Software Alternatives & Startups

Vim VS HHVM

Compare Vim VS HHVM and see what are their differences

Vim

Highly configurable text editor built to enable efficient text editing

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
HHVM

HHVM is an open-source virtual machine designed for executing programs written in Hack and PHP.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source

Which is more popular?

Vim might be a bit more popular than HHVM. We know about 10 links to it since March 2021 and only 7 links to HHVM.

social mentions
10 vs 7
Text Editors popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 75

Base details

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

Vim
HHVM
Website vim.org hhvm.com
Pricing
Open source
Open source
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Vim 6 features
HHVM 4 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.
  • Performance
    HHVM uses Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation to convert PHP code into machine code, which can significantly improve execution speed compared to traditional PHP interpreters.
  • Hack Language Support
    HHVM supports the Hack programming language, which offers additional features like static type checking, generics, and asynchronous code execution, allowing developers to write safer and more efficient code.
  • Scalability
    HHVM is designed to handle high-traffic environments, making it suitable for large-scale applications and websites with high concurrency demands.
  • Open Source
    HHVM is open-source software, allowing developers to contribute to its development and benefit from community-driven improvements and support.

Possible disadvantages

  • Compatibility
    HHVM is not fully compatible with all PHP extensions and libraries. This can create issues when migrating existing PHP applications to HHVM, requiring additional refactoring.
  • Resource Intensive
    HHVM can consume more memory and CPU resources than traditional PHP interpreters, which might be a concern for applications running on limited hardware.
  • Linux Focused
    HHVM primarily supports Linux-based systems. While there is some support for other operating systems, it may not be as robust, limiting its use in heterogeneous environments.
  • Evolving Technology
    HHVM and the Hack language are continuously evolving, which can lead to breaking changes and the need to keep development teams updated with the latest features and fixes.

Analysis

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

Vim
HHVM

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.

Overall verdict

  • In recent years, HHVM has shifted focus more towards supporting Hack rather than full PHP compatibility. While it was once a popular option for running PHP applications efficiently, many projects now recommend sticking to PHP 7.x or later, which has seen significant performance improvements. Therefore, HHVM is considered good if you're specifically using Hack, but might not be the best choice for standard PHP applications.

Why this product is good

  • HHVM (HipHop Virtual Machine) was originally developed by Facebook to provide improved performance for PHP applications. It offers features like a just-in-time (JIT) compiler and compatibility with Hack, Facebook's PHP dialect. It has been praised for enhancing the speed of PHP execution, particularly for large-scale applications.

Recommended for

    HHVM is recommended for organizations or projects that primarily use Hack or have legacy systems built around it. It can also be beneficial for enterprises looking to leverage its performance benefits in a Hack environment. However, for new projects or those focused solely on PHP, sticking with the latest PHP versions is advisable.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Vim 3 videos + Add
HHVM 3 videos + Add

What Vim Is and Why You Should Learn It

More videos

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

HHVM GLIMPSE MEME REVIEW||HARI HARA VEERA MALLU MEME REVIEW||POWER STAR..!

More videos

  • - HHVM Performance Status - Hack Dev Day
  • - Scaling PHP-based Development with HHVM and Hack

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
HHVM
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
IDE
0% 0%

User comments

Share your experience with using Vim and HHVM. 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
HHVM 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 HHVM 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
HHVM 7 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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  • GraphQL vs REST: 18 Claims Fact-Checked with Primary Sources (2026)
    Facebook ran a massive PHP codebase, scaled through HipHop (a PHP-to-C++ transpiler) and later HHVM (a just-in-time compiler for PHP). Keith Adams , Facebook's Chief Architect and HHVM team lead, describes how Facebook scaled a large,... - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • THT v0.8.1 – A modern re-design of PHP
    $hayStack.contains('needle') This looks more or less like a new language ? It must be amazing amount of time and energy to rewrite PHP in to this. I don't see the benefits. I understand the Facebook's HHVM had some. (https://hhvm.com/)... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • I know that's the name of the language, I'm asking about the first P
    PHP is nearly as old as the web. Change the conversation and say: I use Hack on the Hip Hop Virtual Machine. Source: over 4 years ago

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Alternatives to Vim and HHVM

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