Executive Summary

Does Zed support connecting to Claude Code? Yes - Zed has native Claude Code integration (public beta) running through the Agent Client Protocol (ACP). You can use Claude Code as a first-class citizen within Zed’s high-performance editor, not just as a terminal interface.

Key Points:

  • ✅ Native integration - Claude Code runs directly in Zed UI
  • ✅ Real-time editing - Follow Claude’s multi-file edits with syntax highlighting
  • ✅ Agent Client Protocol - Open standard like LSP for AI agents
  • ✅ Anthropic partnership - Zed AI powered by Claude 3.5 Sonnet
  • ⚠️ Beta status - Some features limited (hooks, past message editing)
  • ⚠️ New instance only - Cannot attach to existing terminal Claude Code sessions

What is Zed?

Zed is a high-performance, next-generation code editor built from scratch in Rust by the creators of Atom. It emphasizes:

  • Speed: Leverages multiple CPU cores and GPU acceleration
  • Collaboration: Built-in real-time multiplayer editing
  • AI Integration: Native support for AI coding assistants
  • Simplicity: Clean, uncluttered interface

Performance benchmark:

  • Opens 100,000-line Java monorepo in 0.8 seconds
  • Uses 200 MB RAM vs VS Code’s 1.2 GB
  • Noticeably faster than Cursor/VS Code for large projects

Claude Code Integration in Zed

How It Works

Zed provides native Claude Code integration via the Agent Client Protocol (ACP). This is NOT just running Claude Code in a terminal - it’s a first-class integration with:

  1. Real-time visibility - Watch Claude edit across multiple files with full syntax highlighting
  2. Granular review - Approve changes in a multibuffer view
  3. Anchored task list - Keep Claude’s tasks visible in sidebar
  4. Checkpoint system - Restore code to pre-edit state with one click

Getting Started

Installation:

  • Claude Code is included by default in Zed
  • No additional setup required for basic usage

Authentication:

  • Run /login in Zed’s agent panel
  • Choose authentication method:
    • API key (pay-per-token via Anthropic API)
    • Claude Pro/Max subscription (fixed monthly pricing)

Note: As of v0.202.7 (stable) and v0.203.2 (preview), Zed’s Claude Code installation uses separate authentication from Zed’s built-in agent. API keys added to Zed Agent settings won’t be used by Claude Code.

Supported Features

✅ Fully supported:

  • Real-time multi-file editing with syntax highlighting
  • Granular change review in multibuffer
  • Task list in sidebar
  • Checkpoint/restore functionality
  • Custom slash commands

⚠️ Limited support:

  • Built-in commands (subset only - SDK limitation)
  • Editing past messages (not yet available)
  • Resuming threads from history (not yet available)
  • Hooks (not supported)

Current Limitations

Zed relies on the Claude Code SDK, which doesn’t yet expose everything needed for full feature parity. The integration is in public beta, with ongoing development to close feature gaps.

Known issues:

  • Some first-party agent features incomplete
  • Checkpointing may have edge cases
  • Thread history management limited

Important: ACP Spawns a New Instance

Zed’s ACP integration does NOT connect to an existing terminal Claude Code session. When you start Claude Code in Zed, it launches a completely separate Claude Code process managed by Zed’s ACP adapter.

Your existing terminal session (Claude Code) → Stays separate, independent
Zed's ACP adapter → Spawns NEW Claude Code process → Shows in Zed UI

What this means:

  • ❌ Cannot attach Zed’s UI to a running terminal session
  • ❌ No shared context/history between terminal and Zed instances
  • ✅ Each instance operates independently
  • ✅ Can run both simultaneously (but separately)

Why this matters for terminal users: If you prefer running Claude Code in your terminal, Zed’s integration won’t “enhance” that existing session with a visual UI. You must choose between:

  1. Terminal-only - Continue using Claude Code in terminal, Zed is just an editor
  2. Zed-managed - Use Claude Code exclusively through Zed’s ACP integration
  3. Both independently - Run terminal Claude Code AND Zed’s Claude Code as separate instances

This is an architectural limitation of how ACP works - the protocol requires agents to be launched through the ACP adapter, not attached post-hoc to running processes.

Agent Client Protocol (ACP)

What is ACP?

The Agent Client Protocol is an open standard created by Zed to enable seamless integration of AI coding agents into editors.

