Leaving VS Code and Fleet for Zed in 2026

Performance and Architecture

I switched to Zed because the performance gap between Electron-based editors and Rust-native tools became impossible to ignore. VS Code consumes 3,549 MB of RAM when I open a folder, while Zed uses only 222 MB for the same task. This 16x difference in memory usage leaves large headroom for Docker containers or local databases on a 16 GB machine. In April 2026 benchmarks, Zed cold-started in 0.40 seconds, which beat VS Code’s 3.00 seconds. I find the GPU-accelerated rendering via GPUI makes scrolling through a 100,000-line file feel instant. VS Code takes 1.19 seconds to render that same file and stutters during scrolling. The performance gap is massive because Zed uses a custom GPU-accelerated UI framework called GPUI to render every pixel natively, whereas VS Code relies on the Chromium-based Electron shell which adds heavy overhead to every user action. My input latency in Zed stays at 2ms, while VS Code sits at 12ms.

The speed is real.

I find the extension ecosystem gap large. VS Code has over 100,000 plugins, while Zed has about 800. This means I occasionally lack the niche tools I had in my previous setup. However, Zed’s extension system uses WebAssembly, which prevents a single misbehaving extension from freezing my entire workspace. In May 2026, ToolChew benchmarks of the Zed v1.2.6 build showed cold starts at just 0.12 seconds against VS Code’s 1.2 seconds. VS Code with a folder open spawns 23 processes, while Zed achieves the same functionality with 5 processes.

AI and Collaboration

The built-in multiplayer mode works differently than the Live Share extension in VS Code. Zed uses CRDTs to allow multiple developers to edit the same file with real-time cursor visibility and sub-second latency. I do not need an account handshake or a service tier to make this work. The Agent Panel manages full agentic sessions with tool calling and checkpoints. This tool allows me to run Claude Code or Codex directly inside the editor through the Agent Client Protocol.

Zed handles AI well.

The editor handles AI context through a persistent assistant pane. I can reference files directly with @filename or pull in diagnostics. Unlike Copilot-style autocomplete, I decide exactly what goes into the context. This prevents the guessing game that happens when using other tools. I can also use Zed-hosted models or bring my own API keys from providers like Anthropic, OpenAI, or Google. The Agent Panel uses the open-source Zeta2 model for Edit Predictions.

I find the Markdown experience in Zed frustrating. The editor constantly suggests words while I write Markdown, which breaks my focus. It also lacks code folding for headings and the shortcut Ctrl+B for bolding. I miss the ability to render images in the preview pane easily. I also find the lack of IntelliSense for internal links and images a major drawback for my writing workflow.

Remote development uses SSH to run a Zed headless server on a remote host while I keep the UI on my local machine. My local machine handles the UI, talks to language models, uses Tree-sitter to parse code, and stores unsaved changes. The remote server runs the source code, language servers, tasks, and the terminal. This setup works on macOS 10.15 or later, Linux with Vulkan support, and Windows 10. If I work on a remote server, the UI runs at 120 frames per second. I can also configure port forwarding in my settings file to load websites from a remote machine in my local browser.

Pricing and Team Setup

Teams moving to Zed face a clear pricing structure.

The Pro plan includes a two-week free trial with $20 in token credits. I cannot use Claude Opus or GPT Pro models during this trial. Once I use up my monthly credits, Zed bills for additional token usage at API list price plus 10 percent.

The Business plan provides an admin layer for organizations of any size. I can use it to restrict specific Zed-hosted AI models or turn off Edit Predictions for the whole team. Business seats do not bundle a fixed LLM credit allotment. For larger teams, I can reach out to sales for order form contracts at 25+ seats. I can also sponsor the company via GitHub Sponsors if I want to provide financial support.

I can use WSL.

Will the extension catalog ever reach the scale of VS Code?