Vibe coding compared to traditional methods
By its very nature, vibe coding means conversing with trained LLM models through simple, natural language. Your task is then to curate and validate the code.
The approach, despite being introduced recently, has already gained attention:
- February 2025, the term was coined by engineer Andrej Karpathy, former OpenAI research director
- In just one month, March 2025, the term “vibe coding” was added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary as a “slang & trending” noun, which underscores its very rapid ascent
In the last decade, we progressed from autocompletion to creating simple functions to writing entire features. And now we are at the point where AI models can deliver entire applications with minimal human supervision.
It’s not about laziness – it’s about focusing energy on the creative aspects of application software development rather than getting stuck in repetitive technical details.
X post by creator Andrej Karpathy who coined the term “vibe coding”
What is vibe coding?
“Vibe coding” is a programming approach focused around expressing intention through plain, natural language. That’s right, no real “programming” here – you don’t sweat every single line, you just drop the high-level idea and watch the copilot (LLM, actually) riff out the result.
It’s less “write, debug, iterate, repeat” and more “set the overall mood, toss requirements, go with the flow”. You guide the process – by asking for tweaks, new features, and more – and watch the work get done, that’s it.
It feels really fun:
- Instant creativity – you skip boilerplate boredom and dive straight into the fun
- Rapid prototyping – what would take hours now unfolds in minutes (not perfect, but working)
- Adaptive guidance – the algorithm into the project’s context and offers spot-on suggestions
- Best practices – performance hints, accessibility tweaks, and more are often automatically included, which allows learning along
When to vibe code:
- You’re sketching a small side project and want to move at speed
- You need a clever cheat code to handle repetitive tasks (unit tests, config files, that kind of stuff)
- You’re in “creative flow” and do not want to hunt down syntax
- You’re exploring unfamiliar tech or frameworks
Don’t forget: it’s a jam session with the LLM model to relax and enjoy, but still, you have to lead the process. Always give a sanity-check, don’t trust LLMs blindly.
Summing up: vibe coding is coding by feel to spend your brainpower on ideas and innovation, not perfection.
What’s behind vibe coding, how does it work?
X post by creator Andrej Karpathy
Define idea
Write a concise description of the desired feature, for example: “create a user page that allows image upload”. The better you explain your requirements, the better the result.
Generate code
Watch the LLM model quickly transform your prompt into drafts – source and config files, unit tests, and more. And, in the meanwhile, you can make yourself a cup of coffee.
Test code and refine
Drop the generated code right into your environment to run and write down problems screaming “debugging”. Send some follow-up requirements (for example, “add client-side form validation”) and get updated code.
Review code and integrate
Apply the final tweaks – naming conventions, style consistency – and merge the code into the target codebase. Or not… you can just use the outcome to learn or validate an idea.
How does vibe coding compare to traditional coding?
Traditional coding is about total control and deeper code insight but means more typing, thus time and cost. Vibe coding turbocharges prototyping and lowers the barrier but demands disciplined proofreading to identify hidden issues.
- Traditional coding is hand-written – coding, texting, and refining is manual
- Vibe coding is prompt-driven – drafting, tweaking, and iterating is automated
But let’s get into the details:
| Traditional coding | Vibe coding | |
| Prototyping speed | Very individual – writing boilerplate and setting up dependencies takes time | Much faster – writing boilerplate and scaffolding takes seconds |
| Required expertise | High barrier – requires understanding of target programming language, selected framework, and tooling | Low barrier – requires basic domain knowledge and clarity when prompting |
| Iteration style | More code-centric – file editing, test reruns, and debugging are manual and direct | More conversational – all prompts and tweaks are made with plain, natural language |
| Code ownership | You write every line and know exactly how it works (for better or worse) | The drafts are “black-box” – you need to review the output very carefully |
Go for vibe coding for speed and fun, stick with traditional methods for mission-critical, large-scale projects.
Vibes coding is not LLM-assisted coding
LLM coding means using the model for suggestions and snippets, then stitching them into hand-written code. Vibe coding is leaning on the LLM model to create entire features and scaffolding, then iterating in dialogues until happy with the working prototype.
X post by creator Andrej Karpathy
Vibe coding is more than using LLM models to crank out snippets – it’s a prompt-driven workflow and mindset:
| LLM-assisted coding | Vibe coding | |
| Use cases | Small snippets and assistance | Full features and scaffolding |
| User role | Main architect and responsible | Code curator and validator |
| Iteration mode | Write, ask, and integrate | Prompt, generate, and refine |
| Integration point | LLM invoked as needed | LLM central |
Code first, refine later with human-in-the-loop
Putting experiment before performance and structure, vibe coding is about the motto “code first, refine later”. Prioritizing building before optimization means opening wider opportunities – the idea is what counts most.
No doubt, vibe coding is fostering greater innovation, instinctive problem-solving, and flexible work strategies. But still, true creativity, thinking out-of-the-box, and accurate goal alignment remain uniquely human strengths (don’t worry, RPA and AI aren’t taking over your job).
Vibe coding in the coming years: looking ahead
Research dissects vibe coding from more advanced coding where autonomous AI agents write and iterate code. Specialists suggest hybrid approaches – with human-in-the-loop combined with machine-executed pipelines – might dominate future augmented software engineering.
As tools keep evolving, the most successful practitioners will blend human creativity with today’s AI features:
- Traditional coding remains essential for critical, large-scale systems and architectures
- Vibe coding, on the other hand, definitely excels at prompt, low-stakes prototyping
How we can help
In conclusion, vibe coding is still in infancy but already making statements, and soon it will grow substantially.
LLM models may equip early programmers with knowledge and experience, thus driving workflow efficiency. But remember, any helper, even advanced, will always require supervision to achieve intended excellence.
Abto Software is keen on exploring new technology, and naturally, vibe coding has aroused some excitement. But speaking about performance, smooth integration, and security – we don’t rely on vibe coding and others, we leverage proven expertise.
If looking for fun, try out vibe coding, if building critical applications – partner with domain professionals.
Our services:
- AI development
- RPA services
- .NET development
- ASP.NET development
- Web development
- Mobile development
- Cloud services
- Custom product software development
Our expertise:
- Artificial intelligence
- Machine learning
- Deep learning
- In-context learning
- Prompt engineering, and more
- Computer vision
FAQ
Vibe coding is an intuitive approach that focuses on feeling your way through code rather than following rules. It’s associated with prototyping, playful experimentation, and using various tools in rather odd ways to quickly bring ideas to life.
In brief, vibe coding (meaning embracing vibes first) comes from Andrej Karpathy’s social media, namely X. What’s interesting, vibe coding isn’t tied to an official institution or frameworks, it’s more of a cultural thing within hobbyists, creative coders, and hackers.
Vibe coding is spontaneous and informal – it allows software developers to go with ideas without perfecting. Traditional methods, on the other hand, are structured and prioritize long-term maintainability of applications.
- More creativity – it encourages to experiment with concepts you wouldn’t attempt otherwise
- Faster idea-to-prototype – you can get from your concept to a working demo in just one day
- Unblocked progress – when stuck in perfectionism or burnout, this strategy can reignite your mood
- Easy learning – it’s great for exploration and understanding best practices
Last but not least – vibe coding is about having fun without pressure.