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Side-by-side comparison · Coding & Dev Tools

Grok Build vs Warp 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.

Grok Build

3.5

From $8/mo

Warp

4.1

From $20/mo

Best overall

Zed

4.3

From $10/mo

Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.

At a glance

Pick it if: Developers who already pay for an X Subscription or Grok and want a Claude Code-style agent included in it.

Warp4.1
Easiest to use

Pick it if: Anyone who has to use the terminal but never wanted to learn it.

Zed4.3
Best overallBest value

Pick it if: Developers who want a fast editor and already pay for Claude or another AI provider.

Overview

AttributeGrok BuildWarpZed
In one linexAI's open-source terminal coding agent, included in every paid X Subscription plan.A modern terminal where you can type what you want in normal words instead of commands.A fast, free, open-source code editor that runs Claude Code and other AI agents inside it.
Pricing modelPaidFreemiumFreemium
Starting price$8/mo$20/mo$10/mo
Free plan No Yes Yes
Works with Claude Code Yes No Yes

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

AttributeGrok BuildWarpZed
Overall rating3.54.14.3Winner
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
3.0
4.5
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.
3.5
4.0
5.0
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
3.5
4.5
5.0

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

AttributeGrok BuildWarpZed
Access & platform
Free plan No Yes Yes
Mobile app No No No
Desktop app No 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 Yes No Yes
AI abilities
Works with your files Yes Yes Yes
Understands images–– 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 score9/ 1710/ 1711/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

AttributeGrok BuildWarpZed
Plans

X Subscription Plus

$8/mo

Trying Grok Build alongside Grok and X Premium.

FreeOur pick

Free

Everyone who just wants a better terminal.

PersonalOur pick

Free

Almost everyone.

X Subscription PremiumOur pick

$30/mo

Developers who use Grok most days.

Build

$20/mo, or $18/mo billed yearly

People who lean on the Warp agent daily.

Pro

$10/mo

People who want Zed's hosted AI without managing keys.

Super / Ultra

$100/mo or $200/mo

Heavy users running agents all day.

Max

$200/mo, or $180/mo billed yearly

Heavy agent users.

Business

$30/seat/mo

Teams that need spending and access controls.

xAI API

Pay as you go

CI pipelines and people who prefer paying per use.

Business

$50/user/mo, or $45/user/mo billed yearly

Teams that need SSO and usage metrics.

Enterprise

Custom

Large organisations.

Which plan to pickIf 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.Stay on Free. The terminal is the product, and you can run Claude Code inside it on your Claude subscription without paying Warp anything. Only buy Build if you find yourself using Warp's own agent more than Claude Code.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

AttributeGrok BuildWarpZed
Standout features
  • Full-screen terminal agent
  • Headless mode
  • Skills, plugins and MCP
  • Works in editors
  • Open source
  • Commands in normal words
  • A proper text editor for commands
  • Blocks and searchable history
  • Warp agent
  • Home for other agents
  • Shared workflows
  • Built for speed
  • External agents inside the editor
  • Bring your own keys
  • Edit predictions
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Open source

Pros and cons

AttributeGrok BuildWarpZed
Pros
  • Included in X Subscription plans from $8 a month
  • Open source under Apache 2.0
  • Supports MCP servers, skills, plugins and hooks
  • Headless mode for scripts and CI
  • The best-looking and most forgiving terminal available
  • Typing in normal words removes the biggest barrier for beginners
  • Free for the terminal itself, with your own AI keys allowed
  • Fast, and runs on Mac, Windows and Linux
  • Noticeably faster than VS Code and Cursor
  • Free, open source, and no charge for running your own agents
  • Clean agent panel that shows exactly what changed
  • Built-in real-time collaboration
Cons
  • New, with little independent review yet
  • Grok's coding quality hasn't been shown to match Claude or GPT
  • Plans and access rules have changed several times since launch
  • Terminal-first, so less friendly for non-developers
  • Its own agent is a step behind Claude Code and Codex
  • Metered agent usage on paid plans runs out faster than you expect
  • You need an account to use it, which some developers dislike
  • Not an editor, so you still need another tool to browse files
  • Smaller extension library than VS Code or Cursor
  • Less hand-holding for beginners; it assumes you know your way around an editor
  • Business plan has no single sign-on (SSO) yet, which rules it out for some companies
  • Its own hosted AI is basic compared with the agents you can bring

Who each one is for

AttributeGrok BuildWarpZed
Best for
  • X Subscription users who want a coding agent included
  • Trying Grok models on real coding work
  • Developers who want an open-source agent they can inspect
  • Running agents in scripts and CI
  • A nicer home for Claude Code
  • Commands in normal words
  • Searchable command history
  • Sharing commands with your team
  • Running Claude Code inside an editor
  • Speed on big projects
  • Using your own AI subscription
  • Pairing with teammates in real time
You'll find it used by
  • Developers
  • X power users
  • Open-source fans
  • Developers
  • Ops teams
  • Terminal beginners
  • Founders
  • Developers
  • Claude Code users
  • Open source fans
  • Small teams

Questions people ask

Which is better, Grok Build, Warp or Zed?

Zed scores highest overall in our ratings (Grok Build 3.5/5, Warp 4.1/5 and Zed 4.3/5). Grok Build is best for X Subscription users who want a coding agent included and Trying Grok models on real coding work. Warp is best for A nicer home for Claude Code and commands in normal words. Zed is best for Running Claude Code inside an editor and speed on big projects.

Which is cheaper, Grok Build, Warp or Zed?

Grok Build: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at $8/mo. Warp: 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.

Which is easier to use, Grok Build, Warp or Zed?

Warp rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Anyone who has to use the terminal but never wanted to learn it.

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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