Software Alternatives & Startups

Vim VS nnn

Compare Vim VS nnn 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
nnn

Fast and resource-sensitive file manager for the terminal

nnn Landing page
Rating
0 reviews
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?

Based on our record, nnn should be more popular than Vim. It has been mentioned 78 times since March 2021.

social mentions
10 vs 78
Text Editors popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 186

Base details

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

Vim
nnn
Website vim.org github.com
Pricing
Open source
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Vim 6 features
nnn 7 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
    nnn is incredibly lightweight, with a minimal memory footprint, making it ideal for use on older hardware or systems with limited resources.
  • Fast
    Due to its lightweight nature and efficient coding, nnn offers very fast performance even when navigating large filesystems.
  • Terminal-based
    As a terminal-based file manager, nnn can be used over SSH and integrates well with other terminal utilities and workflows.
  • Feature-rich
    Despite its small size, nnn is packed with features including file previews, batch rename, file type filters, and plugin support.
  • Customizable
    nnn is highly customizable through plugins and user scripts, allowing users to tailor the file manager to their needs.
  • Cross-platform
    nnn works on various Unix-like systems including Linux, macOS, and BSD, as well as on Windows through WSL.
  • Extensible
    The plugin system allows users to extend its functionalities easily by adding new scripts and integrations.

Possible disadvantages

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Users unfamiliar with terminal-based applications may find nnn challenging to learn and get accustomed to.
  • Limited GUI
    As a terminal-based file manager, nnn lacks a graphical user interface, which might be a drawback for users who prefer GUI-based navigation.
  • Basic Default Configurations
    Out of the box, the default configurations might be too basic for some users, requiring additional setup and customization.
  • Dependency on Terminal
    Being a terminal application, nnn requires a terminal emulator, which may not be preferred by users who are not comfortable in a terminal environment.

Analysis

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

Vim
nnn

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

  • Yes, GitHub is a reputable and valuable resource for developers. It is widely used across the industry for its robust features and community engagement.

Why this product is good

  • GitHub, referred to as 'nnn' in your query, is considered a good platform because it provides tools for version control, collaboration, and code management, supporting a vast number of programming languages and development workflows. It hosts millions of projects and is a hub for developers worldwide. The platform also integrates with numerous development tools, platforms, and services to enhance productivity and streamline project management.

Recommended for

  • Software developers seeking version control and collaboration tools.
  • Open-source contributors or maintainers looking to host their projects.
  • Development teams that require a centralized platform for code management and issue tracking.
  • Beginner programmers who want to explore open-source projects and learn from community contributions.
  • Organizations that need to manage private repositories with secure access permissions.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Vim 3 videos + Add
nnn 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

RGV's Naked Nanga Nagnam Response | Ram Gopal Varma | #NNN | #RGV | Cinemapicha

More videos

  • Review - Star Kids Are part Of Fanism | RGV New Movie NNN Need Review? | Mahesh Babu | Mr. B
  • Review - Naked Nanga Nagnam Movie Review Telugu | Ram Gopal Varma | #NNN | Latest Movies | Sarvesh Tv

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
nnn
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 nnn. 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
nnn 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 nnn 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
nnn 78 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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  • Malicious Rust Crate Arrayref Runs a Build-Time Payload
    Which is why I love C projects, even with all the footguns. You have libraries with nice API that lets you write software without being on a treadmill to update the code every few months. [0] https://github.com/jarun/nnn/. - Source: Hacker News / 26 days ago
  • Building a TUI is easy now
    I had mc on my $20 second hand 286, there are some newer takes on the classic, ranger and nnn come to mind, support for images on the terminal with sixel is pretty neat! https://github.com/ranger/ranger https://github.com/jarun/nnn. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • Shunpo: Minimalist bash tool to make directory navigation a little bit faster
    I use https://github.com/jarun/nnn/ with `cd` on quit if I need to scan around manually. Otherwise, zoxide. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago

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