MacVim
The facts below are what the maker publishes about MacVim, checked and dated. Our editors have not written about it yet.
Plans and prices
From MacVim's own pricing page, checked 11 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| MacVim | Free | macOS 10.13 or later; macOS 10.9–10.12 download available separately |
The facts
Each one read from MacVim's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Column editing
- Yeschecked 22 Sep 2026
- Display
- MacVim supports native and non-native full-screen modes, font ligatures, and accurate text rendering.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Extension support
- Yeschecked 22 Sep 2026
- External editor integration
- MacVim can act as an external editor for macOS applications that support the ODB Editor Protocol.checked 11 Oct 2026
- File opening
- MacVim can register as an editor for standard file formats and supports opening files through Finder, drag and drop, and macOS System Services.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Input
- Trackpad gestures, Touch Bar, and Command key shortcuts can be mapped to Vim actions.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Install options
- The project offers GitHub releases, Homebrew formula and cask installation, and instructions for building from source.checked 11 Oct 2026
- License
- The project says MacVim is released under the Vim License.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Native interface
- Its native GUI supports menus, dialog boxes, toolbars, and scroll bars.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Product
- MacVim is a macOS version of the Vim text editor with a graphical interface and macOS-specific features.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Relationship to Vim
- MacVim is a downstream fork of Vim that routinely merges changes from upstream.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Support
- The project directs users with issues or questions to open an issue or visit its discussions page.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Tabs
- MacVim provides Vim GUI tabs with customizable colors.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Terminal use
- MacVim includes an `mvim` script for launching it from the terminal and opening files.checked 11 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- macOS integrations
- MacVim integrates with system services, dictionary lookup, and Apple Intelligence Writing Tools.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Macro recording
- Yeschecked 22 Sep 2026
- Platform requirement
- The official site says the current download requires macOS 10.13 or later and links to a separate download for macOS 10.9–10.12.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Supported platforms
- macOSchecked 22 Sep 2026
Alternatives to MacVim
- 1
Calmly Writer
Free planAndroidWebLinuxmacOS8.6Free plan - 2
Zed
Free planLinuxmacOSWindows8.3From $10 a month - 3
Visual Studio Code
Free planWebLinuxmacOSWindows8.2Free plan - 4
Neovim
Free planAndroidAPILinuxmacOS8.1Free plan - 5
Geany
Free planOpen sourceLinuxmacOSWindows8.1Free plan - 6
GNU Emacs
Free planAndroidLinuxmacOSWindows8.0Free plan