Which AI-powered coding environment is actually worth using?
The world of developer tools is moving insanely fast. We’ve gone from simple text editors to full AI-powered development environments that can write, debug, and even reason about our code.
In this post I compare four very different tools:
- Vim – the legendary terminal editor
- Trae – the flashy AI IDE
- AntiGravity – Google’s experimental AI coding environment
- Cursor – the popular AI-first code editor
This is based on real developer experience, not marketing.
Vim — Pure speed, zero AI
Vim is not an AI tool, but it’s still used by elite developers for one reason: speed. It's for those who want to be original. Back in the days.
Pros
- Extremely lightweight (barely uses RAM or CPU)
- Instant startup
- Works everywhere (servers, SSH, containers)
- Keyboard-driven = insane productivity once mastered
Cons
- No built-in AI
- Hard learning curve
- Needs plugins to compete with modern IDEs
Vim is what you use when you want absolute control and performance. It will never be beaten in efficiency.
Trae — Powerful, but heavy
Trae markets itself as a modern AI-powered IDE, but in real usage it feels… overloaded.
Pros
- Advanced AI coding features
- Nice UI
- Integrated chat + code tools
Cons
- Very CPU heavy
- Uses a lot of RAM
- Fans spin up, laptops heat up
- Feels sluggish on mid-range systems
Trae is the definition of a bloated AI IDE. Yes, it’s powerful — but it pays for that with performance.
On laptops or smaller machines, Trae feels slow, noisy, and battery-hungry.
AntiGravity — The future, not the present
AntiGravity (by Google) is extremely ambitious. It tries to make AI actually see and understand your app and website, not just your code.
Pros
- AI can reason about UI, flows, and behavior
- MCP (Model Context Protocol) support
- Browser & app awareness
- Designed for full-app understanding
Cons
- Experimental
- Not stable
- Limited availability
- Not production-ready
AntiGravity feels like what IDEs will become in 2–3 years, not what they are today.
Cursor — The best balance
Cursor is currently the most practical AI coding tool.
Pros
- Fast
- Low CPU usage
- Real-time AI inside your editor
- Works on large codebases
- Stable and polished
Cons
- Not open-source
- Needs internet for AI
- Not as futuristic as AntiGravity
Cursor gives you real AI power without destroying your system. It’s what Trae tries to be, but lighter and smoother.
Final Comparison
| Tool | Speed | AI Power | CPU Usage | Stability | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vim | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ❌ None | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Pure coding, servers |
| Trae | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ❌ High | ⭐⭐⭐ | Big machines only |
| AntiGravity | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ | Future experiments |
| Cursor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Daily AI coding |
Verdict
- If you want raw speed: Vim
- If you want AI without killing your laptop: Cursor
- If you want to see the future: AntiGravity
- If you have a powerful PC and don’t mind noise: Trae
Trae is impressive, but it takes too much CPU power for what it delivers. Cursor proves you don’t need to melt your hardware to get great AI coding.
Vim is good if you memorise it but you dont have that much features plus you need Einstein level of smartness to use it. I rather stick around with the others but its jsut a comparison.
I'd like to know who actually uses Vim and how old they are (>90)!