Cursor vs Zed:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Cursor had more branded searches than Zed among code editors worldwide. Cursor had about 142,000 branded searches, while Zed had 40,500. Cursor made up 2.7% of all code editor searches we track, and Zed accounted for 0.76%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about code editors, both Cursor and Zed appeared in all five answers. Cursor was mentioned before Zed in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Cursor, about 4 searches for every 1 for Zed
Who does AI mention more?
Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.
Who does AI recommend more?
Cursor, named ahead of Zed in every answer
Follow Cursor vs Zed and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top code editors in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both Cursor and Zed showed up in all five answers. Cursor was listed before Zed in every answer.
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.
Is Cursor or Zed more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Cursor and Zed by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven code editors we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for 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% |
How has the Cursor and Zed comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Cursor was ahead of Zed in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cursor’s share of searches among code editors worldwide moved from 2.9% to 2.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 165K to 142K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Zed’s share of searches among code editors worldwide moved from 1.1% to 0.76%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 60.5K to 40.5K.
How did search popularity change for code editors worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
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.
How are branded searches counted?
15 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Cursor’s and Zed’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among code editors
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.