SideX is a code editor that reimplements Visual Studio Code's workbench using Tauri instead of Electron.
The project addresses the memory overhead of VS Code by replacing its bundled Chromium with the native webview already present on each operating system—WKWebView on macOS and WebView2 on Windows. This approach preserves the same TypeScript workbench, editor, terminal, and Git integration while dramatically reducing the application footprint. The tool runs the same Monaco editor and UI layer but backed by a Rust runtime rather than a full browser engine.
SideX suits developers who want VS Code's interface and workflow but need a lighter resource footprint, particularly on memory-constrained systems or machines where application size matters. The project is in early release with core editing and terminal functionality solid, though the extension host and debugger remain in progress. Core features include file exploration, integrated terminal with full PTY support, Git operations, syntax highlighting, IntelliSense, multiple themes from the VS Code catalogue, extension installation from Open VSX, file and full-text search with a Rust-backed index, and a built-in AI agent for coding assistance that requires no account or external service—it runs locally and connects directly to your chosen model provider.
Development activity shows consistent engagement with the project's core mission. The team maintains active communication through a dedicated Discord community. Contributions are explicitly welcomed and the project remains responsive to the early-stage nature of the work, with clear documentation of what is and is not yet functional. The focus remains on stabilizing the editor and terminal before expanding to more complex features like extensions and debugging.