Analogy: Just as the Language Server Protocol (LSP) unbundled language intelligence from monolithic IDEs, ACP unbundles AI agent capabilities from specific editors.

Zed CEO Nathan Sobo:

“Our goal with the Agent Client Protocol is to enable you to switch between multiple agents without switching your editor.”

Why ACP Was Created

Developers requested bringing Claude Code into Zed. Rather than building a one-off integration, Zed created ACP as an open standard enabling:

  • Flexibility - Switch between AI agents (Gemini CLI, Claude Code, custom models)
  • No vendor lock-in - Use preferred agent regardless of editor
  • Open ecosystem - Any agent can implement ACP

Industry Adoption

JetBrains Partnership: JetBrains is collaborating with Zed on ACP - an open protocol that lets AI coding agents work inside editors, including JetBrains IDEs, if both are ACP-compatible.

Available Agents via ACP:

  • Claude Code (Anthropic)
  • OpenAI Codex
  • Google Gemini CLI
  • Augment Code
  • OpenCode
  • Custom ACP-compatible agents

Zed AI Features

1. Agent Panel (Agentic Editing)

The Agent Panel is where you interact with AI models, but it’s not a typical chat interface:

  • Full-fledged text editor - Edit the entire LLM request as code
  • Transparent context - Code snippets, conversation history, file contents all visible
  • Complete control - Observe, edit, and refine any part of the request
  • Checkpoint restoration - Every AI edit creates a “Restore Checkpoint” button

Delegate → Review → Approve workflow:

  1. Assign work to the AI agent
  2. Follow their progress live in the editor
  3. Review changes with full context
  4. Approve or restore checkpoints

2. Inline Assistant

Use Inline Assistant (ctrl-enter) to generate AI transformations directly within:

  • Editors
  • Text threads
  • Rules library
  • Channel notes
  • Terminal panel

How it works:

  1. Select text (or current line)
  2. Press ctrl-enter
  3. AI modifies selection based on context

3. Edit Prediction

Edit Prediction is powered by Zeta, Zed’s open-source, open-data language model:

  • Context-aware - Based on previous edits, recently visited files
  • Intelligent suggestions - Predicts what you’ll type next
  • Free tier - First 2,000 predictions free
  • Subscription - Unlimited predictions with Zed subscription

4. Text Threads

Editor-based interface for interacting with language models:

  • Full transparency of LLM requests
  • Edit conversation history as text
  • Refine prompts using familiar coding tools

Zed AI vs Anthropic Partnership

Organic Collaboration

The collaboration between Zed and Anthropic grew organically:

  1. Engineers at Anthropic discovered Zed and valued its raw, text-centric interface
  2. Growing wave of Anthropic developers now use Zed daily
  3. Core team of Anthropic’s Rust engineers actively contribute to Zed’s open-source codebase
  4. Zed AI launched - hosted service powered by Claude 3.5 Sonnet

Result: Zed is the only editor with both:

  • Native integration of Anthropic’s Claude models (Zed AI)
  • First-class support for Claude Code via ACP

Zed vs Cursor vs Claude Code

Performance Comparison

EditorSpeedRAM UsageArchitecture
ZedFastest (0.8s for 100K lines)200 MBRust-native
CursorSlower (Electron)1.2 GBVS Code fork
Claude CodeN/A (CLI tool)N/ATerminal-based

Key insight: Zed is noticeably faster than Cursor/VS Code, especially on large projects.

AI Capabilities

Zed:

  • Native Claude 3.7 Sonnet integration
  • Agent Client Protocol for multiple AI agents
  • Open-source Edit Prediction (Zeta model)
  • Real-time collaborative AI editing

Cursor:

  • Most advanced AI features out-of-the-box
  • “Composer” and multi-file refactoring
  • Buttery-smooth autocomplete
  • Built on full VS Code ecosystem

Claude Code:

  • Powerful reasoning and code review
  • Slower for cross-package understanding (~2 minutes vs Cursor’s 20 seconds)
  • CLI-based workflow (less visual)

Collaboration

Zed: ✅ Excellent

  • Real-time shared cursors
  • Voice/text channels
  • Screen-sharing
  • Lag-free, intuitive

Cursor: ⚠️ Limited

  • Basic multiplayer support
  • Not primary focus

Claude Code: ❌ N/A

  • CLI tool (no collaboration features)

