There was a time when coding meant painstakingly writing every line, debugging cryptic errors at 3 AM, and pretending to understand regex. But in 2025? Coding has evolved, or rather, it has vibed into something entirely new.
Enter Vibe Coding, a phenomenon where instead of manually structuring functions and loops, you simply tell AI what you want, and it does the hard work for you.
This approach has taken over modern software development. Tools like Cursor and Windsurf, AI-powered code editors built specifically for this new workflow, are helping developers create entire applications without in-depth coding knowledge.
Gone are the days of memorizing syntax. Now, you can describe an app idea in plain English, and AI will generate, debug, and even refactor the code for you.
At first, it sounded too good to be true. But then people started launching SaaS businesses with nothing but Vibe Coding, using AI to write everything from landing pages to backend logic.
We thought, since the future of coding is AI-assisted, you’ll need the right tools to make the most of it.
So, here’s a handpicked list of the best code editors for vibe coding in 2025, designed to help you turn your wildest ideas into real projects, fast. 💨
1. Zed
If VS Code feels sluggish and Cursor is a bit too heavy on the vibes, then Zed might just be your new favorite playground.
Written entirely in Rust, Zed is built for blazing fast speed. It’s designed to utilize multiple CPU cores and your GPU, making every scroll, search, and keystroke snappy as heck.
And while it’s still a relatively new player in the editor world, the Zed team is laser-focused on building the fastest, most seamless AI-native code editor out there.
You get full AI interaction built right into the editor, thanks to the Assistant Panel and inline assistants that let you refactor, generate, and edit code using natural language, without leaving your flow.
Want to use Claude 3.5, a self-hosted LLM via Ollama, or something else? Zed’s open API lets you plug in what works for you.
Key Features:
✅ Built entirely in Rust for extreme performance and low latency.
✅ Native AI support with inline edits, slash commands, and fast refactoring.
✅ Assistant Panel for controlling AI interactions and inspecting suggestions.
✅ Plug-and-play LLM support, including Ollama and Claude via API.
✅ Workflow Commands to automate complex tasks across multiple files.
✅ Custom Slash Commands with WebAssembly or JSON for tailored AI workflows.
2. Flexpilot IDE
Flexpilot IDE joins the growing league of open-source, AI-native code editors that prioritize developer control and privacy.
Forked from VS Code, it’s designed to be fully customizable, letting you bring your own API keys or run local LLMs (like via Ollama) for a more private and cost-effective AI experience.
Much like Zed, it takes a developer-first approach: no locked-in services, no mysterious backend calls. Just a clean, modern editor that plays nice with whatever AI setup you prefer.
Key Features
✅ AI-powered autocomplete with context-aware suggestions
✅ Simultaneously edit multiple files in real-time with AI assistance
✅ Ask code-specific questions in a side panel for instant guidance
✅ Refactor, explain, or improve code directly in your files
✅ Get instant AI help with a keyboard shortcut, no interruptions
✅ Talk to your editor and get code suggestions instantly
✅ Run commands and debug with AI assistance inside your terminal
✅ Reference code elements and editor data precisely
✅ AI-powered renaming of variables, functions, and classes
✅ Generate commit messages and PR descriptions in a click
✅ Track token consumption across AI interactions
✅ Use any LLM: OpenAI, Claude, Mistral, or local Ollama
✅ Compatible with GitHub Copilot and other VSCode extensions
3. VS Code with GitHub Copilot
While GitHub Copilot isn’t a standalone code editor, it’s deeply integrated into Visual Studio Code, which makes sense since Microsoft owns both GitHub and VS Code.
As one of the most widely used AI coding assistants, Copilot provides real-time AI-powered code suggestions that adapt to your project’s context.
Whether you’re writing Python scripts, JavaScript functions, or even Go routines, Copilot speeds up development by generating entire functions, automating repetitive tasks, and even debugging your code.
Key Features:
✅ AI-driven code suggestions in real-time.
✅ Supports multiple languages, including Python, JavaScript, and Go.
✅ Seamless integration with VS Code, Neovim, and JetBrains IDEs.
✅ Free for students and open-source developers.
4. Pear AI
Pear AI is a fork of VSCode, built with AI-first development in mind. It’s kinda like Cursor or Windsurf, but with a twist, you can plug in your own AI server, run local models via Ollama (which is probably the easiest route), or just use theirs.
