I switched from VSCode to Zed

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

VS Code Frustrations & Lock‑In

  • Several comments describe VS Code as increasingly laggy, bloated, and “AI‑shittified,” with constant nudges toward Copilot.
  • Some users work around this with VSCodium, but note friction with Microsoft‑only extensions (e.g., Pylance) and license/extension checks.
  • Ecosystem lock‑in is strong: devcontainers, remote SSH, proprietary MCU toolchains, and rich extension ecosystems keep many from switching, especially in organizations.
  • A VS Code maintainer notes there is a single global chat.disableAIFeatures flag, but users complain it’s hard to discover and prefer AI to be opt‑in.

Why People Like Zed

  • Many report Zed as significantly faster and more responsive than VS Code or JetBrains, especially on large repos and huge files; some use it purely as a “log/JSON cannon.”
  • The Rust/native architecture and low latency are praised, as is the UI design, minimalist feel, and good Vim mode.
  • Built‑in Claude/AI support, MCP servers, direnv/Nix, and upcoming devcontainer support are seen as well‑designed and a plausible business model.
  • Users appreciate easy switching from VS Code keybindings and simple SSH remote dev.

Zed Limitations & Rough Edges

  • Missing or weak features frequently mentioned: Git history/graph and side‑by‑side diffs, debugger parity with JetBrains/VS Code, Jupyter notebooks, image/video preview, and richer C/C++ tooling.
  • Extension ecosystem and APIs are viewed as immature; some niche workflows (vertical tabs, Emacs parity, specific refactorings) are absent or rejected from roadmap.
  • Several users hit issues: unreliable format‑on‑save (including rare data loss), flaky Prettier/LSP setups, high battery or CPU usage for some, and collaboration/screen‑share regressions.
  • Git integration (especially diffs) confuses some; they fall back to tools like lazygit or dedicated Git UIs.

Font Rendering, DPI & Platform Quirks

  • A long subthread debates Zed’s poor font rendering on low‑DPI displays; some see blurry text, others report no problem even at 1080p/1440p.
  • Discussion veers into DPI norms on Mac vs PC, subpixel rendering, refresh rates, and how Zed’s renderer is tuned to Mac/HiDPI.
  • Other UX complaints: excessive line spacing, missing momentum scrolling on Linux, menu conventions on KDE, and an initially unremovable login button (now hideable).

Alternatives & Editor Philosophy

  • Many stay with or move to Emacs, Vim/Neovim, Helix, Sublime, or JetBrains for stronger refactoring, debugging, Git, and long‑term stability.
  • Several argue that with strong LSPs and external AI tools, heavy IDE features matter less; a fast, non‑Electron editor plus terminal tools is “enough” for many.