MacVim Alternatives for Linux

MacVim is not available for Linux but there are plenty of alternatives that runs on Linux with similar functionality. The best Linux alternative is Visual Studio Code, which is free. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to MacVim and loads of them are available for Linux so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Linux alternatives to MacVim are VSCodium, Vim, Neovim and Kate.

filter to find the best alternatives

MacVim alternatives are mainly Text Editors but may also be Code Editors or IDEs.  Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of MacVim.
MacVim iconMacVim
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MacVim is a port of the text editor Vim to macOS. MacVim supports multiple windows with tabbed editing and a host of other features such as:

More about MacVim
MacVim alternatives page was last updated Mar 15, 2023
  1. Visual Studio Code icon
     1292 likes

    Visual Studio Code is a free and extensible code editor for building web, desktop, and mobile applications, using any programming language and framework.

    212 Visual Studio Code alternatives
    Visual Studio Code screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Chrome OS

    Properties

    1.  Customizable
    2.  Support for Themes

    Features

    1.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    2.  Autocompletion
    3.  Built-in terminal emulation
    4.  Syntax Highlighting
    5.  Code Completion
    6.  Multiple languages
    7. Git icon  Git Support
    8. GitHub icon  GitHub Integration
    9.  Dark Mode
    10.  Supports Python
    11.  C++
    12.  Source code debugging
    Visual Studio Code iconMacVim Icon

    Visual Studio Code VS MacVim

    Is Visual Studio Code a good alternative to MacVim?
     
    • Visual Studio Code is the most popular Web-based, Mac & Linux alternative to MacVim.

    • Visual Studio Code is Free and ProprietaryMacVim is Free and Open Source
    • Visual Studio Code is CustomizableMacVim is not according to our users
  2. VSCodium icon
     323 likes

    This repository contains a build file to generate FLOSS release binaries of Microsoft's Visual Studio Code - Open Source ("Code - OSS") project, the open source core of the proprietary Visual Studio Code.

    201 VSCodium alternatives
    VSCodium screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Electron

    Properties

    1.  Customizable
    2.  Privacy focused
    3.  Support for Themes

    Features

    1.  No Tracking
    2.  Prevent telemetry
    3.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    4.  Works Offline
    5.  No registration required
    6.  MIT License
    7.  Autocompletion
    8. Git icon  Git integration
    9.  Dark Mode
    10.  Syntax Highlighting
    11.  Ad-free
    12.  Minimap
    VSCodium iconMacVim Icon

    VSCodium VS MacVim

    Is VSCodium a good alternative to MacVim?
     
  3. Vim icon
     1308 likes

    Vim ("Vi IMproved") is an advanced text editor that allows syntax highlighting, word completion and has a huge amount of contributed content. It also has a GUI version called GVim.

    211 Vim alternatives
    Vim screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Haiku
    • AmigaOS
    • OpenSolaris
    • MorphOS
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    • Snapcraft

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Keyboard focused
    3.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    2.  Syntax Highlighting
    3.  Hackable
    4.  Well documented
    5.  Modal editor
    6.  Command line interface
    7.  Works Offline
    8.  Support for MarkDown
    9.  No registration required
    10.  Portable
    11.  Batch Editing
    12.  Terminal-based
    Vim iconMacVim Icon

    Vim VS MacVim

    Is Vim a good alternative to MacVim?
     
  4. Neovim icon
     168 likes

    Refactored version of Vim, simplifying maintenance, improving developer contributions, and enabling new user interfaces. Features extensible plugin architecture, lightweight resource usage, syntax highlighting, no registration, ad-free, and distraction-free mode.

    103 Neovim alternatives
    Neovim screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Configurable
    3.  Distraction-free

    Features

    1.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    2.  Lua scripting
    3.  Terminal-based
    4.  Syntax Highlighting
    5.  Asynchronous
    6.  Vim
    7.  Sane defaults
    8.  Ad-free
    9.  No registration required
    10.  Autocompletion
    11.  Code Formatting
    Neovim iconMacVim Icon

    Neovim VS MacVim

    Is Neovim a good alternative to MacVim?
     
  5. Kate icon
     289 likes

    The Kate project develops two main products: KatePart, the advanced editor component which is used in numerous KDE applications requiring a text editing component, and Kate, a MDI text editor application.

    144 Kate alternatives
    Kate screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • KDE Plasma
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    • Snapcraft

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Native application
    2.  Syntax Highlighting
    3.  Themes
    4.  Editable text color schemes
    5.  Built-in terminal emulation
    6.  Tabbed interface
    7.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    8. Git icon  Git Support
    9.  Code Formatting
    10.  Support for regular expressions
    11.  Spell Checking
    12.  Full-Text Search
    Kate iconMacVim Icon

    Kate VS MacVim

    Is Kate a good alternative to MacVim?
     
