Zed vs Nova
Both are fast code editors built for the Mac rather than wrapped in Electron. Zed is free and open source, written in Rust for speed, with real-time collaboration and optional AI agents, and it also runs on Linux and Windows. Nova is Panic's Mac-only editor, with built-in Git, a terminal, live previews, remote server publishing and extensions written in JavaScript.
Facts checked · No paid placements
Zed
A code editor that runs at the speed of thought.
Nova
Panic's beautiful, extensible code editor.
Pick by what you need
Choose Zed if
- You want the fastest editor you can get, free and open source.
- You want AI agents in the editor, with the option to switch them off.
- You also code on Linux or Windows.
Choose Nova if
- You want an editor that looks and behaves like a Mac app.
- You publish to remote servers straight from the editor.
- You build websites and want live previews next to the code.
The facts, side by side
| Fact | Zed | Nova |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free and open source | Subscription |
| Developer | Zed Industries | Panic |
| Mac App Store | No | No |
| Homebrew cask | zed | nova |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Last commit | October 2026 | – |
| GitHub stars | 92k | – |
Facts checked . Prices can change; each developer's site is the final word.
Zed or Nova?
Is Zed better than Nova?
Neither is better for everyone. Both are fast code editors built for the Mac rather than wrapped in Electron. Zed is free and open source, written in Rust for speed, with real-time collaboration and optional AI agents, and it also runs on Linux and Windows. Nova is Panic's Mac-only editor, with built-in Git, a terminal, live previews, remote server publishing and extensions written in JavaScript.
Is Zed free?
Yes. Zed is free and open source. The source code is on GitHub at zed-industries/zed.
Is Nova free?
No. Nova is sold as a subscription.
What else is like Zed and Nova?
Other developer tools apps on MacWorthy worth a look are CodeEdit (open source), Ghostty (open source) and iTerm2 (open source).