Most common switch due to VS Code being free and lightweight. Gain: zero cost, fast startup, Ruby LSP gem provides good Ruby support. Trade-off: Rails support isn't comparable to RubyMine, requires extension setup.

Developers frustrated with RubyMine slowness switch for speed. Gain: lightning-fast startup, minimal resources, one-time $99 purchase. Trade-off: requires plugins for Ruby features, no built-in debugging.

Ruby developers seeking speed and keyboard efficiency switch to Vim with Ruby plugins. Gain: instant startup, minimal resources, terminal workflow. Trade-off: steep learning curve, requires configuration.

Polyglot developers switch for broader language support. Gain: Ruby via plugin plus Java, Kotlin, JavaScript in one IDE. Trade-off: Ruby support via plugin not as deep as RubyMine.

GitHub's editor was historically popular among Ruby developers. Gain: free, hackable, Ruby plugins available. Trade-off: Atom is now discontinued, no longer maintained.