Head to head · Editorial, not sponsored
Cursor vs Zed (2026): Which should you pick?
Short answer
Pick Cursor if you want an AI editor built around handing off tasks to agents.
Pick Zed if you want a fast native editor with multiplayer collaboration and a free personal tier.
Based only on the facts below: Pricing from cursor.com, checked 2026-11-03. Pricing from zed.dev, checked 2026-11-03. No scores and no hands-on testing (methodology).
Pricing at a glance
Free tierCursor
Free tier; paid tiers listed at $8, $30, $100 and $200/month; Teams from $30/user/month; Enterprise custom.
Official pricing page · checked 2026-11-03
Free tierZed
Personal $0; Pro $10/mo (incl. $5 tokens, then usage billed at API list price plus 10%; 14-day Pro trial); Business $30/seat/mo.
Official pricing page · checked 2026-11-03
Feature checklist
From each tool's pricing page and listed use cases. "Not listed" means it is not among the use cases we list for that tool, not that it cannot do it.
| Feature | Cursor | Zed |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Free tier or open-source option | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not listed | Not listed |
| Free trial mentioned | Not listed | Yes |
| Listed under | ||
| Coding | Yes | Yes |
| Agents | Yes | Not listed |
| Listed use cases | ||
| write code with an AI agent | Yes | Not listed |
| refactor a codebase | Yes | Not listed |
| AI code review | Yes | Not listed |
| run cloud coding agents | Yes | Not listed |
| fast code editor with AI | Not listed | Yes |
| edit predictions | Not listed | Yes |
| collaborative coding | Not listed | Yes |
Best for and skip if
Cursor
Best for
- write code with an AI agent
- refactor a codebase
- AI code review
- run cloud coding agents
Skip if this matters to you
- Pricing page now bundles Cursor with Grok/X subscription tiers, which can be confusing
- Plus tier is limited to Grok models per pricing page
- Third-party model usage billed separately
From official docs and the pricing page, checked 2026-11-03.
Zed
Best for
- fast code editor with AI
- edit predictions
- collaborative coding
Skip if this matters to you
- Smaller extension ecosystem than VS Code
- AI usage beyond included credits is usage-billed
From official docs and the pricing page, checked 2026-11-03.
Cursor vs Zed: FAQ
Should I use Cursor or Zed?
Pick Cursor if you want an AI editor built around handing off tasks to agents. Pick Zed if you want a fast native editor with multiplayer collaboration and a free personal tier. Based on the official pricing pages and docs listed on this page, checked 2026-11-03.
Is Cursor free?
Yes, it lists a free way to start. Free tier; paid tiers listed at $8, $30, $100 and $200/month; Teams from $30/user/month; Enterprise custom. (official pricing page, checked 2026-11-03)
Is Zed free?
Yes, it lists a free way to start. Personal $0; Pro $10/mo (incl. $5 tokens, then usage billed at API list price plus 10%; 14-day Pro trial); Business $30/seat/mo. (official pricing page, checked 2026-11-03)
How much do Cursor and Zed cost?
Cursor: Free tier; paid tiers listed at $8, $30, $100 and $200/month; Teams from $30/user/month; Enterprise custom. Zed: Personal $0; Pro $10/mo (incl. $5 tokens, then usage billed at API list price plus 10%; 14-day Pro trial); Business $30/seat/mo. (official pricing pages, checked 2026-11-03).
What is the difference between Cursor and Zed?
Cursor is listed for: write code with an AI agent; refactor a codebase; aI code review; run cloud coding agents. Zed is listed for: fast code editor with AI; edit predictions; collaborative coding.
Is Cursor free for students?
Not for new sign-ups. Cursor stopped new sign-ups for its student discount on June 25, 2026; students who already redeemed it keep their current rate until their plan expires. Undergraduates can now claim credits and discounts at on-campus and online events, and master's students, PhD candidates, researchers and educators can request credits through a form.
Source: Cursor help: Student discount (checked 2026-10-29)
When does Cursor usage reset, and does unused usage roll over?
On current plans the included pool refreshes weekly, and unused included usage does not roll over. Prepaid credit does not reset with the weekly pool; each top-up lasts until used or until it expires (currently 365 days after purchase). Legacy Cursor plans split included usage into monthly pools. When you hit the limit you can keep working from prepaid credit, wait for the weekly reset or upgrade.
Source: Cursor help: Usage limits (checked 2026-10-29)
What happens when I use up Zed Pro's $5 of tokens?
Extra token usage is billed at API list price plus 10%. Zed Personal is free forever with your own API keys or external agents.
Source: Zed: pricing and FAQ (checked 2026-10-29)
Did you test Cursor and Zed?
No. Verdicts are based on each vendor's public docs and pricing pages, not hands-on testing, unless a page says otherwise.