Kate vs Zed: catalog facts
 Kate |  Zed |
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Free Free and open source, part of the KDE project. |
Freemium The editor is free and open source. Zed's hosted AI plans are paid, and you can use your… |
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Windows, Linux |
Windows, macOS, Linux |
- Syntax highlighting for over 400 languages with bracket hierarchy navigation
- Embedded terminal plugin runs commands without leaving the editor
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- GPU-rendered and written in Rust, so it stays responsive under load
- Real-time collaborative editing and a shared terminal
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- Pulls in KDE Frameworks, which is a large dependency outside a KDE desktop
- On Windows it is distributed through the Microsoft Store rather than a plain installer
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- A much smaller extension ecosystem than VS Code
- Windows support arrived late and is still the least mature build
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Downloadable app |
Downloadable app |
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Open source |
Open source |
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License: GPL-2.0 |
License: GPL-3.0-or-later |
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No account needed |
No account needed |
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Works offline |
Works offline |
Checked September 21, 2026 | Checked September 21, 2026 |
Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.
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