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Head-to-head · Agentic Ides

Kilo Code vs Zed

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score Kilo Code #6 in Agentic Ides 8.6/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 1 of 5 features Visit Kilo Code
Zed #8 in Agentic Ides 7.9/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 0 of 5 features Visit Zed

Kilo Code leads on 0 checks, Zed on 1, and 2 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreKilo Code · 8.6/10
  • Lowest starting priceZed · $10/mo
  • Free planboth
  • Free trialboth
  • Most featuresKilo Code · 1 of 5

Kilo Code scores higher on our rubric for agentic ides: 8.6 against 7.9 out of 10; our editors rank them #6 and #8.

Zed is cheaper to start at $10/user/mo against $15/user/mo.

Kilo Code is the better fit for developers seeking open IDE integrations and model choice. Zed is the better fit for developers who want a strong editor with AI extensions.

  • Kilo Code fits best

    Developers seeking open IDE integrations and model choice

  • Zed fits best

    Developers who want a strong editor with AI extensions

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Kilo Code 8.6/10 Visit ↗ Zed 7.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.6 7.9
Ranking #6 in Agentic Ides #8 in Agentic Ides
Best for Developers seeking open IDE integrations and model choice Developers who want a strong editor with AI extensions
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price $15/user/mo $10/mo (best)
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial 14 days 14 days
Free trial length 14 days · no card needed 14 days · no card needed
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted, Mobile Cloud, Desktop
Platforms Web, iOS, Android macOS, Windows, Linux
Support Community, Docs Docs
Integrations 3 integrations 6 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Kilo Code 1/5 · Zed 0/5
Autonomous agent Not checked yet Not checked yet
Multi-file editing Not checked yet Not checked yet
Terminal control Not checked yet Not checked yet
Codebase indexing ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Local model support Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Model selection Not checked yet Not checked yet
Distribution Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Works across VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, CLI, cloud agents, and mobile apps
  • Supports hosted, BYOK, and local models, including Ollama and LM Studio
  • Offers chat, completion, specialized agents, and parallel Git worktrees
  • Free Personal plan includes 2,000 accepted edit predictions.
  • Git, terminal, language-server features, and project-wide search are built in.
  • Real-time collaboration and AI extensions work across macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Cons
  • AI inference and cloud compute may be billed separately from free platform access
  • Teams features such as shared agent modes require a paid plan
  • Enterprise capabilities and support are separated into a distinct tier
  • No native agent mode or agentic coding workflow is established.
  • Pro includes $5 of tokens; additional usage is billed separately.
  • Support channels listed are limited to documentation.
Our verdict

Kilo Code is an open-source AI coding assistant for individual developers and engineering teams. It brings conversational coding, autocomplete, code generation, refactoring, debugging, and code review into VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, the CLI,…

Read the review →

Zed is an open-source desktop code editor for developers who want a capable editing environment with optional AI assistance. It runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux, and combines language-server features, project-wide search, Git support, an…

Read the review →
  1. Kilo CodeAgentic Ides 8.6Free plan · 14-day trial
  2. ZedAgentic Ides 7.9Free plan · 14-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Kilo Code — where it wins

    • Works across VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, CLI, cloud agents, and mobile apps
    • Supports hosted, BYOK, and local models, including Ollama and LM Studio
    • Offers chat, completion, specialized agents, and parallel Git worktrees

    Where it doesn't

    • AI inference and cloud compute may be billed separately from free platform access
    • Teams features such as shared agent modes require a paid plan
    • Enterprise capabilities and support are separated into a distinct tier
  • Zed — where it wins

    • Free Personal plan includes 2,000 accepted edit predictions.
    • Git, terminal, language-server features, and project-wide search are built in.
    • Real-time collaboration and AI extensions work across macOS, Windows, and Linux.

    Where it doesn't

    • No native agent mode or agentic coding workflow is established.
    • Pro includes $5 of tokens; additional usage is billed separately.
    • Support channels listed are limited to documentation.
  • Kilo Code8.6/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

    A flexible coding assistant with broad model choice and a free individual plan.

    Visit Kilo CodeFull verdict →
  • Zed7.9/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

    A capable cross-platform editor with AI options, though not a verified agentic coding workflow.

    Visit ZedFull verdict →

More comparisons

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update