Head to head · Coding · updated Oct 17, 2026
Continue vs Zed
Continue scores 89 to Zed's 79 on public evidence for AI code editor, and they rank #1 and #2 there. Both are free to start. Numbers below are the same public signals the ranking uses, recomputed nightly — nothing here is sponsored.
Continue
Open-source AI code assistant extension that lets you wire any model into VS Code or JetBrains.
+ Works with local Ollama models or any API, with fully customisable config.
− Setup is more fiddly than Copilot and autocomplete quality depends entirely on the model you choose.
Zed
Fast Rust-based editor with an agent panel, edit prediction, and bring-your-own-model support.
+ Startup and typing latency are far lower than any Electron-based AI editor.
− Extension ecosystem is small compared with VS Code and Windows support only arrived in 2025.
Side by side
public evidence| Continue | Zed | |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence score / 100 | 89 | 79 |
| GitHub stars | 36,234 | 91,834 |
| Hacker News stories, 30d | 43 | 0 |
| Release-feed mentions, 30d | 1 | 0 |
| Last activity | 0 days ago | 0 days ago |
| Pricing | Open source · Free; optional hosted plans | Open source · Editor free; Zed Pro $20/mo for hosted models |
| Platforms | vscode-extension, jetbrains-plugin, cli | mac, linux, windows |
| Maker | Continue | Zed Industries |
Which one?
Pick Continue if
- you want the stronger public evidence (89 vs 79)
- you need it on cli, jetbrains-plugin, vscode-extension
Best for developers who want to self-host or mix models.
Pick Zed if
- you need it on linux, mac, windows
Best for performance-focused developers who dislike Electron.