Saros vs Zed

Saros is an open-source IDE plugin for distributed collaborative software development. It synchronizes shared text files so participants with write access can edit together. Follow mode lets one participant observe another's navigation and editing activity, while session awareness shows where others are working and what they have changed. Built-in instant messaging supports group and one-to-one conversations; the documentation recommends a separate VoIP or audio conferencing tool. Documented integrations are Eclipse and IntelliJ-platform IDEs, and sessions use an XMPP/Jabber account. Teams can host their own server to keep session communication within their network. Session size varies by the stated product information: the homepage says up to five team members, while Saros/I release notes limit that plugin to two participants. Saros/I also shares only one module, which must have exactly one content root, and does not include sub-modules. Collaboration needs higher bandwidth and lower latency than ordinary chatting, and public chat servers may be too slow for smooth operation. Saros is free and open source, with no paid plans listed.

Zed is a code editor for macOS, Windows, and Linux, with Personal, Pro, and Business plans. Personal is free forever and includes 2,000 accepted edit predictions; it also allows unlimited use with API keys or external agents. Pro costs $10.00 per month, includes unlimited edit predictions and $5 of tokens, and bills usage beyond that allowance at API list price plus 10%. The Pro trial lasts 14 days or until its $5 balance is used, with no credit card required. Editing tools include extensions, multi-cursor and column editing, and macro recording; the editor also supports a built-in debugger, remote development, and language servers. Native Git operations include staging, commits, pulls, pushes, and viewing diffs. Users can chat with teammates, code together, and share screens and projects. Supported model providers include Amazon Bedrock, Anthropic, GitHub Copilot, Google AI, and OpenAI; the extension ecosystem has hundreds of extensions. Business costs $30.00 per month and has no minimum seat count. SSO, SAML, and SCIM are planned but not currently available.