Alternatives to vimb

A lightweight, keyboard-driven web browser with Vim-style modes, built on WebKitGTK and GTK4. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as vimb.

  • qutebrowser

    A keyboard-driven browser with vim-style bindings and almost no interface to click on.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    qutebrowser keeps vim-style keyboard control with link hints but uses QtWebEngine instead of WebKitGTK, is configured in Python, and also runs on Windows and macOS.

  • Luakit

    A keyboard-driven web browser built on WebKitGTK and GTK, configured and extended with Lua.

    FreeOpen sourceLinux

    Luakit stays on WebKitGTK for Linux with link hints and keyboard navigation, adding a built-in ad blocker and vertical tabs, but its configuration is written in Lua.

  • Vieb

    A Vim-inspired Electron desktop browser built for keyboard navigation, with local ad blocking and strict permissions.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Vieb offers Vim-style keybindings on Windows, macOS and Linux with a built-in ad blocker and container tabs, but it is built on Electron rather than WebKitGTK.

  • Nyxt

    Keyboard-first browser configured and extended in Common Lisp.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOSLinux

    Nyxt is a keyboard-first browser with a fuzzy command prompt, configured live in Common Lisp and available on macOS, though its web compatibility trails mainstream browsers.

  • Glide

    A keyboard-focused, extensible web browser configured in TypeScript, currently in alpha.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Glide provides modal Vim-style keymaps, link hints and web extension support configured in TypeScript across desktops, but it is alpha software with missing features.

  • surf

    A minimal WebKit2GTK web browser from the suckless project, without tabs and configured at compile time.

    FreeProprietaryLinux

    surf is a smaller keyboard-driven WebKit2GTK browser from suckless, but it has no built-in tabs and customisation means editing and recompiling the source.

Also worth comparing

These listings name vimb as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • BadWolf

    A minimalist, privacy-oriented web browser built on WebKitGTK with JavaScript off by default.

    FreeOpen sourceLinux

    vimb keeps WebKitGTK on Linux but adds Vim-style modal keybindings, native tabs and runtime settings, replacing BadWolf's conventional shortcuts with a keyboard-centric learning curve.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.