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micro vs Helix: catalog facts
micro	Helix
Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.	Free Free and open source under the MPL 2.0.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
Common keybindings, so there is nothing to learn before editing a file A single static binary with no dependencies or external files	Language server and tree-sitter support without installing anything Selection-first editing makes multiple cursors a first-class tool
Not an IDE; no language server support or project tooling The plugin ecosystem is small	No plugin system, so anything missing stays missing Selection-first keys are genuinely different from Vim muscle memory
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License: MPL-2.0
No account needed	No account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026

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