Products · Product

Emacs

Raised as a usability problem by 1,026 people on Hacker News over 20 years (2007–2026), in 756 threads.

Ranked by people · period

This year (last 12 months)Last 5 yearsSince the beginning (2007)

1
Default setup takes hours of configuration research for beginnersUnreviewed
4 people this year · 4 threads
2
Default keybindings are hard to learn until memorisedUnreviewed
3 people this year · 3 threads

1
Default setup takes hours of configuration research for beginnersUnreviewed
20 people in the last 5 years · 20 threads
2
Default keybindings are hard to learn until memorisedUnreviewed
18 people in the last 5 years · 16 threads
3
Too many shortcuts and commands to memorizeUnreviewed
15 people in the last 5 years · 13 threads
4
Vanilla defaults are hard, so a config file is requiredUnreviewed
14 people in the last 5 years · 14 threads
5
Key chords need awkward finger stretches, causing discomfortUnreviewed
10 people in the last 5 years · 9 threads
6
Trivial config changes require hunting through multiple filesUnreviewed
9 people in the last 5 years · 9 threads
7
Opening files with very long lines is very slowUnreviewed
8 people in the last 5 years · 7 threads
8
Steep learning curve makes it hard for new users to learnUnreviewed
8 people in the last 5 years · 7 threads
9
Undo behaves in a confusing wayUnreviewed
7 people in the last 5 years · 5 threads
10
UI freezes during long operations like updatesUnreviewed
7 people in the last 5 years · 7 threads
11
Vim muscle memory makes adopting Emacs keybindings hardUnreviewed
6 people in the last 5 years · 6 threads
12
Uses non-standard UI terms and keystroke namesUnreviewed
5 people in the last 5 years · 5 threads
13
Hard to use on phones and tablets without a keyboardUnreviewed
5 people in the last 5 years · 5 threads
14
Evil mode works poorly with plugins and non-QWERTY bindingsUnreviewed
4 people in the last 5 years · 4 threads
15
Opening or formatting large files freezes for a long timeUnreviewed
4 people in the last 5 years · 4 threads
16
Keybinding conflicts make every configuration fix take hoursUnreviewed
4 people in the last 5 years · 4 threads
17
Becomes slow and hard to use with many buffers openUnreviewed
4 people in the last 5 years · 4 threads
18
Window-switching key sequence is hidden and hard to rememberUnreviewed
4 people in the last 5 years · 4 threads
19
Can't predict where new buffers appear or how closing worksUnreviewed
4 people in the last 5 years · 3 threads
20
Features are hidden, with no context menus to expose themUnreviewed
4 people in the last 5 years · 3 threads
21
Commands have unusual, inconsistent names that are hard to findUnreviewed
3 people in the last 5 years · 3 threads
22
Significant input lag when typing on macOSUnreviewed
3 people in the last 5 years · 3 threads
23
Configuration breaks when newer plugins introduce breaking changesUnreviewed
3 people in the last 5 years · 3 threads
24
Interaction is sluggish on modern hardwareUnreviewed
3 people in the last 5 years · 3 threads

1
Default keybindings are hard to learn until memorisedUnreviewed
57 people since the beginning · 50 threads
2
Default setup takes hours of configuration research for beginnersUnreviewed
49 people since the beginning · 48 threads
3
Too many shortcuts and commands to memorizeUnreviewed
41 people since the beginning · 35 threads
4
Key chords need awkward finger stretches, causing discomfortUnreviewed
35 people since the beginning · 32 threads
5
Vanilla defaults are hard, so a config file is requiredUnreviewed
31 people since the beginning · 29 threads
6
Opening files with very long lines is very slowUnreviewed
23 people since the beginning · 20 threads
7
Steep learning curve makes it hard for new users to learnUnreviewed
21 people since the beginning · 19 threads
8
Trivial config changes require hunting through multiple filesUnreviewed
20 people since the beginning · 20 threads
9
Vim muscle memory makes adopting Emacs keybindings hardUnreviewed
20 people since the beginning · 20 threads
10
Undo behaves in a confusing wayUnreviewed
20 people since the beginning · 16 threads
11
Evil mode works poorly with plugins and non-QWERTY bindingsUnreviewed
11 people since the beginning · 10 threads
12
UI freezes during long operations like updatesUnreviewed
11 people since the beginning · 11 threads
13
Opening or formatting large files freezes for a long timeUnreviewed
11 people since the beginning · 11 threads
14
Multi-key chord shortcuts are long-winded and awkward to typeUnreviewed
10 people since the beginning · 9 threads
15
Uses non-standard UI terms and keystroke namesUnreviewed
10 people since the beginning · 10 threads
16
Editing commands need more keystrokes than VimUnreviewed
10 people since the beginning · 10 threads
17
Commands have unusual, inconsistent names that are hard to findUnreviewed
10 people since the beginning · 9 threads
18
Takes several seconds to load, slower than VimUnreviewed
10 people since the beginning · 10 threads
19
Auto-indent fails often, forcing manual indentation fixesUnreviewed
10 people since the beginning · 9 threads
20
Copy, paste, save and search shortcuts are unfamiliar to first-timersUnreviewed
9 people since the beginning · 9 threads
21
Slightly more customisation becomes very hard to doUnreviewed
8 people since the beginning · 8 threads
22
Tab key won't insert spaces, so indenting needs manual space pressesUnreviewed
8 people since the beginning · 8 threads
23
Keybinding conflicts make every configuration fix take hoursUnreviewed
8 people since the beginning · 8 threads
24
Built-in tutorial is outdated and unfriendly to newcomersUnreviewed
8 people since the beginning · 8 threads
25
Commands with lots of output render too slowlyUnreviewed
7 people since the beginning · 7 threads
26
Basic Lisp setup is hard, and config breaks with Common LispUnreviewed
6 people since the beginning · 6 threads
27
Inaccessible and bad defaults drive people awayUnreviewed
6 people since the beginning · 6 threads
28
Becomes slow and hard to use with many buffers openUnreviewed
6 people since the beginning · 6 threads
29
Documentation is too terse to learn fromUnreviewed
6 people since the beginning · 6 threads
30
Hard to use on phones and tablets without a keyboardUnreviewed
6 people since the beginning · 6 threads
31
Help says to use Meta, which keyboards don't labelUnreviewed
6 people since the beginning · 6 threads
32
Mouse scrolling drags the cursor along with the viewUnreviewed
6 people since the beginning · 5 threads
33
Significant input lag when typing on macOSUnreviewed
6 people since the beginning · 6 threads
34
Can't predict where new buffers appear or how closing worksUnreviewed
