# helix-editor/helix

A post-modern modal text editor.

Repository: https://github.com/helix-editor/helix
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/helix
Homepage: https://helix-editor.com
Language: Rust
License: MPL-2.0
License Family: copyleft
Topics: text-editor, vim, rust, kakoune
Last push: 2026-08-25T23:26:07+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 79/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 40, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2284, "days_push": 8, "days_rel": 411, "gap_med": 16, "n_releases_24m": 4}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 45942, forks 3699 (observed 2026-08-28T04:12:09.700303+00:00)

## What it is
Helix is a post-modern modal terminal text editor written in Rust, inspired by Kakoune and Neovim. It ships with built-in tree-sitter syntax highlighting, multiple selections, and language server support out of the box with no configuration.

## Use cases
- modal text editor with vim-like keybindings
- terminal editor with built-in LSP support
- editor with multiple cursors and selections
- fast code editor that works over ssh and tmux
- tree-sitter based syntax highlighting and code navigation
- lightweight alternative to neovim without plugins or vimscript

## When to choose
- you want a modal editor with IDE features working out of the box
- you prefer Kakoune's selection-first editing model
- you need a fast terminal editor for remote/ssh workflows
- you want tree-sitter highlighting and fuzzy finding without configuration

## When to avoid
- you rely on a rich plugin ecosystem or vimscript customization
- you need a GUI editor
- you depend on Vim-specific keybindings and scripts
- you want extensive extensibility today - the plugin system is not yet available

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: editor, developer-tools
- domain: text-editors, developer-tools
- platform: windows, cli, cross-platform
- tags: modal-editing, tree-sitter, language-server, kakoune-inspired, terminal-editor, multiple-selections, command-line, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- helix-editor/helix (main) score 79

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:12:09.700303+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T16:21:38.131520+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/helix-editor/helix (fetched 2026-08-28T04:12:09.700303+00:00, sha 67979f40c4a9)
  - homepage: https://helix-editor.com (fetched 2026-08-29T07:45:11.282733+00:00, sha e7223a49b5a9)
  - site_page: https://docs.helix-editor.com (fetched 2026-08-29T07:45:11.291964+00:00, sha 471f5349cb3f)
  - site_page: https://docs.helix-editor.com/install.html (fetched 2026-08-29T07:45:11.294069+00:00, sha 6d6b189b02eb)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.