Neovim is a terminal text editor forked from Vim created to refactor and improve the maintainability of Vim's original code and improving the extensibility of Vim by adding support for Lua scripting. Some features of the fork include built-in Language Server Protocol (LSP) support, support for asynchronous I/O by using the C library libuv, a built in terminal emulator and support for Lua scripting by using LuaJIT language interpreter, allowing both plugin scripting and running scripts in headless / batch mode. Neovim also cleans up the outdated Vim codebase, making startup faster and allowing for asynchronous code execution. The project is open source and is licensed under the Apache 2.0 license. Its source code is available on GitHub.
The Neovim project was started in 2014 by Thiago de Arruda as an effort to completely rework the outdated Vim source code as "Vim's rebirth of the 21st century" after a patch to Vim adding support for multi-threading was rejected. Neovim had a successful fundraising in March 2014, supporting at least one full-time developer.
What is Neovim?
Neovim by neovim.io is open-source Windows software in the text editors category. It ranks 5th by popularity among text editors in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 2015. It is written in C, Vimscript, and Lua. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux, macOS and cross-platform.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides MSI installers for 64-bit and ARM64 Windows. Installation asks for administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches. An MSI package is available for deployment with Group Policy, Intune or Configuration Manager.
Updates and version history
The current version is 0.12.6, released on October 9, 2026. The version history goes back to April 15, 2022: 28 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 6.2 releases a year. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 744,386 times. The source code on GitHub (neovim/neovim) has 103,111 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 5 of our languages. Similar programs include Notepad++, Atom and Geany.
Project description on GitHub: “Vim-fork focused on extensibility and usability”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Native ARM64 build for Windows on Arm
- MSI package for managed deployment
- Documented silent install
- Frequent updates (about 6.2 a year)
- Also runs on Linux, macOS and cross-platform
- Large user base
Cons
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: Neovim is an open-source text editor tool for 64-bit and ARM64 PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is Neovim 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:
72EC7DF85655528952E086858CA6B3ADD8498F60977108BA8E7F3EDE34A7CCA5· 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
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the neovim/neovim repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Actively maintained10
- No binaries in the repository10
- Static code analysis10
- Licence declared9
- Code review7
- Branch protection3
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Security policy0
- Fuzzing0
- Signed releases0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 28 versions ›28 versions over 4 years · about 6.2 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.12.6Latest | October 9, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSIARM64 MSI |
| 0.12.5 | August 23, 2026 | — | ARM64 MSI64-bit MSI |
| 0.12.4 | July 5, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSIARM64 MSI |
| 0.12.3 | June 10, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSIARM64 MSI |
| 0.12.2 | April 22, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 0.12.1 | April 6, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 0.12.0 | March 29, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 0.11.7 | March 28, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Neovim.Neovim -echoco install neovim -yscoop install main/neovimmsiexec /i nvim-win64.msi /qn /norestartmsiexec /x {C864B932-962E-49D2-83B7-2BAEF35A1019} /qn /norestartRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install neovimflatpak install flathub io.neovim.nvimInformation
- Publisher
- neovim.io
- Category
- Text editors
- Licence
- Apache-2.0 AND Vim
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/neovim/neovim
- Written in
- C, Vimscript, and Lua
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64
- Installer
- MSI
- Other platforms
- Linux, macOS, cross-platform
- Version
- 0.12.6
- Released
- October 9, 2026
- First release
- 2015
- Added to the catalogue
- April 15, 2022
- Versions listed
- 28
- Updates / year
- 6.2
- Chocolatey downloads
- 744,386
- GitHub stars
- 103,111
- GitHub forks
- 7,232
- Website
- neovim.io
- winget ID
- Neovim.Neovim
- Chocolatey package
- neovim
- Scoop package
- main/neovim
- MSI product code
- {C864B932-962E-49D2-83B7-2BAEF35A1019}
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Neovim free?
Yes. Neovim is open-source software under the Apache-2.0 AND Vim licence.
Is Neovim 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 Neovim 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.
Can Neovim be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer, including msiexec for the MSI package.
Does Neovim run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of Neovim?
The versions page lists all 28 versions with links to their official installer files, back to April 15, 2022.
What are alternatives to Neovim?
Notepad++, Atom, Geany, Helix and WordPress.com. The alternatives page compares them.