6 people since the beginning · 5 threads
35
Key bindings are inconsistent across modesUnreviewed
5 people since the beginning · 5 threads
36
Window-switching key sequence is hidden and hard to rememberUnreviewed
5 people since the beginning · 5 threads
37
Remapping keys out of habit stops users learning basic conceptsUnreviewed
5 people since the beginning · 5 threads
38
Meta hotkey doesn't work as usual in terminalUnreviewed
5 people since the beginning · 5 threads
39
Features are hidden, with no context menus to expose themUnreviewed
5 people since the beginning · 4 threads
40
Configuration breaks when newer plugins introduce breaking changesUnreviewed
4 people since the beginning · 4 threads
41
Reaching IDE-level functionality requires huge configurationUnreviewed
4 people since the beginning · 4 threads
42
Must learn all commands before it becomes usefulUnreviewed
4 people since the beginning · 4 threads
43
Powerful features are hard to discover without a programmer mindsetUnreviewed
4 people since the beginning · 4 threads
44
Menu bar is hard to reach in terminal modeUnreviewed
4 people since the beginning · 4 threads
45
Couldn't figure out how to exit the editorUnreviewed
4 people since the beginning · 4 threads
46
Backspace doesn't move the cursor like Vim doesUnreviewed
4 people since the beginning · 4 threads
47
Ctrl-S pauses terminal output instead of searchingUnreviewed
4 people since the beginning · 4 threads
48
Language support setup takes too long and keeps breakingUnreviewed
4 people since the beginning · 3 threads
49
Configuring languages means copying and tweaking Lisp with conflictsUnreviewed
4 people since the beginning · 4 threads
50
Some commands unintuitively rearrange windows, disrupting the layoutUnreviewed
4 people since the beginning · 4 threads
51
Colours are nearly impossible to get working in a terminalUnreviewed
4 people since the beginning · 4 threads
52
Setting up for Clojure development is hardUnreviewed
4 people since the beginning · 3 threads
53
Spacemacs is sometimes slow and needs days of tweakingUnreviewed
4 people since the beginning · 3 threads
54
Debugging means typing commands with no visual controlsUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
55
Too many configuration options make finding plugins hardUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
56
Auto-changes manual spacing, breaking alignmentUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
57
Navigating Java code is tedious without a specialized IDEUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
58
QWERTY shortcut habits are hard to map to Colemak lettersUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
59
Controls diverge from common computer conventionsUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
60
Help vanishes on first keypress and C- notation is missedUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
61
Opening files in Dired is awkward compared to file managersUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
62
Control and alt prefixes make key commands awkward to pressUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
63
New users can't look up key bindings by typing the key sequenceUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
64
Lacks basic Python editing features without heavy customisationUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
65
Arrow keys are disabled, so navigation needs other keysUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
66
Hard to remember which modifier keys do basic commandsUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
67
Speedbar is awkward for jumping between filesUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
68
Completion fails for less common languages, giving no helpUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
69
Navigating structured notes needs looking at screen and extra typingUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
70
Hard to get working on Windows, with much fiddlingUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
71
Mouse interaction is crippled, so users avoid itUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
72
Ctrl-Z minimises the window instead of undoingUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
73
Package management is inflexible and complicated to useUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
74
Interaction is sluggish on modern hardwareUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
75
Arrow keys sit far from home row, forcing hand movement while editingUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
76
Python environment setup via plugins is iterative, buggy and slowUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
77
Basic operations take ten minutes of googling to learnUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
78
Window resize only works when dragged from the bottom right cornerUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
79
Vim commands like ex history and :h help are missingUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
80
Basic tasks like opening files need a tutorialUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
81
Beginners are overwhelmed by distros and customisation optionsUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
82
Many plugins needed to match default features of modern editorsUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
83
Escape doesn't exit the minibuffer, so users get stuckUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
84
Vim bindings vanish in some modes, and C-u scrolls differentlyUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
85
Menu items only make sense to Emacs usersUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
86
Completion packages interrupt users who already know the pathUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
87
Accidentally opening it bewilders true beginnersUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
88
Idiosyncrasies confuse those learning Scheme or Common LispUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
89
Buffers couldn't be shown in a split, needing a separate frameUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads

Every issue, all time, most people first

Default keybindings are hard to learn until memorisedUnreviewed
57 people since 2008, in 18 different years · 3 this year
20072026
- Default keybindings and UI differ from what users expect from other programs2026-03-11
- Default key commands are strange and hard to master2026-02-17
- Keyboard-driven interface is a nightmare for casual users unfamiliar with keys2025-11-06
Something wrong here?
