Sublime Text vs Vim
Sublime Text
sublimetext.comVim
vim.orgSide by side
| Figure | Sublime Text | Vim |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 7 | 1 |
| Spec score · Text Editors | 8.8 (#7) | 8.5 (#15) |
| Spec score · Code editors | 8.6 (#7) | 8.5 (#9) |
| Spec score · Go IDEs | 8.2 (#13) | 7.8 (#19) |
| Column editing | Yes | Yes |
| Extensions | Sublime Text supports packages such as plugins, syntax definitions, menus and snippets, with additional user-created packages available. | Vim has an extensive plugin system and a scripting language that allows plugin-like extensions. |
| Extension support | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Macro recording | Yes | Yes |
| Product | Sublime Text is a text editor for code, markup and prose. | Vim is a highly configurable text editor built to make creating and changing text efficient. |
| Support | Technical support is directed to the Sublime Text forum, while sales questions can be sent to [email protected]. | The Vim community page lists mailing lists for user help, development discussion, Mac-specific discussion, and announcements. |
| Supported platforms | Windows,macOS,Linux | Windows,macOS,Linux |
Plans
Sublime Text
- PersonalPrice not published
- Business: seats 1-10Price not published
- Business: seats 11-25Price not published
- Business: seats 26-50Price not published
- Business: seats 51+Price not published
- Business license$65 a year
- Personal license$99, paid once
In their own words
Sublime Text
Sublime Text is a text editor for code, markup, and prose on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Editing includes multi-cursor and column work, macro recording, large-file handling, tab multi-select, split views, Goto Anything, Goto Definition, and context-aware auto-completion. GPU rendering is supported on all three platforms, including resolutions up to 8K. The maker lists native Apple Silicon support and Linux ARM64 builds. Extensions can add plugins, syntax definitions, menus, and snippets, and a documented Python API supports plugin development such as LSP. The download page identifies Sublime Text 4, Build 4215, as the current release. The software can be downloaded and evaluated without an enforced time limit, but continued use requires a license. A Personal license costs $99 as a one-time purchase and includes three years of updates. Business licensing costs $65 per seat per year for the first 10 seats, with lower rates for larger tiers. The maker is based in Woollahra, Sydney, Australia.
Vim
Vim is a configurable text editor for creating and changing text, with uses that include programming, composing email, and editing configuration files. It supports hundreds of programming languages and file formats, with search and replace, column editing, macro recording, and a persistent, multi-level undo tree. An extensive plugin system and scripting language let users add plugin-like extensions, and Vim integrates with many tools. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows and is distributed freely under a GPL-compatible license as charityware. Users who find Vim useful are asked to consider donating to help children in Uganda through Kuwasha. Windows downloads include installers and zip packages for x64, x86, and ARM, plus links to Winget packages. For macOS, downloads link to MacVim for a graphical version and Homebrew for a terminal version. On Unix, Vim recommends obtaining it from source and links a daily-built AppImage for many Linux systems. The maker says Vim takes learning and is not a WYSIWYG word processor for typeset documents.