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Zed vs Cursor: catalog facts
Zed	Cursor
Freemium The editor is free and open source. Zed's hosted AI plans are paid, and you can use your…	Freemium A free tier is available, with paid plans for more model usage.
Windows, macOS, Linux	macOS, Command line
GPU-rendered and written in Rust, so it stays responsive under load Real-time collaborative editing and a shared terminal	Familiar VS Code base and editing model Agents that work across multiple files
A much smaller extension ecosystem than VS Code Windows support arrived late and is still the least mature build	AI features depend on hosted models Heavier use requires a paid plan
Downloadable app	Downloadable app, Hosted service
Open source	Closed source
License: GPL-3.0-or-later	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.