context Understanding

8.0

7.0

Documentation Generation

4.0

7.0

Performance Optimization

4.0

6.0

Security Scanning

2.0

* 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, Zed or Haystack?

Both are strong options. Zed has a rating of 0.0/5 (0 reviews), while Haystack has a rating of 0.0/5 (0 reviews). The best choice depends on your specific use case, budget, and workflow requirements.

Is Zed cheaper than Haystack?

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

What are the main differences between Zed and Haystack?

Zed — "A minimal code editor crafted for speed and collaboration with AI.". Haystack — "Open-source AI framework for production-ready agents, RAG, and context engineering.". 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 Zed and Haystack together?

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