Eaon vs Zed
Eaon and Zed
Zed is a fast, open-source editor that hosts agents. Eaon is an open-source app built around running them, with no editor at all.
In short
Zed is a fast, Rust-native code editor, open source under GPL-3.0, free for individuals with a $10 Pro plan. It created the Agent Client Protocol, runs Claude, Codex, Gemini CLI, OpenCode and other agents in its threads, can start a thread in a new worktree, supports local models, and does real-time collaboration.
Eaon is free and open source too, but it is not an editor: it's the place you run several agents in real terminals at once, review pull requests with an agent, start sessions from Linear issues and schedule tasks, with Chat and Workers alongside. Zed and Eaon work well together.
Feature by feature
Checked against Zed's own site, docs and pricing on 12 October 2026. Each Zed fact links to its source. Eaon's column describes Eaon 2026.6.2.
| Feature | Eaon | Zed |
|---|---|---|
| Price and license | ||
| Price | Yes: $0. No account, no subscription | Yes: Free for individuals; Pro $10/month Source |
| Open source | Yes: Yes, GPL-3.0 | Yes: Yes, GPL-3.0 (parts Apache-2.0) Source |
| Platforms | Yes: macOS, Windows and Linux | Yes: macOS, Windows, Linux Source |
| Agents | ||
| Runs other coding agents | Yes: Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Antigravity, Eaon Code, Eaon CLI, or any CLI in a shell | Yes: Any ACP agent: Claude, Codex, Gemini CLI, OpenCode… Source |
| Agents in parallel | Yes: A grid of real terminals, no pane limit | Yes: Several threads at once Source |
| Git worktrees per task | Yes: Each session gets its own worktree and branch | Yes: A thread can start in a new worktree Source |
| Your own keys and plans | Yes: Agents use your own logins; Chat takes your API keys, ChatGPT or Copilot | Yes: API keys, ChatGPT plan, Claude through its agent Source |
| Local models | Yes: Built-in llama.cpp, plus Ollama and LM Studio | Yes: Ollama and LM Studio Source |
| In the app | ||
| Code editor | No: No editor. Agents edit; you review | Yes: It is the editor Source |
| Terminal | Yes: Real terminals that keep running | Yes: Built in Source |
| Browser | Partly: Its own browser in Chat and Workers, not in the ADE | No: Web fetch and search only Source |
| Pull request review | Yes: An agent reviews; you edit and post from the app | No: Links to PRs only Source |
| Issue tracker | Yes: Linear issues become sessions | No: Not documented Source |
| Away from your desk | ||
| Other machines and cloud | Partly: Pair devices on your own network | Partly: Remote development over SSH and WSL Source |
| Phone | No: No phone app yet | No: No phone app Source |
| Scheduled runs | Yes: Scheduled tasks and always-on Workers | Not documented: Not documented Source |
| Voice input | Partly: Dictation in Chat | No: Voice is for collaboration calls Source |
| Beyond code | ||
| Everyday AI chat | Yes: Chat with any model, and Workers that keep going | No: Coding inside a project Source |
Questions
Can I use Zed and Eaon together?
Yes. Eaon isn't an editor, so keep Zed for reading and writing code and use Eaon's ADE to run several agents at once, each on its own git branch.
Is Eaon really free?
Yes. Eaon is free and open source under GPL-3.0, with no account and no subscription. You pay your model providers directly, or nothing at all with local models.
Is this comparison up to date?
We checked Zed's own website, docs and pricing on 12 October 2026, and every Zed fact links to where we read it. These products change quickly, so if something here is out of date, email support@eaon.dev and we'll fix it.