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helix-editor

helix-editor/helix

A terminal modal text editor written in Rust, inspired by Kakoune and Neovim, with multiple selections and built-in LSP support.

Open-source alternative to:VimNeovim

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What is it?

Helix is a modal text editor written in Rust that runs primarily in the terminal. Its editing model is heavily based on Kakoune, and it borrows familiar Vim-style modal commands for moving and changing text.

A distinguishing feature is multiple selections: you can select several regions at once and apply edits to all of them together. Language support is built on tree-sitter for incremental syntax highlighting and code structure, and a built-in language server client provides completion and other IDE-style features.

The project's documentation covers keymaps, installation and language configuration. Only some languages currently have indentation rules defined, which is worth checking for your language.

Key features

  • 01Vim-like modal editing in the terminal
  • 02Multiple selections for editing several regions at once
  • 03Built-in language server support
  • 04Incremental syntax highlighting and code editing via tree-sitter

Use cases

  • Editing code in a terminal over SSH or in a minimal setup
  • Developers who want Kakoune-style selection editing with Vim-like keys
  • Writing code with language server features without a heavy IDE

Quick start

  1. 1

    Open the installation documentation and follow the install steps for your platform

Things to know

  • Only certain languages have indentation definitions so far.
  • It is primarily a terminal-based editor.

Topics

#text-editor#terminal#modal-editing#rust#tree-sitter#lsp#vim#kakoune

FAQ

What is helix?
A terminal modal text editor written in Rust, inspired by Kakoune and Neovim, with multiple selections and built-in LSP support. Helix is a modal text editor written in Rust that runs primarily in the terminal. Its editing model is heavily based on Kakoune, and it borrows familiar Vim-style modal commands for moving and changing text.
Is helix free to use? What license does it have?
helix is open source under the MPL-2.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is helix still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to helix was on Sep 29, 2026.
What can I use helix for?
Editing code in a terminal over SSH or in a minimal setup Developers who want Kakoune-style selection editing with Vim-like keys Writing code with language server features without a heavy IDE
How do I install helix?
Open the installation documentation and follow the install steps for your platform
Where can I get helix?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/helix-editor/helix

Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.

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