Vim Wiki

Active

vimwiki.github.io

Country: United States (US)
Founded: 2008
Developer: vimwiki community (open-source project on GitHub)
Pricing: Free (open-source)
Open source: Yes
Platforms: Linux, macOS, Windows

Indexes

Note-Taking PKM/Second Brain

Overview

Vimwiki is a plugin for the Vim text editor that enables creation and management of a personal wiki using interlinked plain text files with custom syntax highlighting.¹² It supports organizing notes, managing to-do lists, writing documentation, maintaining diaries, and exporting content to HTML, primarily for Vim users seeking a lightweight, file-based note-taking system.¹²⁴

Key Features

Wiki linking - Create and follow links between wiki pages by pressing Enter on text, turning it into [[link]] format.
Multiple markup syntaxes - Supports Vimwiki's own syntax, Markdown, and MediaWiki formats.
To-do lists - Manage tasks with checkboxes that can be marked as done.
Diary mode - Maintain dated diary entries accessible via key bindings.
HTML export - Generate HTML from wiki pages for web viewing.
Search and tags - Search across all wiki pages and jump to tagged locations.
List manipulation - Quickly edit indented, numbered, or bulleted lists.
Multiple wikis - Configure and switch between several wiki directories.

Pricing

Plan	Price	Includes
Free	$0	Full access to all features as open-source plugin.

Platforms & Requirements

Vimwiki runs as a plugin within the Vim editor on Linux, macOS, and Windows where Vim is installed; no additional minimum requirements beyond a functional Vim setup (version 7.0 or later recommended).¹² It is terminal-based with no native GUI support and relies on Vim's capabilities, limiting it to users comfortable with Vim keybindings; Neovim compatibility exists via community configurations.⁶

Integrations & Ecosystem

Vim/Neovim editor
HTML export
External file linking
Project folder wikis via scripting
Diary integration within Vim

Alternatives

App	Difference
Obsidian	Graphical app with Markdown files and visual graph view, unlike Vimwiki's terminal-based Vim integration.
Logseq	Outliner-focused with block-based notes and live query features, contrasting Vimwiki's flat wiki pages.
Org-mode (Emacs)	Emacs plugin with agenda and capture features, similar wiki functionality but tied to Emacs editor.
Zim	Desktop wiki app with GUI, easier for non-terminal users compared to Vimwiki's Vim requirement.

Reputation

Vimwiki is regarded as a reliable, lightweight solution for Vim users needing structured note-taking and task management directly in their editor, praised for its simplicity, speed, and plain-text portability.¹²⁷ Criticisms focus on its steep learning curve due to Vim proficiency requirements and lack of modern GUI features like mobile sync or visual previews.⁵⁶ It maintains an active GitHub repository with ongoing updates and a dedicated user base among terminal enthusiasts.¹

Sources (8)