Developer Forks Zed Editor to Create 'Gram,' Stripping AI and Collaboration Features

Summary

A new text editor called Gram has emerged as a controversial fork of Zed, the Rust-based programmer's editor developed by former Atom team members. Created by developer Kristoffer Grönlund, Gram 1.0 deliberately removes all AI integration, telemetry, collaboration features, and chat functionality from Zed, positioning itself as a stripped-down alternative focused purely on text editing. The developer cited multiple motivations including concerns about Zed's Terms of Service requirements, opposition to AI integration in code editors, and a desire to provide a simpler alternative for students.

Zed itself represents a substantial application at 145 MB download size, expanding to 391 MB when installed, and includes features like LLM coding assistant integration and real-time collaboration using conflict-free replicated data types (CRDTs). The editor has evolved significantly since its 2024 Linux port, adding Windows support in 2025 and eventually introducing options to disable AI features following user feedback. Zed's online functionality requires user accounts and acceptance of Terms of Service, including an age requirement of 18 years or older.

Gram's release has apparently already influenced Zed Industries, with the fork's developer claiming that Zed changed its Terms of Service in response to the project. By removing subscriptions, accounts, telemetry, and all network-dependent features, Gram offers a completely offline, privacy-focused editing experience. The project highlights ongoing tensions in the developer tools community around mandatory AI integration, data collection practices, and the increasing complexity of modern software applications.

• Gram's developer claims the fork prompted Zed Industries to modify its Terms of Service
• The project reflects broader community debates about AI integration, privacy, and software bloat in development tools