TL;DR
I switched from VS Code to Zed on Mac because VS Code consumed too much memory, ran countless background processes, and drained my battery. Zed is clean, fast, and light on resources, making coding feel refreshing and focused.
Hey everyone! 👋👨‍💻✨
I wanted to share a little story about how I recently made the switch from Visual Studio Code (VS Code) to Zed on my Mac, and why this change has been a game-changer for me. If you’re like me, someone who codes daily and loves a clean, fast setup, this post might just resonate with you.
The Beginning: My Love for VS Code ❤️
I’ve been a huge fan of VS Code for years. It’s got everything: tons of extensions, great community support, and it just works... well, most of the time. For frontend, backend, cloud, or even quick scripting, VS Code has been my go-to editor.
But over time, I started noticing something that bugged me. My Mac (which isn’t exactly an old machine) would start heating up, the fans would spin like crazy, and my RAM usage? Off the charts.
The Pain: When Coding Became Frustrating 🧠➡️🔥
It started subtly. Initially, I thought it was just the nature of running heavy projects or multiple tabs. But soon, even small projects felt like they were too much. My Mac would slow down, simple tasks took longer, and my workflow constantly got interrupted by lag or beachball icons.
Curious to know what was going on, I peeked into Activity Monitor. The sight wasn’t pretty. Visual Studio Code was running multiple processes in the background, many of them consuming huge chunks of memory. The more tabs or files I had open, the worse it got. Even closing VS Code didn’t fully release my system’s resources. It felt like there was a ghost in the machine that wouldn’t leave.
This wasn’t just a performance issue. It affected how I felt while coding. The machine heating up, the fans roaring, and the constant slowness made me dread opening my editor. It drained not just my Mac’s battery, but also my focus and patience.
I realised that the tool I loved so much was slowly becoming a burden. I needed to find something that let me code in peace without compromising performance.
The Search: Looking for a Better Alternative 🔍🚀
I began my hunt for something lightweight and efficient. I didn’t need all the bells and whistles. I just wanted something that opened fast, looked clean, used less memory, and let me focus on writing code without distractions. That’s when I discovered Zed.
*The Switch: Enter Zed *🪄⚡
I downloaded Zed with cautious optimism. The first time I opened it, I immediately noticed the difference. Zed launched almost instantly. There was no waiting, no loading screens, just pure speed. I opened projects that would normally take VS Code a few seconds to render, and Zed handled them effortlessly.
What truly amazed me was how little memory Zed used. My Activity Monitor showed no alarming spikes. My Mac stayed quiet, cool, and responsive. The interface was minimal, almost calming. There were no excessive toolbars, no constant pop-ups, no overwhelming plugin suggestions. It was just me and my code.
Zed isn’t just about speed. It’s built from the ground up using Rust, which is known for its performance and safety. Zed takes advantage of GPU rendering to ensure smooth scrolling and rendering no matter the project size. The collaborative editing feature—something I wasn’t even looking for—works like magic, making pair programming feel seamless and instantaneous. And because Zed is designed with asynchronous operations in mind, it never blocks your workflow. Everything feels snappy and responsive, no matter how large the codebase.
I found myself coding longer without interruptions, and for the first time in months, I could do so without hearing my Mac’s fans screaming at me. It felt like I had rediscovered the joy of programming.
What I Missed (But Not Really) 🤷‍♂️
Of course, Zed doesn’t yet have the massive plugin ecosystem that VS Code boasts. Initially, I missed a few extensions, but I quickly realised I wasn’t using most of them meaningfully. The simplicity of Zed made me question whether I truly needed all those addons in the first place. For basic editing, version control, and even light terminal work, Zed did everything I needed—and it did it better.
And perhaps the biggest win? My Mac finally felt like it was working with me, not against me. No more lag. No more overheating. No more battery drain. Just smooth, fast, focused coding.
Final Thoughts: Is Zed for You? đź’✨
This shift isn’t for everyone. If your workflow heavily relies on deep integrations or specialised extensions, you might still need VS Code. But if you’re like me, someone who just wants a fast, distraction-free, and clean coding environment, Zed is worth a shot.
For me, it has been a refreshing change. I still respect VS Code and may use it for certain tasks, but Zed has become my default editor and, honestly, my favourite one to date.
Give it a try and see how it feels. It might just surprise you. - Zed
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