Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Vimium VS Chawan

Compare Vimium VS Chawan and see what are their differences

Vimium logo Vimium

The Hacker's Browser.

Chawan logo Chawan

A text-mode web browser. It displays websites in your terminal and allows you to navigate on them.
  • Vimium Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-08-02
  • Chawan Landing page
    Landing page //
    2025-07-01

Vimium features and specs

  • Keyboard Efficiency
    Vimium enhances navigation efficiency by allowing users to browse using keyboard shortcuts similar to those in Vim, reducing reliance on a mouse.
  • Customizability
    Users can customize key bindings and shortcuts to suit their preferences, making it adaptable to individual workflows.
  • Productivity
    Increased productivity through reduced context switching between using a mouse and keyboard, as actions can be executed swiftly using shortcuts.
  • Free and Open Source
    Vimium is available at no cost and its source code can be reviewed and modified, promoting transparency and community-driven enhancements.
  • Cross-Browser Support
    Available as an extension for multiple browsers, allowing users to utilize Vim-like navigation across different environments.

Possible disadvantages of Vimium

  • Learning Curve
    Users unfamiliar with Vim may find the initial learning process challenging as they adjust to new shortcuts and navigation methods.
  • Limited Mouse Interaction
    Users who prefer or rely heavily on mouse interactions might find Vimium's keyboard-focused approach limiting.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Some websites or web applications may not fully support Vimium's features, leading to inconsistent performance or conflicts.
  • Overwhelming for Basic Users
    Casual users or those needing only basic browsing features may find Vimium's advanced options unnecessary and overly complex.

Chawan features and specs

No features have been listed yet.

Analysis of Chawan

Overall verdict

  • Chawan is a solid, lightweight text-based web browser and pager that excels at fast, distraction-free browsing in the terminal, making it a compelling choice for users who prefer keyboard-driven, minimalist tools.

Why this product is good

  • Runs entirely in the terminal, offering fast, resource-light browsing without a heavy graphical interface
  • Supports a surprising range of features for a TUI browser, including CSS, JavaScript (to some extent), images via sixel/kitty protocols, and multiple protocols like HTTP, FTP, and gopher
  • Highly configurable and scriptable, appealing to power users who like to customize their workflow
  • Free and open source, aligning with the values of privacy-conscious and FOSS-oriented users
  • Doubles as a general-purpose pager and can handle various document formats

Recommended for

  • Developers and command-line enthusiasts who prefer keyboard-driven, terminal-based workflows
  • Users seeking a lightweight, distraction-free browsing experience
  • Privacy-conscious individuals who want a minimal, open-source alternative to mainstream browsers
  • People working on low-resource systems or over remote SSH sessions
  • Hobbyists interested in text-based internet protocols like gopher and gemini

Vimium videos

Vimium : Intro to using keyboard in your browser

More videos:

  • Review - Quick Look at Vimium Chrome Chromium Firefox Extension
  • Tutorial - How to browse the web faster using your keyboard and Vimium extension (sous-titres FR)

Chawan videos

No Chawan videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Vimium and Chawan)
Web Browsers
82 82%
18% 18
Text Editors
100 100%
0% 0
Rental Property Management
Web Development Tools
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Vimium should be more popular than Chawan. It has been mentiond 28 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Vimium mentions (28)

  • A Small Change to Improve Browsers for Keyboard Navigation
    I installed Vimium a few months ago and haven't looked back -> https://vimium.github.io/ Mouseless as well for navigating anywhere on the computer without a mouse -> https://mouseless.click/. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Nyxt: The Emacs-like web browser
    To those that have tried the browser or investigated the project more, what is the utility of this browser over, say, Firefox with a vim plugin[1] that lets me also navigate with a keyboard? I am all for new browsers and believe that hobby projects don't need a reason, but I am curious what distinguishes this over something that can be achieved with plugins in a more stable browser. [1] https://vimium.github.io/. - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • Ewnium - The Emacs EWW version of Vimium plugin (Experimental!!!)
    It essentially tries to mimic Vimium, a vim navigation like extension in browsers. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • RSI-Friendly Programming Languages and Patterns
    Use VI key bindings as much as possible. You can find plugins for popular editors like VSCode and Emacs, use it in the terminal. I personally use vimium in my browser, which allows me to perform complex editing tasks with minimal keystrokes. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Vimium-like shortcuts for links?
    Iโ€™ve sifted through all the logseq plugins and canโ€™t find one that provides the ability to hit a hotkey to show keyboard shortcuts next to every visible link like in vimium, jump to link in Obsidian, or link-hint in emacs. Is there such a thing in logseq? Source: about 3 years ago
View more

Chawan mentions (3)

  • Text-Based Web Browsers
    Interesting find mentioned in the comments - https://chawan.net/. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Text-Based Web Browsers
    The top comment in the article mentions it, but chawan[1] is really quite neat. Many sites are still have their quirks (or may be broken), but I think it's the closest I've seen a text browser approximate a "real" browser. The support for CSS, JS, and images (depends on your terminal) is already quite impressive even if imperfect. [1] https://chawan.net/. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Rust's TUI Revolution
    I use this one pretty often. Itโ€™s great. https://chawan.net/. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Vimium and Chawan, you can also consider the following products

Tridactyl - Replace Firefox's default control mechanism with one modelled on the one true editor, Vim.

Lagrange - Lagrange is a desktop GUI client for browsing Geminispace. It offers modern conveniences familiar from web browsers, such as smooth scrolling, inline image viewing, multiple tabs, visual themes, Unicode fonts, bookmarks, history, and page outlines.

Vieb - Browse the web with Vim-bindings

Carbonyl - Carbonyl is a Chromium based browser built to run in a terminal.

Shortcat - Keep your hands on the keyboard and boost your productivity! Shortcat is a keyboard tool for Mac OS X that lets you 'click' buttons and control your apps with a few keystrokes. Think of it as Spotlight for the user interface.

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