Vim Reviews & Product Details

Vim is a highly configurable and efficient text editor, renowned for its versatility and power. As an enhanced version of the traditional 'vi' editor, Vim offers a comprehensive feature set that caters to a wide range of text editing needs, from simple note-taking to complex programming tasks. Its modal design, which separates editing tasks into distinct modes, allows users to perform actions swiftly and with precision. While Vim has a steeper learning curve compared to conventional editors, it rewards users with unparalleled efficiency and control once mastered. Key Features and Functionality: - Modal Editing: Vim operates in different modes—such as Normal, Insert, and Visual—each tailored for specific tasks, enabling efficient text manipulation. - Extensive Customization: Users can tailor Vim to their preferences through a vast array of plugins and scripts, enhancing functionality and adapting the editor to various workflows. - Syntax Highlighting: Vim supports syntax highlighting for numerous programming languages, aiding in code readability and reducing errors. - Multi-File and Multi-Window Support: Users can edit multiple files simultaneously, utilizing split windows and tabs to manage complex projects effectively. - Integrated Help System: Vim includes a comprehensive help system, providing users with immediate access to documentation and guidance. - Cross-Platform Availability: Vim is available on various operating systems, including Unix, Linux, Windows, and macOS, ensuring a consistent editing experience across platforms. Primary Value and User Solutions: Vim addresses the need for a powerful and efficient text editing tool that can handle a wide range of tasks, from simple text editing to complex programming. Its modal design and extensive customization options allow users to tailor the editor to their specific workflows, enhancing productivity and reducing the time spent on repetitive tasks. By supporting multiple programming languages and offering features like syntax highlighting and multi-file editing, Vim serves as a versatile tool for developers and writers alike. Its cross-platform availability ensures that users have a consistent and reliable editing environment, regardless of the operating system they use.

Seller

Vim

Discussions

Vim Community

Solution Type

Best-of-Breed

Value at a Glance

Averages based on real user reviews.

Time to Implement

1 month

Return on Investment

10 months

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Top-Rated Alternatives

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User Insights

Average based on 269 real user reviews.

Implementation Time

1 month

Perceived Cost

$$$$$

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Mohammed S.

Software Engineer

Research

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

7/26/2019

"A reliable source code and text editor for linux users"

4/5

What do you like best about Vim?

I have been using this product for a while for writing and editing source code files. I mainly use C and C++ to implement and develop trace files and Linux-based software. VIM provides everything a programmer needs to manage, modify, and jump through multiple programming files in the same window. VIM supports multiple programming languages highlights including JAVA, PHP, C (header files as well), and C++ and many other languages. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Vim?

It might be a little hard for Windows users to start using VIM effectively as it needs some command writing skills. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Information Technology and Services

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

12/4/2019

"Vim is a Great Text Editor for Dealing with Large Files"

3.5/5

What do you like best about Vim?

Vim is very useful for opening files that can be too big to handle with Notepad. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Vim?

The default colours are not very sleek, and the way to change them are not very intuitive. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Vim:

When trying to open files more than several dozen megabytes opt to open Vim. Download Vim prior to needed to use it. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Vim solving and how is that benefiting you?

Vim was used to open and edit large text files that were over 2GB in size. The files were then formatted and imported into a database. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Michael D.

Systems Engineer

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

7/26/2019

"The old-school editor for engineers"

5/5

What do you like best about Vim?

It may be better IDEs and text editor right now, but I have been using Vim for 20+ years and I'm not going to change now. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Vim?

It's not friendly for new users, it never was but right now there are friendlier options for new users Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Dylan M.

Dylan Miller

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

12/9/2018

"Write and develop faster"

5/5

What do you like best about Vim?

VIM is not a simple plaintext editor; it's a complete and powerful tool for developing all kinds of code with maximum performance. There are countless plugins you can load to perform different tasks, highlight different parts of the code depending on the language, compile it from the same window, autocomplete words as you type, etc. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Vim?

It's not easy to start with VIM because it requires many hours of testing and you have to search the Internet to get used to it. Besides that, it's quite complicated to customize the editor, as you have to write specific code for each modification. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Vim:

VIM is the perfect text editor, as it allows you to develop code without using the mouse, enabling you to code much faster. There is a great community behind it that constantly creates content to improve it by developing new modules and features. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Vim solving and how is that benefiting you?

I use VIM daily to develop code in C++ and write Bash scripts. I also use it to modify configuration files of the servers that I work on. It's my main editor. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Nuria V.

