Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Zed VS Void Editor

Compare Zed VS Void Editor and see what are their differences

Zed logo Zed

Zed is a high-performance, multiplayer code editor from the creators of Atom and Tree-sitter.

Void Editor logo Void Editor

Void is an open source Cursor alternative. Full privacy. Fully-featured.
  • Zed Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-06-20
  • Void Editor Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-09-16

Zed features and specs

  • Collaborative Editing
    Zed offers real-time collaborative editing features, allowing multiple developers to work on the same codebase simultaneously, enhancing team productivity and communication.
  • Minimalist Interface
    The interface is designed to be distraction-free and minimalist, which helps developers focus on coding without unnecessary clutter and distractions.
  • Speed and Performance
    Zed is built with performance in mind, offering fast loading times and a smooth user experience, making coding more efficient.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Zed is available on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it accessible to a wide array of users regardless of their operating system.
  • Innovative Features
    Zed includes several innovative features such as advanced search and navigation capabilities, which can significantly enhance the coding experience.

Possible disadvantages of Zed

  • Limited Extensions
    Compared to more established editors like VS Code, Zed currently has a more limited library of extensions and plugins, which might restrict customization and functionality.
  • Learning Curve
    New users coming from other development environments may face a learning curve due to Zed's unique interface and features.
  • Early Development
    As a relatively new tool, Zed may still be in its early stages of development, with potential bugs and missing features that could affect stability and user experience.
  • Community Size
    The community and user base for Zed is still growing, which can mean less community support, tutorials, and shared resources compared to more mature editors.

Void Editor features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Void Editor features an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, making it accessible for users with varying levels of experience.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Void Editor supports multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, enabling users to work across different platforms.
  • Lightweight
    The editor is lightweight and does not consume significant system resources, providing a smooth experience even on older hardware.
  • Rich Feature Set
    Offers a comprehensive set of editing tools and features that cover a wide range of use cases, from basic editing to advanced programming needs.
  • Customizability
    Users can customize the editor's appearance and functionality through various themes and plugins, enhancing the overall user experience.

Possible disadvantages of Void Editor

  • Limited Collaboration Tools
    The editor lacks advanced real-time collaboration features, which may be a drawback for teams working on shared projects.
  • Steep Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While basic functionality is easy to grasp, mastering advanced features may require additional time and effort.
  • Plugin Dependency
    Certain features depend heavily on third-party plugins, which might require users to invest time in finding and managing compatible plugins.
  • Community and Support
    The editor might have a smaller user community compared to other popular editors, potentially resulting in fewer resources and support materials.
  • Limited Built-in Integrations
    Compared to some competitors, Void Editor may have fewer built-in integrations with other tools and services, necessitating additional setup.

Analysis of Zed

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Zed is considered a good code editor by many developers.

Why this product is good

  • Zed offers a modern and efficient code editing experience with features such as real-time collaboration, a clean interface, and high performance. It is built to be fast and responsive, making it suitable for developers who value speed in their editing tools.

Recommended for

    Developers looking for a collaborative and fast code editor with a modern interface would benefit from using Zed. It is especially suited for teams that require real-time collaboration capabilities.

Zed videos

Zed โ€œkillsโ€ VSCode

More videos:

  • Review - Zed - The 'Visual Studio Code Killer' - Now on Linux!

Void Editor videos

No Void Editor videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Zed and Void Editor)
Developer Tools
78 78%
22% 22
Text Editors
86 86%
14% 14
AI
63 63%
37% 37
Productivity
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using Zed and Void Editor. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Zed seems to be a lot more popular than Void Editor. While we know about 94 links to Zed, we've tracked only 5 mentions of Void Editor. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Zed mentions (94)