Default setup takes hours of configuration research for beginnersUnreviewed
49 people since 2009, in 14 different years · 4 this year
20072026
- Configuring Emacs takes a lot of work, even with Doom and documentation, for newer users2026-06-18
- Installing one package can silently break unrelated packages2026-06-15
- Emacs setup was brittle and a nightmare to use across Windows and macOS2026-05-13
Something wrong here?
Too many shortcuts and commands to memorizeUnreviewed
41 people since 2008, in 16 different years · 2 this year
20072026
- Memorizing key combinations has a steep learning curve for new users2026-06-18
- Too many commands and keybindings make it hard to learn and configs become alien2025-12-08
- Arcane key chords are hard to learn, unlike Turbo C++ showing keybinds in its UI2025-10-18
Something wrong here?
Key chords need awkward finger stretches, causing discomfortUnreviewed
35 people since 2008, in 15 different years · none this year
20072026
- Default keybindings force an awkward, uncomfortable hand posture2025-10-20
- Emacs chorded key commands cause hand strain, feeling more painful than vim bindings2025-08-07
- Constant Ctrl key presses are tedious and hard to avoid2024-01-04
Something wrong here?
Vanilla defaults are hard, so a config file is requiredUnreviewed
31 people since 2008, in 15 different years · 2 this year
20072026
- Emacs defaults are all bad and need configuration before use2026-08-08
- Default Emacs UX is poor and bends to user customization rather than good design2025-11-26
- Setup is overly complex and difficult, due to convoluted user config files2025-06-09
Something wrong here?
Opening files with very long lines is very slowUnreviewed
23 people since 2009, in 12 different years · 2 this year
20072026
- Emacs lags badly when editing files that have very long lines2026-01-14
- Emacs slows down or chokes when editing files with long lines2026-01-14
- Cursor moves only a few lines per second and the editor feels sluggish on large files2024-08-31
Something wrong here?
Steep learning curve makes it hard for new users to learnUnreviewed
21 people since 2008, in 8 different years · 1 this year
20072026
- Takes much more effort to get productive with than other editors2026-09-02
- Steep learning curve makes it hard for newcomers to start using2024-11-01
- Gives up learning Emacs because it is too frustrating to edit a file smoothly2024-02-25
Something wrong here?
Trivial config changes require hunting through multiple filesUnreviewed
20 people since 2010, in 13 different years · 2 this year
20072026
- Personal config takes about 20 seconds to load2026-10-28
- Users spend lots of time configuring it and still fail to match VS Code2025-11-16
- Without configuration Emacs is not very good to use; slow startup from misconfiguration2024-07-09
Something wrong here?
Vim muscle memory makes adopting Emacs keybindings hardUnreviewed
20 people since 2011, in 10 different years · 1 this year
20072026
- Starts with Vi keybindings and changes 's', breaking muscle memory2025-11-06
- Vi keybindings enabled by default, clashing with expected Emacs workflow2023-03-03
- Having to remember both vim and emacs keybindings at once2023-03-03
Something wrong here?
Undo behaves in a confusing wayUnreviewed
20 people since 2017, in 8 different years · 1 this year
20072026
- Cannot undo more than one change; navigating undo history is impractical2026-06-11
- Built-in undo is confusing to use2023-08-15
- Finds Emacs undo hard to work with2022-11-11
Something wrong here?
Evil mode works poorly with plugins and non-QWERTY bindingsUnreviewed
11 people since 2013, in 9 different years · none this year
20072026
- Evil mode breaks often and needs tangled config layers to fix2025-06-24
- Many plugins lack evil-mode support, requiring manual keybinding workarounds and years of tweaking2024-05-27
- Text manipulation in Evil's command mode feels weird and awkward to the commenter2022-12-06
Something wrong here?
UI freezes during long operations like updatesUnreviewed
11 people since 2009, in 8 different years · 1 this year
20072026
- UI locks up whenever network calls are made, since Emacs is single threaded2026-07-11
- UI freezes while long-running operations like updates run, since Emacs is single-threaded2025-09-13
- Whole program freezes while waiting on plugins like Tramp or LSP servers2025-04-15
Something wrong here?
Opening or formatting large files freezes for a long timeUnreviewed
11 people since 2016, in 7 different years · none this year
20072026
- Emacs boots slowly and chokes on large JSON files that other editors open easily2024-03-12
- Emacs freezes for a very long time when opening or formatting large files2023-09-08
- Emacs freezes for several seconds parsing large files with invalid syntax2023-01-31
Something wrong here?
Multi-key chord shortcuts are long-winded and awkward to typeUnreviewed
10 people since 2008, in 9 different years · 1 this year
20072026
- Hard to find non-conflicting, non-modal shortcuts; ends up with long chord prefixes2026-06-10
- Ctrl-key shortcuts land on different physical keys, so chords like C-x C-t and C-x t mix positions2023-10-11
- Duplicating a line isn't easy by default, and shortcuts need multi-key chords2019-11-26
Something wrong here?
Uses non-standard UI terms and keystroke namesUnreviewed
10 people since 2016, in 8 different years · none this year
20072026
- Uses nonstandard names for files, windows and keys, unlike familiar UI conventions2025-10-19
- Emacs uses non-standard UI terms and keystroke names, so users must learn unfamiliar conventions2024-03-28
- Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V don't copy and paste as expected, and entering parens needs an awkward Shift-92023-11-07
Something wrong here?
