Koi vs. VS Code
Performance ⋅ Privacy ⋅ Local AI ⋅ Extensibility ⋅ Pricing and ownership
Koi and VS Code take different approaches to code editing.
| Koi | VS Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-platform | No | Yes |
| No telemetry | Yes | No |
| Local AI | Yes | Yes |
| Typing latency, p95 | 16.6 ms | 171.9 ms |
| Large file editing | Yes | Limited |
| Python scripting | Yes | No |
| One-time purchase | Yes | No |
Koi is a native Mac text editor focused on low latency, large files, local AI, and simple document-based workflows.
VS Code is a cross-platform code editor built around extensions, language tooling, debugging, source control, and integrated AI.
Koi measured about 10.4x faster than VS Code in this test.
Performance
Koi has substantially lower measured typing latency than VS Code. On a 753,821-line C file:
| Koi | VS Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Typing latency, p95 | 16.6 ms | 171.9 ms |
| Dual-pane latency, p95 | 16.4 ms | 172.4 ms |
The difference becomes larger with multi-million-line files.
| Koi | VS Code | |
|---|---|---|
| 1M lines | 207.6 MB | 1.60 GB |
| 5M lines | 698.3 MB | 2.60 GB |
| 10M lines | 1.10 GB | - |
| 20M lines | 2.32 GB | - |
Koi continued syntax highlighting and editing through the 20-million-line test.
At 5 million lines, VS Code used 2.60 GB total memory, compared with 698.3 MB for Koi, or about 3.7x more. VS Code also reached 207.0 ms p95 typing latency at this size.
The 10-million-line file became practically unusable and did not meet the benchmark requirements.
See Code Editor Performance Benchmarks for the test methodology, memory usage, raw measurements, and results from other editors.
Privacy
Koi does not make network requests during normal use. There is no telemetry, no account, no automatic update check, and no background download of language servers or other tooling.
VS Code works without an account, but collects usage telemetry and crash and error reports by default. Telemetry can be disabled.
Other features access the network independently of telemetry. VS Code checks for product updates, accesses the Extension Marketplace, updates installed extensions, and uses online services for some built-in features.
These features can be configured individually, but VS Code does not have a single offline mode that disables all network activity.
| Koi | VS Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Account required | No | No |
| Telemetry | No | Yes |
| Background downloads | No | Yes |
| Network requests during normal use | No | Yes |
| Offline mode | Not needed | No |
| Privacy policy document | Koi's Privacy Policy | - |
Local AI
Both editors can use local models.
Koi is designed around Ollama and local models from the start. Code completion can run continuously against a small local model, with no account or API key.
VS Code supports local models for chat and agents. Local models such as Ollama can be used without a GitHub account, Copilot plan, or internet connection.
The main difference is code completion.
| Koi | VS Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Local AI chat | Yes | Yes |
| Local AI code completion | Yes | No |
| Local AI agents | No | Yes |
| Cloud AI | No | Yes |
Koi can use a local model continuously for code completion and inline editing.
VS Code's local models can be used for chat, agents, and utility tasks. Its built-in AI inline suggestions still require GitHub Copilot and an internet connection.
VS Code also has a much larger cloud AI surface, with GitHub Copilot, multiple model providers, agents, semantic search, and external tools.
Extensibility
Both editors can be customized with code, but use different models.
Koi exposes the editor directly to Python. A custom command can be as simple as:
def sort_imports():
...
Save the script and run it. There is no extension package or compilation step.
VS Code uses an extension API and the Visual Studio Marketplace. Extensions can add languages, debuggers, linters, formatters, source control integrations, custom editors, AI tools, and other functionality.
Koi uses scripting for small changes to the editor itself.
VS Code uses extensions for a much broader range of functionality.
Pricing and ownership
Both editors can be used without a subscription.
Non-commercial use is free. A personal license is a one-time purchase and includes future updates for the lifetime of the product.
VS Code is free to use. Its source code is developed under MIT license, while Microsoft's Visual Studio Code distribution is released under the Microsoft Software License Terms. Some integrated services, including GitHub Copilot plans, are separately paid.
| Koi | VS Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Free editor | Non-commercial use | Yes |
| One-time purchase | Yes | Not required |
| Paid cloud services | No | Yes |
| Source available | No | Yes |
| Pricing page | Koi's Pricing | - |