Extension Ecosystem

Zed: ⚠️ Limited

  • Smaller ecosystem than VS Code
  • Missing niche tools (e.g., Git Graph)

Cursor: ✅ Full VS Code ecosystem

  • All VS Code extensions compatible
  • Massive library of tools

Claude Code: ❌ N/A

  • CLI tool (no extensions)

Use Case Recommendations

Choose Zed When:

✅ Speed is critical - Large codebases, resource-constrained machines ✅ Real-time collaboration - Remote teams, pair programming ✅ Open ecosystem - Want to switch between AI agents (Gemini, Claude, custom) ✅ Native Claude integration - Prefer Anthropic’s models ✅ Minimalist workflow - Clean interface, fewer distractions

Choose Cursor When:

✅ AI-first coding - Want most advanced AI features out-of-box ✅ VS Code familiarity - Already invested in VS Code ecosystem ✅ Extension ecosystem - Need niche tools and plugins ✅ Jupyter Notebooks - Data science workflows

Choose Claude Code (CLI) When:

✅ Terminal workflow - Prefer CLI-based development ✅ Custom automation - Slash commands, hooks, scripts ✅ GitHub automation - Issues, PRs, code reviews via GitHub Actions ✅ Scriptable AI - Integrate into CI/CD pipelines

Migration: Claude Code → Zed

If you’re currently using Claude Code in the terminal, here’s how to transition to Zed:

Step 1: Install Zed

Download from zed.dev

Supported platforms:

  • macOS ✅
  • Linux ✅
  • Windows (in development)

Step 2: Launch Claude Code in Zed

  1. Open Zed
  2. Open Agent Panel (or press designated shortcut)
  3. Select “Claude Code” from available agents
  4. Run /login to authenticate

Step 3: Migrate Custom Slash Commands

✅ Custom slash commands are fully supported in Zed’s Claude Code integration.

Migration path:

  1. Copy your .claude/commands/ directory
  2. Commands automatically discovered by Claude Code in Zed
  3. Test commands in Zed’s agent panel

Step 4: Understand Limitations

⚠️ Not yet supported in Zed:

  • Hooks (session-start, user-prompt-submit, etc.)
  • Editing past messages in conversation history
  • Resuming threads from history
  • Some built-in commands (SDK limitation)

Workaround: Continue using terminal Claude Code for workflows requiring hooks or thread management.

Pricing & Billing

Zed AI (Built-in)

Free tier:

  • First 2,000 Edit Predictions free (Zeta model)
  • Basic AI assistant access

Paid subscription:

  • Unlimited Edit Predictions
  • Access to Claude 3.7 Sonnet and other premium models
  • Transparent, simple pricing

Claude Code in Zed

Two authentication options:

  1. Claude Pro/Max Subscription ($20-100/month)

    • Fixed monthly cost
    • Shared rate limits with web/desktop Claude
    • Best for: Predictable, light-to-moderate usage

  2. Anthropic API Key (pay-per-token)

    • 15 per million tokens (Sonnet 4.5)
    • No rate limit windows
    • Best for: High-volume or bursty workloads

Note: Billing is separate from Zed’s subscription. API keys added to Zed Agent won’t be charged for Claude Code usage.

Agent Server Extensions

Zed now offers one-click installation of ACP-compatible agents through Agent Server Extensions:

Available agents:

  • Claude Code (Anthropic)
  • OpenAI Codex
  • Augment Code
  • OpenCode
  • Google Gemini CLI
  • Custom ACP agents

How to add:

  1. Open Zed
  2. Navigate to Agent Panel
  3. Browse available agents
  4. Click to install (one-click)

Developer Experience Insights

What Users Say

Speed enthusiasts:

“Zed is noticeably faster than Cursor/VS Code. Opened a 100,000-line Java monorepo in 0.8 seconds.”

AI comparison:

“Cursor’s co-pilot is better than Zed’s today, but the gap is closing. I want to see competition—good for devs!”

Switching perspectives:

“After months with Claude Code, I switched to Cursor CLI. Cursor feels like how Claude Code used to feel—quick and responsive.”

Minimalism advocates:

“Zed is my new favorite code editor—most minimalist, fastest. VS Code remained a baseline for what an editor should be, but Zed surpasses it.”

