Side-by-side comparison · Coding & Dev Tools
GitHub Copilot vs Grok Build 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: Teams and developers whose code lives on GitHub and who want AI in the tools they already use.
Pick it if: Developers who already pay for an X Subscription or Grok and want a Claude Code-style agent included in it.
Pick it if: Developers who want a fast editor and already pay for Claude or another AI provider.
Overview
| Attribute | GitHub Copilot | Grok Build | Zed |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | GitHub's AI helper: it finishes your code, reviews pull requests and takes on whole tasks. | xAI's open-source terminal coding agent, included in every paid X Subscription plan. | A fast, free, open-source code editor that runs Claude Code and other AI agents inside it. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Paid | Freemium |
| Starting price | $10/mo | $8/mo | $10/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | No | Yes | Yes |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | GitHub Copilot | Grok Build | Zed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.3Winner |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.0 | 3.0 | 3.5 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 4.5 | 3.5 | 5.0 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 3.5 | 5.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | GitHub Copilot | Grok Build | Zed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | No | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | No | No |
| Desktop app | Yes | No | Yes |
| Browser extension | – | 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 |
| 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 |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 12/ 17 | 9/ 17 | 11/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | GitHub Copilot | Grok Build | Zed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free Free Trying autocomplete and light chat. | X Subscription Plus $8/mo Trying Grok Build alongside Grok and X Premium. | PersonalOur pick Free Almost everyone. |
ProOur pick $10/mo Individual developers on GitHub. | X Subscription PremiumOur pick $30/mo Developers who use Grok most days. | Pro $10/mo People who want Zed's hosted AI without managing keys. | |
Pro+ $39/mo Developers who run agent tasks every day. | Super / Ultra $100/mo or $200/mo Heavy users running agents all day. | Business $30/seat/mo Teams that need spending and access controls. | |
Max $100/mo Heavy agent-driven work. | xAI API Pay as you go CI pipelines and people who prefer paying per use. | ||
Business and Enterprise See website Companies that need admin controls and policy management. | |||
| Which plan to pick | Pro is the sweet spot for an individual: cheap, unlimited autocomplete and enough credits for a few agent tasks a week. Only move to Pro+ if you find yourself buying extra credits every month. | If you already pay for X, try it on the plan you have. Premium at $30 a month is the sensible level for regular coding, but if you're choosing a coding agent from scratch, Claude Code or Codex are the safer picks today. Plans changed on 12 October 2026, so check x.ai before you buy. | 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 | GitHub Copilot | Grok Build | Zed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standout features |
|
|
|
Pros and cons
| Attribute | GitHub Copilot | Grok Build | Zed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pros |
|
|
|
| Cons |
|
|
|
Who each one is for
| Attribute | GitHub Copilot | Grok Build | Zed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for |
|
|
|
| You'll find it used by |
|
|
|
Questions people ask
Which is better, GitHub Copilot, Grok Build or Zed?
Zed scores highest overall in our ratings (GitHub Copilot 4.0/5, Grok Build 3.5/5 and Zed 4.3/5). GitHub Copilot is best for autocomplete as you type and Handing GitHub issues to an agent. Grok Build is best for X Subscription users who want a coding agent included and Trying Grok models on real coding work. Zed is best for Running Claude Code inside an editor and speed on big projects.
Which is cheaper, GitHub Copilot, Grok Build or Zed?
GitHub Copilot: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $10/mo. Grok Build: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at $8/mo. Zed: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $10/mo.
Which is easier to use, GitHub Copilot, Grok Build or Zed?
GitHub Copilot rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Teams and developers whose code lives on GitHub and who want AI in the tools they already use.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
Swap in another tool
More tools from Coding & Dev Tools in the library.
