# Not Emacs vs Vimlike

The clearest difference is rating: Vimlike at 4.7 against Not Emacs's 4.0. Vimlike also leads on review sentiment (85% vs 50%). Not Emacs's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (6.1 vs 16.6). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Vimlike holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 30 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Not Emacs's written reviews are positive against 85% of Vimlike's.

Not Emacs ships an update every 2 weeks, Vimlike every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Not Emacs | Vimlike |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/not-emacs/id948330589/reviews) | **[4.7 (30 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vimlike/id1584519802/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 21 | **30** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **84.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 18 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.1** | 16.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Marc Feeley](https://appshunter.io/developer/434534079) | [Jasmine Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/565086792) |

## What reviewers say

### Not Emacs

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/not-emacs/id948330589)

A programmer's text editor that mimics common Emacs keybindings and supports iCloud document syncing across devices. It offers syntax highlighting for several languages and is optimized for external keyboards, with an extended virtual keyboard as a backup.

**Highlights:** Emacs keybinding support, iCloud document editing, Syntax highlighting (Lisp, Scheme, JS, CSS, XML), External Bluetooth keyboard optimization, Extended virtual keyboard

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Vimlike

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vimlike/id1584519802)

Enhance web browsing with keyboard shortcuts, mimicking a Vim-like editor experience. Navigate pages, manage tabs, and interact with links using customizable key bindings. Offers features like dark mode and reader view for a streamlined workflow.

**Highlights:** Keyboard shortcuts for navigation, Customizable key mappings, Link interaction (open, new tab), Tab management (new, close, switch), Insert and normal modes, Reader view and dark mode

**Features:** Safari Extension

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for Vim addicts
- ✨ Genius author
- 🚀 Fantastic extension for keyboard users
- 💯 Best Vim key implementation
- 🚀 Functionally perfect and polished

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Does not support Colemak layout
- 🐛 Default mode setting does not work
- 🐛 Lacking bookmark/favorite support
- 🐛 Scrolling bug on iPadOS
- 🐛 Link hints inefficient

**Reported bugs**

- Default mode setting does not work
- Scrolling bug on iPadOS
- Cannot use 'f' to press buttons on webpage
- Hitting F again does not cancel navigation
- Extension not working after a while, requires reinstallation

**Requested features**

- Open search result in current tab
- Customized new tab URL
- Support for opening bookmarks/favorites
- Visual mode for highlighting text
- Custom search URL support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Not Emacs free?

Not Emacs is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Vimlike free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Not Emacs or Vimlike?

Vimlike is rated higher. Not Emacs averages 4.0 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Vimlike averages 4.7 from 30 ratings.

### Do Not Emacs or Vimlike have ads?

Neither Not Emacs nor Vimlike shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Not Emacs or Vimlike?

Not Emacs ships an update every 2 weeks, and Vimlike every 2 months. Most recently, Not Emacs was updated on September 30, 2026 and Vimlike on October 14, 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.*