It has autocomplete, context-aware chat, and a few other handy features.
Now, full transparency, it’s still a bit rough around the edges. Not as polished, a bit slow at times, and the updates? Eh, not super frequent.
The setup can feel a little over-engineered if you’re just trying to get rolling. But… I see potential here. If the right devs get their hands on it, this could shape up into something big.
Key Features
✅ VSCode-based editor with a clean UI and familiar feel
✅ “Knows your code” – context-aware chat that actually understands your project
✅ Works with remote APIs or local LLMs (Ollama integration is the easiest)
✅ Built-in AI code generation tools curated into a neat catalog
✅ Autocomplete and inline code suggestions, powered by your model of choice
✅ Ideal for devs experimenting with custom AI backends or local AI setups
5. Fleet by JetBrains
If you’ve ever written Java, Python, or even Kotlin, chances are you’ve used or at least heard of JetBrains IDEs like IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, or WebStorm.
JetBrains has long been the gold standard for feature-rich developer environments.
Now, they’re stepping into the future of coding with Fleet, a modern, lightweight, and AI-powered code editor designed to simplify your workflow while keeping JetBrains’ signature intelligence baked in.
Fleet isn’t trying to replace IntelliJ, it’s carving a space of its own: minimal UI, fast startup, real-time collaboration, and enough built-in tools to support full-stack projects out of the box.
And with JetBrains’ new AI assistant baked in, you’re getting contextual help, code generation, and terminal chat, all without leaving your editor.
Key Features
✅ Designed for fast startup and low memory usage without sacrificing features
✅ Full-Stack Language Support- Java, Kotlin, JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Go, and more
✅ Real-Time Collaboration.
✅ Integrated Git Tools like Diff viewer, branch management, and seamless commits
✅ Use individual or shared terminals in collaborative sessions
✅ Auto-generate code, fix bugs, or chat with your terminal
✅ Docker & Kubernetes Support – Manage containers right inside your IDE
✅ Preview, format, and edit Markdown files with live previews
✅ Custom themes, keymaps, and future language/tech support via plugins
6. Cursor
Cursor is a heavily modified fork of VSCode with deep AI integration. It supports multi-file editing, inline chat, autocomplete for code, markdown, and even JSON.
It’s fast, responsive, and great for quickly shipping out tutorials or apps. You also get terminal autocompletion and contextual AI interactions right in your editor.
Key Features
✅ Auto-imports and suggestions optimized for TypeScript and Python
✅ Generate entire app components or structures with a single command
✅ Context-gathering assistant that can interact with your terminal
✅ Drag & drop folders for AI-powered explanations and refactoring
✅ Process natural language commands inside the terminal
✅ AI detects issues in your code and suggests fixes
✅ Choose from GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, o1, and more
7. Windsurf (Previously Codeium)
Windsurf takes things further with an agentic approach, it can autonomously run scripts, check outputs, and continue building based on the results until it fulfills your request.
Though it’s relatively new, Windsurf shows massive promise with smooth performance and smart automation packed into a familiar development interface.
Built on (you guessed it) VS Code, Windsurf is crafted by Codeium and introduces features like Supercomplete and Cascade, focusing on deep workspace understanding and intelligent, real-time code generation.
Key Features
✅ SuperComplete for context-aware, full-block code suggestions across your entire project
✅ Real-time chat assistant for debugging, refactoring, and coding help across languages
✅ Command Palette with custom commands.
✅ Cascade feature for syncing project context and iterative problem-solving
✅ Flow tech for automatic workspace updates and intelligent context awareness
✅ Supports top-tier models like GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, LLaMA 3.1 70B & 405B
It’s still new but shows a lot of promise with smooth performance and advanced automation capabilities baked right in.
Final thoughts
I’ve personally used GitHub Copilot’s free tier quite a bit, and recently gave Zed AI a spin and I totally get why the internet is buzzing with excitement.
There’s something oddly satisfying about typing a few lines of instruction and then just… letting your editor take over while you lean back.
That said, I’ve also spent hours untangling some hilariously off-mark Copilot-generated bugs. So yeah, it’s powerful, but far from perfect.
If you’re just stepping into the AI coding world, don’t dive in blind. Take time to learn the basics, experiment with different editors and assistants, and figure out which one actually helps you ship code your way.
And if you’re already using an AI editor you swear by, let us know in the comments. Always curious to hear what other devs are using.
Source: Read More
