Zed is now available on Windows. You can download the stable release here. Or if you prefer to live on the bleeding edge, you can use the preview release, which receives new features one week earlier.
Windows is now a fully supported platform for Zed. We’ll be shipping updates every week, like we do with Mac and Linux. Several Zed engineers use Windows as their daily driver, and we will maintain a full-time Windows team, including @localcc, our Windows platform lead.
Read on to learn about the key Windows features.
Windows Platform Integration
Zed isn’t based on a cross-platform abstraction like Electron; we integrate directly with the underlyi…
Zed is now available on Windows. You can download the stable release here. Or if you prefer to live on the bleeding edge, you can use the preview release, which receives new features one week earlier.
Windows is now a fully supported platform for Zed. We’ll be shipping updates every week, like we do with Mac and Linux. Several Zed engineers use Windows as their daily driver, and we will maintain a full-time Windows team, including @localcc, our Windows platform lead.
Read on to learn about the key Windows features.
Windows Platform Integration
Zed isn’t based on a cross-platform abstraction like Electron; we integrate directly with the underlying platform for maximal control. The Windows build uses DirectX 11 for rendering, which is available since Windows 7. We use DirectWrite for text rendering, to match the native text rendering.
WSL and SSH Remoting
Zed integrates directly with Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). From the WSL terminal, you can open a folder in Zed using the zed command-line script. And from within Zed, you can open a folder in any of your WSL distros by clicking File > Open Remote (or running project: open remote from the command palette) and selecting Add WSL Distro.
Opening a folder in WSL from within Zed
Similarly, if you’re connecting to a remote Linux machine, select Connect New Server.
Under the hood, when editing under WSL or SSH, Zed runs a lightweight “remote server” process under wsl.exe / ssh.exe, and all I/O operations are routed through that process. Most features in Zed are designed to work with remote editing: loading and saving files, git integration, terminals, tasks, language servers, and debuggers.
Extension Compatibility
Zed extensions work on Windows; no special steps, no caveats. You can install them from the Extensions panel and get back to coding. And if you want to create a new extension, you can do so without any Windows-specific workarounds.
Zed extensions are WebAssembly Components, and they have sandboxed access to the file system via the WebAssembly System Interface (WASI). Zed manages the conversions of file system paths as they are passed into and out of extensions, so that extension authors don’t need to worry about the differences between Windows and Unix paths.
Agentic Coding on Windows
All of Zed’s AI features, including edit predictions and ACP-powered agents, are fully supported on Windows, and in combination with WSL/SSH remoting. Leverage Claude Code directly in Zed through ACP, trial Zed Pro for free for 14 days, or bring your own keys.
Use It Today
Thank you to everyone who participated in our Alpha & Beta testing, reporting issues on GitHub and Discord. We’ve fixed a lot of bugs, but we know the work is not over. If you find something amiss, please let us know. We’re especially looking for feedback on WSL workflows, IME and keyboard layouts, multi-monitor setups, and 120–144 Hz displays.
Your reports will shape the next set of fixes, features, and polish. Download Zed for Windows, take it for a spin, and tell us what to build next.
Looking for a better editor?
You can try Zed today on macOS, Windows, or Linux. Download now!
We are hiring!
If you’re passionate about the topics we cover on our blog, please consider joining our team to help us ship the future of software development.