My Experience With Zed Code Editor
Introduction
I’ve been wanting to write something like this for a long time. If you’ve seen my channel, you already know I have a whole series for these kinds of long-format talks — the Experience Series, where I share what it feels like to actually use a program, tool, OS, browser, or whatever madness I touched that week.
So far, I’ve done this only in video format:
THE MINI MICRO EXPERIENCE
THE BRAVE BROWSER EXPERIENCE
Those covered Brave Browser (goated but heavy — classic Chromium Energy) and Mini Micro (maybe the most underrated tool for learning game dev).
But today, we're not talking browsers or game engines.
Today I’m talking about the absolute GOATED code editor for me:
ZED. CODE. EDITOR.
I’ll also mention some other editors I tried before finding Zed — Helix, VS Code, Sublime Text — just enough to explain the journey, not enough to bore you.
Before we begin, here’s a quick note:
Everyone has different experiences. I might love X, you might love Y.
If something I say goes against your views, tell me calmly.
And if I misunderstood a feature or didn’t push a tool to its limits, let me know — I might try it again.
Alright, disclaimer done.
Let’s jump in.
HOW (The Journey to Zed)
I started with Visual Studio Code, like everyone else. And trust me…
It felt BLOATY. AS. HELL.
The main enemy?
ELECTRON.
My laptop runs Windows (already bloated), has mid-range specs (which feel low-range), and VS Code on top felt like it was built for NASA’s flagship workstation.
So I started hunting for alternatives — especially after discovering what open source really means. (Yes, roast me. First year in dev, I was a baby.)
Around this time I also switched Chrome → Brave, Windows → Linux (and then back to Windows, long story), so naturally, the next target was VSC.
Here’s what I tried:
JetBrains IDEs
Heavier than VS Code.
Paid.
Require student ID.
Didn’t even try them.
Sublime Text
Good, but not my taste.
Also paid.
And honestly, not strong enough to pull me out of my comfort zone.
Helix
Loved the looks.
Loved the open-source vibe.
BUT:
- too complex for my early dev brain
- learning curve shaped like Mount Everest
- no built-in terminal vibe I was used to
So I kept it, but it wasn’t “the one.”
Atom
Cool.
Also discontinued.
Also annoying to set up.
Instantly rejected.
Zed Code Editor
This is where everything changed.
At first, Zed was Linux + Mac only, which sucked because I use Windows.
So I waited… and waited… and finally Zed released for Windows.
I used it for ONE DAY.
Next day?
VS Code got uninstalled without hesitation.
And honestly, right now I can proudly say:
I’M NEVER GOING BACK.
Zed is literally my dream editor at the moment.
WHY (Zed Is Him)
The reasons Zed won my heart:
- Insanely fast — like “why is this thing teleporting?” fast
- Lightweight — my laptop finally stopped crying
- No Electron — I can't stress how big this is
- Modern, clean UI (I use Min Dark Blurred + OpenMoji Grayscale Dark icons)
- Rust-based (this explains 90% of the speed)
- Built by real devs, not a big tech corporation
- Smooth animations without Chromium lag
- Extensions aren’t bloated
- Window and panel management feels *natural*
- Terminal integration just works
But yes — it’s not perfect.
Most of the issues I faced on Windows were related to PowerShell.
Not sure if it’s only me or universal, so if anyone else has the same problems, comment so I know I’m not cursed.
What (A Simple Definition)
Let’s define Zed in the most honest way possible:
ZED = FAST + RUST-BASED + NOT OWNED BY BIG TECH
That’s literally the charm.
Outro
Zed isn’t just a “VS Code but faster” tool.
It’s its own thing — a clean, modern, insanely optimized editor that actually respects your machine and your time.
If you’re tired of Electron apps eating your RAM like a buffet, give Zed a try.
My Links
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DatonedevYT
- Discord: https://discord.gg/qStHEDfge7
Let me know your experience with Zed, or recommend me something I should try next.
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