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mle vs Helix: catalog facts
mle	Helix
Free Free and open source under the Apache-2.0 license.	Free Free and open source under the MPL 2.0.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
Syntax highlighting, multiple cursors, and window splitting Lua extensibility and configurable key maps	Language server and tree-sitter support without installing anything Selection-first editing makes multiple cursors a first-class tool
Requires terminal use Windows use requires Cygwin or WSL	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: Apache-2.0	License: MPL-2.0
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 8, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.