Visual Studio Code vs Zed:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Visual Studio Code had more branded searches than Zed among code editors worldwide. Visual Studio Code had about 4 million branded searches, while Zed had 40,500. Visual Studio Code made up 74% 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 Visual Studio Code and Zed appeared in all five answers. Visual Studio Code was mentioned before Zed in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Visual Studio Code, about 98 searches for every 1 for Zed
Who does AI mention more?
Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.
Who does AI recommend more?
Visual Studio Code, named ahead of Zed in every answer
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Top code editors in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both Visual Studio Code and Zed showed up in all five answers. Visual Studio Code 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 Visual Studio Code or Zed more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Visual Studio Code 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 Visual Studio Code, 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 Visual Studio Code and Zed comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Visual Studio Code was ahead of Zed in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Visual Studio Code’s share of searches among code editors worldwide moved from 69.6% to 74%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 4M.
- 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?
1 change
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?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Visual Studio Code’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.
Visual Studio Code
3 branded search terms
- visual studio code
- vs code
- vscode
Zed
1 branded search term
- zed editor
Other head-to-heads among code editors
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