SpaceVim vs Spacemacs vs pathogen.vim: What are the differences?

Introduction

This document provides a comparison between SpaceVim, Spacemacs, and pathogen.vim in terms of their key differences. Markdown code is used throughout to ensure compatibility with websites.

1. SpaceVim: SpaceVim is a highly configurable Vim distribution designed to provide a comfortable editing experience out of the box. It aims to provide a more modern and intuitive interface compared to the traditional Vim setup.

2. Spacemacs: Spacemacs, on the other hand, is an Emacs distribution that combines the best of Vim and Emacs. It offers a set of pre-configured packages and comes with advanced features, making it a popular choice among developers who prefer Vim bindings in an Emacs environment.

3. pathogen.vim: pathogen.vim, unlike SpaceVim and Spacemacs, is not a distribution but a plugin manager for Vim. It simplifies the process of installing and managing plugins within Vim by handling runtime path manipulation.

4. Configuration: In terms of configuration, both SpaceVim and Spacemacs have their own extensive and highly customizable configuration layers. They provide predefined setups and keybindings, which can be tweaked to fit individual preferences. On the other hand, pathogen.vim does not include any predefined configurations and mainly focuses on managing plugins.

5. Learning curve: SpaceVim and Spacemacs are both designed to be beginner-friendly and offer a smoother learning curve for newcomers to Vim or Emacs. They provide detailed documentation and support a wide range of programming languages and tools. Pathogen.vim, however, requires a deeper understanding of Vim and plugin management, making it better suited for experienced users.

6. Community and support: SpaceVim and Spacemacs have active and vibrant communities with frequent updates and ongoing support. They offer forums, issue trackers, and extensive documentation for users to seek help or contribute to the development. Pathogen.vim, being a plugin manager, relies on the larger Vim community for support and updates.

In summary, SpaceVim and Spacemacs are dedicated Vim and Emacs distributions, respectively, offering a comfortable editing experience, while pathogen.vim focuses solely on managing Vim plugins. Their key differences lie in their approach to configuration, learning curve, and community support.