Zed Agentic Editing

About Zed Agentic Editing

Zed Agentic Editing is an innovative AI-powered code editing tool integrated into a high-performance IDE built from scratch in Rust. It enhances coding workflows by allowing developers to collaborate seamlessly with AI agents that generate, transform, and analyze code while maintaining full user control.

Review

Zed Agentic Editing represents a significant step forward in combining human craftsmanship with AI assistance in software development. Unlike traditional code editors, this tool is designed specifically to facilitate interactive AI collaboration, providing a fluid experience where AI suggestions and actions are transparent and manageable. Its underlying architecture focuses on speed and responsiveness, making it a compelling choice for developers seeking an advanced yet intuitive coding environment.

Key Features

• Agentic Editing: AI agents write code, run tests, and make edits while allowing users to maintain full engagement and oversight of changes.
• Multibuffer Review: Enables consolidated review and editing of AI-generated changes within a unified interface equipped with full IDE capabilities.
• Rust-Based Performance: Built entirely in Rust, the editor operates at over 120 frames per second, delivering a smooth, video game-like experience.
• Open Source Transparency: All code, prompts, and evaluation processes are openly available, fostering trust and community collaboration.
• Background Task Management: Supports pushing long-running AI tasks into the background, notifying users upon completion to maintain workflow efficiency.

Pricing and Value

Zed Agentic Editing offers a free two-week trial that includes 150 AI prompts to explore its capabilities. Beyond the trial, the pricing model involves a pay-per-use system, charging approximately $0.05 per AI request. This approach allows users to scale their usage according to their needs without upfront commitments. Given the high-performance environment and AI integration, this pricing provides good value for developers who require advanced coding assistance and prefer a transparent, metered consumption model over flat fees.

Pros

• Exceptional performance due to a Rust-built architecture ensuring fast and responsive editing.
• Seamless AI-human collaboration preserving developer control and engagement.
• Comprehensive multibuffer system for efficient review of AI-generated code changes.
• Open source nature increases transparency and community-driven improvements.
• Ability to run AI tasks in the background without interrupting workflow.

Cons

• Pricing based on per-request usage may become costly for heavy users without careful management.
• Currently limited availability on some platforms (e.g., Windows builds are eagerly awaited).
• Learning curve associated with adopting a new IDE and AI interaction paradigm.

Overall, Zed Agentic Editing is ideally suited for developers and teams who want to leverage AI as a powerful coding partner without sacrificing control or performance. Its robust feature set and transparent pricing make it a strong choice for those working on complex projects that benefit from AI-driven code generation and testing. Those looking for cutting-edge tools that emphasize collaboration between human skill and AI assistance will find this tool particularly valuable.