How popular isZed?
In September 2026, people searched for Zed by name about 40,500 times worldwide, a 33.1% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 0.76% of all global code editor searches, placing Zed seventh out of seven editors. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about code editors, Zed appeared in all answers and was the third most recommended of the seven.
Zed is the seventh most searched of 7 competitors and the third most recommended in AI answers.
Visual Studio CodeShare of searches 74%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
Notepad++Share of searches 12.6%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 7th
JetBrainsShare of searches 4.6%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
Sublime TextShare of searches 3.8%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
ZedShare of searches 0.76%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
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Top code editors in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Zed appeared in all five answers. Zed is the third most recommended of the seven.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Visual Studio Code1st
Cursor2nd- Zed3rd
- Sublime Text4th
- JetBrains5th
Neovim6th- Notepad++7th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Visual Studio Code5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Cursor5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Zed5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Sublime Text3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Neovim3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Notepad++2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- JetBrains2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about code editors
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which code editor should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best code editors?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best code editor for daily programming work?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“code editor”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“programming editor”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Which code editors compete with Zed?
Share of searches by month for Visual Studio Code, Notepad++, JetBrains, Sublime Text, Cursor, Zed. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Visual Studio Code | Notepad++ | JetBrains | Sublime Text | Cursor | Neovim | Zed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 69.6% | 14.5% | 5.3% | 4.3% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 1.1% |
| Nov 2025 | 69.7% | 15.3% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 3% | 2% | 0.75% |
| Dec 2025 | 67.4% | 17.1% | 5.1% | 4.2% | 3% | 2.3% | 0.84% |
| Jan 2026 | 70.2% | 14.6% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 3.2% | 2.4% | 0.88% |
| Feb 2026 | 64.5% | 21% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 3.2% | 1.9% | 0.85% |
| Mar 2026 | 69.1% | 14.4% | 5.3% | 4.3% | 3.7% | 2.4% | 0.86% |
| Apr 2026 | 72.8% | 12.4% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 3.5% | 2% | 1.1% |
| May 2026 | 72.6% | 12.3% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 3.5% | 2% | 1.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 74.2% | 12.6% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 3.5% | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| Jul 2026 | 73.7% | 13.3% | 4% | 3.2% | 3.3% | 1.8% | 0.8% |
| Aug 2026 | 73.8% | 13.3% | 4% | 3.3% | 3.1% | 1.8% | 0.8% |
| Sep 2026 | 74% | 12.6% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 2.7% | 1.7% | 0.76% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 74% | 4M | +5.9% | +0.2 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 12.6% | 673K | 0% | -0.7 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 4.6% | 246K | +22.4% | +0.6 points | |
| 4, held 4th | 3.8% | 201K | +21.8% | +0.5 points | |
| 5, held 5th | 2.7% | 142K | -9.6% | -0.4 points | |
| 6, held 6th | 1.7% | 90.5K | 0% | -0.1 points | |
| 7, held 7th | 0.76% | 40.5K | 0% | 0 points |
74%
Held 1st. 4M estimated branded searches, +5.9% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.
12.6%
Held 2nd. 673K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.7 points.
4.6%
Held 3rd. 246K estimated branded searches, +22.4% vs prior month. Share +0.6 points.
3.8%
Held 4th. 201K estimated branded searches, +21.8% vs prior month. Share +0.5 points.
5.
Cursor2.7%
Held 5th. 142K estimated branded searches, -9.6% vs prior month. Share -0.4 points.
6.
Neovim1.7%
Held 6th. 90.5K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.
7.
Zed0.76%
Held 7th. 40.5K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
Compare popularity between Zed and its closest rivals
Every comparison with Zed
12 comparisons
How has branded search demand for Zed changed worldwide over the last 12 months?
2 findings
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Zed worldwide fell from 60.5K to 40.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Zed’s share of searches among code editors worldwide held steady, from 1.1% to 0.76%.
How did search popularity change for code editors worldwide in September 2026?
6 changes
In September 2026, JetBrains gained share of searches among code editors worldwide, from 4% to 4.6%.
In September 2026, Notepad++ lost share of searches among code editors worldwide, from 13.3% to 12.6%.
Sublime Text’s share of searches among code editors worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 3.1% to 3.8% in September 2026.
Cursor’s share of searches among code editors worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 3.5% to 2.7% in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Zed worldwide fell 33.1% over 12 measured months, from 60.5K to 40.5K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Neovim worldwide fell 33% over 12 measured months, from 135K to 90.5K in September 2026.
How are Zed’s branded searches counted?
1 search term
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Zed’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.
- zed editor
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Where does Zed compete?
| Competitor set | Rank | Share of searches | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Code editors | 7th of 7 | 0.76% | Shown above |
| Remote pair programming tools | 2nd of 7 | 37.4% | Show ranking |
Is Zed your brand?
Put your own campaigns, spend and outcomes next to this demand line, so you can see which of your marketing lined up with the movements above.