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Software · head to head

Greenhouse vs Zed

Greenhouse logo

Greenhouse

Software

Hiring software for growing companies

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zed logo

Zed

Software

Code at the speed of thought

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Zed has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Greenhouse core plan lacks talent discovery and contact lookups; Zed newer product with smaller ecosystem than established editors
  • They diverge on capability: Greenhouse covers Applicant tracking, Zed covers Real-time collaboration.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Greenhouse and Zed actually diverge.

Attributes where Greenhouse and Zed differ
AttributeGreenhouseZed
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApimacOS, Linux, Windows
Founded20122023

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Greenhouse

  • Applicant tracking
  • Interview scheduling
  • Scorecard system
  • Job board posting
  • Candidate CRM
  • Reporting & analytics
  • Offer management
  • EEO compliance

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.

Greenhouse

  • Applicant tracking system for structured hiringnot Zed
  • AI-powered interview notetaking and sourcingnot Zed

Zed

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

Where each one falls short

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

Greenhouse

  • Core plan lacks talent discovery and contact lookups
  • Core plan lacks email automation and applicant texting
  • Plus plan lacks resume anonymisation and application limits
  • Plus plan lacks audit logging and developer tools
  • Pricing customised by hiring volume and company size, not published
  • Only Pro tier offers audit logs and developer sandbox

Zed

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Greenhouse

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Greenhouse 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 Greenhouse if

  • You need applicant tracking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want interview scheduling.
Greenhouse 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 Greenhouse or Zed better?
Neither clearly leads. Greenhouse starts at On request and Zed at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Greenhouse or Zed?
Zed has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Greenhouse and Free for Zed.
Does Greenhouse or Zed run on more platforms?
Greenhouse runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Zed runs on macOS, Linux, Windows.
Can I use Zed for free?
Yes. Zed has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Greenhouse starts at On request.
What is Greenhouse best used for?
Greenhouse is most often used for applicant tracking system for structured hiring, ai-powered interview notetaking and sourcing. Of those, applicant tracking system for structured hiring and ai-powered interview notetaking and sourcing are not what Zed is typically brought in for.
What can Greenhouse do that Zed cannot?
Greenhouse covers Applicant tracking, Interview scheduling, Scorecard system, Job board posting. 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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Related pages

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