Software Alternatives & Startups

Vim VS JetBrains

Compare Vim VS JetBrains and see what are their differences

Vim

Highly configurable text editor built to enable efficient text editing

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
JetBrains

The World's Leading Vendor of Professional Development Tools

Rating
0 reviews

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Vim should be more popular than JetBrains. It has been mentioned 10 times since March 2021.

social mentions
10 vs 4
Text Editors popularity
100% vs 0%

Base details

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

Vim
JetBrains
Website vim.org jetbrains.com
Pricing
Open source
Company Startup from the Czech Republic · 500 - 999 employees
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Vim 6 features
JetBrains 9 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.
  • Comprehensive IDE Features
    JetBrains offers a wide range of integrated development environments (IDEs) tailored for different languages, including IntelliJ IDEA for Java, PyCharm for Python, and WebStorm for JavaScript. These IDEs come with advanced code editing, debugging, and testing tools that enhance productivity and support efficient code management.
  • Smart Code Completion
    JetBrains IDEs provide intelligent code completion that suggests potential code elements as you type, helping to reduce errors and speed up coding. This feature is particularly useful in large codebases where it aids navigation and reduces the cognitive load on the developer.
  • Refactoring Tools
    JetBrains provides powerful refactoring tools that allow developers to modify code structure without changing its functionality, making it easier to improve code readability, optimize performance, and manage large projects.
  • Version Control System Integration
    JetBrains products seamlessly integrate with popular version control systems such as Git, Mercurial, and Subversion, enabling streamlined project management and collaboration among development teams.
  • Extensive Plugin Ecosystem
    The JetBrains marketplace offers a vast array of plugins and extensions, allowing users to customize their development environment to suit particular project needs or preferences, thereby enhancing functionalities and features.
  • Comprehensive Code Review
    Upsource provides robust code review features, allowing teams to collaborate more effectively. It supports inline comments, discussions, and mentions, which facilitate thorough code evaluations and knowledge sharing.
  • Integration with JetBrains IDEs
    Seamlessly integrates with JetBrains IDEs, enabling developers to access Upsource's features directly from their development environment, which can streamline workflow and enhance productivity.
  • Multi-VCS Support
    Supports a variety of version control systems including Git, Mercurial, Subversion, and Perforce. This flexibility makes it a good fit for teams using different VCS solutions.
  • Project Insight
    Provides insights into the development process with analytics and project statistics, helping teams make data-driven decisions.

Possible disadvantages

  • High Resource Consumption
    JetBrains IDEs might require significant system resources, which can lead to slow performance on less powerful computers. This can hamper efficiency, especially when working with large codebases or on hardware with limited processing power.
  • Cost
    While JetBrains provides a high-quality product, the subscription-based pricing model might be costly for individual developers or small teams, particularly when budget constraints are a concern.
  • Complexity for Beginners
    Due to the wide array of features and functionalities, JetBrains IDEs may have a steep learning curve for beginners, which can be overwhelming and may require significant time investment to become proficient.
  • Limited Support for Less Popular Languages
    JetBrains focuses on popular languages and technologies, which might mean limited support or fewer features for less commonly used programming languages, forcing developers working with these languages to seek alternative tools.
  • Frequent Updates
    While updates can bring improvements and new features, JetBrains products frequently receive updates which can sometimes disrupt development processes or require time to adjust to interface changes and new tools.
  • Complex Setup
    The initial setup and configuration of Upsource can be complex, particularly for teams without prior experience with similar tools.
  • Resource Intensive
    The tool can be resource-heavy, potentially requiring significant server capabilities to function smoothly, especially for larger projects.
  • User Interface Complexity
    Some users find the interface of Upsource to be complex and not as intuitive as other code review tools, which might require a learning curve.
  • Limited Non-Java Support
    While Upsource offers great support for Java projects, its functionality for non-Java codebases may be less comprehensive, restricting its effectiveness for diverse tech stacks.

Analysis

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

Vim
JetBrains

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 JetBrains yet.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Vim 3 videos + Add
JetBrains 6 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

My Thoughts On JetBrains Fleet

More videos

  • - Upsource Overview
  • - Build a Real World Java Application w/ JetBrains Academy
  • - Code review workflow in Upsource
  • - Introducing JetBrains Upsource: Repository browser and code review tool
  • - JetBrains Aqua Preview

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
JetBrains
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 JetBrains. 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
JetBrains 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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Social recommendations and mentions

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

Vim 10 mentions
JetBrains 4 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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Alternatives to Vim and JetBrains

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