Gram emerges as stripped-down alternative to Zed editor, sparking terms-of-service changes

A new text editor called Gram has emerged as a stripped-down alternative to the popular Zed code editor, removing AI features, chat functionality, and collaboration tools while also avoiding Zed Industries' terms of service. The fork, created by developer Kristoffer Grönlund, has already prompted Zed Industries to overhaul its terms of use just one day after Gram's public release.

What Gram removes from Zed

Gram takes a minimalist approach to code editing by eliminating several key features that have become standard in modern development tools:

• AI/LLM integration: All artificial intelligence features have been removed, including code completion and generation tools
• Collaboration features: The built-in chat function for communicating with colleagues is gone
• Telemetry: Data reporting back to Zed Industries has been eliminated
• Account system: No subscription or account requirements exist
• Terms of Service: Gram operates without any formal terms of use

Why the fork happened

The developer cites multiple reasons for creating Gram, including interest in Rust development, dissatisfaction with AI integration in code editors, and inability to accept Zed's terms of service. Grönlund states that AI features in code editors are a "bad feature" and that "AI makes me angry," noting that anger motivates his development work.

Terms of service controversy

Zed's original terms of service included several controversial provisions:

• Users must be over 18 years old
• Prohibition on reverse-engineering, decompiling, or disassembling the software
• Restrictions on online functionality usage

These conditions are considered unusually onerous for free and open-source software applications. The timing of Zed Industries' terms overhaul—occurring the same day Gram was announced—has been described by Grönlund as "a funny coincidence."

Technical context

Zed itself is a relatively large application, with the latest version requiring 145 MB download and 391 MB installed. This is notable given that the editor uses conflict-free replicated types (CRDTs) for collaborative editing and includes substantial AI integration features.

Gram represents a return to simpler text editing principles, focusing solely on core editing functionality without the modern bells and whistles that characterize many contemporary development tools.

Current availability

As of the initial release, Gram requires users to compile the software themselves, as pre-built binaries are not yet available. This contrasts with Zed, which offers ready-to-run versions for macOS, Linux, and Windows in both x86-64 and Arm64 variants.

The emergence of Gram highlights ongoing debates in the developer community about the role of AI in coding tools, the appropriate scope of software terms of service, and the balance between feature-rich modern editors and minimalist alternatives.

For developers who prefer a straightforward text editing experience without AI assistance or collaboration features, Gram offers a compelling alternative to mainstream editors like Zed and VS Code.