Editing commands need more keystrokes than VimUnreviewed
10 people since 2012, in 8 different years · none this year
20072026
- Vim keys like 0 and insert behave wrongly in the terminal buffer, requiring remapping2025-10-21
- Simple tasks take more keypresses than in Vim, annoying new users2021-03-11
- Some important vim shortcuts are not implemented; sometimes commands must be redone2020-09-26
Something wrong here?
Commands have unusual, inconsistent names that are hard to findUnreviewed
10 people since 2009, in 8 different years · none this year
20072026
- Too many commands with inconsistent names and patterns make it hard to learn2025-10-18
- Archaic, inconsistent command names make basic actions like copy and paste hard to find2023-05-07
- Users can't discover built-in describe functions, and command names are hard to find or guess2022-10-25
Something wrong here?
Takes several seconds to load, slower than VimUnreviewed
10 people since 2015, in 7 different years · 1 this year
20072026
- Treesitter setup is obtuse and a package made the whole editor slow2026-06-18
- Every time LaTeX is generated, opening the file takes noticeable time, making Emacs slow2021-06-30
- Remembers Emacs loading times being slow when starting it2020-12-04
Something wrong here?
Auto-indent fails often, forcing manual indentation fixesUnreviewed
10 people since 2014, in 7 different years · none this year
20072026
- Emacs indentation never matches Prettier's output, so code gets reformatted on save2022-10-23
- Emacs indentation keeps conflicting with Prettier, so typed code gets rearranged on save2022-10-23
- Editor modes sometimes indent in ways the user thinks are incorrect2021-05-17
Something wrong here?
Copy, paste, save and search shortcuts are unfamiliar to first-timersUnreviewed
9 people since 2009, in 9 different years · none this year
20072026
- Keyboard shortcut conflicts and hard-to-remember copy and paste between buffer types2024-01-30
- Has to switch modes to copy anything, unlike shell where paste works directly2023-09-16
- Copy-paste in vterm requires a key combination to switch modes2023-04-19
Something wrong here?
Slightly more customisation becomes very hard to doUnreviewed
8 people since 2011, in 8 different years · none this year
20072026
- Customization is complex and very confusing for beginners2024-10-14
- Overwhelmed the user when trying to customize it2023-09-09
- Simple commands are easy to add, but complex customization becomes very painful2021-03-21
Something wrong here?
Tab key won't insert spaces, so indenting needs manual space pressesUnreviewed
8 people since 2007, in 7 different years · none this year
20072026
- Tab key does nothing visible, and tab indentation can't be configured to insert spaces per file type2021-12-29
- Every operation uses a different key combination, and TAB won't indent in most modes2020-09-16
- Tab key doesn't work and fixing it requires digging through configuration2017-04-22
Something wrong here?
Keybinding conflicts make every configuration fix take hoursUnreviewed
8 people since 2008, in 7 different years · 1 this year
20072026
- Terminal Emacs can't reproduce the GUI's keybindings, requiring hours of tweaking2025-12-07
- Hard to configure Emacs; keybindings conflict and every fix takes hours of fussing2024-11-02
- Keybindings clash with Emacs and buffer management gets confusing; Emacs also freezes2024-08-25
Something wrong here?
Built-in tutorial is outdated and unfriendly to newcomersUnreviewed
8 people since 2011, in 6 different years · none this year
20072026
- Built-in tutorial is outdated and not user-friendly for newcomers2022-10-25
- Must spend 15 minutes on tutorial before doing anything; non-CUA keybindings deter new users2021-08-06
- Help pages describe key combinations with unfamiliar notation, making them hard to translate and change2020-09-26
Something wrong here?
Commands with lots of output render too slowlyUnreviewed
7 people since 2014, in 5 different years · none this year
20072026
- Emacs shell has really crappy latency displaying lots of data2020-03-22
- Using a shell inside Emacs is described as poor, especially with many tabs2018-09-11
- Emacs renders commands with lots of output too slowly, forcing a switch to a normal shell2018-07-12
Something wrong here?
Basic Lisp setup is hard, and config breaks with Common LispUnreviewed
6 people since 2011, in 6 different years · none this year
20072026
- Adding plugins to Emacs is confusing because configuration requires editing Lisp files2025-04-20
- Editor unusable out of the box, needs hundreds of lines of Lisp setup2022-07-06
- Getting a working, synced environment requires writing Emacs Lisp and custom configuration2021-11-04
Something wrong here?
Inaccessible and bad defaults drive people awayUnreviewed
6 people since 2015, in 6 different years · none this year
20072026
- Found Emacs so hard to use that they switched to another editor2024-04-15
- Editor defaults are so poor that it feels nearly unusable out of the box2022-07-06
- Editor is inaccessible and has bad defaults, putting people off before they learn it2021-03-21
Something wrong here?
Becomes slow and hard to use with many buffers openUnreviewed
6 people since 2020, in 5 different years · 1 this year
20072026
- Emacs becomes unusable when a buffer contains a very long line2026-03-10
- Slow and sluggish with over 100 buffers open, hooks iterate every buffer2024-08-30
- Emacs opens buffers constantly and needs lots of work to stop it2024-02-26
Something wrong here?
Documentation is too terse to learn fromUnreviewed
6 people since 2013, in 5 different years · none this year
20072026
- Emacs documentation is esoteric and hard to grasp without ELisp knowledge2023-03-20
- Documentation is too terse, making it hard to learn2023-02-16
- Documentation is too dense to learn from, only useful as a reference2020-06-28
Something wrong here?
Hard to use on phones and tablets without a keyboardUnreviewed
6 people since 2011, in 5 different years · 2 this year
20072026
- Emacs is hard to use on a phone keyboard, so the author switched to Helix2026-03-14
- Hard to type Emacs key combos like C-x C-s on a phone2025-11-26
- Emacs keyboard combinations are hard to use without a physical keyboard2023-09-24
Something wrong here?