Common Pain Points

Zed:

  • ⚠️ Limited extension ecosystem vs VS Code
  • ⚠️ Windows support still in development
  • ⚠️ Some AI features catching up to Cursor

Cursor:

  • ⚠️ Usage limit notifications break flow
  • ⚠️ Security vulnerabilities disclosed (summer 2025)
  • ⚠️ Heavier resource usage (Electron-based)

Claude Code:

  • ⚠️ Slower for cross-package understanding
  • ⚠️ CLI-only workflow (less visual feedback)

Technical Architecture

Rust Foundation

Zed is built from scratch in Rust to achieve:

  • Multi-core utilization - Leverages all CPU cores
  • GPU acceleration - Offloads rendering to GPU
  • Memory efficiency - 200 MB vs 1.2 GB (VS Code)
  • Instant file opening - No lag on large files

Result: Unmatched speed and responsiveness compared to Electron-based editors (VS Code, Cursor).

Agent Client Protocol (ACP) Design

ACP is designed as an open standard similar to LSP:

Goals:

  1. Unbundle AI agents from editors (like LSP unbundled language servers)
  2. Enable multi-agent workflows (switch without switching editors)
  3. Foster open ecosystem (anyone can implement ACP)
  4. Prevent vendor lock-in (use any agent in any ACP editor)

Participating editors:

  • Zed (creator)
  • JetBrains IDEs (partnership announced)
  • Future: Any editor can implement ACP

Future Roadmap

Zed’s Development Focus

Based on community discussions and blog posts:

  1. Close AI feature gap with Cursor - Improving co-pilot quality
  2. Expand Agent Client Protocol adoption - More agents, more editors
  3. Windows support - Currently in development
  4. Extension ecosystem growth - Attract more developers
  5. Enhanced Claude Code integration - Full feature parity via SDK updates

Expected Improvements

Near-term:

  • Full built-in command support (pending SDK updates)
  • Thread history management
  • Past message editing
  • Hook support investigation

Long-term:

  • Multi-agent orchestration workflows
  • Enhanced collaboration features
  • Expanded model provider integrations

Conclusion

Does Zed support Claude Code? Yes - with a native, first-class integration via the Agent Client Protocol.

Key Takeaways:

  1. ✅ Native integration - Not just terminal access, full UI integration
  2. ✅ Real-time visibility - Watch Claude edit with syntax highlighting
  3. ✅ Open ecosystem - ACP enables switching between AI agents
  4. ✅ Anthropic partnership - Deep collaboration, Zed AI powered by Claude
  5. ⚠️ Beta limitations - Some features pending SDK updates

Recommendation:

  • Use Zed + Claude Code if you prioritize speed, collaboration, and open AI agent flexibility
  • Use Cursor if you need the most advanced AI features and full VS Code ecosystem
  • Use terminal Claude Code if you require hooks, GitHub automation, or scriptable workflows

Best of both worlds: Many developers use Zed for editing and terminal Claude Code for automation, leveraging strengths of each tool.

Sources

  1. Introducing Zed AI - Zed Blog
  2. Zed AI Overview - Official Zed AI page
  3. Zed Code Editor Adds AI Features Powered by Claude - Phoronix
  4. Zed Code Editor Adds Agent Protocol for Flexible AI Integration - WebProNews
  5. Zed Debuts Agent Client Protocol - AI Native Dev
  6. Claude Code: Now in Beta in Zed - Zed Blog
  7. Claude Code - ACP Agent - Zed Documentation
  8. External Agents Documentation - Zed Docs
  9. JetBrains × Zed: Open Interoperability for AI Coding Agents - JetBrains Blog
  10. Hands-on with Zed: The IDE Built for AI - InfoWorld
  11. Why Zed IDE Outshines VS Code, Cursor, and Others - Medium
  12. Not Cursor, Claude or VSCode, This Is My New Favorite Code Editor - Medium
  13. Zed: Open Source Alternative to Cursor, Warp and Claude Code - Open Alternative
  14. Introduction to Zed AI and How It Compares to Cursor AI - The New Stack
  15. Zed vs Cursor AI: The Ultimate 2025 Comparison Guide - F22 Labs
  • Claude Code - Comprehensive Claude Code features and architecture research
  • Claude Code Agents - Agent development patterns and testing workflows