A Kakoune / Neovim inspired editor, written in Rust.
Publisher’s description
What is Helix?
Helix by Helix is open-source Windows software in the text editors category. It ranks 19th by popularity among text editors in this catalogue. It is written in Rust. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides Portable installers for 64-bit Windows. It runs without installation (portable).
Updates and version history
The current version is 25.07.1, released on July 18, 2025. The version history goes back to January 30, 2024: 10 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 4.3 releases a year. The last update is more than a year old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 20,628 times. The source code on GitHub (helix-editor/helix) has 46,671 stars. Similar programs include Notepad++, Atom and Neovim.
Project description on GitHub: “A post-modern modal text editor.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Portable: runs without installation
- Also runs on Linux
- Large user base
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- No update for more than a year
In short: Helix is an open-source text editor tool for 64-bit PCs. It is actively maintained.
Key features
- Vim-like modal editing
- Multiple selections
- Built-in language server support
- Smart, incremental syntax highlighting and code editing via tree-sitter
AppStream · Flathub
Is Helix safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
5C8325CED8BACD8418D62706F669E96D9C3578A9237526E34D546900CBC049B6· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 10 versions ›10 versions over 2 years · about 4.3 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25.07.1Latest | July 18, 2025 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 25.07 | July 15, 2025 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 25.01.1 | January 19, 2025 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 25.01 | January 3, 2025 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 24.07 | July 14, 2024 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 24.03 | March 30, 2024 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 23.10 | October 25, 2023 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 23.05 | May 18, 2023 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Helix.Helix -echoco install helix -yscoop install main/helixProgram files (.exe): hx.exe
Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install helixflatpak install flathub com.helix_editor.HelixInformation
- Publisher
- Helix
- Category
- Text editors
- Licence
- MPL-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/helix-editor/helix
- Written in
- Rust
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- Portable
- Other platforms
- Linux
- Version
- 25.07.1
- Released
- July 18, 2025
- Added to the catalogue
- April 3, 2023
- Versions listed
- 10
- Updates / year
- 4.3
- Chocolatey downloads
- 20,628
- GitHub stars
- 46,671
- GitHub forks
- 3,879
- Website
- helix-editor.com
- winget ID
- Helix.Helix
- Chocolatey package
- helix
- Scoop package
- main/helix
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Helix free?
Yes. Helix is open-source software under the MPL-2.0 licence.
Is Helix safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install Helix with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Does Helix run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Helix?
The versions page lists all 10 versions with links to their official installer files, back to January 30, 2024.
Can I use Helix without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
What are alternatives to Helix?
Notepad++, Atom, Neovim, Geany and Neovide. The alternatives page compares them.
