Side-by-side comparison · Coding & Dev Tools
GitHub Copilot vs Kiro 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 and technical founders who want a written plan before the AI builds anything, especially teams already on AWS.
Pick it if: Developers who want a fast editor and already pay for Claude or another AI provider.
Overview
| Attribute | GitHub Copilot | Kiro | Zed |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | GitHub's AI helper: it finishes your code, reviews pull requests and takes on whole tasks. | Amazon's AI code editor that writes a plan and requirements before it writes any code. | 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 | $10/mo | $20/mo | $10/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | 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 | Kiro | Zed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.0 | 3.6 | 4.3Winner |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 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 | 3.0 | 5.0 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | GitHub Copilot | Kiro | Zed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | No |
| Desktop app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extension | – | No | No |
| API access | – | No | – |
| 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 | No | 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 | 12/ 17 | 11/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | GitHub Copilot | Kiro | Zed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free Free Trying autocomplete and light chat. | Free Free Trying spec mode on a small project. | PersonalOur pick Free Almost everyone. |
ProOur pick $10/mo Individual developers on GitHub. | ProOur pick $20/mo Most individuals using it a few days a week. | Pro $10/mo People who want Zed's hosted AI without managing keys. | |
Pro+ $39/mo Developers who run agent tasks every day. | Pro+ $40/mo Regular daily users. | Business $30/seat/mo Teams that need spending and access controls. | |
Max $100/mo Heavy agent-driven work. | Pro Max $100/mo Professionals in Kiro for hours each day. | ||
Business and Enterprise See website Companies that need admin controls and policy management. | Power $200/mo The heaviest users. | ||
Enterprise Custom Companies that need SSO and central billing. | |||
| 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. | Pro at $20 is the place to start, and you get $20 off your first paid month when you upgrade. Use the Auto model to make credits last, and only move up a tier once you know your monthly usage. | 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 | Kiro | Zed |
|---|---|---|---|
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | GitHub Copilot | Kiro | Zed |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | GitHub Copilot | Kiro | Zed |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, GitHub Copilot, Kiro or Zed?
Zed scores highest overall in our ratings (GitHub Copilot 4.0/5, Kiro 3.6/5 and Zed 4.3/5). GitHub Copilot is best for autocomplete as you type and Handing GitHub issues to an agent. Kiro is best for turning a rough idea into requirements and a plan and bigger features you want planned before building. Zed is best for Running Claude Code inside an editor and speed on big projects.
Which is cheaper, GitHub Copilot, Kiro or Zed?
GitHub Copilot: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $10/mo. Kiro: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $20/mo. Zed: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $10/mo.
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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