  6. Zed Editor icon
     48 likes

    Zed is a blazing fast, multi-user, productivity-focused text editor. From the creators of Atom, Electron and Tree-sitter, the editor features built-in Vim mode with tooltips for key-bindings, language-aware...

    73 Zed Editor alternatives
    Zed Editor screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Optimal performance
    3.  Support for Themes

    Features

    1.  Syntax Highlighting
    2.  Dark Mode
    3.  Built-in terminal emulation
    4.  Autocompletion
    5.  Rust
    6.  Ad-free
    7.  Real time collaboration
    8.  Works Offline
    9.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    10.  No registration required
    11.  Multiple Cursors
    12.  Refactoring
    Zed Editor iconMacVim Icon

    Zed Editor VS MacVim

    Is Zed Editor a good alternative to MacVim?
     
  7. GNU Emacs icon
     378 likes

    GNU Emacs is an extensible, customizable text editor—and more. At its core is an interpreter for Emacs Lisp, a dialect of the Lisp programming language with extensions to support text editing. The features of GNU Emacs include:

    176 GNU Emacs alternatives
    The GNU Emacs Manual calls Emacs the extensible, customizable, self-documenting real-time display editor

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • BSD
    • F-Droid
    • Haiku
    • Homebrew
    • Snapcraft
    • Debian
    • MacPorts

    Properties

    1.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  Extensibility
    2.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    3.  Org-mode
    4.  Self-documenting
    5.  Terminal-based
    6.  Multi OS
    7.  Syntax Highlighting
    8.  Support for scripting
    9.  Command line interface
    10.  No Tracking
    11.  IDE All Languages
    12.  Works Offline
    GNU Emacs iconMacVim Icon

    GNU Emacs VS MacVim

    Is GNU Emacs a good alternative to MacVim?
     
    • GNU Emacs is the most popular Android alternative to MacVim.

    • GNU Emacs is Free and Open SourceMacVim is also Free and Open Source
    • GNU Emacs is CustomizableMacVim is not according to our users
  8. GNU nano icon
     283 likes

    GNU nano is a small and friendly text editor. Besides basic text editing, nano offers many extra features like an interactive search and replace, go to line and column number, auto-indentation, feature toggles, internationalization support, and filename tab completion.

    143 GNU nano alternatives
    GNU nano screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Haiku

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Command line interface
    2.  Terminal-based
    3.  Search and Replace
    4.  Automatic Indentation
    GNU nano iconMacVim Icon

    GNU nano VS MacVim

    Is GNU nano a good alternative to MacVim?
     
  9. Pulsar Editor icon
     39 likes

    A Community-led Hyper-Hackable Text Editor, built on Electron. and based on everything we love about our favorite editors.

    71 Pulsar Editor alternatives
    Welcome tab

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Chrome OS
    • BSD
    • Electron / Atom Shell

    Properties

    1.  Distraction-free
    2.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    2.  Community-based
    3.  Hackable
    4.  Works Offline
    5.  No registration required
    6.  Multiple languages
    7.  Add-ons
    8.  Ad-free
    9.  Support for MarkDown
    10.  Dark Mode
    11. Git icon  Git Support
    12.  No Tracking
    Pulsar Editor iconMacVim Icon

    Pulsar Editor VS MacVim

    Is Pulsar Editor a good alternative to MacVim?
     
  10. CudaText icon
     49 likes

    CudaText is a cross-platform text editor, written in Lazarus / Free Pascal.

    194 CudaText alternatives
    Multi-selections, Replace dialog at bottom

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Customizable
    3.  Support for Themes

    Features

    1.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    2.  Native application
    3.  Minimap
    4.  Command palette
    5.  Autocompletion
    6.  Syntax Highlighting
    7.  Ad-free
    8.  No registration required
    9.  Portable
    CudaText iconMacVim Icon

    CudaText VS MacVim

    Is CudaText a good alternative to MacVim?
     
  11. Helix icon
     24 likes

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

    86 Helix alternatives
    Helix screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Support for Themes
    3.  Distraction-free

    Features

    1.  Syntax Highlighting
    2.  Command line interface
    3.  Autocompletion
    4.  Code Formatting
    5.  No Tracking
    6. Git icon  Git Support
    7.  Ad-free
    8.  Modal editor
    9.  Terminal-based
    Helix iconMacVim Icon

    Helix VS MacVim

    Is Helix a good alternative to MacVim?
     
  12. Lapce icon
     25 likes

    Lightning-fast and Powerful Code Editor written in Rust.

    196 Lapce alternatives
    Lapce screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Support for Themes

    Features

    1.  Rust
    2.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    3.  Built-in terminal emulation
    4.  Syntax Highlighting
    5. Git icon  Git Support
    6.  No registration required
    7.  Full-Text Search
    8.  Ad-free
    9.  Works Offline
    10.  Dark Mode
    11.  Modal editor
    Lapce iconMacVim Icon

    Lapce VS MacVim

    Is Lapce a good alternative to MacVim?
     
12 of 53 MacVim alternatives