Alternatives to Zed

AI-first code editor built as a VS Code fork that deeply integrates LLMs into every part of the development workflow. Features Tab autocomplete with multi-line predictions, Cmd+K inline editing, AI chat with full codebase awareness, and Agent mode for autonomous multi-file edits with terminal execution. Supports GPT-4, Claude, and more with automatic context from project files and docs. Includes privacy mode for SOC 2 compliance. The leading AI-native IDE with 100K+ paying users.

Microsoft's free, open-source code editor that has become the most widely used development environment in the world. Lightweight but powerful, with built-in Git, integrated terminal, IntelliSense, debugger, and tens of thousands of extensions. Recent updates add Agent mode for delegating coding tasks to AI, Model Context Protocol (MCP) support, and Next Edit Suggestions. Native GitHub Copilot, remote development via SSH/containers/WSL, and a browser version at vscode.dev.

Google Antigravity is Google's AI-powered agentic development platform, announced in November 2025 and expanded with Antigravity 2.0 at I/O 2026, that places autonomous AI agents at the center of software development. Distributed as both a VS Code-based desktop app and the new Antigravity CLI, it runs planning, implementation, and verification agents — backed by Gemini 3.1 Pro/Flash, Claude Sonnet/Opus 4.6, and GPT-OSS 120B — across editor, terminal, and browser.

Lapce is an open-source code editor written in Rust, delivering sub-millisecond response times through native GPU rendering via wgpu. It features modal editing inspired by Vim, built-in LSP support for intelligent code completion, and a WASI-based plugin system supporting Rust, C, and AssemblyScript extensions. Includes integrated remote development over SSH, a built-in terminal, and split-pane layouts. Its rope-based text architecture ensures efficient handling of large codebases.

Helix is a post-modern modal text editor written in Rust, inspired by Kakoune and Neovim. It ships with built-in Tree-sitter support for syntax highlighting and structural editing across dozens of languages, native LSP integration for autocompletion and diagnostics, and multiple cursors as a first-class feature. Helix requires no plugin system or configuration to be productive out of the box, offering a selection-then-action editing model that reverses the Vim paradigm.

Modern fork of Vim with Lua-based plugin architecture and built-in LSP support. Lightweight yet endlessly extensible, it serves as the foundation for AI-enhanced development workflows through plugins like Avante, Codecompanion, and Copilot.lua. With 85k+ GitHub stars, it's the terminal editor of choice for developers who value speed, customization, and keyboard-driven efficiency.

VS Code fork with Builder Mode for full-stack project generation from natural language prompts. Offers free access to Claude 3.7 Sonnet, GPT-4o, and DeepSeek models. With 6M+ users and a cloud IDE option, Trae is one of the most accessible AI coding tools for developers who want powerful AI features without upfront costs or complex setup.

Spec-driven agentic AI IDE from AWS, built on Code OSS (the VS Code foundation), that transforms ad-hoc prompting into a structured workflow by auto-generating requirements documents, design specs, and implementation plans before writing code. Kiro keeps AI-written code tied to explicit acceptance criteria defined up front.