In 2026 Zed moved its hosted edit predictions behind the Pro plan ($10/mo), so the free Personal plan now needs your own API keys for AI. Zed's AI also centers on edit prediction rather than full agentic workflows, and its plugin ecosystem is smaller than the VS Code-based editors'.
Windsurf is the best free alternative: unlimited tab completions with no API key. GitHub Copilot Pro costs the same $10/mo as Zed Pro and adds agent mode. For full agentic editing, look at Cursor or Kiro.
| App | Free tier | Paid from | Top plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zed | Yes | $10/mo | $30/mo | Developers who want a fast, native multiplayer editor with AI edit prediction rather than a heavier Electron-based IDE |
| Windsurf (Devin Desktop) | Yes | $20/mo | $200/mo | Developers who want Devin's autonomous coding agent paired with a full IDE, not just a chat sidebar |
| GitHub Copilot | Yes | $10/mo | $100/mo | Developers already living in VS Code/JetBrains/GitHub who want autocomplete, chat, and PR reviews without leaving their workflow |
| Cursor | Yes | $8/mo | $200/mo | Developers who want agentic multi-file editing and don't mind buying it bundled with a Grok/X chat subscription |
| Kiro | Yes | $20/mo | $200/mo | Teams already on AWS who want an agent that plans a spec and runs tests before generating code across large codebases |
Monthly prices in US dollars before tax, from each vendor's official pricing (US list price; weekly-billed plans converted to a monthly figure). Updated November 2, 2026
Windsurf Free gives unlimited inline edits and tab completions out of the box, the hosted AI Zed's free plan dropped. Pro ($20/mo) adds full model access and Devin cloud agents.
Pick it if: you want AI completions without paying or managing API keys.
Where it falls short: It's heavier than a native editor, and the Windsurf name has been replaced by Devin Desktop.
Full Windsurf (Devin Desktop) pricing →Copilot Pro matches Zed Pro's price and includes unlimited completions, 1,500 AI credits a month and agent mode with Claude, GPT or Gemini models, in VS Code or JetBrains.
Pick it if: you want agent mode and a large extension ecosystem at the same monthly cost.
Where it falls short: Copilot Free has automatic model selection only.
Full GitHub Copilot pricing →Cursor is built for agentic multi-file editing on a VS Code base. It's now sold inside X's subscription: Plus ($8/mo) uses Grok models only, while Premium ($30/mo) adds cloud agents and AI code reviews.
Pick it if: you want the AI to make whole multi-file changes, not just predict the next edit.
Where it falls short: Claude and GPT usage is billed separately at API list price.
Full Cursor pricing →Kiro drafts requirements and a design, then runs parallel agents and tests. Free includes 50 credits a month with open-weight models and Claude Sonnet 4.5.
Pick it if: you want an agent that plans before it codes, especially on AWS.
Where it falls short: Credits for premium models go fast; Pro is $20/mo per user.
Full Kiro pricing →Zed's main draw is that it's a fast, native Rust editor with multiplayer editing and an open-source core. Cursor is a VS Code fork and Copilot runs as a plugin in VS Code and JetBrains, so they bring the larger extension ecosystem at the cost of a heavier editor. If you stay on Zed, the free plan still works with your own API keys or external agents.
Yes. The core editor is open source and free, but Zed-hosted edit predictions now need Pro. On the free plan you bring your own API keys or external agents.
For agentic, multi-file editing, Cursor is stronger. Zed is faster and lighter, with AI focused on edit prediction, and Zed Pro ($10/mo) costs less than Cursor Premium ($30/mo).
How we choose: prices come from each vendor's official pricing page and are re-checked every week. We take no affiliate fees, so rankings aren't for sale.