Kakoune

Minimal modal code editor built around multiple selections.

Verified facts: 3 of 3
Alternatives ranked: 4
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Kakoune

Kakoune is a modal terminal editor that rethinks Vim's grammar: instead of verb then object, you select first and then act, and multiple selections are the central way of working. Regex matches, splitting, filtering and aligning selections let you make structured edits across many places at once while seeing exactly what will change. It deliberately stays small and composable, leaning on the Unix shell and external tools for things like window management, language server support and fuzzy finding, and it uses a client-server design so several windows can share one session. It offers contextual help, as-you-type completion and syntax highlighting for many languages. Kakoune is free and released into the public domain under the Unlicense, and runs on Linux, macOS and other Unix-like systems; Windows users need WSL. It suits people who like the Unix philosophy and want an editor that is quick to learn conceptually, but it needs more assembling than Helix, its younger cousin.

Best for: Unix-minded developers who want selection-first modal editing.

What works

Multiple selections make structured edits fast and visible
Small, composable design using shell tools
Public domain licence

Why people leave

Language server support needs an external plugin
No native Windows build
Smaller community than Vim or Neovim

Top Kakoune alternatives

See all 4

1
Neovim
A much larger plugin ecosystem with a verb-object editing model.
77.6
2
Helix
Same selection-first model, with LSP and fuzzy finding built in.
66.5
3
Vim
The classic modal editor with decades of resources.
59.6
4
micro
A simpler terminal editor with Sublime-style multiple cursors and no modes.
57.2

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Kakoune: common questions

Is Kakoune free?

Yes. Kakoune is free, open-source software.

Is Kakoune open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at mawww/kakoune.

What platforms does Kakoune run on?

Kakoune is available for macOS and Linux.

What are the best alternatives to Kakoune?

The highest-ranked Kakoune alternatives right now are Neovim, Helix and Vim. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 4 Kakoune alternatives

Kakoune facts

3 of 3 verified

License: Unlicense (public domain); Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “License: Unlicense (The Unlicense).”
Core model: Multiple selections; Checked Oct 25, 2026kakoune.org(opens source in a new tab); “Multiple selections are the central way of interacting in Kakoune”
Editing aids: Contextual help, completion, highlighting; Checked Oct 25, 2026kakoune.org(opens source in a new tab); “contextual help, as-you-type completion, syntax highlighting”