GitHub Copilot vs Zed
GitHub Copilot vs Zed (AI Code Editors & IDEs). Agent test scores: GitHub Copilot 8/10, Zed 6.8/10. GitHub Copilot scored 1.2 higher overall in our separate rubric v0.1 tests (editions and tasks can differ — see Edition tested and the notes below). Pricing: GitHub Copilot — Free $0; Pro $10/mo (1,500 GitHub AI Credits/mo incl. flex); Pro+ $39/mo (7,000); Max $100/mo (20,000); Business $19/seat; Enterprise $39/seat; Zed — Pro $10/mo (unlimited edit predictions, $5 tokens incl.); Business $30/seat/mo.
Every fact on this page comes from our tool records and test logs. Last updated:
- VibeToolRank score
- 8/10
- Last tested
- 2026-10-16
- Runs
- 1 (single run)
- Outcome score
- 9/10
- Edition tested
- VS Code 1.142.0 for Linux with built-in GitHub Copilot, Copilot Free plan, model Auto (routed to gpt-6-luna)
- Free plan, as measured
- 0% of monthly credits used after one todo app (T1)
- Free plan
- Yes: Copilot Free with an allowance of GitHub AI Credits, 2,000 completions/mo, Auto model only (CLI and agent mode included)
- Price
- Free $0; Pro $10/mo (1,500 GitHub AI Credits/mo incl. flex); Pro+ $39/mo (7,000); Max $100/mo (20,000); Business $19/seat; Enterprise $39/seat
- Pricing checked
- 2026-11-02
- VibeToolRank score
- 6.8/10
- Last tested
- 2026-10-17
- Runs
- 1 (single run)
- Outcome score
- 5/10
- Edition tested
- Zed 1.24.2 Linux, Personal free + BYOK OpenRouter cohere/north-mini-code:free
- Free plan, as measured
- $0: the Personal free plan with our own OpenRouter free-model key (BYOK) built the todo app
- Free plan
- Yes (Personal): free forever, unlimited with your own API keys or external agents
- Price
- Pro $10/mo (unlimited edit predictions, $5 tokens incl.); Business $30/seat/mo
- Pricing checked
- 2026-10-16
Side by side
| Field | GitHub Copilot | Zed |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | GitHub CopilotGitHub's AI pair programmer for editors and the CLI. | ZedHigh-performance code editor with a built-in Agent; free forever on Personal with your own API keys. |
| Pricing | GitHub CopilotFree $0; Pro $10/mo (1,500 GitHub AI Credits/mo incl. flex); Pro+ $39/mo (7,000); Max $100/mo (20,000); Business $19/seat; Enterprise $39/seat | ZedPro $10/mo (unlimited edit predictions, $5 tokens incl.); Business $30/seat/mo |
| Free tier | GitHub CopilotYes: Copilot Free with an allowance of GitHub AI Credits, 2,000 completions/mo, Auto model only (CLI and agent mode included) | ZedYes (Personal): free forever, unlimited with your own API keys or external agents |
| Pricing verified | GitHub Copilot2026-11-02 | Zed2026-10-16 |
| Edition tested | GitHub CopilotVS Code 1.142.0 for Linux with built-in GitHub Copilot, Copilot Free plan, model Auto (routed to gpt-6-luna) | ZedZed 1.24.2 Linux, Personal free + BYOK OpenRouter cohere/north-mini-code:free |
| Tested on | GitHub Copilot2026-10-16 | Zed2026-10-17 |
| Outcome score | GitHub Copilot9 | Zed5 |
| Speed score | GitHub Copilot7 | Zed9 |
| Cost score | GitHub Copilot9 | Zed9 |
| Developer experience score | GitHub Copilot7 | Zed6 |
| Reliability score | GitHub Copilot6 | Zed8 |
| Overall score | GitHub Copilot8 | Zed6.8 |
What our tests found
GitHub Copilot
Our first chat (Auto routed to GPT-5 mini) failed 3 times with 'Sorry, no response was returned'. A new chat in Copilot mode, where Auto picked gpt-6-luna, built the T1 todo app in 1m50s over 14 steps and tested it itself with Playwright. We verified it in headless Chrome: add, complete, delete, filters, reload persistence and a 375px mobile layout all passed, and the only console error was a missing favicon. Single run.desktop app, free plan
- Every T1 check passed in our own headless browser test, including mobile
- Tested its own work with Playwright in VS Code's built-in browser
- Built into VS Code; Copilot Free needs no payment
- Our build used 0% of the free monthly credits
- The first chat failed 3 times with 'Sorry, no response was returned' and needed a restart
- Needed two approvals to open a browser page and run Playwright
- Free plan is limited to 2,000 completions a month, a small AI Credits allowance and Auto model only
Who it’s for: Developers already in VS Code and GitHub who want a built-in agent with a free starter tier.
Zed
We ran Zed's Agent on the free Personal plan with our own OpenRouter key pointed at the free model cohere/north-mini-code:free (Pro trial was refused because the GitHub account was under 30 days). In about 3 minutes it wrote a single-file todo app. As delivered, two broken HTML tags stopped the UI from mounting, so every check failed until we fixed those two lines; after that, add, complete, delete, filters, reload persistence and mobile all passed. Zed still showed update and sign-in banners.Desktop, BYOK free
- Personal plan is free forever with your own API keys (BYOK)
- OpenRouter free model worked for a full todo app in about 3 minutes
- After two one-line HTML fixes, every T1 check passed including mobile
- No card and no paid Zed plan required for this test
- Generated HTML had two broken tags that made the app non-functional until fixed
- Agent tried to start a blocking http.server twice
- Linux needed a software-Vulkan launch script; update and sign-in banners cluttered the UI
- Pro trial unavailable for GitHub accounts under 30 days
Who it’s for: Developers who want a fast editor and are happy to bring their own model keys, including free OpenRouter models.
Verdict
Scores use rubric v0.1 from separate runs. Editions and tasks can differ (see Edition tested and What our tests found); some tests were a single run, which caps reliability scores. Overall: GitHub Copilot 8, Zed 6.8. Check the free-tier limits above against your project before choosing.
FAQ
Which is better, GitHub Copilot or Zed?
In our tests GitHub Copilot scored higher overall (8/10 vs 6.8/10). Scores use the same rubric (v0.1) but came from separate runs; editions and tasks may differ (see Edition tested and test summaries), so check the per-dimension scores for what matters to you.
Is GitHub Copilot free?
Yes: Copilot Free with an allowance of GitHub AI Credits, 2,000 completions/mo, Auto model only (CLI and agent mode included) (pricing checked 2026-11-02).
Is Zed free?
Yes (Personal): free forever, unlimited with your own API keys or external agents (pricing checked 2026-10-16).
How much does GitHub Copilot cost compared with Zed?
GitHub Copilot: Free $0; Pro $10/mo (1,500 GitHub AI Credits/mo incl. flex); Pro+ $39/mo (7,000); Max $100/mo (20,000); Business $19/seat; Enterprise $39/seat. Zed: Pro $10/mo (unlimited edit predictions, $5 tokens incl.); Business $30/seat/mo.
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Scores come from our own tests and are never for sale; sponsored placements are always labelled. Some links are affiliate links (currently Railway). Disclosure