Vellum vs Zed — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Vellum starts at $30/mo. Zed starts at $10/mo. Zed is $20/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Vellum.
Personal AI assistant that runs your tasks in a hosted environment. Plans priced by 'computer size' (small/medium/large) and included storage (10/30/60 GB), with each tier bundling usage. Higher tiers add an Assistant email and dedicated subdomain. Custom Plan builds a bespoke fit for heavier workflows. Vellum pivoted to this consumer-friendly assistant product in 2026 after operating as an LLMOps platform earlier.
Open-source, high-performance code editor with AI features built in. Written in Rust with GPU-accelerated UI. Zed core is free and open source; Zed Pro adds premium AI models + higher usage limits at $20/user/mo. Business plan at $50/user/mo adds team features. Positioned as the fast-native alternative to Electron-based editors (Cursor, VS Code) for developers who care about performance.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Vellum monthly | Vellum annual | Zed monthly | Zed annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | Start Free / Personal | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Entry paid | Mighty / Pro | $30 | $30 | $10 | $10 |
| Mid tier | Super / — | $100 | $100 | — | — |
| Pro / power | Ultra / — | $200 | $200 | — | — |
| Teams | — / Business | — | — | $30 | $30 |
| Enterprise | Custom / — | Custom | Custom | — | — |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
Vellum is worth it if… individuals who want a persistent AI assistant that can execute multi-step tasks, keep files in a hosted workspace, and be reached via a custom email or subdomain. Mighty $30 suits casual daily use; Super $100 adds email/subdomain features for prosumers; Ultra $200 targets power users who lean on the assistant heavily.
Zed is worth it if… developers who want a fast-native code editor that feels sub-16ms on every action, with AI features that don't slow it down. Free tier is a real editor (not a demo); Pro at $20/user/mo unlocks Claude Opus and other premium models.
Bottom line: Choose based on how you want to pay — Vellum is tiered, Zed is per seat.
Choose Vellum over Zed if…
Choose Vellum if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (tiered, from $30/mo).
- You match the profile Vellum is built for: individuals who want a persistent AI assistant that can execute multi-step tasks, keep files in a hosted workspace, and be reached via a custom email or subdomain.
- You need a general-purpose developer & infrastructure option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose Zed if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (per seat, from $10/mo).
- You match the profile Zed is built for: developers who want a fast-native code editor that feels sub-16ms on every action, with AI features that don't slow it down.
- You need a general-purpose developer & infrastructure option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Vellum | Zed | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Entry price | $30/mo | $10/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | No |
| Pricing model | Tiered | Per Seat |
| Last verified | September 20, 2026 | September 20, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 20, 2026. Tracked daily.