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Sublime Text vs Zed
Short answer: Pick Sublime Text if you want fast, GPU-accelerated code editing; pick Zed if you want fast, AI-augmented collaborative editing. Sublime Text is paid; Zed has a free plan, paid from $10/month.
Which to pick
Pick Sublime Text if you want…
- Fast, GPU-accelerated code editing
- Integrations with TypeScript, JSX or TSX (on Sublime Text's list, not Zed's)
Pick Zed if you want…
- Fast, AI-augmented collaborative editing
- AI-enhanced high-performance editing
- A free plan to start with (Personal)
- Open-source code (zed-industries/zed on GitHub)
- Integrations with Vim bindings, Debug Adapter Protocol (DAP) or Git (on Zed's list, not Sublime Text's)
Side by side
- What it is
- Sublime Text:Sublime Text is a fast, minimal, cross-platform text editor for code, markup and prose with a slick UI and high performance.
- Zed:Zed is a high-performance, Rust-based code editor with built-in AI agents and multiplayer collaboration.
- Best for
- Sublime Text:Fast, GPU-accelerated code editing
- Zed:Fast, AI-augmented collaborative editing
- Who it’s for
- Sublime Text:Developers and writers needing a lightweight yet powerful code editor.
- Zed:Individual developers and teams needing fast editing, AI assistance, and collaborative features.
- Pricing
- Sublime Text:Paid
- Zed:Freemium
- Starting price
- Sublime Text:—
- Zed:$10/month (Pro)
- Free plan or trial
- Sublime Text:—
- Zed:Free plan (Personal) · Free trial
- Plans
- Sublime Text:—
- Zed:Personal $0 · Pro $10 per month · Business $30 per seat, per month
- Open source
- Sublime Text:—
- Zed:Yes, 91,166 GitHub stars
- Works with
- Sublime Text:TypeScript, JSX, TSX, Python API, GPU rendering, Apple Silicon, Linux ARM64
- Zed:Vim bindings, Debug Adapter Protocol (DAP), Git
Sublime Text features
- GPU Rendering. Uses the GPU on Windows, macOS and Linux for fluid UI up to 8K resolution.
- Tab Multi-Select. Select multiple tabs and split panes effortlessly across the interface.
- Side-by-Side Definitions. View definitions, references and symbols in a side-by-side pane for easier navigation.
- Context-Aware Auto-Complete. Smart completions based on project code with type info and definition links.
- Native Apple Silicon & ARM64. Runs natively on Apple Silicon Macs and Linux ARM64 devices like Raspberry Pi.
- Updated Python API. Python 3.8 API with expanded features for plugin development.
Zed features
- Multicore performance. Written in Rust to leverage multiple CPU cores and GPU for low latency editing.
- Parallel agents. Run multiple AI agents in parallel across projects for tasks like code generation and refactoring.
- Multiplayer collaboration. Chat, share screens, and edit code together in real time with teammates.
- Native Git support. Stage, commit, push, pull and view diffs directly inside the editor.
- Edit prediction. Zeta2 model predicts next code tokens, offering up to 2,000 accepted predictions on the free plan.
- Debugger (DAP). Built-in Debug Adapter Protocol support for debugging many languages.
- Vim-friendly modal editing. First-class Vim bindings with text objects and marks.
- Remote development. UI runs locally while code executes on a remote server.
Sublime Text vs Zed FAQ
What is the difference between Sublime Text and Zed?+
Zed: AI-built-in features and cloud-first design.
Should I use Sublime Text or Zed?+
Pick Sublime Text if you want fast, GPU-accelerated code editing or integrations with TypeScript, JSX or TSX (on Sublime Text's list, not Zed's). Pick Zed if you want fast, AI-augmented collaborative editing, AI-enhanced high-performance editing or a free plan to start with (Personal).
Is Sublime Text or Zed free?+
Sublime Text is paid. Zed has a free plan (Personal); paid plans start at $10/month (Pro).
Is Sublime Text or Zed open source?+
Zed is open source (zed-industries/zed on GitHub). DevHunt has no public source repository on record for Sublime Text.
Do Sublime Text and Zed integrate with the same tools?+
Their integration lists don't overlap: Sublime Text lists TypeScript, JSX, TSX, Python API and 3 more; Zed lists Vim bindings, Debug Adapter Protocol (DAP) and Git.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.