Vimvs
Neovim
Neovim: Hyperextensible fork of Vim with Lua configuration, faster startup times, and better default settings
Vim
Highly configurable text editor built to enable efficient text editing
As of 30 August 2026, Vim is free to use. Vim is a highly configurable text editor built to make creating and changing any kind of text very efficient. Softwr lists it under Technology. Vim is made by Vim Development Team, launched in 1991, available on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Overview
What Vim does
Vim is a highly configurable text editor built to make creating and changing any kind of text very efficient. It is included as 'vi' with most UNIX systems and with Apple OS X. Vim is rock stable and is continuously being developed to become even better.
What people use it for
- Code editing
- Configuration files
- System administration
- Remote editing
- Terminal-based development
Related searches
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about Vim.
- Configuration system uses keyboard mappings with no graphical interface for settings
- Requires browsing documentation to modify even basic settings
- Lacks sensible defaults for many common configurations
- Plugin ecosystem stability varies widely depending on custom configuration complexity
Cross-shopped
What people choose instead of Vim
Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.
- VimvsSublime Text
Sublime Text: High-performance text editor with Vim-like Vintage mode plugin, faster than VS Code with minimal overhead
- VimvsZed
Zed: Native speed with built-in Vim mode, collaboration, and AI without requiring configuration
Pricing
What Vim costs
Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.
Free
Free
- Powerful text editing
- Extensive customization
- Plugin ecosystem
- Cross-platform support
- Command-line interface
Capabilities
Features
Modal editing
Extensive customization
Plugin support
Macro recording
Split windows
Syntax highlighting
Search and replace
Command history
Git
Integration with Git
Language servers
Integration with Language servers
Compilers
Integration with Compilers
Build systems
Integration with Build systems
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
Is Vim free and open source?
Yes, Vim is free and open source, distributed under a charityware license. The creator requested donations to ICCF Holland, a non-profit supporting AIDS victims in Uganda. All donations are forwarded to ICCF.
SourceWhat platforms does Vim support?
Vim runs on Unix-like systems (Linux, macOS, BSD), Windows (7, 8, 10, 11), VMS, and is available through package managers or standalone installation on all major operating systems.
SourceWho maintains Vim now?
Vim was created by Bram Moolenaar, who passed away on August 3, 2023. Christian Brabandt is the current lead maintainer, and the project continues with volunteer contributors.
SourceBehind it
Who makes Vim
- Company
- Vim Development Team
- Based in
- Open Source Community
- Founders
- Bram Moolenaar
Timeline
Vim over time
- Milestone2023-08-03
Bram Moolenaar, creator and maintainer of Vim, passed away at age 62
Source - Milestone1994-01-01
Vim 3.0 released with support for multiple buffers
Source - Milestone1992-01-01
Vim 1.22 released with compelling new features and Unix port, name changed to Vi Improved
Source - Launch1991-11-02
Vim version 1.0 released after three years in development as Vi IMitation
Source - Founded1988-01-01
Bram Moolenaar began working on Vim for the Amiga platform
Source
Keep looking
Where to go from Vim
- Vim alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- Vim pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- Vim badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All Technology softwareThe full category
- Best Technology softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
Best Technology software for
Compare Vim with
- Neovim
- Sublime Text
- Mozilla Firefox
- Jenkins
- Plane
- Kubernetes
- PostHog
- GitHub
- Eclipse
- Storybook
- Linear
- Datadog
- Sketch
- Thought Machine
- Userpilot
- Alkami
- Dashlane
- Sublime Text
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Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for Vim, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
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