Help says to use Meta, which keyboards don't labelUnreviewed
6 people since 2014, in 4 different years · none this year
20072026
- Command menus and keystrokes are hard to access, and the meta key terminology doesn't match modern keyboards2023-08-24
- New users can't tell what the Meta key means and key behavior is inconsistent with modern keyboards2020-09-26
- Help tells beginners to use Meta key, which keyboards don't label, causing confusion2020-09-25
Something wrong here?
Mouse scrolling drags the cursor along with the viewUnreviewed
6 people since 2016, in 4 different years · none this year
20072026
- Scrolling moves the cursor back on screen, so it can't sit off-screen2024-10-12
- Cursor jumps to stay on screen when scrolling, a TUI quirk2023-07-11
- Scrolling the page moves the cursor, which is disorienting and not fixable2020-09-26
Something wrong here?
Significant input lag when typing on macOSUnreviewed
6 people since 2020, in 4 different years · 1 this year
20072026
- Significant input lag when typing on macOS2026-01-05
- UI is slow; cursor movement lags noticeably when using language servers2023-04-13
- Scrolling and auto-indent lag visibly and slow down typing, especially in Rust2022-05-03
Something wrong here?
Can't predict where new buffers appear or how closing worksUnreviewed
6 people since 2015, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Can't predict where new buffers appear, and closing them is inconsistent2023-09-08
- Can't predict where buffers appear; closing them is inconsistent2023-09-08
- Opens buffers everywhere, visually confusing, loses cursor focus on task2023-09-06
Something wrong here?
Key bindings are inconsistent across modesUnreviewed
5 people since 2013, in 5 different years · none this year
20072026
- Weird keybindings and many near-duplicate commands and modes make it messy2021-06-01
- Modes map keys to default layout, making default keybindings hard to avoid2017-10-02
- Many modes use Emacs keybindings by default, forcing users to rebind many keys2017-08-28
Something wrong here?
Window-switching key sequence is hidden and hard to rememberUnreviewed
5 people since 2015, in 4 different years · 1 this year
20072026
- Key presses get captured by the wrong mode, closing windows or hijacking focus2025-12-08
- Window split keybindings are inconsistent and hard to remember without a mental model2025-07-17
- Forgetting basic keybindings; switching windows is hidden behind a hard-to-remember key sequence2024-01-04
Something wrong here?
Remapping keys out of habit stops users learning basic conceptsUnreviewed
5 people since 2008, in 4 different years · none this year
20072026
- Weird keymaps make exiting and basic actions hard to discover without Googling or memorizing2021-12-30
- Constantly remapping caps lock and ctrl keys across different operating systems is obnoxious2021-11-04
- Keyboard shortcuts and basic actions work differently, forcing constant mental remapping2016-05-09
Something wrong here?
Meta hotkey doesn't work as usual in terminalUnreviewed
5 people since 2008, in 4 different years · none this year
20072026
- Command-as-Meta key collides with global macOS and Alfred hotkeys2025-11-02
- Option key doesn't work as Emacs meta key on Mac, requiring manual remapping2014-07-24
- Meta hotkey doesn't work as usual when Emacs runs in the terminal2014-06-29
Something wrong here?
Features are hidden, with no context menus to expose themUnreviewed
5 people since 2020, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Useful features stay hidden until you discover them; defaults are barebone2022-04-14
- Emacs features are hidden and hard to learn, with no context menus exposing them2022-01-09
- Lack of context menus and clicks makes features hard to discover2021-12-08
Something wrong here?
Configuration breaks when newer plugins introduce breaking changesUnreviewed
4 people since 2020, in 4 different years · none this year
20072026
- Emacs config breaks frequently because newer plugins introduce breaking changes2025-04-14
- Config kept breaking after a few days, costing 30-minute debugging sessions until the user gave up2022-10-23
- Emacs config gets slow or breaks, forcing rebuilds and bankruptcies2022-02-12
Something wrong here?
Reaching IDE-level functionality requires huge configurationUnreviewed
4 people since 2011, in 4 different years · 1 this year
20072026
- Needs enormous hacking to become a usable IDE; poor UI and performance2025-11-16
- Setting up a usable IDE takes many steps instead of a few clicks2022-04-06
- Requires a huge amount of configuration to reach IDE-level functionality2016-10-31
Something wrong here?
Must learn all commands before it becomes usefulUnreviewed
4 people since 2012, in 4 different years · none this year
20072026
- Emacs is daunting, with thousands of commands and packages to learn2023-07-31
- Learning all the commands is required before it becomes useful2021-11-25
- Takes weeks or months to set up and learn commands2019-02-05
Something wrong here?
Powerful features are hard to discover without a programmer mindsetUnreviewed
4 people since 2008, in 4 different years · 1 this year
20072026
- Powerful features are hard to find and take weeks to get working2025-11-17
- Hard to make use of its many features2023-12-28
- Powerful features are hard to discover and need a programmer mindset2021-08-06
Something wrong here?
Menu bar is hard to reach in terminal modeUnreviewed
4 people since 2010, in 4 different years · none this year
20072026
- Menu bar is confusing and hard to reach in terminal mode2025-10-18
- Terminal menubar looks substandard and mouse interaction doesn't work by default2020-06-15
- Menu bar is cluttered and harder to use than keyboard methods2017-04-22
Something wrong here?
