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Comparing JetBrains Fleet and Zed: Which Development Tool Suits Your Needs?

Alex Hrymashevych Author by:
Alex Hrymashevych
Last update:
25 Jan 2026
Reading time:
~ 3 mins

JetBrains Fleet: A Comprehensive Coding Environment

JetBrains Fleet is a standalone development tool developed by JetBrains, designed to offer a robust coding environment for developers. It is compatible with multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chromebook, providing versatility to users across different platforms. The tool supports a context window of 128k tokens and offers full terminal access, facilitating seamless integration into existing workflows. Notably, JetBrains Fleet offers agentic editing capabilities that support multi-file operations, enhancing productivity for complex coding projects. The application supports local inference, ensuring that processing is handled efficiently within the user’s environment. With predictive edits and a standard privacy policy, it ensures both efficiency and security for its users. JetBrains Fleet offers a free tier with the option to upgrade to a Pro version, catering to both individual developers and enterprise-level teams. Configuration is managed through the .fleetrc file, though initial setup is required for migration.

Pros

  • Compatible with multiple operating systems
  • Supports local inference and predictive edits
  • Offers full terminal access
  • Includes agentic editing for multi-file support
  • Free tier available

Cons

  • Requires setup for migration
  • Limited context window compared to some competitors

Zed: The Versatile Development Tool

Zed is a standalone development tool created by Zed, supporting macOS, Linux, and Windows operating systems. It distinguishes itself with support for various language models, including Claude 3.7 Sonnet, Gemini 2.5, Ollama (local), and Zeta (open-source). With a context window of 200k tokens, Zed provides extensive editing capabilities, making it ideal for large-scale projects. The tool supports local inference and offers agentic editing across multiple files, ensuring efficient project management. Users benefit from full terminal access, along with predictive editing features, enhancing the coding experience. Like JetBrains Fleet, Zed adheres to a standard privacy policy and is certified SOC2 Type II for enterprise security. It offers a free tier, with the potential for a Pro upgrade. Configuration is handled via the .zedrc file, with an initial setup necessary for migration.

Pros

  • Supports a wide range of language models
  • Extensive context window of 200k tokens
  • Local inference and predictive edits supported
  • Agentic editing across multiple files
  • Free tier available

Cons

  • Requires setup for migration
  • Limited to three operating systems

Comparison Table

Feature JetBrains Fleet Zed
Architecture Type standalone standalone
Supported Os Windows, macOS, Linux, Chromebook macOS, Linux, Windows
Developer JetBrains Zed
Supported Llms Claude 3.7 Sonnet, Gemini 2.5, Ollama (local), Zeta (open-source)
Context Window 128k tokens 200k tokens
Agentic Editing Yes, multi-file Yes, multi-file
Terminal Access Full Full
Privacy Mode Standard Privacy Policy Standard Privacy Policy
Certifications SOC2 Type II (Enterprise) SOC2 Type II (Enterprise)
About Price Free/Pro Free/Pro
Config File .fleetrc .zedrc
Migration Requires setup Requires setup

Conclusion

Both JetBrains Fleet and Zed offer robust features catering to diverse development needs. While Fleet provides broad OS compatibility and a straightforward setup, Zed stands out with its extensive language model support and larger context window. Ultimately, the choice between them will depend on specific project requirements and personal preferences.