VS Code Serious Rival Absurdly Fast?

Yes, there are serious rivals to VS Code that are absurdly fast, and the most prominent one is Lapce. Lapce is an open-source code editor built in Rust that uses a GPU-accelerated rendering engine, making it dramatically faster to start and more responsive than VS Code, especially on large projects. This article explains why Lapce is so fast, how it compares to VS Code, and what you should consider before switching.

Why Speed Matters in a Code Editor

Speed in a code editor isn’t just about how quickly it opens. It affects your entire workflow: how fast you can search across a large codebase, how quickly IntelliSense (autocomplete) appears, how smoothly scrolling feels, and how long you wait between keystrokes and visual feedback. VS Code, built on Electron (a framework that runs Chromium and Node.js), is known for being slower than native editors, especially on older hardware or with many extensions installed. Lapce, by contrast, uses a custom UI toolkit called Druid and the GPU for rendering, which gives it a native-like performance profile.

Lapce: The Contender

Lapce is a relative newcomer, first released in 2021, and it has quickly gained attention for its speed. It’s written entirely in Rust, a language known for performance and memory safety. The editor’s core is multi-threaded, meaning it can use multiple CPU cores for tasks like indexing and searching, which VS Code does not do as effectively. Lapce also uses a remote development model similar to VS Code’s Remote SSH, but it’s built in from the start, not as an extension.

One of the most striking features is its built-in terminal and built-in Git integration—no need to install separate extensions. This reduces the overhead of managing extensions, which often slow down VS Code. Lapce also supports Vim keybindings out of the box, which many developers appreciate.

How Lapce Achieves Its Speed

The speed comes from several architectural decisions:

• GPU rendering: Lapce uses the GPU to render text and UI elements, offloading work from the CPU. This makes scrolling and syntax highlighting extremely smooth, even on 4K displays.
• Rust and Druid: The editor is built with Rust and the Druid UI toolkit, which compiles to native code. There’s no JavaScript runtime involved, so startup is near-instant.
• Multi-threading: Lapce uses a thread pool for tasks like indexing, searching, and file watching. This means that a large project doesn’t block the UI thread, so you can keep typing while it processes.
• Efficient file watching: It uses the `notify` crate, which is more efficient than VS Code’s file watcher, especially on Linux and Windows.

In practice, this means Lapce can open a project with thousands of files in under a second, whereas VS Code might take several seconds. Search across the whole project is also much faster, often completing in less than a second for a large codebase.

Comparing Lapce and VS Code

While speed is a major advantage, VS Code still leads in ecosystem and maturity. Here’s a quick comparison:

• Extensions: VS Code has a massive marketplace with thousands of extensions. Lapce’s extension system is still in its infancy, though it supports many languages and tools out of the box.
• Debugging: VS Code has a mature debugger that integrates with many languages. Lapce’s debugging is still basic, though it’s improving.
• Community and support: VS Code is backed by Microsoft and has a huge community. Lapce is community-driven and smaller, so you might find fewer tutorials and less help.
• Customization: VS Code allows deep customization via settings and keybindings. Lapce offers similar customization but with fewer options.

If you rely on a specific VS Code extension that has no Lapce equivalent, switching might be painful. But for many developers, the core features—editing, syntax highlighting, terminal, Git—are enough.

How to Choose the Right Editor for You

Choosing between Lapce and VS Code depends on your priorities:

1. If speed is your top priority and you work on large projects, Lapce is worth trying. It’s especially good if you’re on a low-end machine.
2. If you need a rich extension ecosystem for specific languages or tools, stick with VS Code. It’s the safer choice for professional work.
3. If you’re a Vim user, Lapce’s built-in Vim mode might be more appealing than VS Code’s Vim extension, which can be slow.
4. If you do remote development, both editors support it, but Lapce’s is more integrated.

There’s no right answer for everyone. Many developers use both: VS Code for complex tasks and Lapce for quick edits or when they need speed.

Common Problems and Misconceptions

One common misconception is that Lapce is “just a toy� or “not ready for production.� While it’s true that it lacks some advanced features, it’s already stable enough for daily use in many workflows. However, there are some issues you might encounter:

• Missing extensions: You might find that a language you use has no language server or formatter configured. You can often manually configure it, but it’s not as seamless as VS Code.
• UI glitches: Because it uses GPU rendering, some graphics drivers might cause glitches. Updating your GPU drivers usually fixes this.
• Learning curve: If you’re used to VS Code’s shortcuts, you’ll need to adjust. Lapce has its own defaults, but you can customize them.

Another misconception is that “fast� means “less features.� Lapce actually has a lot of features, but they’re implemented differently. For example, it has a built-in file explorer, search, and source control, so you don’t need to install anything.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lapce really faster than VS Code?

Yes, in most benchmarks and in real-world usage, Lapce starts up faster and feels more responsive, especially on large projects. The difference is most noticeable on older hardware or when VS Code has many extensions installed.

Can I use my VS Code extensions in Lapce?

No, Lapce has its own extension system, and it’s not compatible with VS Code extensions. However, many common features (like language support) are built-in, so you might not need extensions at all.

Is Lapce free and open source?

Yes, Lapce is completely free and open source, released under the Apache-2.0 license. You can download it from its official website or build it from source.

Does Lapce work on Windows, macOS, and Linux?

Yes, Lapce is cross-platform and works on all three major operating systems. It also supports remote development, so you can connect to a remote server or container.

Is Lapce suitable for professional development?

It depends on your needs. If you rely on a specific extension or debugging tool, you might find it lacking. But for many developers, especially those who work with Rust, Python, or web technologies, Lapce is perfectly capable for professional work.

What about other fast editors like Zed or Sublime Text?

Zed is another fast editor built in Rust, but it’s currently focused on macOS and not open source. Sublime Text is also fast, but it’s proprietary and has a different extension ecosystem. Lapce is the most direct open-source competitor to VS Code in terms of speed.

Conclusion

Lapce is a serious rival to VS Code that is absurdly fast, and it’s worth trying if you’re tired of waiting for your editor. It’s not a drop-in replacement for everyone, but it’s a sign that the future of code editors is moving toward performance. Give it a spin on your next project—you might be surprised how much time you save.

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