Neovim
Terminal text editor, a Vim fork focused on extensibility
- #5 of 10 in best code editors and IDEs
- Free and open source
- Free to use
- Open source
- WindowsmacOSLinuxCommand line
Ranked 5 of 10 in best code editors and IDEs
A free, Apache 2.0 licensed terminal editor for keyboard-first work that runs over SSH. Its setup takes the most effort in this list, and it has no graphical menus.
Best for Terminal-based editing and keyboard-first work
About Neovim
Neovim is a modal text editor for the terminal that keeps Vim's keystrokes and commands. It is a fork of Vim focused on extensibility, with a Lua configuration language and a plugin API. Configuration and plugins are plain text files, so a setup can be copied between machines and used over SSH.
Neovim suits people who already work in the terminal and want a fast, scriptable editor. Setup and key bindings take longer to learn than VS Code or Zed, which ship menus and graphical settings. The project is released under the Apache 2.0 license, with some parts contributed under the Vim license.
Key features
- Modal editing from Vim
- Lua configuration
- Plugin ecosystem
- Pre-built packages for Windows, macOS and Linux
Strengths
- Apache 2.0 licensed open source
- Runs in any terminal, including over SSH
Limits
- Setup and key bindings take time to learn
- No graphical interface
Where Neovim ranks
How Neovim compares
| Product | Score | Price | Platforms | Main focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
#3 Zed | 88.0 | Free plan, paid upgrades | macOSLinuxWindows | Fast editing with collaboration |
#4 Visual Studio | 86.5 | Free plan, paid upgrades | Windows | .NET and C++ on Windows |
| #5Neovim | 85.0 | Free and open source | WindowsmacOSLinuxCommand line | Terminal editing with Vim keys |
#6 Cursor | 84.0 | Free plan, paid upgrades | macOSWindowsLinux | AI-first code editor |
#7 Helix | 83.0 | Free and open source | Command line | Terminal editing in Rust |
The full comparison table for best code editors and IDEs has all 10 products.
Alternatives to Neovim
All 9 alternatives
Visual Studio CodeAlso runs on Web.
IntelliJ IDEAJava and Kotlin IDE with code analysis, refactoring and a debugger- ZedFast code editor with built-in multiplayer editing and optional AI
- Visual StudioWindows IDE for .NET, C++, web and game development
- CursorAI code editor with agents, cloud runs and team controls
- HelixTerminal text editor written in Rust, with no Electron
Questions about Neovim
- Is Neovim free?
- Neovim can be used without paying: Free and open source under Apache 2.0, with some Vim-licensed parts. Check the vendor’s pricing page for current limits.
- Is Neovim open source?
- Yes. Neovim publishes its source code under the Apache-2.0 license.
- Which platforms does Neovim support?
- Neovim is available on: Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line.
- What is Neovim best for?
- Terminal-based editing and keyboard-first work. In our ranking of code editors and IDEs it is number 5 of 10 with a score of 85.0.
- What are the best alternatives to Neovim?
- The highest-ranked alternatives on listme.name are Visual Studio Code, IntelliJ IDEA, Zed, Visual Studio.
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