Side-by-side comparison · Coding & Dev Tools
Cursor vs OpenAI Codex vs Zed
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.
At a glance
Pick it if: Developers and curious beginners who want AI help but still want a visual editor.
Pick it if: ChatGPT subscribers who want a coding agent without paying for a second subscription.
Pick it if: Developers who want a fast editor and already pay for Claude or another AI provider.
Overview
| Attribute | Cursor | OpenAI Codex | Zed |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | A code editor with AI built in, for people who want to watch every change happen. | OpenAI's coding agent. Hand it a task and it works away while you do other things. | A fast, free, open-source code editor that runs Claude Code and other AI agents inside it. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium | Open source |
| Starting price | $8/mo | $8/mo | $10/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | No | No | Yes |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Cursor | OpenAI Codex | Zed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.3Winner |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.0 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers the job it's built for, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 3.0 | 4.5 | 5.0 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Cursor | OpenAI Codex | Zed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | No |
| Desktop app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extension | No | No | No |
| API access | – | Yes | – |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | Yes | No |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | Yes | Yes |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Understands images | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Makes images | No | No | No |
| Makes video | No | No | No |
| Writes code | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Runs agents or automations | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Learns your brand or style | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 12/ 17 | 14/ 17 | 11/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Cursor | OpenAI Codex | Zed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free Free Trying the editor and a few agent runs. | Free Free A quick look at what it can do. | PersonalOur pick Free Almost everyone. |
Plus $8/mo Light users who are happy with Grok models only. | Go $8/mo Occasional light tasks. | Pro $10/mo People who want Zed's hosted AI without managing keys. | |
PremiumOur pick $30/mo Most developers who want Claude or OpenAI models. | PlusOur pick $20/mo Anyone who already pays for ChatGPT. | Business $30/seat/mo Teams that need spending and access controls. | |
Super $100/mo Heavy daily agent users. | Pro From $100/mo Developers who hit the Plus limits. | ||
Teams From $30/user/mo Companies that need admin controls and SSO. | Business $20/user/mo billed yearly, or $25 monthly Teams of 2 or more. | ||
Enterprise Custom Large organisations. | Enterprise Custom Large organisations. | ||
| Which plan to pick | Skip Plus unless you are happy with Grok. Premium is the realistic starting point if you want Claude or OpenAI models, and budget for the extra usage billing on top of the $30. There is also a $200 Ultra plan with 50x the Plus usage for people who live in it. | If you already have ChatGPT Plus, you have Codex: just try it. If you are choosing between this and Claude Code with no existing subscription, Plus at $20 and Claude Pro at $20 cost the same, so pick whichever chat assistant you prefer. | Personal. If you have Claude Pro, run Claude Code inside Zed and you are done. Pro only makes sense if you want Zed's built-in assistant and edit predictions without setting up API keys. |
Key features
| Attribute | Cursor | OpenAI Codex | Zed |
|---|---|---|---|
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | Cursor | OpenAI Codex | Zed |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | Cursor | OpenAI Codex | Zed |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, Cursor, OpenAI Codex or Zed?
Zed scores highest overall in our ratings (Cursor 3.9/5, OpenAI Codex 4.2/5 and Zed 4.3/5). Cursor is best for editing with AI autocomplete and learning by watching changes happen. OpenAI Codex is best for background tasks in the cloud and starting a task from your phone. Zed is best for Running Claude Code inside an editor and speed on big projects.
Which is cheaper, Cursor, OpenAI Codex or Zed?
Cursor: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $8/mo. OpenAI Codex: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $8/mo. Zed: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $10/mo.
Which is easier to use, Cursor, OpenAI Codex or Zed?
Cursor rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Developers and curious beginners who want AI help but still want a visual editor.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
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