Softwr

Logging · head to head

New Relic vs Zed

New Relic logo

New Relic

Logging

Observability made simple

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: New Relic data ingest costs can be high for large-scale deployments with high logging volume, making budgeting difficult; Zed newer product with smaller ecosystem than established editors
  • They diverge on capability: New Relic covers APM, Zed covers Real-time collaboration.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which New Relic and Zed actually diverge.

Attributes where New Relic and Zed differ
AttributeNew RelicZed
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Api, MobilemacOS, Linux, Windows
CategoryLoggingSoftware Development
Founded20082023

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 New Relic

  • APM
  • Infrastructure Monitoring
  • Log Management
  • Browser Monitoring
  • Synthetic Monitoring
  • Mobile Monitoring
  • Kubernetes Monitoring
  • AI Ops

Only in Zed

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

Both cover

  • GitHub

What people use each for

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

New Relic

  • Application monitoringnot Zed
  • Infrastructure monitoringnot Zed
  • Error trackingnot Zed
  • Performance optimizationnot Zed

Zed

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

Where each one falls short

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

New Relic

  • Data ingest costs can be high for large-scale deployments with high logging volume, making budgeting difficult
  • Core user licensing model adds complexity to pricing with distinction between full platform users and basic users
  • Default logs obfuscation may miss some sensitive patterns requiring custom configuration
  • Retention limits even on paid tiers require additional storage for long-term compliance requirements

Zed

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

Pricing, plan by plan

New Relic

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the New Relic 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 New Relic if

  • You need apm.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Mobile.
  • You also want infrastructure monitoring.
New Relic 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 New Relic or Zed better?
Neither clearly leads. New Relic 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, New Relic or Zed?
New Relic starts at Free and Zed at Free.
Does New Relic or Zed run on more platforms?
New Relic runs on Web, Api, Mobile. Zed runs on macOS, Linux, Windows.
Can I use New Relic for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is New Relic best used for?
New Relic is most often used for application monitoring, infrastructure monitoring, error tracking, performance optimization. Of those, application monitoring and infrastructure monitoring are not what Zed is typically brought in for.
What can New Relic do that Zed cannot?
New Relic covers APM, Infrastructure Monitoring, Log Management, Browser Monitoring. Zed covers Real-time collaboration, AI code completion, Lightning-fast performance, Rust-based architecture. Both handle GitHub.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

New Relic: Does New Relic offer a free tier?

Yes, New Relic's free tier is perpetual with no credit card required. It includes 100 GB of free data ingest monthly, one Full Platform User with access to all 50+ capabilities, and unlimited Basic Users for querying and dashboard creation.

Source
Zed: What platforms does Zed support?

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

Source
New Relic: How much does New Relic cost for paid plans?

Paid plans start at $49 per month per core user. New Relic uses consumption-based pricing where you pay only for what you use. Annual commitment options are available with volume discounts for larger teams.

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
New Relic: What data retention is included in New Relic's free tier?

The free tier includes a minimum of 8 days data retention for troubleshooting. Paid plans offer extended retention periods and customizable data retention policies.

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
New Relic: How many integrations does New Relic support?

New Relic provides access to 780+ integrations and unlimited hosts at no additional cost. These include monitoring integrations for various cloud services, databases, and applications.

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
New Relic: Can I use New Relic to monitor multiple cloud providers?

Yes, New Relic is cloud-agnostic and supports monitoring across AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, and on-premises infrastructure in a single platform.

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
New Relic: What is New Relic's ownership structure today?

New Relic was acquired by TPG and Francisco Partners on July 31, 2023, for $6.5 billion and transitioned from a publicly traded company to a private company in November 2023.

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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