Software Alternatives & Startups

Vim VS cmus

Compare Vim VS cmus and see what are their differences

Vim

Highly configurable text editor built to enable efficient text editing

Vim Landing page
Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
cmus

Small, fast and powerful console music player

cmus Landing page
Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

cmus might be a bit more popular than Vim. We know about 11 links to it since March 2021 and only 10 links to Vim.

social mentions
10 vs 11
Text Editors popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 90

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Vim
cmus
Website vim.org cmus.github.io
Pricing
Open source
Open source
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Vim 6 features
cmus 5 features
  • Efficiency
    Once learned, Vim can significantly speed up text editing with its modal editing, keyboard shortcuts, and commands that allow for quick navigation and manipulation of text.
  • Lightweight
    Vim is a very lightweight editor, consuming minimal system resources, making it highly performant even on systems with lower specifications.
  • Customizability
    Vim is highly configurable and extensible through plugins and user-defined settings, allowing users to tailor the editor to their specific needs.
  • Ubiquity
    Vim is available on almost every Unix-like system and even on Windows, making it a ubiquitous tool that you can rely on being available in most environments.
  • Support for Multiple Programming Languages
    Vim supports a wide range of programming languages out of the box and offers syntax highlighting, which can be enhanced through plugins.
  • Powerful Search and Replace
    Vim offers robust searching and replacing functionalities, including support for regular expressions, which can be a powerful tool for developers.

Possible disadvantages

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Vim's modal editing and extensive set of commands can be daunting for new users, requiring significant time and effort to master.
  • Minimal Default Config
    The default configuration of Vim is quite minimalistic, which may necessitate additional setup and customization to meet modern development needs.
  • Limited GUI
    Vim primarily operates in a terminal, and while there are graphical variants like GVim, they are not as feature-rich or user-friendly as modern GUI editors.
  • Plugin Management
    While Vim is highly extensible, managing and configuring plugins can be cumbersome compared to more modern editors that offer integrated plugin management.
  • Inconsistent Behavior Across Platforms
    There may be inconsistencies in behavior or available features of Vim across different operating systems, which can complicate its use in certain environments.
  • Lack of Integrated Modern Features
    Vim lacks some modern IDE features like integrated debugging, advanced code introspection, and refined autocompletion, which often require third-party plugins to achieve.
  • Lightweight
    CMUS is a very lightweight music player, which means it consumes minimal system resources, making it ideal for systems with limited processing power or memory.
  • Keyboard Driven
    CMUS is completely operable via keyboard shortcuts, providing a fast and efficient way for users to control the music playback without needing to use a mouse.
  • Wide Format Support
    It supports a wide range of audio formats such as FLAC, MP3, and OGG, which makes it versatile in handling different types of music files.
  • Customizability
    The player allows a high degree of customization through configuration files, enabling users to tailor the interface and behavior according to their preferences.
  • Terminal-based
    Being a terminal-based application, it can be easily used over SSH, which is an advantage for users who manage their music on remote servers.

Possible disadvantages

  • Steep Learning Curve
    New users might find it difficult to get accustomed to CMUS due to its reliance on keyboard shortcuts and non-intuitive interface.
  • No GUI
    CMUS lacks a graphical user interface, which might be a drawback for users who prefer more visual interaction with their applications.
  • Limited Plugin Support
    It does not support as many plugins as some other music players, which might limit functionality for those who rely on extra features through plugins.
  • Less Active Development
    Compared to more popular music players, CMUS has a smaller developer community, which can result in slower updates and fewer new features.
  • Basic Feature Set
    CMUS offers basic music player features, which may not satisfy users looking for advanced features like built-in streaming services or sophisticated playlist management.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Vim
cmus

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Vim is a good text editor, especially for users who invest the time to learn its powerful commands and features. Its steep learning curve may be challenging initially, but once mastered, it significantly enhances productivity.

Why this product is good

  • Vim is considered a powerful text editor because of its efficiency and versatility. It offers extensive features, such as syntax highlighting, a robust plugin system, and support for numerous programming languages. Vim is highly configurable, enabling users to customize its environment to fit their needs. It is particularly appreciated for its speed and the ability to perform complex text manipulations using simple commands.

Recommended for

    Vim is recommended for programmers, developers, and system administrators who require a highly efficient and customizable text editing experience. It is especially useful for those who work extensively in terminal environments or need a quick, resource-light text editor for remote systems.

No analysis of cmus yet.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Vim 3 videos + Add
cmus 3 videos + Add

What Vim Is and Why You Should Learn It

More videos

  • Review - JAC Vapour VIM Review - JAC does a side by side mod...
  • Review - Jac Vapour VIM - Quick Look

Cmus - Terminal-Based Music Player - Lightweight and Super-Fast

More videos

  • Review - A simple guide to cmus! (C*Music Player)
  • Review - Tutorial: cmus (C Music Player)

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Vim
cmus
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
IDE
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using Vim and cmus. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

Vim no reviews yet
cmus no reviews yet
  • Boost Your Productivity with These Top Text Editors and IDEs
    convesio.com · Nov 2023

    Vim offers a variety of features like split windows, macros, and extensive customization options. It has a steep learning curve, but once you master it, you’ll be amazed at the speed and productivity it brings to your...

  • 13 Best Text Editors to Speed up Your Workflow
    kinsta.com · Sep 2023

    It’s tough to say which developers would enjoy Vim as a text editor. It’s an old system with an outdated interface. Yet, it still has the charm and powerful feature-set that the average developer needs. I would...

  • 12 Best LaTeX Editors You Should Use
    beebom.com · Dec 2021

    The entire installation process is perfectly documented on their Sourceforge page, which you must definitely pay a visit. There is another standalone Vim software, known as the gVim that brings a GUI-based interface...

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We have no reviews of cmus yet. Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Vim 10 mentions
cmus 11 mentions
  • regular Vim has lua?!
    Lua is quite small, encouraging distros to include it. The ubuntu gvim has, and the gvim AppImage linked from vim.org does. The default Makefile from github is set up to not include it, but you can uncomment one line there to get it. Source: over 3 years ago
  • is there a way to make highlighted text persistent after quit when using something like [match Search /\%'.line('.').'l/] ?
    I've not used vimwiki locally (tho I'm old enough to remember the Vim wiki on vim.org :), but I think what you are wanting to do is extend vimwiki's syntax file. I presume it installs one at $VIMRUNTIM/syntax or or ~/.vim/syntax. If... Source: almost 4 years ago
  • vim.org - Is there a reason for this 1800s-esque design?
    Vim.org has 242k total visitors, tailwindcss.com has 4.4m, planetscale.com has 412k, jpl.nasa.gov has 2.6m, all built with Tailwind, all several years younger than Vim's website. Unnecessary comparison, unnecessary defence. It's a... Source: almost 4 years ago

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  • The state of Linux music players in 2026
    Not mentioned in the article, so I'd like to give a shout-out to cmus. https://cmus.github.io/ For all my fellow terminal friends <3. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Cmus vs. Musikcube
    VLC can be used to play a file from the command line, but there is no user interface. Players like cmus and musikcube have a text based interface and library management. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Whipper: Accurate Audio CD Ripping
    Cmus [1] is the closest I found to foobar2000. It is my main music player now, after years of disappointment. It supports FLAC and they claim they support CUE sheets, although I haven't tested your particular scenario. The way I use it... - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago

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Alternatives to Vim and cmus

When comparing Vim and cmus, you can also consider the following products.