Vim (ɪm/ ; short for vi improved) is a free and open-source text editor. Vim provides both a terminal screen user interface as well as a graphical user interface (called gvim).
Vim's documentation describes it as an improved form of the older vi text editor (though it is built from a distinct codebase). In release information, the author originally implied that Vim was an abbreviation for "Vi IMitation", but later, the expansion was changed to "Vi IMproved" because, as described by the author, the functionality had increased beyond that of a clone of vi. Some sources indicate the change happened with v2.0, but conflicting information (including from author) suggests the change happened as early as v2.0 and as late as v3.0.
Since its original release for the Amiga, Vim has been ported to many environments including Atari MiNT, BeOS, MS-DOS, Windows starting from Windows NT 3.1, OS/2, OS/390, MorphOS, OpenVMS, QNX, RISC OS, Linux, BSD, and Classic Mac OS. Vim is also shipped with Apple macOS. Independent ports of Vim are available for Android and iOS.
From the Wikipedia article “Vim (text editor)”, CC BY-SA 4.0
What is Vim?
Vim is an open-source text editor program for Windows from Bram Moolenaar et al. (developed by Bram Moolenaar). It ranks 27th by popularity among text editors in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 1991. It is written in C and Vimscript. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux, BSD, macOS, Android and iOS.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 64-bit, ARM64 and 32-bit as EXE (NSIS). It can be installed for the current user only, without administrator rights. The installer supports unattended (silent) installation.
Updates and version history
The current version is 9.2.1186, released on October 14, 2026. 199 versions are listed since October 18, 2025, each with links to its own installer files. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (vim/vim-win32-installer) has 2,298 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 45 of our languages. Similar programs include Notepad++, Atom and Neovim.
Project description on GitHub: “Vim Win32 Installer”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Native ARM64 build for Windows on Arm
- Documented silent install
- Installs without administrator rights
- Updated in the last two months
- Also runs on Linux, BSD and macOS
- Mature project (since 1991)
In short: Vim is an open-source text editor tool for 64-bit, ARM64 and 32-bit PCs. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is Vim 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:
4AEDD4813659E8DE3F0E17E5E695E8FA4D896F05619C2AC9097B49DFA293DD97· 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 199 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.2.1186Latest | October 14, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 9.2.1178 | October 13, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
| 9.2.1176 | October 12, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
| 9.2.1172 | October 8, 2026 | — | 32-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
| 9.2.1169 | October 7, 2026 | — | 32-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
| 9.2.1162 | October 2, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 9.2.1161 | October 1, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 9.2.1152 | September 30, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id vim.vim.nightly -egvim_9.2.1186_x64.exe /SProgram files (.exe): diff.exe, evim.exe, gview.exe, gvim.exe, gvimdiff.exe, tee.exe, view.exe, vim.exe, vimdiff.exe, xxd.exe
Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install vimInformation
- Publisher
- Bram Moolenaar et al.
- Developer
- Bram Moolenaar
- Category
- Text editors
- Licence
- Copyright (C) 1991-2020 Bram Moolenaar [Bram@vim.org] - Charityware / GNU GPL compatible
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/vim/vim-win32-installer
- Written in
- C and Vimscript
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64, 32-bit
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Other platforms
- Linux, BSD, macOS, Android, iOS
- Version
- 9.2.1186
- Released
- October 14, 2026
- First release
- 1991
- Added to the catalogue
- October 19, 2025
- Versions listed
- 199
- GitHub stars
- 2,298
- GitHub forks
- 253
- Website
- vim.org
- winget ID
- vim.vim.nightly
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Vim free?
Yes. Vim is open-source software under the Copyright (C) 1991-2020 Bram Moolenaar [Bram@vim.org] - Charityware / GNU GPL compatible licence.
Is Vim 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 Vim 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 Vim be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does Vim run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of Vim?
The versions page lists all 199 versions with links to their official installer files, back to October 18, 2025.
Can I use Vim without administrator rights?
Yes, there is a per-user installer that does not need administrator rights.
What are alternatives to Vim?
Notepad++, Atom, Neovim, Geany and WordPress.com. The alternatives page compares them.
