The vi family

May 13, 2026 · devtools systems open-source · Source ↗

TLDR

Comprehensive annotated list of vi clones and derivatives from 1977 to 2026, including Vim, Neovim, Elvis, nvi, Helix, and new anti-LLM forks.

Vi dates to 1977; its ubiquity across IDEs (VS Code, IntelliJ, Xcode) and servers makes it a one-time-learn, use-everywhere skill.
Vim (from STevie, 1991) remains the most-used clone; Neovim (2014) modernizes it with LSP, Lua scripting, and a built-in terminal.
Two 2026 forks – EVi and Vim Classic – split from Vim specifically to avoid LLM-generated code entering the codebase.
nvi and OpenVi still lack UTF-8 support; nvi2 fills that gap with CJK encoding additions.
BusyBox vi is the minimal implementation you’ll hit on Alpine Linux and embedded systems – incomplete but present everywhere.

Long-term Vim users migrate to Neovim for plugin ecosystem quality (mini.nvim cited) while keeping muscle memory intact via compatible bindings.
Helix is emerging as the low-friction entry point: no config, no plugins needed, essential features out of the box – described as “user friendly vi”.