Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Vim-Plug VS Spacevim

Compare Vim-Plug VS Spacevim and see what are their differences

Vim-Plug logo Vim-Plug

:hibiscus: Minimalist Vim Plugin Manager. Contribute to junegunn/vim-plug development by creating an account on GitHub.

Spacevim logo Spacevim

SpaceVim is a distribution of the Vim editor that’s inspired by Spacemacs.
  • Vim-Plug Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-30
  • Spacevim Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-11

Vim-Plug features and specs

  • User-Friendly Syntax
    Vim-Plug uses a simple, concise syntax for plugin management which makes it easy to add, update, and remove plugins.
  • Parallel Installation
    Vim-Plug supports parallel installation of plugins, which significantly speeds up the process of setting up and updating plugins.
  • On-Demand Loading
    It provides the ability to defer loading of plugins until they are actually required, which can improve startup time and overall performance.
  • Extensive Documentation
    Vim-Plug is well-documented with a detailed guide and plenty of examples, making it easier for new users to get started.
  • Partial and Lazy Plugin Support
    Supports loading of plugins only when specific commands are invoked or files are opened, optimizing resource usage.

Possible disadvantages of Vim-Plug

  • Vim-Only
    Vim-Plug is designed specifically for Vim and Neovim, making it unsuitable for users of different text editors.
  • Manual Configuration
    While flexible, users need to manually configure their `vimrc` to manage plugins, which might be daunting for beginners.
  • Dependency Management
    Vim-Plug does not have built-in support for handling plugin dependencies, which means users must manually manage dependencies.
  • Conflict Resolution
    There are no advanced features for resolving conflicts between plugins, requiring users to manually troubleshoot issues.
  • Plugin Removal
    While Vim-Plug can remove plugins from the listing, residual files and configurations might still remain, requiring additional cleaning steps.

Spacevim features and specs

  • Pre-configured
    SpaceVim provides a pre-configured setup which makes it easier for users to get started with minimal setup time compared to vanilla Vim.
  • Customizability
    It offers high customizability enabling users to tailor the editor to their specific needs with easily configurable layers and plugins.
  • Community-driven
    Developed and improved upon by a large community, providing good support and documentation, as well as numerous plugins and features based on user feedback.
  • Layer System
    SpaceVim employs a layer system that allows for modular and organized configuration, simplifying the process of adding or removing features.
  • Multi-language support
    Supports different programming languages, offering features like enhanced syntax highlighting, autocompletion, and language-specific tools.

Possible disadvantages of Spacevim

  • Learning Curve
    Despite being easier to set up than Vim, SpaceVim still has a steep learning curve, especially for users unfamiliar with Vim's modal editing.
  • Performance
    SpaceVim can be slower than a bare Vim setup due to its additional features and plugins which can affect startup times and overall performance.
  • Complex Configuration
    While it offers great customizability, configuring SpaceVim can become complex and overbearing, especially for users needing fine-tuned custom setups.
  • Dependency Overhead
    Relies on several external plugins and dependencies, which might complicate the setup and management process, particularly in environments without access to package managers.
  • Incompatibility with Some Plugins
    Certain Vim plugins and scripts may not be compatible with SpaceVim or require additional configuration to work correctly.

Vim-Plug videos

Why and How I Use Vim-Plug to Manage My Vim Plugins

Spacevim videos

SpeceVim First Impressions

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Vim-Plug and Spacevim)
Text Editors
57 57%
43% 43
Software Development
59 59%
41% 41
IDE
50 50%
50% 50
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Vim-Plug should be more popular than Spacevim. It has been mentiond 95 times since March 2021. 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.

Vim-Plug mentions (95)

  • How to Setup Vim for Kotlin Development
    Some examples are vim-plug, vundle, or, lazy.nvim. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Lite 🚀 ApolloNvim Distro 2024
    👉 If you are missing a plugin, you can easily install or uninstall it using vim.plug. For more information, please visit vim.plug on GitHub or I'd be happy to advise you see about us. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • I a Avid Vim User, Finally Migrated to Neovim! How does it work, what do I gain from it?
    I have been talking about plugins since the beginning of the article, but using a simple editor doesn't involve doing everything by hand. So I have been using a plugin manager for a long time and if you don't, I strongly advise you to get started: it's very practical. I used Vim plug which was everything I like: simple and effective. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • How to use vim-plug with init.lua? win11
    Is it possible to use vim-plug with init.lua? https://github.com/junegunn/vim-plug. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Vimtex not loading (vim-plug)
    Did you really install VimTeX? Did you run :PlugInstall? Ensure you installed and set up vim-plug correctly (https://github.com/junegunn/vim-plug). If VimTeX is installed, it should be installed to '~/.vim/plugged', thus you can open a terminal, then cd ~/.vim/plugged/vimtex and you should find the files there. Source: almost 2 years ago
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Spacevim mentions (39)

  • How to start using Vim
    SpaceVim is a ready—to—use configuration that also provides an interface for configuring the editor and installing plugins. A similar project, Spacemacs, exists on the Internet, which they were inspired by. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Micro – A Modern Alternative to Nano
    I don't know how much you actually care, and I'm the nano OP of this comment chain/thread but there are some vims (and emacs) with plugins and what not built in. Only one I can think of off the top of my head is https://spacevim.org/ but theres a bunch. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Is it possible to use VIM as an ide?
    On the vim side, you can try https://spacevim.org. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Devil Mode for Emacs
    There's also spacevim: https://spacevim.org/ And to a certain extent the new Helix editor which uses space and context sensitive popup menues for discoverability to great effect IMNHO: https://helix-editor.com/. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • colorscheme won't apply
    Hi, I'm new to using vim I followed the instruction from spacevim.org but this won't work.. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Vim-Plug and Spacevim, you can also consider the following products

Vim Awesome - Awesome Vim plugins from across the universe

Neovim - Vim's rebirth for the 21st century

Spacemacs - Community-driven Emacs distribution that meshes Emacs and Vim features.

Kite - Kite helps you write code faster by bringing the web's programming knowledge into your editor.

Doom Emacs - Emacs configuration similar to Spacemacs but faster and lighter.

pathogen.vim - pathogen.vim: manage your runtimepath. Contribute to tpope/vim-pathogen development by creating an account on GitHub.