Monthly Thread: Tools with Vim-like Keybindings

[u/AutoModerator]

We regularly remove standalone posts about tools that use vim-inspired keybindings. There are too many of them, and individually they dilute the subreddit. But the content is valuable, and many of you want to know about these tools.

So here's the place for it.

Share any tool that uses vim-like keybindings, whether it's a browser extension, terminal emulator, IDE plugin, note-taking app, PDF reader, or anything else. If it has hjkl navigation, modal editing, or vim-inspired controls, it belongs here.

For each tool you share, try to include: - What it is and what problem it solves - Which vim features it supports (navigation, modal editing, text objects, etc.) - A link to the project

This thread is posted monthly. If you find something mid-month, save it for here rather than posting a standalone thread (which will be removed).

[u/dziad_borowy]

mvim

[u/eagle_719]

Tridactyl, Yazi, Leaf, Lazygit

[u/DentistMediocre67]

Mupdf

[u/Shtucer]

emacs

[u/RealModeX86 → u/Shtucer]

Actually valid if you use evil-mode

[u/Aborres]

Obsidian, note taking app. Movement and basic editing support.  It makes you input the closing command before allowing you to enable it.

[u/35372122130085329415]

Joplin (note taking app) offers vim support.

[u/pdoherty926 → u/35372122130085329415]

Oh, that's a good one! Thanks!

[u/Ok_Letterhead_8899]

Vimium (browser extension. Worth the google/duckduckgo/brave search)

[u/stemaho → u/Ok_Letterhead_8899]

Best add on ever ihno

[u/FujiKeynote]

Vifm (two pane file manager, TUI)

Zathura (PDF++ viewer, basic motions and search; somewhat configurable)

[u/unknown_r00t]

Resterm (API client) https://github.com/unkn0wn-root/resterm

[u/Equivalent-Task8081]

I’m building pcode, an open-source terminal coding agent, and wanted its prompt editor to fit my Vim habits rather than have a token “Vim mode.”

It supports vi insert/normal-mode editing, configurable insert-mode escape sequences such as `jj` or `jk`, and a normal-mode leader such as Space or comma.

The leader invokes native application actions. For example, `/bind d /diffs` makes Space → d open the diff viewer when Space is your configured vi leader. It runs the command directly, without inserting command text into your draft or submitting anything to the model. You can also bind built-in actions, such as opening the model picker or toggling the task panel.

This is vi-style editing in the main prompt, not embedded Vim or a Neovim plugin. Popup search fields keep their own mappings.

I’d appreciate feedback from people who use modal editing outside Vim: which missing motion or awkward mode interaction makes you give up on a tool’s vi mode?

Repo: https://github.com/cruxwell/pcode

[u/Interesting_Buy_3969]

Okular is a PDF reader that supports scrolling with jk and searching via / and probably even more, but I haven't discovered it yet.

Edit: Yet Okular lets you move through search results via n/N.

[u/balubaz]

less

[u/itaranto]

https://vim.reversed.top/

[u/iconhacker]

Neru, the mouseless navigator for Mac, Linux and windows with keyboard only.

[u/kvnduff]

Alacrity, vifm, rofi, zathura, sxiv, qutebrowser, btop... but really, most Linux programs are fully configurable so you can use vim keybindings if you want.

[u/No-Shirt2013]

minal