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Neovim vs Sublime Text
Short answer: Pick Neovim if you want extensible Vim-compatible editing; pick Sublime Text if you want fast, GPU-accelerated code editing. Neovim is free and open source; Sublime Text is paid.
Which to pick
Pick Neovim if you want…
- Extensible Vim-compatible editing
- Highly customizable modal editor
- A free, open-source tool
- Integrations with Lua, Vimscript or Tree-sitter (on Neovim's list, not Sublime Text's)
Pick Sublime Text if you want…
- Fast, GPU-accelerated code editing
- Integrations with TypeScript, JSX or TSX (on Sublime Text's list, not Neovim's)
Side by side
- What it is
- Neovim:Neovim is a hyperextensible, Vim-compatible text editor with Lua scripting and modern terminal features.
- Sublime Text:Sublime Text is a fast, minimal, cross-platform text editor for code, markup and prose with a slick UI and high performance.
- Best for
- Neovim:Extensible Vim-compatible editing
- Sublime Text:Fast, GPU-accelerated code editing
- Who it’s for
- Neovim:Developers who want a customizable, terminal-based editor compatible with Vim.
- Sublime Text:Developers and writers needing a lightweight yet powerful code editor.
- Pricing
- Neovim:Open source
- Sublime Text:Paid
- Starting price
- Neovim:Free
- Sublime Text:—
- Free plan or trial
- Neovim:Free to use
- Sublime Text:—
- Open source
- Neovim:Yes, 102,696 GitHub stars
- Sublime Text:—
- Works with
- Neovim:Lua, Vimscript, Tree-sitter, LSP, RPC
- Sublime Text:TypeScript, JSX, TSX, Python API, GPU rendering, Apple Silicon, Linux ARM64
Neovim features
- Lua plugin system. Create and run Lua plugins easily with a discoverable, versioned API.
- Tree-sitter integration. Provides accurate syntax highlighting and advanced text objects.
- Built-in LSP support. Offers semantic code inspection and refactoring out of the box.
- Multicursor & multiplexing. Instant multicursor commands and tmux-like session management.
- Embedded RPC. Enable extensions in any language and embed Neovim in GUIs or browsers.
- Modern terminal defaults. Includes progress bars, cursor styling, bracketed paste and more.
Sublime Text features
- GPU Rendering. Uses the GPU on Windows, macOS and Linux for fluid UI up to 8K resolution.
- Tab Multi-Select. Select multiple tabs and split panes effortlessly across the interface.
- Side-by-Side Definitions. View definitions, references and symbols in a side-by-side pane for easier navigation.
- Context-Aware Auto-Complete. Smart completions based on project code with type info and definition links.
- Native Apple Silicon & ARM64. Runs natively on Apple Silicon Macs and Linux ARM64 devices like Raspberry Pi.
- Updated Python API. Python 3.8 API with expanded features for plugin development.
Neovim vs Sublime Text FAQ
What is the difference between Neovim and Sublime Text?+
Neovim: Vim-based, modal editing with extensive scripting.
Should I use Neovim or Sublime Text?+
Pick Neovim if you want extensible Vim-compatible editing, highly customizable modal editor or a free, open-source tool. Pick Sublime Text if you want fast, GPU-accelerated code editing or integrations with TypeScript, JSX or TSX (on Sublime Text's list, not Neovim's).
Is Neovim or Sublime Text free?+
Neovim is free and open source. Sublime Text is paid.
Is Neovim or Sublime Text open source?+
Neovim is open source (neovim/neovim on GitHub). DevHunt has no public source repository on record for Sublime Text.
Do Neovim and Sublime Text integrate with the same tools?+
Their integration lists don't overlap: Neovim lists Lua, Vimscript, Tree-sitter, LSP and 1 more; Sublime Text lists TypeScript, JSX, TSX, Python API and 3 more.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.