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Development Tools · head to head

Cody vs Zed

Cody logo

Cody

Development Tools

AI coding assistant powered by code search

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zed logo

Zed

Software Development

Code at the speed of thought

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cody sourcegraph now publishes a single Enterprise plan starting at $16K, with no free or individual Pro tier listed on the pricing page; Zed newer product with smaller ecosystem than established editors

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cody and Zed actually diverge.

Attributes where Cody and Zed differ
AttributeCodyZed
PlatformsWebmacOS, Linux, Windows
CategoryDevelopment ToolsSoftware Development
Founded20132023

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Cody

Nothing recorded that Zed does not also cover.

Only in Zed

  • Real-time collaboration
  • AI code completion
  • Lightning-fast performance
  • Rust-based architecture
  • Multi-language support
  • Integrated terminal
  • Git integration
  • Vim keybindings

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Cody

  • AI code assistance with context drawn from a whole private codebasenot Zed
  • Code search and navigation across many repositoriesnot Zed
  • Large scale code migrations and modernisation with Batch Changesnot Zed

Zed

  • Collaborative codingnot Cody
  • High-performance editingnot Cody
  • Real-time pair programmingnot Cody
  • Systems programmingnot Cody
  • Web developmentnot Cody

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Cody

  • Sourcegraph now publishes a single Enterprise plan starting at $16K, with no free or individual Pro tier listed on the pricing page
  • sourcegraph.com/cody redirects to the documentation rather than a Cody product or pricing page
  • AI features are metered as credits included per user, and exceeding the allocation requires buying a higher volume bucket
  • Volume credit buckets are sold as an add-on rather than included
  • A customer success manager and premium support are optional paid extras on top of the Enterprise plan
  • Standard support is 24x5 rather than 24x7, with round-the-clock coverage sold as an upgrade
  • The published $16K figure is a starting price that scales with team size, so the actual cost is quoted rather than listed

Zed

  • Newer product with smaller ecosystem than established editors
  • Limited extensions and plugin marketplace compared to VSCode or Sublime Text

Pricing, plan by plan

Cody

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cody review.

Zed

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Single-player editing
    • Local AI assistance
    • Fast performance
  • Plus$10/month
    • Multiplayer collaboration
    • Cloud AI assistance
    • Advanced features

Which should you pick?

Choose Cody if

  • You want to start without paying.
Cody review

Choose Zed if

  • You need real-time collaboration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on macOS, Linux, Windows.
  • You also want ai code completion.
Zed review

Questions people ask

Is Cody or Zed better?
Neither clearly leads. Cody starts at Free and Zed at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cody or Zed?
Cody starts at Free and Zed at Free.
Does Cody or Zed run on more platforms?
Cody runs on Web. Zed runs on macOS, Linux, Windows.
Can I use Cody for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Cody best used for?
Cody is most often used for ai code assistance with context drawn from a whole private codebase, code search and navigation across many repositories, large scale code migrations and modernisation with batch changes. Of those, ai code assistance with context drawn from a whole private codebase and code search and navigation across many repositories are not what Zed is typically brought in for.
What can Cody do that Zed cannot?
Zed covers Real-time collaboration, AI code completion, Lightning-fast performance, Rust-based architecture.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Zed: What platforms does Zed support?

Zed is available for macOS, Linux, and Windows, providing cross-platform support for developers.

Source
Zed: Is Zed free to use?

Yes. Zed is open-source software available free to download and use. The editor and GPUI framework are available under open-source licenses (GPL for editor, Apache/MIT for GPUI).

Source
Zed: What makes Zed fast compared to other editors?

Zed is written in Rust and uses GPU-accelerated rendering to achieve startup times under 500ms and keystroke latency below 2ms.

Source
Zed: Does Zed support real-time collaboration?

Yes. Zed provides real-time collaborative editing and screen sharing capabilities, enabling multiple developers to work on the same code simultaneously.

Source
Zed: What AI models does Zed support?

Zed supports multiple AI models and agents for agentic editing, enabling human-AI collaboration during development.

Source
Zed: When was Zed 1.0 released?

Zed 1.0 was officially released on April 29, 2026, marking the stable production release.

Source
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