Software Alternatives & Startups

Vim VS vile

Compare Vim VS vile and see what are their differences

Vim

Highly configurable text editor built to enable efficient text editing

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
vile

vile is a portable vi clone with extra features and other improvements.

Rating
0 reviews

Which is more popular?

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

social mentions
10 vs 3
Text Editors popularity
98% vs 2%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 11

Base details

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

Vim
vile
Website vim.org invisible-island.net
Pricing
Open source
—
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Vim 6 features
vile 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.
  • Lightweight
    Vile is a lightweight text editor, which means it has a small footprint and runs efficiently on systems with limited resources.
  • Vi Compatibility
    Vile offers compatibility with the widely-used Vi editor, making it easier for users familiar with Vi commands to transition and use Vile comfortably.
  • Extensible
    Vile supports various scripting capabilities, allowing users to customize and extend its functionalities to better fit their workflows.
  • Cross-Platform
    Vile is available on multiple platforms, including Unix-like systems and Windows, providing a consistent editing experience across different operating systems.

Possible disadvantages

  • Steep Learning Curve
    New users may find Vile's interface and command structure challenging to learn, particularly those not familiar with vi-like editors.
  • Limited Modern Features
    Compared to more modern text editors, Vile may lack certain advanced features such as integrated development environment (IDE) functionalities or advanced plugin ecosystems.
  • Less Active Development
    Vile may not receive frequent updates or feature enhancements, which could lead to challenges in keeping up with new technological trends or user needs.
  • Sparse Documentation
    Users might find the available documentation insufficient or not as comprehensive as more popular editors, potentially making troubleshooting and self-learning more difficult.

Analysis

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

Vim
vile

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 vile yet.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Vim 3 videos + Add
vile 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

Horror Review: Vile (2011)

More videos

  • - REACT TO: VILE (ACTUAL MOVIE FOOTAGE INCLUDED) | POSSESSEDBYHORROR
  • - Vile (2011) Extreme Horror Movie Review

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
vile
98% 98%
2% 2%
97% 97%
IDE
3% 3%
94% 94%
6% 6%
100% 100%
0% 0%

User comments

Share your experience with using Vim and vile. 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
vile 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 vile 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
vile 3 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: about 4 years ago

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  • OpenVi: Portable OpenBSD vi for Unix systems
    I've found vile a good option as I'm addicted to syntax highlighting: similar speed to nvi, much faster than vis and vim. https://invisible-island.net/vile/. - Source: Hacker News / over 4 years ago
  • Nano or VIM
    I actually prefer vile ... But vim has become the de facto standard, so I have to learn vim. Source: over 4 years ago
  • What’s a good text editor to use for HTML ? I’m novice and want something for free.
    No! The only true editor is Vile - Emacs with vi commands. Lol. Source: about 5 years ago

Alternatives to Vim and vile

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