Systems16 of 22
Code tools15 of 37
Extending11 of 11
Licence and price18 of 18
Upkeep8 of 12
code editor · Vim project
Vim
Free modal text editor with a built-in terminal, a gdb debugger plugin and thousands of community scripts.
In short
- Vim costs nothing: the licence allows using an unmodified copy with no restrictions3,7.
- Windows builds come as an installer or a zip archive, in 32-bit, 64-bit and ARM641.
- Vim 9.2 was released on 14 February 2026, and tagged releases continued into October 202610,11.
- A terminal window and a gdb debugging plugin ship with Vim, and netrw edits files over scp4,5.
- The scripts directory on vim.org lists 6,017 scripts9.
Vim suits people who want a free, keyboard-driven editor with official Windows and Linux builds1,14. It ships a terminal window, a gdb debugging plugin and remote editing over scp4,5. The catch: the manual describes an LSP message mode but no ready-made language server client6. The terminal and key mapping manuals show no git commit interface or multiple cursors4,8.
Best for: People who work from the keyboard and want a free editor with community scripts.
Where the points come from
Systems 16 of 22 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Systems besides Windows | LinuxDownload page links a Linux AppImage from the vim GitHub organisation1,14. For macOS it points to MacVim and Homebrew, which are third-party. No web version. | 3 / 9 |
| Portable Windows build | YesDownload page offers 32-bit, 64-bit and ARM64 zip packages beside the installer; the page does not use the word portable1. | 5 / 5 |
| Remote editing | YesBuilt-in netrw plugin edits files on another machine, for example vim scp://hostname/path, using scp. Containers and WSL not documented5. | 8 / 8 |
Code tools 15 of 37 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Language Server Protocol | Not publishedChannel docs describe an LSP message mode, but no LSP client for completion or error checks is documented6. | 0 / 10 |
| Debugger | YesThe termdebug plugin debugs programs with gdb, with Break, Step, Over and Continue commands. Not marked experimental4. | 9 / 9 |
| Built-in terminal | Yes:terminal runs a terminal emulator in a Vim window; Windows is supported through ConPTY4. | 6 / 6 |
| Git in the editor | Not publishedNot published in the terminal manual4. | 0 / 6 |
| Multiple cursors | Not publishedNot published in the key mapping manual8. | 0 / 3 |
| Live collaboration | Not publishedNot published on the vendor's home or download pages1,2. | 0 / 3 |
Extending 11 of 11 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Extension directory | Yesvim.org runs a scripts directory of 6,017 scripts; the user manual explains how to write a plugin in Vim script9,13. | 8 / 8 |
| Custom key bindings | YesThe manual documents :map commands that change what typed keys do, and refers to putting mapping lines in your vimrc8. | 3 / 3 |
Licence and price 18 of 18 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Free for work use | YesThe README says there are no restrictions on using an unmodified copy of Vim3. | 6 / 6 |
| Price | $0Vim is free; the licence only encourages donations7. | 6 / 6 |
| Open source | YesSource is public on GitHub; the licence is GPL compatible and allows modified versions. The licence text does not use the term open source3,7. | 6 / 6 |
Upkeep 8 of 12 points
The rule behind each line: how we score code editors.
Plans and prices
As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.
| Plan | Price as listed | Per month | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vim1 person | Free7 | $0 | Charityware licence; donations to children in Uganda are encouraged, not required |
Strengths
- The licence has no restrictions on using an unmodified copy, and it is GPL compatible3,7.
- Windows zip archives are published for 32-bit, 64-bit and ARM641,12.
- The :terminal command runs a terminal in a Vim window and works on Windows through ConPTY4.
- The bundled termdebug plugin debugs programs with gdb, with breakpoint and stepping commands4.
- The manual documents :map commands that change what typed keys do8.
Limits
- The manual documents an LSP message mode for channels, but describes no ready-made language server client6.
- The terminal manual documents no git interface for commits4.
- The licence is Vim's own charityware text, and it does not call itself open source7.
- The project lists no official web version1.
- The download page offers no official macOS build; it points to MacVim and Homebrew, which are third-party1.
Other code editors
- 1
Visual Studio CodePeople who want one editor for many languages, with remote editing and an extension marketplace94/100$0price - 2
ZedPeople who want a free editor with debugging and collaboration built in92/100$0price - 3
GNU EmacsPeople who want a free editor they can reshape in Emacs Lisp, with many tools built in87/100$0price - 4
VSCodiumPeople who want VS Code's editor as a fully open-source build without Microsoft telemetry78/100$0price
Sources
- Download Vim, Vim project. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Vim online, Vim project. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- vim/vim README, GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Vim help: terminal.txt, Vim project. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Vim help: pi_netrw.txt, Vim project. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Vim help: channel.txt, Vim project. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Vim help: uganda.txt (licence), Vim project. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Vim help: map.txt, Vim project. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Vim scripts, Vim project. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Tags, vim/vim, GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Vim 9.2 released, Vim project. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Releases, vim-win32-installer, GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Vim help: usr_51.txt (create a plugin), Vim project. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- vim/vim-appimage, Vim project. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Website: www.vim.org · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with Vim project.