Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Firenvim VS cVim

Compare Firenvim VS cVim and see what are their differences

Firenvim logo Firenvim

Turn your browser into a Neovim client.

cVim logo cVim

An extension adding Vim-like bindings to Google Chrome.
  • Firenvim Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-11-03
  • cVim Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-29

Firenvim features and specs

  • Seamless Integration
    Firenvim allows users to bring the power of NeoVim into web browsers, providing a seamless integration for those who prefer editing text in Vim-like environments. This is especially beneficial for users who spend a lot of time writing in text areas on the web, such as when composing emails or writing blog posts.
  • Increased Productivity
    For users familiar with Vim keybindings, Firenvim can significantly increase productivity by enabling efficient text editing capabilities directly in the browser. This eliminates the need to switch contexts between a browser and a text editor.
  • Customization
    Firenvim supports NeoVim's extensive configuration and plugin ecosystem, allowing users to customize their editing environment in web text areas to match their personal setup preferences.
  • Consistent Workflow
    It helps maintain a consistent workflow for users who frequently switch between local files and online text input fields, reducing the cognitive load of differing editing interfaces.

Possible disadvantages of Firenvim

  • Learning Curve
    For users not already familiar with Vim or NeoVim, there can be a steep learning curve associated with transitioning to this editing style, which might not be immediately intuitive.
  • Browser Compatibility
    Firenvim might have compatibility issues with certain websites or browser extensions, which could result in unexpected behavior when trying to edit content.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running NeoVim within a browser can be more resource-intensive compared to just using the native browser text editor. This could potentially affect the browser's performance, especially on lower-spec hardware.
  • Security Concerns
    Embedding a full-featured text editor within a web browser could raise security concerns, especially with sensitive data, as potential vulnerabilities in the Firenvim configuration or plugins could be exploited.

cVim features and specs

  • Keyboard-Centric Navigation
    cVim allows users to navigate web pages using only the keyboard, improving efficiency and speed for those familiar with Vim commands.
  • Customizability
    Users can customize key bindings and commands to suit their personal preferences, enhancing the browsing experience tailored to individual needs.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, cVim allows users to modify the source code to add features or tweak existing ones, fostering community contributions and improvements.
  • Integration with Vim Workflow
    For users already accustomed to Vim, cVim offers seamless integration with their existing workflow, reducing the learning curve when switching from text editing to web browsing.
  • Lightweight Extension
    cVim is a lightweight extension that doesn't heavily tax system resources, ensuring browser performance is maintained.

Possible disadvantages of cVim

  • Initial Learning Curve
    New users or those unfamiliar with Vim may find the commands and navigation style challenging to learn and remember.
  • Limited Graphical Interface
    cVim focuses on keyboard navigation and lacks a graphical interface for settings, which might deter users who prefer visual configuration.
  • Compatibility Issues
    There may be compatibility issues with certain websites or web applications that don't handle keyboard shortcuts well.
  • Maintenance and Updates
    As an open-source project, cVim may lack regular updates and maintenance, potentially leading to bugs or incompatibilities with newer browser versions.
  • Feature Limitations
    While highly customizable, cVim might not support every custom feature users desire without manual code modification.

Firenvim videos

Firenvim: Embed Neovim Into Every Textbox

cVim videos

No cVim videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Firenvim and cVim)
Text Editors
69 69%
31% 31
Web Development Tools
43 43%
57% 57
Web Browsers
58 58%
42% 42
IDE
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Firenvim seems to be a lot more popular than cVim. While we know about 35 links to Firenvim, we've tracked only 1 mention of cVim. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Firenvim mentions (35)

  • Competitive Programming setup
    For leetcode specifically, I use firenvim to start a neovim session in the text area that would normally be leetcode's area and then have an autocmd that looks for "leetcode" in the filename and prompts me to select a filetype. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Feeling super slow...
    Yea worth it. As far as good for certain languages over others: text is text. Once youโ€™re more experienced with how (neo)vim works, you wonโ€™t want to type anywhere. Like in the browser or obsidian. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Vim Keybindings Everywhere โ€“ The Ultimate List
    In that case give firenvim[1] a try. It uses your existing config (keymaps, plugins, autocmds, etc). [1] https://github.com/glacambre/firenvim. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Question: Neovim plugin for overleaf.
    You propably could use https://github.com/glacambre/firenvim inside of overleaf webpage. Althought I haven't tested it. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Vim in Twitter
    If by everywhere you mean everywhere, then take a look on this https://github.com/glacambre/firenvim. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

cVim mentions (1)

  • MacOS tools to make your life easier
    Yeah I used to use a chrome extension (https://github.com/1995eaton/chromium-vim) but winded up having too many bugs and stopped using it. Once I discovered shortcat I never looked back. Source: almost 2 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Firenvim and cVim, you can also consider the following products

Vimium-C - A Customized Vimium (to click web page content and manipulate browser windows using only keyboard) having Chinese support, global Commands and injection functionality, in C-style code for quicker action and less resource cost.

Vimium - The Hacker's Browser.

Vieb - Browse the web with Vim-bindings

Surfingkeys - Rich shortcuts to click links/switch tabs/scroll pages or capture full page, use Chrome like vim for productivity.

Vimac - Like Vimium but for macOS.

Tridactyl - Replace Firefox's default control mechanism with one modelled on the one true editor, Vim.