Helix icon
Helix icon

Helix

Helix is a fast text editor for the terminal inspired by modal editors like Kakoune and Neovim. Built as a native app using .

Helix screenshot 1

Cost / License

Application type

Platforms

  • Mac
  • Windows
  • Linux
43likes
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Features

Properties

  1.  Lightweight
  2.  Support for Themes
  3.  Distraction-free
  4.  Privacy focused

Features

  1.  Syntax Highlighting
  2.  Command line interface
  3.  Autocompletion
  4.  Code Formatting
  5.  No Tracking
  6.  Terminal-based
  7.  Ad-free
  8. Git icon  Git Support
  9.  No registration required
  10.  Dark Mode
  11.  Works Offline
  12.  Modal editor

Helix News & Activities

Highlights All activities

Recent News

Recent activities

Comments and Reviews

   
Top Positive Comment
0

It's like a ramped up version of Kakoune, an NVim config on steroids. Amazing defaults which is so helpful when using it across systems. Plus it's just fast, with all its bundled features it doesn't slow down.

Mathemagician
0

My personal go to for an in-terminal editor. Keybindings might need some getting used to.

Works great out of the box but has great customization options as well. Autocompletion and documentation popups were a big positive surprise for me!

Barrett
0

Helix is great! It's a great middle-ground between micro/nano and something like neovim.

It uses Vim-like keybinds and it's a modal editor, but unlike other modal editors, Helix is batteries-included. It tells you what a command does, comes with an integrated tutorial, and avoids complexity by using the Language Server Protocol to serve common purposes.

The only problem with Helix is its lack of extensions. That's being worked on, but despite this issue, the editor comes with enough features/configuration options to not require them!

Give it a try!

Featured in Lists

Open-Source Slopware

A list of open-source software containing slop (LLM generated) code or endorses the usage of LLMs in other ways. This list contains software that obviously accepts irresponsible coding practices or promotes LLM usage. I found these applications while searching for alternatives to previously used software that turned out to contain code generated by slop-machines. Each of added applications have at least one link that points to the verifiable proof. This list by no means is meant to cover all the software that contains code by not-so-intelligent tools and people using them but to serve as a reminder to myself about what I have already checked. Why having LLM generated code (and using generative tools in general) is bad? Ethical reasons — such as illegally retrieved training material, underpaid workers that prepare the training data. Impact on environment — increased fossil fuel usage to supply the needed electricity power, water usage in water scarce regions. This somewhat overlaps with the above. Social impact – noise pollution in neighbourhoods near AI data centres, air pollution from diesel- or gas-powered turbines (also overlaps with the above), resource consumption by data centres drastically increases utility prices. Impact on brain and thinking, reasoning — by offloading thinking and decision making to machines people are shooting in their foot (more like in their head) as this leads to brain rot. Less intelligent people are easier to control. Even legal issues (especially in open-source software as it cannot be guaranteed that the “generated” code is not really just re-used, thus unknowingly violating the source license). Inevitable enshittification — every software product from big technology eventually gets enshittified to maximize revenue. For users this could mean hidden or plain ads, biased opinions/information, privacy violations, increased prices for LLM based tools. Burden on open-source software maintenance — LLM tools provide easier access to code contributions which often shifts the responsibility of checking code quality from developers to maintainers and reviewers. Digging through walls of merge request text and code generated by slop-machines takes valuable time that otherwise could be spent more meaningfully by fixing bugs and working on new features. I will try to add links that back up the claims above, but it may take a while. Of course, I see how and where generative tools could be helpful and sometimes I feel tempted to find an acceptable way to use them, but for now the direct and indirect costs far too much outweigh gains. This list has its positive counterpart: Slop-Free (Supposedly) Open-Source Software (not quite complete yet). Also take a look at and give thumbs up to AI Slopfree Software Catalog which contains software dedicated against usage of LLMs. Also, here is a list of some labels that can be added / voted for so they would eventually appear on application pages: Slopware; Slop (LLM) Code; Slop-Source Software; Open-Source Slopware; Contains Slop (LLM Generated) Code.
By Edgars144 appsUpdated

Editors

A list with 35 apps by namdx1987 without a description.
By Nam Pham35 appsUpdated

phant's software list

my software list, mostly open-source.I have used the vast majority of the software listed there myself for a long time. This software list open-source/free/freemium apps for Windows 10/11 that I would recommend.This also includes tools for CS/EE background developer. This list is designed to highlight excellent software in a particular area, so you don’t need to install all the software on the list. You should only consider installing the software I’ve selected when you have a need that falls under a specific section of the list.
By phantomfancy132 appsUpdated

Official Links

What is Helix?

Helix is a fast text editor for the terminal inspired by modal editors like Kakoune icon Kakoune and Neovim icon Neovim. Built as a native app using Rust icon Rust, it also bundles a large feature set similar to Kakoune with elegant styling and sane defaults.

Helix information

AlternativeTo Categories

Development, Office & Productivity, OS & Utilities

GitHub repository

  •  46,439 Stars
  •  3,809 Forks
  •  1706 Open Issues
  •   Updated  
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Our users have written 3 comments and reviews about Helix, and it has gotten 43 likes

Helix was added to AlternativeTo by David on and this page was last updated .