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Developer Tools · head to head

Helix vs Rapid7 InsightVM

Helix logo

Helix

Developer Tools

Post-modern modal text editor for the terminal, written in Rust

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Rapid7 InsightVM logo

Rapid7 InsightVM

Cybersecurity

Vulnerability management at scale

From
$1.62/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Helix has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Helix no official GUI application yet, so it requires comfort with terminal workflows.; Rapid7 InsightVM insightVM is now sold inside Exposure Command rather than as a standalone product
  • They diverge on capability: Helix covers Multiple Selections, Rapid7 InsightVM covers Asset discovery.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Helix and Rapid7 InsightVM actually diverge.

Attributes where Helix and Rapid7 InsightVM differ
AttributeHelixRapid7 InsightVM
Starting priceFree$1.62/month
Pricing modelopen-sourceusage-based
Free tierYesNo
Platformslinux, mac, windowsWeb, Cloud, Api
CategoryDeveloper ToolsCybersecurity
FoundedUnknown2000

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Helix

  • Multiple Selections
  • Tree-sitter Syntax Trees
  • Built-in LSP Support
  • Fuzzy File Finder
  • Project-wide Search

Only in Rapid7 InsightVM

  • Asset discovery
  • Vulnerability scanning
  • Risk prioritization
  • Threat intelligence
  • Custom policies
  • Remediation tracking
  • Compliance reporting
  • API access

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Helix

  • Editing code over SSH or in tmux sessionsnot Rapid7 InsightVM
  • Working with syntax-aware selection and navigationnot Rapid7 InsightVM
  • Getting IDE-like completion and diagnostics without plugin setupnot Rapid7 InsightVM
  • Lightweight, low-resource code editing on laptopsnot Rapid7 InsightVM

Rapid7 InsightVM

  • Vulnerability management and risk assessmentnot Helix
  • Web application security scanningnot Helix
  • Cloud infrastructure security monitoringnot Helix

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Helix

  • No official GUI application yet, so it requires comfort with terminal workflows.
  • Plugin ecosystem is far smaller than Vim's or Neovim's, limiting customization.
  • Keybindings differ from both Vim and Kakoune, adding a learning curve for users of either.
  • Configuration is more limited than Neovim's Lua-based extensibility.

Rapid7 InsightVM

  • InsightVM is now sold inside Exposure Command rather than as a standalone product
  • Rapid7 states pricing is not publicly listed and is provided by custom quote based on the customer's environment
  • Billing counts billable assets including devices, software, identities, cloud compute instances and applications, so the asset count grows faster than a device inventory suggests
  • Cloud security, compliance, infrastructure as code scanning and application security testing require the Ultimate package rather than Essentials
  • Volume discounts are described as commonly available for larger asset counts, so smaller buyers pay the higher unit rate

Pricing, plan by plan

Helix

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full editor, no paid tiers

Rapid7 InsightVM

$1.62/month
  • InsightVM$1.62/month per asset
    • Vulnerability risk management
    • Unlimited user accounts
    • 24/7 technical support
  • InsightAppSec$175/month
    • Web application security
    • Per application pricing
    • Unlimited user accounts
  • InsightCloudsec$5775/month
    • Cloud security
    • Up to 500 instances
    • Unlimited user accounts

Which should you pick?

Choose Helix if

  • You need multiple selections.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on linux, mac, windows.
  • You also want tree-sitter syntax trees.
Helix review

Choose Rapid7 InsightVM if

  • You need asset discovery.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, Api.
  • You also want vulnerability scanning.
Rapid7 InsightVM review

Questions people ask

Is Helix or Rapid7 InsightVM better?
Neither clearly leads. Helix starts at Free and Rapid7 InsightVM at $1.62/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Helix or Rapid7 InsightVM?
Helix has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Helix and $1.62/month for Rapid7 InsightVM.
Does Helix or Rapid7 InsightVM run on more platforms?
Helix runs on linux, mac, windows. Rapid7 InsightVM runs on Web, Cloud, Api.
Can I use Helix for free?
Yes. Helix has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Rapid7 InsightVM starts at $1.62/month.
What is Helix best used for?
Helix is most often used for editing code over ssh or in tmux sessions, working with syntax-aware selection and navigation, getting ide-like completion and diagnostics without plugin setup, lightweight, low-resource code editing on laptops. Of those, editing code over ssh or in tmux sessions and working with syntax-aware selection and navigation are not what Rapid7 InsightVM is typically brought in for.
What can Helix do that Rapid7 InsightVM cannot?
Helix covers Multiple Selections, Tree-sitter Syntax Trees, Built-in LSP Support, Fuzzy File Finder. Rapid7 InsightVM covers Asset discovery, Vulnerability scanning, Risk prioritization, Threat intelligence.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Helix: Is Helix free to use?

Yes, Helix is free and open source, licensed under the Mozilla Public License 2.0 (MPL-2.0), with no paid tiers or subscriptions.

Source
Rapid7 InsightVM: What is the starting price for Rapid7 InsightVM?

InsightVM starts at $1.62 per month per asset, with example pricing provided for 500-asset deployments.

Source
Helix: How do I install Helix?

Install via your operating system's package manager, or download pre-built binaries from GitHub Releases; the nightly version requires building from source.

Source
Rapid7 InsightVM: How much does InsightAppSec cost?

InsightAppSec starts at $175 per month per application for web application security scanning.

Source
Helix: Does Helix support plugins?

Not yet. Helix currently has no plugin system, though the project intends to add one eventually; it instead ships with built-in LSP and tree-sitter support out of the box.

Source
Rapid7 InsightVM: What does InsightCloudsec cover?

InsightCloudsec starts at $5,775 per month for cloud security monitoring of up to 500 instances.

Source
Helix: How do I configure Helix?

Helix ships with sane modern defaults requiring much less config-file fiddling than Vim, though settings can still be customized in a config.toml file.

Source
Rapid7 InsightVM: Do Rapid7 products include unlimited user accounts?

Yes, all Rapid7 products include unlimited user accounts, 24/7 technical support, single sign-on, and customer-success team access.

Source
Helix: Where can I get help or support?

Support is community-driven via GitHub for code and issues, the Matrix chat for discussion, and OpenCollective for funding ongoing development.

Source
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