I’ve been spending more time with vibe coding lately. These new AI-assisted IDEs seem less like code editors and more like creative partners. It’s wild how quickly this space is evolving. We’re not just “writing code” anymore. We’re managing conversations, personalities, and workflows that actually feel different.
Claude Code has become my go-to for standalone work. I’m consistently impressed — it’s clear, thoughtful, and great at maintaining context. I also use it for ideation and thinking through tricky problems; it feels like brainstorming with a very patient senior dev.
Windsurf has been a longer ride. The early days were chaos. It was like telling a room full of kindergartners to “build a sandcastle” and then watching everyone run off in different directions. It completely mangled my codebase a few times. But once I added structure by defining project rules, managing session lengths, and writing clear workspace context things clicked. I learned that being specific and direct isn’t just a Windsurf thing; it’s a universal rule for all these vibe coding tools.
OpenCode is my newest experiment, mostly because it’s been getting solid reviews. Sourcegraph Amp, Cursor, Lovable, and Replit are still on the “to test” list. Bolt is installed but hasn’t seen much action yet.
For quick thinking, brainstorming, or concept work, I switch between ChatGPT, Claude and Google Gemini. All great for kicking ideas around, sketching out directions, and clarifying messy thoughts before I take them into a more structured coding environment.
The biggest lesson so far? Vibe coding isn’t just about the tools. It’s about learning how to communicate your intent clearly. Tone, rhythm, and context included. Once you find your groove, these systems tend to follow your lead.