  • GLM-5.3: Frontier Coding with Emergent Cyber Capabilities
    I am not talking about GLM models being served through an Anthropic compatible API. I am talking about ZCode, the harness, being unable to delegate to other harnesses, like using Claude Code (or even OpenCode) within their UI, so that an Anthropic subscription can be used, because they don't let you use 3rd party harnesses directly. It's basically what Paseo: https://paseo.sh/ and Kepler... - Source: Hacker News / 1 day ago
  • Elevated error rate across multiple models
    With Agent Client Protocol (ACP) you can keep the same UI and switch not models, but entire agents, that means using tools/prompts/compaction/etc that are tailored for the model. Try Zed[1] for GUI and pool[2] for TUI. [1] https://zed.dev/ [2] https://github.com/poolsideai/pool. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • Ask HN: What is your (AI) dev tech stack / workflow? (June 2026)
    Devcontainers + Claude + Pi [1] Zed https://zed.dev/ [2] Terminal threads https://zed.dev/blog/terminal-threads As sort of byproduct also replaced Alacritty + Zellij (i just don't have the need to use more, 3 weeks of new setup). - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • Ask HN: What is your (AI) dev tech stack / workflow? (June 2026)
    The simplest mainstream options for tools: 1) Claude Desktop which includes Claude Code for Anthropic: https://claude.com/product/claude-code (alternatively the terminal based version; either way get the subscription) 2) Codex for OpenAI: https://developers.openai.com/codex/app (same as above, subscription preferred instead of paying per token) 3) OpenCode for a variety of models: https://opencode.ai/ (they also... - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • Tools I'm Using in 2026 (and what I've stopped using from 2025)
    That said, sometimes you do just want an editor, not a full blown IDE, and for that for the last few months I've been experimenting with Zed. It's okay. I've had some weird issues with their terminal emulator; I don't know what they are doing but my ZSH config doesn't load right so it sometimes gets stuck in what looks like an infinite loop, and then my PATH is all messed up... IDK, I expect my editors to kinda... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
View more

Void Editor mentions (5)

  • Anthropic reverses privacy stance, will train on Claude chats
    Maybe I'll use the remainder of my subscription time to help improve Void. It's already pretty good. https://voideditor.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
  • Anthropic co-founder on cutting access to Windsurf
    Void is basically the same thing, but open source and better. It's easy to use with any provider API key, even LM Studio for local models. You can use it with free models available from OpenRouter to try it out, but the quality of output is just as dependent on the model as any other solution. https://voideditor.com/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Best AI editor for local models?
    Currently editing in Cursor, using agents heavily as I'm a solo dev with limited time. Been exploring running models locally and looking into Zed & Void (https://voideditor.com/). Anyone have opinions on these? Downloading both to try but wondering if the free plan on Zed is doable for full time software engineering, mostly working on next.js sites & native mobile apps in Swift/Kotlin. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: How have you integrated LLMs in your development workflow?
    The competition in AI editors is a bit silly at this moment. Everyone and his dog are "building" an AI assisted editor now by duct taping Ollama onto VSCode. I don't like my data being sent to untrusted parties, so I cannot evaluate most of these. On top of that, the things keep evolving as well, and editors that I dismissed a few months ago, are now all of a sudden turning into amazing productivity boosters,... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Cursor AI vs. Void AI Code Editor: The Ultimate Showdown
    Retain Full Control of Your Data: Unlike proprietary solutions, your data remains yours. Access Powerful AI Models: Utilize top-tier AI features without compromising on privacy. VS Code Compatibility: Void is a fork of VS Code, allowing easy migration of your themes, keybinds, and settings with just one click. Voideditor Github repo voideditor. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Zed and Void Editor, you can also consider the following products

VS Code - Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

Cursor - The AI-first Code Editor. Build software faster in an editor designed for pair-programming with AI.

GitHub Copilot - Your AI pair programmer. With GitHub Copilot, get suggestions for whole lines or entire functions right inside your editor.

Notepad++ - A free source code editor which supports several programming languages running under the MS Windows environment.

Claude Code - Transform hours of debugging into seconds with a single command. Experience coding at thought-speed with Claude's AI that understands your entire codebaseโ€”no more context switching, just breakthrough results.

VSCodium - Binary releases of Visual Sudio Code without Microsoft branding, telemetry and licensing