Couldn't figure out how to exit the editorUnreviewed
4 people since 2013, in 4 different years · none this year
20072026
- First-time users can't figure out how to close Emacs without being told or consulting the manual2022-12-16
- Author got trapped in emacs and could not figure out how to exit it2021-04-02
- Author got stuck in wrong Emacs state and could not find how to exit2014-09-26
Something wrong here?
Backspace doesn't move the cursor like Vim doesUnreviewed
4 people since 2012, in 4 different years · none this year
20072026
- M-f and C-Backspace skip or delete punctuation-heavy code unexpectedly, sometimes removing half a line2021-01-05
- Emacs-style bindings clash with Vim habits, so C-h no longer works as backspace2016-09-12
- Backspace stops at last deletion instead of moving the cursor like Vim2014-02-26
Something wrong here?
Ctrl-S pauses terminal output instead of searchingUnreviewed
4 people since 2013, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Ctrl-S pauses terminal output instead of starting incremental search, unexpectedly2023-10-22
- Ctrl-C takes seconds to stop output when the buffer is flooded2023-08-02
- Slight delay when returning to command mode after pressing Ctrl+[2014-07-25
Something wrong here?
Language support setup takes too long and keeps breakingUnreviewed
4 people since 2021, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Language support setup takes too long and the setup keeps breaking2024-02-25
- Needed days of plugin and config tinkering to get language servers working2022-12-18
- Language setup breaks every few months, leaving user to debug and hack around it2021-08-07
Something wrong here?
Configuring languages means copying and tweaking Lisp with conflictsUnreviewed
4 people since 2019, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Endless accumulation of Lisp config one-liners and functions becomes exhausting to maintain2024-12-28
- Spends a week configuring languages, copying and tweaking Lisp, hitting conflicts2021-11-04
- Language tooling is unreliable outside Lisp and academic languages2021-08-07
Something wrong here?
Some commands unintuitively rearrange windows, disrupting the layoutUnreviewed
4 people since 2015, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Fixing simple window placement turns into a frustrating rabbit hole of choices2023-01-30
- New windows appear in weird places, cluttering the layout2021-09-07
- Emacs functions rearrange windows unpredictably, so the user must manually fix the layout2021-08-07
Something wrong here?
Colours are nearly impossible to get working in a terminalUnreviewed
4 people since 2016, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Local terminal clients need many nontrivial modifications to support Emacs keys and colors2024-01-04
- Popular themes look weird on terminal because colours are approximated to 2562020-09-25
- Plain text is shown in terminal colors, making it nearly unusable2016-11-30
Something wrong here?
Setting up for Clojure development is hardUnreviewed
4 people since 2011, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Author is frustrated with the general UX of Emacs, Clojure and REPL workflow2021-12-14
- Hard to set up properly for Clojure development2019-08-31
- Hard to get matching clojure-mode and swank setup working; packages scattered and version-mismatched2011-05-27
Something wrong here?
Spacemacs is sometimes slow and needs days of tweakingUnreviewed
4 people since 2020, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Spacemacs is very slow to respond on macOS2023-01-31
- Spacemacs is sometimes weirdly slow and needed days of tweaking2021-03-02
- Spacemacs was buggy and slow to use2020-05-08
Something wrong here?
Debugging means typing commands with no visual controlsUnreviewed
3 people since 2017, in 3 different years · 1 this year
20072026
- Hard to set up, find settings, and navigate debugger buffers; not discoverable2026-02-12
- Debugging means typing commands into a plain text window for every action, with no visual controls2024-01-26
- Missing IDE-like debugger locals window and unhelpful symbol search results lacking context2017-11-24
Something wrong here?
Too many configuration options make finding plugins hardUnreviewed
3 people since 2013, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Multi-parser support is pretty much unusable for the commenter2023-11-28
- Configuring it is so flexible the commenter got overwhelmed and couldn't find the right plugin2014-01-19
- Didn't work well on Windows, so the commenter stopped using it temporarily2013-12-23
Something wrong here?
Auto-changes manual spacing, breaking alignmentUnreviewed
3 people since 2013, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Editors pad alignment with spaces after tabs, making aligning and re-indenting painful2017-06-15
- Editor auto-changes user's manual spacing, making alignment frustrating2015-10-29
- Getting basic editor settings like auto-indent and syntax highlighting configured feels very tricky2013-12-26
Something wrong here?
Navigating Java code is tedious without a specialized IDEUnreviewed
3 people since 2011, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Navigating Java code in Emacs is tedious without a specialized IDE2018-02-11
- Debugging Java, C++ or mixed-language apps in Emacs is painful and laborious2012-02-20
- Navigating a huge Java codebase with vim and emacs is extremely painful2011-05-27
Something wrong here?
QWERTY shortcut habits are hard to map to Colemak lettersUnreviewed
3 people since 2008, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Shortcuts remembered as QWERTY motions become hard to map to Colemak letters2021-09-23
- Shortcuts mapped to physical QWERTY positions clash with Dvorak letter-based memory2011-12-24
- Common prefix keys are scrunched on the left hand, forcing awkward hand strain under QWERTY2008-09-24
Something wrong here?
Controls diverge from common computer conventionsUnreviewed
3 people since 2020, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Editing conventions differ sharply from most software, so new users find it unintuitive2025-10-18
- Emacs controls diverge from common computer conventions, confusing new users2021-11-17
- Controls are non-standard and organization is mystifying to newcomers2020-05-08
Something wrong here?
Help vanishes on first keypress and C- notation is missedUnreviewed
3 people since 2016, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Suggested defaults are poorly chosen, e.g. turning off C-h help key that people rely on2023-10-11
- Help vanishes on first keypress, and C- notation is easy to miss, so newcomers get stuck2017-09-29
- In terminal, the help key C-h acts as backspace, which is confusing2016-10-31
Something wrong here?