The productivity tool

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

3/17/2019

"The productivity tool"

4/5

What do you like best about Vim?

- Without a doubt, the best thing to do is the command inputs that allow you to manipulate text in different files, always without the use of mouse. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Vim?

- But once someone learns it, it becomes easy This is definitely not for everyone Vim is hard to learn and get used to Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Vim:

- Totally worth the effort to learn Just use it. Without previous knowledge, it's even hard to start actually writing something, or to quit the application Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Vim solving and how is that benefiting you?

- And most of them use it Vim allows for rapid documentation, quick edits, and increased productivity I build and maintain software Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Jeremy F.

PhD Candidate

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

2/16/2019

"Fantastic, extensible text editor for the terminal"

4.5/5

What do you like best about Vim?

While there is a learning curve for vim, it is incredibly intuitive and powerful once you get the hang of it. There are a number of great plugins. I use it for writing code and academic papers and I love it. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Vim?

Base vim is bare bones, and it takes installing plugins like YouCompleteMe to make it powerful enough to replace an IDE. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Vim:

Find a good online tutorial (like https://www.openvim.com/); with a good set of plugins vim is a wonderful replacement for any text editor and has many of the bells and whistles of any IDE. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Vim solving and how is that benefiting you?

Vim is available on every distribution of Linux, on servers or desktop. It keeps me in the terminal for nearly everything that I need to do and fits into my workflow seamlessly. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Health, Wellness and Fitness

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4/23/2019

"Efficient, but with a learning curve"

5/5

What do you like best about Vim?

Vim works seamlessly with the terminal making it easy to switch between them. Also, it is very configurable which makes it adaptable to every dev making it efficient. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Vim?

It is somewhat hard to learn at first, and it is different from any other code editor. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Vim:

Start with a regular editor first and then try vim, maybe something hybrid like MacVim first (in which you can still use the mouse to select things). Then force you to learn one new Vim skill per week. You'll quickly get used to it and will see the advantages of using it. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Vim solving and how is that benefiting you?

Navigating and writing code in a very efficient way. Once you get used to the vim "language" and commands it is clear the vim advantages over the rest of the editors. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Nacho G.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

10/7/2018

"The essential tool in Unix"

5/5

What do you like best about Vim?

VIM is the essential tool for any Unix user. Although it looks like a simple plain text editor, it is a great productivity application, it has a very high potential since it integrates many utilities and functions to develop code or manage computers. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Vim?

Only comment that it is a bit difficult to start working with VIM, as it does not have mouse, for new users it will be hard. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Vim:

VIM is a free and open source application to edit text files from a terminal. It has plenty of shortcuts to do all the functions that are done with the mouse with keyboard commands. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Vim solving and how is that benefiting you?

I use it daily to edit all kinds of files, on my computer and on the different servers that I connect daily. I also use it when I develop C ++ codes and some bash scripts. VIM allows me to do my job much faster than with other applications that require mouse. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Computer Software

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

8/28/2019

"Powerful"

4/5

What do you like best about Vim?

It is very powerful. If you know it well, you can have a lot of functions just typing a few keys and you could also use mouse. No need of setup. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Vim?

There is nothing I dislike. All problems can be easily resolved. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Tatevik B.

Senior Software Engineer

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

11/27/2018

"Old school and fastest editor of all time"

5/5

What do you like best about Vim?

Vim is the IDE I personally like the most. It's the fastest of all that have such great powerful functionality. It's being used both by developers and administrators, it's very convenient when you are remotely connected to the server. Once you get used to the commands I promise you'll not quit it. There are highlighting, autocomplete plugins available which I use. If you are new to Vim try "vimtutor" to get started. That's how I've learned it. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Vim?

I personally don't like that for customization you have to use external plugins and also writing your own one can be tricky. It's also difficult for new learners, for example if you switch from another editor especially from GUI editor it will be extremely difficult to get used to it if don't have experience. Many people will just quit trying after 10 minutes. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Vim:

If you feel courageous enough to try it you'll fell in love. It's free and I think it's a standard when you work remotely on the server. Even if you don't want to use it in your daily work, consider learning it as some time it may be useful for you especially if you work with servers or you work remotely. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Vim solving and how is that benefiting you?

I use Vim editor for my development under Linux, editing configs and other stuff while connected to servers via ssh and I'm very satisfied with the speed and ease of use (for me). Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.