modal editing Archives

22 Best Free and Open Source Vim-Like Text Editors

Text editors remain a controversial area. Here are our recommended Vim-like text editors. They are all released under an open source license.

red is a Vim-style terminal code editor with LSP, Tree-sitter, Git tools, split windows and optional editor-aware Codex assistance.

sled is a small terminal text editor with insert-first operation, command and selection modes, keyboard shortcuts and source-level settings.

aretext is a minimalist terminal text editor offering Vim-compatible modes, command navigation, project configuration and CLI integration.

ad combines Vim-style editing with Plan 9 Acme-inspired extensibility, structural text commands, an editor filesystem and mouse support.

xvi is a small portable vi-style editor with multiple text windows, file switching and a familiar command-driven editing interface.

Levee is a lightweight terminal text editor with vi-style commands, regular expression searching, substitutions, macros, and tag navigation.

amp is a terminal editor with modal navigation, syntax highlighting, fuzzy file finding, Git integration and configurable keymaps.

Vis is a terminal text editor combining Vim-style modal editing, multiple selections, structural regular expressions and Lua scripting.

Lapce is a fast native code editor with LSP intelligence, remote development, integrated terminal, Vim-style editing and extensions.