Cursor vs Zed
A VS Code fork built around AI, with full codebase indexing and multi-file editing. A high-performance native code editor written in Rust, with AI built in and the option to bring your own API keys instead of paying for inference.
At a glance
| Cursor | Zed | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $20/mo | $10/mo |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Plans offered | 5 | 3 |
| Team pricing | $40/seat/mo | $30/seat/mo |
| Vendor | Anysphere | Zed Industries |
| Best for | Developers working across large existing codebases | Developers who already hold API keys and would rather pay providers directly |
| Main trade-off | Twice the price of Copilot Pro for individuals | A much smaller extension ecosystem than VS Code or its forks |
The short answer
Choose Cursor if developers working across large existing codebases. Choose Zed if developers who already hold api keys and would rather pay providers directly. The rest of this page is the detail behind that.
Pricing
Cursor
| Plan | Price | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Hobby | Free | Limited completions · Limited agent requests |
| Pro | $20/mo | 500 fast premium requests/mo · Access to frontier models including Opus-class · Consumption billing beyond quota |
| Pro+ | $60/mo | Substantially higher request allowance |
| Ultra | $200/mo | Highest allowance for sustained agentic work |
| Teams | $40/seat/mo | Central billing · Org privacy controls |
Pricing verified
Zed
| Plan | Price | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | Free | Free forever · 2,000 accepted edit predictions · Unlimited use with your own API keys or external agents |
| Pro | $10/mo | Unlimited edit predictions · $5 monthly token credits, then usage-based · Free trial |
| Business | $30/seat/mo | Org-wide model policies · Data governance · Unified spend visibility · Role-based access |
Pricing verified
Cursor
Strengths
- Full codebase indexing makes multi-file edits genuinely reliable
- Frontier models including Opus-class are on the $20 tier, not held back for a higher plan
- Familiar to anyone who already uses VS Code -- extensions and keybindings carry over
Trade-offs
- Twice the price of Copilot Pro for individuals
- Costs become unpredictable once you exceed the request quota and consumption billing starts
- Forking the editor means lagging slightly behind upstream VS Code releases
Cursor: who it suits
Buy it if
- Developers working across large existing codebases
- Anyone who wants Opus-class models without paying for a higher tier
- Teams already standardised on VS Code
Skip it if
- Developers who mainly want inline autocomplete -- you would be paying double for capability you do not use
- Anyone who needs a strictly predictable monthly bill, because usage above quota bills on consumption
- JetBrains or Neovim users unwilling to change editor
Visit Cursorfrom $20/mo · free tier available
Zed
Strengths
- The free tier allows unlimited AI use with your own API keys, so you can pay inference cost directly instead of a subscription margin -- almost nothing else in this category permits that
- Genuinely fast: a native Rust editor rather than an Electron app, and the difference is noticeable on large files
- Works with external agents including Claude Agent and Codex CLI
- Cheapest paid tier in the category at $10, matching Copilot Pro
Trade-offs
- A much smaller extension ecosystem than VS Code or its forks
- Bringing your own keys means managing and paying for API usage yourself, which is not simpler, only cheaper at volume
- Pro includes only $5 of token credits before usage billing starts
- Younger and less proven than the incumbents
Zed: who it suits
Buy it if
- Developers who already hold API keys and would rather pay providers directly
- Anyone who cares about editor performance on large codebases
- People wanting a genuinely free AI-capable editor
Skip it if
- Teams dependent on a wide VS Code extension ecosystem, which does not transfer
- Anyone who wants inference bundled and billing handled for them -- the bring-your-own-key advantage is only an advantage if you want to manage keys
- Organisations needing a long track record before adopting an editor
Visit Zedfrom $10/mo · free tier available
Common questions
- Is Cursor or Zed cheaper?
- Cursor starts at $20/mo and Zed at $10/mo. Zed is cheaper at entry level, though the allowances differ.
- Who should not use Cursor?
- Developers who mainly want inline autocomplete -- you would be paying double for capability you do not use. Anyone who needs a strictly predictable monthly bill, because usage above quota bills on consumption. JetBrains or Neovim users unwilling to change editor.
- Who should not use Zed?
- Teams dependent on a wide VS Code extension ecosystem, which does not transfer. Anyone who wants inference bundled and billing handled for them -- the bring-your-own-key advantage is only an advantage if you want to manage keys. Organisations needing a long track record before adopting an editor.
- Does Cursor or Zed have a free tier?
- Both offer a free tier, so you can evaluate each before paying.