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NeovimGNU Emacs
Free

Free and open source under the Apache 2.0 licence, with some parts under the Vim licence.

 Free

Free software under the GPL, part of the GNU Project.

Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
  • Built-in LSP client for semantic code inspection and refactoring
  • Tree-sitter parsing for fast, accurate highlighting, navigation and text objects
  • Extensible in Emacs Lisp at runtime, so any behaviour can be changed without rebuilding
  • Org mode is a genuinely excellent system for notes, tasks and literate documents
  • Modal editing is a real learning curve if you have not used Vim
  • A usable setup usually means assembling plugins or adopting someone else’s configuration
  • A steep learning curve, with keybindings unlike any other editor
  • A usable configuration takes substantial time, hence Doom and Spacemacs
Downloadable app Downloadable app
Open source Open source
License: Apache-2.0 License: GPL-3.0
No account needed No account needed
Works offline Works offline

Checked September 20, 2026

Checked September 21, 2026

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