Opening files in Dired is awkward compared to file managersUnreviewed
3 people since 2015, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Dired is not usable like a normal file manager; opening files is awkward2024-10-13
- Opening a dired file in a new frame needs an awkward key sequence and minibuffer retyping2020-09-10
- Drilling into directories needs C-z, while RET opens Dired instead2015-11-29
Something wrong here?
Control and alt prefixes make key commands awkward to pressUnreviewed
3 people since 2010, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Alt key for exiting insert mode clashes with existing Emacs bindings2021-11-25
- Some Alt key bindings don't work over remote connections2017-04-21
- Control and alt prefixes make key commands awkward to press2010-05-25
Something wrong here?
New users can't look up key bindings by typing the key sequenceUnreviewed
3 people since 2008, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Explanations are hard to follow and custom key bindings can't be reproduced on the user's machine2017-11-23
- New users can't look up key bindings by pressing the key sequence after C-h2014-05-26
- New users can't discover or find the help commands because they don't know the key bindings2008-12-24
Something wrong here?
Lacks basic Python editing features without heavy customisationUnreviewed
3 people since 2017, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Lacks basic Python editing features out of the box, so users must customize heavily2023-01-30
- Outdated examples make building basic Python code completion setup hard to get working2020-10-22
- Setting up Python editing features is complicated compared to other editors2017-06-20
Something wrong here?
Arrow keys are disabled, so navigation needs other keysUnreviewed
3 people since 2009, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Early Emacs didn't understand arrow keys, forcing users to learn C-n/C-p/C-f/C-b navigation2014-02-26
- Arrow keys deliberately disabled in editor buffers, so users can't navigate with them2011-11-20
- Arrow-key and cursor motion bindings are hard to reach, so Ctrl-letter bindings are easier to type2009-07-09
Something wrong here?
Hard to remember which modifier keys do basic commandsUnreviewed
3 people since 2016, in 3 different years · 1 this year
20072026
- Modifier key combos like C-x C-s versus C-x s are hard to remember and confusing2026-10-10
- Modifier-based history keys are inefficient and hard to remember compared to single keys2023-12-14
- Hard to remember which modifier keys combine for basic commands like saving2016-07-14
Something wrong here?
Speedbar is awkward for jumping between filesUnreviewed
3 people since 2008, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Speedbar opens in a new frame that gets hidden behind other windows2022-07-06
- The speedbar's watch window experience is awful for debugging2014-11-29
- Speedbar is horrible for jumping around between files2008-05-20
Something wrong here?
Completion fails for less common languages, giving no helpUnreviewed
3 people since 2014, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Completion uses ^N/^P bindings that the commenter finds unintuitive compared to the Tab key2020-04-15
- Completion often doesn't work for rarely used languages, so the commenter gets no help2015-03-15
- Can't figure out how to get semantic completion working properly2014-01-20
Something wrong here?
Navigating structured notes needs looking at screen and extra typingUnreviewed
3 people since 2011, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Requires looking at the screen and more typing when navigating structured notes2022-02-28
- So many capabilities that organizing notes became a chore and felt like overkill2017-03-09
- Notes end up jammed together, making specific things hard to find later2011-06-01
Something wrong here?
Hard to get working on Windows, with much fiddlingUnreviewed
3 people since 2016, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Poor experience on Windows, and historically bloated and slow2021-01-15
- Hard to get working on Windows, leaving more time fiddling than working2018-08-05
- Took ages to get a working build installed on Windows2016-12-08
Something wrong here?
Mouse interaction is crippled, so users avoid itUnreviewed
3 people since 2007, in 3 different years · 1 this year
20072026
- Mouse interactions are painful and never feel right without lots of extra configuration2026-06-18
- Mouse interaction is crippled, so the user avoids using the mouse2020-09-26
- Mouse does nothing in Emacs, so the commenter avoids it entirely2007-10-31
Something wrong here?
Ctrl-Z minimises the window instead of undoingUnreviewed
3 people since 2015, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Ctrl-Z minimizes the window by accident when users mean another key2023-10-11
- C-z minimises the window by accident, easy to hit when fat-fingering C-x2020-09-10
- Ctrl-Z minimises the window instead of undoing, surprising users from other applications2015-01-21
Something wrong here?
Package management is inflexible and complicated to useUnreviewed
3 people since 2014, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Needs a third-party DSL to get a sane package management experience2021-03-21
- Package management is inflexible and complicated to work with2016-04-14
- Some aspects of the package manager could use a better user experience2014-06-17
Something wrong here?
Interaction is sluggish on modern hardwareUnreviewed
3 people since 2021, in 3 different years · 1 this year
20072026
- Runs very slowly on Windows, making interaction sluggish2026-06-18
- Runs slowly on modern hardware, making interaction sluggish2023-11-22
- Interface is so slow it feels unusable and keeps the laptop running at full speed2021-11-05
Something wrong here?
Arrow keys sit far from home row, forcing hand movement while editingUnreviewed
3 people since 2009, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Navigation keys require moving hands off the home row, making editing slow2014-03-10
- Arrow keys sit far from home row, forcing hand movement back and forth while editing2011-11-20
- Motion and editing keys split across hands, awkward for consecutive keystrokes2009-07-09
Something wrong here?
Python environment setup via plugins is iterative, buggy and slowUnreviewed
3 people since 2008, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Setting up Python environment via plugins is iterative, buggy, and slow to get working2020-10-17
- Python mode breaks on fresh installs, forcing hours of troubleshooting and version hunting2016-06-20
- Too many competing Python packages make setup confusing and time-consuming for novices2008-07-18
Something wrong here?
