# Vim vs Metanote

The clearest difference is rating: Metanote at 4.5 against Vim's 2.9. Metanote also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 9 months) and review sentiment (73% vs 46%). Vim's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 14.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Metanote sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Vim asks for nothing beyond the download.

Metanote holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 11 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of Vim's written reviews are positive against 73% of Metanote's.

Vim ships an update every 9 months, Metanote every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Vim | Metanote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.9 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vim/id492668168/reviews) | **[4.5 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metanote-notesdocsagenda/id6452550221/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **21** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | 46.2% of reviews | **72.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 37 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Applidium](https://appshunter.io/developer/308674223) | [雪双 陈](https://appshunter.io/developer/1698224749) |

## What reviewers say

### Vim

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vim/id492668168)

A highly configurable text editor with a long history, designed for efficient editing from both command lines and graphical interfaces. It offers extensive customization options for programmers and writers alike.

**Highlights:** Text editing, Command-line interface support, Graphical user interface support, Highly configurable, Free and open source

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✅ True Vim implementation with authentic commands and features
- ⌨️ Works well with external Bluetooth keyboards
- 🆓 Free application with no cost barrier
- 🔒 Includes encryption functionality for secure editing
- 📝 Supports .vimrc configuration files

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Escape key mapping to backslash is cumbersome and unintuitive
- 🐛 Space bar and other keys don't work with external keyboards
- 🐛 Font rendering is illegible on Retina displays and newer devices
- 🐛 Severe input lag and keystroke delay issues
- 🐛 Window focus problems in multitasking environments

**Reported bugs**

- Escape key not recognized on external keyboards
- Space bar non-functional with external keyboards
- Font illegible on Retina and newer displays
- Significant input lag between keystrokes and display
- Window focus not maintained in multitasking

**Requested features**

- Custom keyboard row with Esc, Tab, Ctrl, and common symbols
- Dropbox and cloud service integration
- iOS copy/paste and clipboard integration
- File browser and file management system
- Better font rendering and scaling options


### Metanote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metanote-notesdocsagenda/id6452550221)

A privacy-focused offline editor that supports Org mode for writing, task management, and knowledge wikis. It offers real-time editing of rich content and seamless synchronization across devices.

**Highlights:** Privacy-first offline editor, Full Org mode support, Real-time rich content editing, Seamless synchronization, Integrated task management, Full-text search

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Metanote Premium | $1.99 | per month |
| Metanote Premium | $12.99 | per year |
| One-time purchase | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Vim free?

Vim is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Metanote free?

Metanote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Vim or Metanote?

Metanote is rated higher. Vim averages 2.9 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Metanote averages 4.5 from 11 ratings.

### Do Vim or Metanote have ads?

Neither Vim nor Metanote shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Vim or Metanote?

Vim ships an update every 9 months, and Metanote every 2 weeks. Most recently, Vim was updated on October 12, 2026 and Metanote on October 3, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*