Aider vs Zed (2026): Free (OSS) vs Free
Aider is Free (OSS), Zed is Free. Where they actually differ on the 15 dimensions we track, with prices re-verified against each vendor's own page.
DevTools Review
We track 11 AI coding tools and re-check every price against the vendor’s own pricing page. Where we have not tested something ourselves, we say so.
Where Aider and Zed actually differ
These are the only dimensions on which the two record different values. Everything else we track, they match on.
| Aider | Zed | |
|---|---|---|
| Autocomplete | no | Good |
| Works alongside any editor | yes | no |
| MCP support | not verified | yes |
| Team admin & SSO | no | yes |
| Usage model | BYO API key | Free + flat tiers |
“Not verified” means we have not confirmed it against the vendor — it never means no.
| Feature | A Aider | Z Zed |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (OSS) | Free |
| Autocomplete | Good | |
| Chat | ||
| Multi-file editing | ||
| Codebase context | Full project | Full project |
| Custom models | ||
| VS Code compatible | ||
| Terminal AI | ||
| Free tier | ||
| Get Aider Free | Try Zed Free |
What each one costs
Aider — Free (OSS), verified 1 September 2026
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Open Source | Free |
| API costs | Pay your LLM provider |
Zed — Free, verified 6 August 2026
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Personal | Free |
| Pro | $10/mo |
| Business | $30/seat/mo |
Full detail: Aider pricing · Zed pricing
What has changed recently
- Zed, 5 July 2026 — Zed added to tracking — Personal free, Pro $10/mo, Business $30/seat/mo.
Aider
Aider
Open-source terminal AI pair programmer with git integration and multi-LLM support.
Open-source terminal AI pair programmer with git integration and multi-LLM support. We rate it 4/5 in our Aider review.
Get Aider FreeZed
Zed
Rust-native, open-source code editor with agent-agnostic AI via ACP and real-time collaboration.
Rust-native, open-source code editor with agent-agnostic AI via ACP and real-time collaboration. We rate it 4/5 in our Zed review.
Try Zed FreeAt a Glance
- Which is better, Aider or Zed?
- DevTools Review rates Aider 4/5 and Zed 4/5. They differ on 5 of the 15 dimensions we track, listed above.
- Is Aider cheaper than Zed?
- Aider is Free (OSS) and Zed is Free. Both figures were re-checked against each vendor’s own pricing page — Aider on 1 September 2026, Zed on 6 August 2026.
- Can you use Aider and Zed together?
- Yes. They are separate tools and many developers run more than one — a completion tool in the editor alongside an agent for larger tasks. You pay for both.
The bottom line
Aider at Free (OSS) and Zed at Free differ on 5 of the 15 dimensions we track. The table above lists exactly which, so you can decide against your own constraints rather than ours.
Still unsure? Our 30-second picker narrows all 11 down using four questions.
Disclosure: we earn nothing from the links in this article. We are not enrolled in an affiliate programme for any tool here — most of them do not run one. Nobody pays to be ranked, and where we have not used a tool ourselves we say so.
Written by DevTools Review
We're developers who use AI coding tools every day. Our reviews are based on real-world experience, not press releases. We test with real projects and share what we actually find.