That's right, both Vim and Neovim are now a part of my life. I love them both. Today's topic isn't about Vim vs. Neovim, I just wanted to share my experience with you all. I use Vim for all kinds of text editing and Neovim for coding
When It Started
At the end of December 2024 and into early January 2025, I started learning Vim. Before that, Zed had just been released for Linux, so I installed it on my Manjaro device. After trying Zed for a few days, I found it really cool, it used less RAM than VSCode.
Like everyone else, I began my development journey with VSCode. I saw people bragging about Vim and Neovim, and I noticed some developers typing incredibly fast. Seriously, just using the keyboard without ever touching the mouse, they were moving really fast! I was like, I have to learn this, and here I am.
RAM Usage
This is how much RAM gets used when I open VSCode, Postman, and Chromium at the same time. The best part is, this is just when I write Go code. If I write JavaScript, the RAM usage in VSCode goes up even more.
See VSCode almost uses 1.3 GB of RAM just when you open it, and when the project grows, the memory usage goes even higher. If you work with JavaScript projects, you'll notice RAM usage increases even more because of all the extra features and extensions running in the background. This is one reason I like using Vim and Neovim for coding, they are much lighter.
The Learning Curve
My first few days were rough. I kept forgetting how to exit, lost files, and fumbled through basic navigation. The modal editing system was a completely different mindset compared to traditional editors. It took a while to get used to switching between normal, insert, and visual modes. I relied heavily on cheat sheets and spent a lot of time on following tutorials. I'm still learning a lot.
Customizing My Setup
Once I got comfortable with the basics, I started tweaking my setup. If you're curious, you can check out my Neovim config file here: joybiswas007/kickstart.nvim. I actually used a fork of the popular kickstart.nvim starter template, which you can find at nvim-lua/kickstart.nvim.
If you want to learn Vim, I highly recommend checking out Learn Vim (the Smart Way). It's a free, beginner-friendly guide that covers everything from the basics to advanced topics and is a great resource for both new and experienced users.
How Vim and Neovim Changed My Workflow
The biggest change? I barely touch the mouse now. Navigating between files, editing text, and running commands all happen from the keyboard. My workflow feels faster and more focused. Macros and registers are game changers for repetitive tasks.
Advice for Beginners
If you’re thinking about trying Vim or Neovim, start small. Learn a few commands at a time and don’t get overwhelmed by all the possibilities. Use cheat sheets and practice regularly. Don’t be afraid to break things, messing up is part of the learning process. And remember, customizing your setup can make the experience a lot more enjoyable.
Conclusion
Looking back, I’m happy I tried Vim and Neovim. They’ve helped me code better and faster. I’m still learning new things, and that keeps it interesting. If you’re unsure about trying them, just go for it, you might end up liking them more than you expect.
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