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Neovim vs MacVim: catalog facts
NeovimMacVim
Free

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

Free

Free to download and use; source is published on GitHub.

Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line macOS
  • Built-in LSP client for semantic code inspection and refactoring
  • Tree-sitter parsing for fast, accurate highlighting, navigation and text objects
  • Full Vim editing in a native Mac app
  • Supports older macOS releases back to 10.9
  • 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
  • macOS only
  • Vim's modal editing has a steep learning curve
Downloadable app Downloadable app
Open source Open source
License: Apache-2.0 License not stated
No account needed No account needed
Works offline Works offline

Checked September 20, 2026

Checked September 23, 2026

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