In recent years, the software development landscape has seen remarkable advancements in code editors. While Visual Studio Code (VS Code) has maintained its position as the dominant choice for developers worldwide, new contenders like Zed have emerged, offering fresh perspectives on code editing. The pressing question among modern developers is: Is Zed better than VS Code? The answer depends on various factors including performance, collaboration features, extensibility, and user experience.
Understanding Each Editor’s Core Philosophy
VS Code, developed by Microsoft, is an extensible, full-featured code editor that supports almost every programming language through extensions. It is renowned for its powerful integration capabilities, robust plugin ecosystem, and large community.
Zed, on the other hand, is a relatively new product crafted by the team that previously worked on Atom. Zed is built with a focus on speed, performance, and seamless collaboration, aiming to provide a distraction-free and high-performance coding environment. Unlike traditional editors, Zed uses native Rust code and custom UI frameworks to deliver near-instant feedback and lower system resource usage.
Performance and Responsiveness
One of Zed’s standout features is its incredible performance. It is built using Rust, a system-level programming language known for being both fast and memory-safe. As a result, Zed feels noticeably more responsive than VS Code, particularly when dealing with large codebases or complex projects. VS Code, built on Electron, sometimes suffers from sluggish performance and higher memory usage, especially when multiple instances are open.
User Interface and Usability
VS Code stands out for its rich user interface that provides extensive options such as integrated terminals, version control, and a sizable extension marketplace. However, for some users, its interface can feel cluttered with panels, tabs, and notifications.
Zed counters this with a minimalist design philosophy. It prioritizes focus by eliminating clutter and distractions. The clean UI and intuitive keyboard-driven workflow are perfect for developers who prefer fewer distractions and a more immersive editing experience. If simplicity and speed are top priorities, Zed may have the upper hand here.
Collaboration and Remote Work Support
One of Zed’s most promising attributes is its built-in real-time collaboration. Without needing to integrate third-party services, Zed offers Google Docs-style multiplayer coding. This is a significant advantage for distributed teams or pair programming scenarios.
VS Code does provide collaborative editing through its Live Share extension, but it requires setup and lacks the deep integration seen in Zed. For seamless collaborative workflows, Zed may offer a smoother experience.
Extension Ecosystem and Customizability
VS Code dominates in this department. With a massive marketplace of extensions, themes, and language packs, it is highly customizable. Developers can tailor the editor to suit nearly any workflow, from debugging and testing to containerized deployments and AI integration.
Zed, being newer, lacks a mature extension ecosystem at this time. However, the development team has hinted at long-term plans to support plugins. For developers whose productivity heavily depends on custom plugins, VS Code currently remains the safer choice.
Platform Support and Community
VS Code supports Windows, macOS, and Linux, and has a dedicated and active global community that contributes regularly to its expansion. Its documentation is thorough, and community forums are a treasure trove of solutions and integrations.
Zed presently supports macOS only, with plans to expand to other platforms. While its community is growing, it’s still in its infancy compared to the expansive support ecosystem backing VS Code.
Which One Should You Choose?
The choice between Zed and VS Code boils down to personal preferences and project requirements. Here is a quick comparison to aid in your decision:
- Choose Zed if you value:
- Lightning-fast performance
- Minimalist interface and distraction-free editing
- Seamless native collaboration features
- Choose VS Code if you need:
- Robust extension and plugin support
- Deep integration with development tools and platforms
- Cross-platform availability with a mature community
Conclusion
While Zed is a promising new editor with unique selling points like speed and collaborative editing, it is still maturing. VS Code, with its vast ecosystem and proven reliability, remains a go-to choice for many developers. However, Zed’s continued development and innovation indicate that it could become a serious contender as it evolves. Ultimately, the best tool is the one that fits your unique workflow and project demands.
