List your tool

Head to head · 2026

Kilo Code vs Zed

Pricing, free plans, ratings, features, pros and cons, side by side. Where one comes out ahead, we mark it.

Kilo Code

Merged Cline and Roo Code, now the landing spot for Roo's shutdown

4.3Free

Visit Kilo Code (opens Kilo Code in a new tab)

Zed

Built by Atom's original creators, native and fast rather than Electron-based

4.5$10/mo

Visit Zed (opens Zed in a new tab)

Who comes out ahead

Based only on the facts in our directory. The right pick still depends on the job you need done.

  • Lower starting price

    Not comparable

    Not comparable: Kilo Code does not list a price

  • Free plan

    Tie

    Both have one

  • Higher rating

    Zed

    4.3 against 4.5

  • Same job?

    Yes

    Both are Coding tools

Side by side

Compared onKilo CodeZed
Our rating4.34.5Better
Starts atFree$10/mo
Free planYesYes
CategoryCodingCoding
Plans
  • Free & Open SourceFree
  • Teams$15/user/mo
  • EnterpriseCustom
From $10/mo
Key features
  • Forked and merged both Cline and Roo Code's codebases
  • Official migration path following Roo Code's April 2026 shutdown
  • Support for 500+ underlying models
  • Zero-markup pricing over provider API costs
  • Free and open source
  • Built natively rather than as an Electron/VS Code fork
  • Built by the original creators of Atom and Tree-sitter
  • Performance-optimized for low-latency editing and AI actions
  • Real-time multiplayer collaborative editing
  • Free tier for standard use
Pros
  • Inherited a mature, tested codebase rather than starting from scratch
  • Official, supported landing spot for Roo Code's displaced user base
  • Very wide model selection with no markup on provider costs
  • Genuine performance advantage from native, non-Electron architecture
  • Strong technical pedigree from experienced editor-building creators
  • Built-in multiplayer collaboration is a distinctive core feature
Cons
  • Fork-of-a-fork lineage can be confusing for newcomers to the ecosystem
  • Recently absorbed a wave of migrating users, worth watching for growing pains
  • VS Code extension only, not a standalone editor
  • Smaller extension and plugin ecosystem than the VS Code-based competitors
  • Moving away from VS Code means losing familiar extensions and settings
  • Smaller existing user base than dominant fork-based competitors
CompanyKilo Code, Inc.Zed Industries, founded 2021

Prices come from each vendor's pricing page, last checked 20260703. Check the vendor before you buy.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Is Kilo Code better than Zed?

In our reviews Kilo Code scores 4.3 and Zed scores 4.5. The better pick depends on the job. Kilo Code: Merged Cline and Roo Code, now the landing spot for Roo's shutdown. Zed: Built by Atom's original creators, native and fast rather than Electron-based.

Which is cheaper, Kilo Code or Zed?

Kilo Code: free. Zed: from $10/mo.

Do Kilo Code and Zed have free plans?

Yes, both have a free plan.

More comparisons

Kilo Code compared with

All Kilo Code alternatives

Zed compared with

All Zed alternatives