Closed-source AI powerhouse vs open source speed and collaboration.
Official product sites
Cursor and Zed are both agent-capable editors with different product shapes. Cursor combines a VS Code-based desktop app with Cloud Agents, Bugbot, Automations, CLI, and web access. Zed is an open source Rust editor with GPU-backed rendering, real-time multiplayer collaboration, remote development, and the Agent Client Protocol (ACP) for external agents.
Choose Cursor for its integrated agent-first coding environment. Choose Zed for an open collaborative editor with flexible agent integration. Solo is a separate desktop workspace for local agents and project commands.
Choose Cursor for its integrated AI workflow or Zed for speed, collaboration, and external-agent flexibility. Choose Solo when local agents and project commands should live outside the editor.
Cursor fits best when you want an AI-first editor with native cloud-agent workflows.
Zed fits best when you want a faster editor, real-time collaboration, and the option to use external agents through ACP.
Solo fits when local agents and project commands should move out of the editor into a separate process workspace.
| Feature | Cursor | Zed | Solo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | AI-first code editor with agent workflows | Fast, open source editor with AI and real-time collaboration | Local process dashboard for agents and project commands |
| Replaces your editor |  | | — |
| Built-in AI agent | Agent mode with autonomous multi-file editing and terminal access | Agentic editing with Zed-hosted models or BYOK | — |
| Background agents | Parallel Cloud Agents in isolated VMs and branches | Parallel agent panels and worktrees | — |
| External agent support | Cursor agent plus CLI and cloud surfaces | ACP registry agents including Claude, Codex, OpenCode, Copilot, Cursor, and Pi | Supported agents get first-party features; other CLIs run as generic processes |
| Automated PR review | Bugbot; optional usage-billed Autofix can launch a Cloud Agent | — | — |
| Real-time collaboration | — | Yes — multiplayer editing with CRDT, voice chat, screen sharing | — |
| Edit predictions | Proprietary Tab model predicting multi-line edits | Zeta (open source model), plus Copilot, Codestral, others | — |
| AI model choice | Models from Cursor and major providers | Zed-hosted models, BYOK, and external agents | Uses installed agent CLIs; no bundled model |
| MCP integration | MCP servers and marketplace plugins | MCP tools and prompts via extensions or settings | Exposes an MCP server for external tools |
| Editor architecture | VS Code-based desktop app | Rust editor with GPU-backed rendering | N/A — not an editor |
| Native debugger | Via VS Code debugging | Yes — native debugger (June 2025) | — |
| Native Git UI | Via VS Code Git | Yes — staging, branching, committing, file history | — |
| Extension system | VS Code extensions (mostly compatible) | WASM-based extensions and ACP agent registry | — |
| Local process dashboard | Editor and terminal views, not a process supervisor | Terminal and agent panels, not a process supervisor | Yes — sidebar with CPU/memory stats per process |
| Auto-restart for project commands | — | — | Yes — self-exit and file-watch restarts |
| Open source | — | Yes — GPL v3 (editor), Apache (ACP, GPUI) | — |
| Free tier | Hobby — limited agent requests and Tab | Free editor with 2,000 edit predictions/month; BYOK and external agents unlimited | 4 projects, 20 processes — all features |
| Paid plans | Pro $20/mo, Pro+ $60/mo, Ultra $200/mo | Pro $10/mo with $5 included tokens; Business $30/seat/mo | Pro plan |
| Funding | Major funding rounds and high private-market valuation widely reported | ~$42M raised (Sequoia, Redpoint) | Bootstrapped |
| Platform | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS and Windows |
Cursor is a closed-source, VS Code-based coding product acquired by SpaceX in August 2026.
Zed is an open source Rust editor with GPU-backed rendering and real-time multiplayer collaboration.
Solo is not part of this decision.
Cursor centers its workflow on its own local and cloud agents.
Zed supports external agents through ACP.
Solo runs supported CLI agents with first-party status and session features; other CLIs run as generic processes. Agent processes remain stopped after exit, while command processes can use restart policies.
Cursor is built on Electron (via the VS Code fork), so its performance characteristics are similar to VS Code. Its strength is the depth of AI integration, not editor speed or teamwork.
Zed uses a Rust and GPU-backed architecture and includes real-time multiplayer editing, voice chat, and screen sharing.
Solo's performance is independent of your editor choice.
If Cursor is your editor, Solo adds value for your background dev services.
If Zed is your editor, Solo adds a separate local process management layer.
Solo can run alongside either editor as a dedicated workspace for background project commands.
Cursor and Zed are both editors, but they package AI features and usage differently.
Cursor pricing lens
Cursor has a free Hobby tier and paid Pro, Pro+, Ultra, Teams, and Enterprise plans.
Zed pricing lens
Zed offers Personal free, Pro at $10 per month with $5 in included tokens, and Business at $30 per seat per month.
Where Solo fits
Solo is not an editor substitute pricing line. It is a separate local environment layer if neither editor should own that part of the workflow.
Cursor combines a VS Code-based editor with Cloud Agents, Bugbot, Automations, CLI, and web access. Zed combines an open source Rust editor with multiplayer collaboration, remote development, and ACP agents. Choose the editing and agent workflow you want. Solo fits when local agents and project commands should live in a separate desktop workspace.
Related comparisons
If you are evaluating Cursor, Zed, Solo, these are the closest next comparisons in the matrix.
Start with one project and a small task. These guides walk through the setup and what to check when the work finishes.
Set up both tools in one project, give one agent implementation work, and ask the other to review the diff.
Read the guide →Give a lead agent a plan, shared todos, and a scratchpad so workers have clear assignments and a useful handoff.
Read the guide →Put a Laravel server, Vite, and a queue worker in solo.yml, then manage their output and restart behavior in Solo.
Read the guide →The Free plan includes every feature, so you only need Pro after you outgrow four projects.
Team seats
Buy seats under one Stripe subscription, then share a claim link in Slack or email. Each claimant signs in or registers and receives a normal Solo Pro license. Optional auto-grow adds prorated seats automatically when the pool is full, so your team never hits a license wall.
Seats 1–3
$99/seat/yr
Seats 4–10
$89/seat/yr
Seats 11–50
$79/seat/yr
Seats 51+
$69/seat/yr
Brackets apply per seat — a 10-seat team pays $99 each for seats 1–3 and $89 each for seats 4–10.
Free for four projects on macOS and Windows.
Start with a terminal and add the programmable meta-harness when you need to coordinate agents with your local development stack.
“I can't live without it.”
