head to head · open source
react vs Neovim
react has 250,566 GitHub stars, 51,372 forks, 1,377 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Neovim has 102,412 stars, 7,117 forks, 1,900 open issues and last shipped yesterday. react leads on adoption by 145% (250,566 vs 102,412 stars). react is written in JavaScript under MIT; Neovim is written in Vim Script under a custom or non-standard licence. react has attracted 21% as many forks as stars, Neovim 7%. Neovim was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| react | Neovim | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 251K | ★ 102K |
| License | MIT | Custom / other |
| Written in | JavaScript | Vim Script |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 51K | ⑂ 7.1K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick react if
- You weight community size — 251K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Neovim if
- You want the Neovim feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches Vim Script
- You evaluated both and Neovim fits your workflow better
About react
React is a JavaScript library under the MIT licence for building user interfaces, using a declarative, component based model that renders both on the web and, through React Native, on mobile.
read the full react overview →
About Neovim
Neovim is a Vim fork text editor focused on extensibility and usability, built as a modern refactoring of Vim’s codebase. It lives in the developer tools ecosystem, specifically as a terminal based code editor that maintains compatibility with Vim’s core editing model while adding new capabilities.
read the full Neovim overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is react or Neovim more popular?
react has 250,566 GitHub stars and Neovim has 102,412. react has the larger community by that measure.
Are react and Neovim free?
Both are open source. react is licensed under MIT, and Neovim has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between react and Neovim?
react is written in JavaScript and Neovim in Vim Script. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, react or Neovim?
Choose react if you want the larger community (250,566 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Neovim if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.