Basic operations take ten minutes of googling to learnUnreviewed
3 people since 2008, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Simple operations need a tutorial, and configuring it feels like fighting the system2020-09-25
- Hard to learn basic operations, takes ten minutes of googling2018-05-09
- Hard to learn how to do things; Info pages and terminology are confusing without the tutorial2008-09-24
Something wrong here?
Window resize only works when dragged from the bottom right cornerUnreviewed
3 people since 2009, in 3 different years · none this year
20072026
- Window stayed tiny on macOS and resizing methods had no effect2025-07-30
- Window resize freaks out unless dragged from the bottom right corner2011-10-21
- Resizing the window causes annoying flashes during redraw2009-02-05
Something wrong here?
Vim commands like ex history and :h help are missingUnreviewed
3 people since 2015, in 2 different years · none this year
20072026
- Installation is broken, and simple vim commands like :edit and :write don't work2019-08-30
- Doesn't work out of the box like Vim; ex history and :h help missing2019-05-13
- Vim ex commands like :tabnew are unknown, and :cd behaves confusingly2015-04-17
Something wrong here?
Basic tasks like opening files need a tutorialUnreviewed
3 people since 2021, in 2 different years · none this year
20072026
- Took days to figure out how to navigate files, felt stupid learning it2023-03-20
- Requires reading docs and mastering it before it is usable for basic tasks2021-08-28
- Learning basic tasks like opening files and windows required reading a tutorial2021-03-13
Something wrong here?
Beginners are overwhelmed by distros and customisation optionsUnreviewed
3 people since 2014, in 2 different years · none this year
20072026
- Overwhelming history, plugins and configs make it hard for newcomers to start2022-12-22
- Beginners are overwhelmed by distros and customization enthusiasm when starting2022-10-23
- Setting up a development environment from scratch is too tedious and impatient-inducing2014-02-10
Something wrong here?
Many plugins needed to match default features of modern editorsUnreviewed
3 people since 2021, in 2 different years · none this year
20072026
- Default GUI looks dated and needs many add-ons to match modern editor usability2023-09-14
- Must add many custom config lines to make it behave like modern editors2023-03-03
- Needs many plugins installed and configured to match default features of modern editors2021-11-04
Something wrong here?
Escape doesn't exit the minibuffer, so users get stuckUnreviewed
3 people since 2014, in 2 different years · none this year
20072026
- Ctrl+C in Emacs shows an unhelpful message instead of explaining how to exit2018-08-07
- Must press C-c to leave terminal buffer; M-x does not work there2018-01-27
- Gets stuck in Emacs minibuffer, escape doesn't exit it, need ctrl-G2014-11-30
Something wrong here?
Vim bindings vanish in some modes, and C-u scrolls differentlyUnreviewed
3 people since 2016, in 2 different years · none this year
20072026
- C-u doesn't scroll up by default; needs hidden config to match Vim2020-09-03
- C-u does not scroll half a page like in vim, and vim bindings vanish in some modes2016-09-18
- Vim-style scrolling and yanking behave differently, requiring hidden customization menus to fix2016-03-30
Something wrong here?
Menu items only make sense to Emacs usersUnreviewed
3 people since 2020, in 2 different years · 1 this year
20072026
- Menu items only make sense to Emacs users, confusing beginners2025-11-07
- Menu contents and grouping are confusing and unfamiliar to non-Emacs users2025-10-19
- Unclear menu labels, undefined keystrokes, and confusing Help menu leave new user lost2020-09-25
Something wrong here?
Completion packages interrupt users who already know the pathUnreviewed
3 people since 2020, in 2 different years · none this year
20072026
- Default completion is poor, so users need to install another package2021-08-29
- Hard to tell which overlapping completion packages to choose or combine2020-08-11
- Completion packages get in the way when the user already knows the exact path2020-07-01
Something wrong here?
Accidentally opening it bewilders true beginnersUnreviewed
3 people since 2017, in 2 different years · none this year
20072026
- Starting Emacs froze the computer and made it unusable for a while2020-04-05
- Accidentally opening Emacs is bewildering for true beginners2017-09-29
- Hard to get Emacs to open or run without a GUI2017-05-23
Something wrong here?
Idiosyncrasies confuse those learning Scheme or Common LispUnreviewed
3 people since 2009, in 2 different years · none this year
20072026
- The Common Lisp IDE is unreliable and clunky, making Lisp variants hard to get anywhere with2012-12-12
- Described as crappy and arcane compared to earlier Lisps2012-08-27
- Its idiosyncrasies will be confusing when learning Scheme or Common Lisp alongside it2009-04-21
Something wrong here?
Buffers couldn't be shown in a split, needing a separate frameUnreviewed
3 people since 2016, in 2 different years · none this year
20072026
- Magit and CIDER buffers split frames unpredictably, obscuring the working code2023-08-23
- New buffers split the frame unpredictably, forcing constant manual window cleanup2023-04-14
- Buffers used to be impossible to show in a split; they needed a separate frame2016-07-25
Something wrong here?

This list counts all time; the period switch above only changes the ranking. Each issue is a group of similar complaints raised by at least 3 people in 3 different months and threads. Each line under an issue is Claude Haiku's summary of one of its latest comments, not a quote; follow it to read the comment on Hacker News.

Unreviewed issues were grouped by machine: Claude Haiku labelled each comment as a usability complaint, named what it's about and summed up the problem in a line, and a small model grouped similar problems. Nobody has checked them by hand. Expect mistakes.

The newest 50 complaints