Vibe Coding vs Traditional Coding: When to Use Each
3 min read433 words
MT
Manas Takalpati
Founder, Blue Orchid
Vibe coding doesn't replace traditional coding. The best developers use both. Knowing when to use each is the real skill.
The Core Difference
Traditional: You write every line. Deep control. Deep understanding. Vibe coding: You describe intent. AI writes. You review and direct.
Neither is universally better. They solve different problems differently.
When Vibe Coding Wins
- Prototyping and MVPs - 5-10x faster to go from idea to working product
- Unfamiliar tech stacks - AI knows the syntax so you don't have to
- Boilerplate and CRUD - No human should write pagination logic by hand in 2026
- Full-stack solo work - One person can cover frontend, backend, and infrastructure
- Exploration - Try 5 approaches in the time it takes to implement 1
When Traditional Coding Wins
- Performance-critical systems - When every millisecond matters
- Security-sensitive code - Cryptography, auth core, financial calculations
- Novel algorithms - AI works from patterns; novel work requires human creativity
- Deep debugging - Understanding why code fails sometimes requires reading every line
- Learning - You learn more writing code than reviewing it
The Hybrid Approach
Most productive developers use both:
- Vibe code the scaffold - Let AI generate project structure, boilerplate, basic features
- Manually code the core - Write critical business logic, security layers, performance paths
- Vibe code the polish - AI handles responsive design, error states, tests
The Skills You Still Need
Even with vibe coding, you need:
- System design and architecture thinking
- Code review ability (you must understand what AI writes)
- Debugging skills for when things break
- Security awareness
- Product sense
For the complete vibe coding methodology, see the Vibe Coding Complete Guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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