- Neovim plugins side by side
- Eleven Neovim plugins, in alphabetical order
- How these Neovim plugins were chosen
- Plugin managers: GitHub stars versus the last push
- Which Neovim plugin for which editing job
- Checking a Neovim repository before it goes in your config
- My plain advice on Neovim plugins
- Frequently asked questions
The Neovim plugins with the most GitHub stars cover plugin managers, fuzzy finding, language servers, linting, status lines, debugging and themes. Stars measure interest, not installs, so check the date of the last push too: one of the most starred plugin managers here hasn't been pushed to since 2024. Eleven follow in no particular order.
Neovim ships lean, and plugins turn it into the editor you want: a manager to install everything else, a fuzzy finder for files, language server tools, a status line and a theme you can look at all day. The eleven below are among the most starred Neovim plugins on GitHub. Config distributions are left out, as they're whole setups rather than single plugins.
Every number comes from the GitHub repository page of each plugin (stars, last push and licence), as of Oct 2026. GitHub has no install counts or ratings for these, so stars and the last push are the evidence. They're listed alphabetically, in no particular order. If you're tuning your wider workflow, my guide to what to look for in developer productivity tools goes beyond the editor.
Neovim plugins side by side
Type and Good for come from each repository's own description, as of Oct 2026. GitHub repositories don't name a free plan the way a store listing does, so every row reads Not stated. The licence is shown on each repository page.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| ale | Linting plugin | Async syntax checks and fixes with LSP | Not stated |
| catppuccin | Colour theme | A pastel theme for Neovim | Not stated |
| coc.nvim | Extension host | VS Code style extensions and language servers | Not stated |
| lazy.nvim | Plugin manager | Installing and managing plugins | Not stated |
| lualine.nvim | Status line | A Lua status line | Not stated |
| mason.nvim | Tool package manager | LSP servers, DAP servers, linters and formatters | Not stated |
| mini.nvim | Module library | 45 plus small Lua modules | Not stated |
| nvim-dap | Debugger client | Debug Adapter Protocol debugging | Not stated |
| packer.nvim | Plugin manager | use-package style plugin management | Not stated |
| telescope.nvim | Fuzzy finder | Finding, filtering and previewing | Not stated |
| which-key.nvim | Keymap helper | Popup of available key bindings | Not stated |
Eleven Neovim plugins, in alphabetical order
ale
Best for: Checking syntax as you work in Vim or Neovim, with automatic fixes and Language Server Protocol support, under a BSD-2-Clause licence.
catppuccin
Best for: A soft pastel colour scheme across your whole editor, from the Catppuccin project's own theme for Neovim.
coc.nvim
Best for: People moving from VS Code who want an extension host that loads extensions and runs language servers inside Vim and Neovim.
lazy.nvim
Best for: Managing every other plugin in your setup, from folke's modern plugin manager for Neovim.
lualine.nvim
Best for: A status line written in pure Lua, which its description says is easy to configure.
mason.nvim
Best for: Installing and managing language servers, debug servers, linters and formatters from one portable package manager inside Neovim.
mini.nvim
Best for: Getting lots of small features from one library of 45 plus independent Lua modules instead of many separate plugins.
nvim-dap
Best for: Debugging code inside Neovim through a Debug Adapter Protocol client, under a GPL-3.0 licence.
packer.nvim
Best for: Existing configs built on a use-package style manager that supports Luarocks dependencies, though its last push was in 2024.
telescope.nvim
Best for: Finding, filtering, previewing and picking files and more, from a fuzzy finder written entirely in Lua.
which-key.nvim
Best for: Remembering your own keymaps, with a popup that shows available key bindings as you type, from folke.
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How these Neovim plugins were chosen
Stars, last push date, licence and the GitHub account behind each repository. Nothing was installed or scored, and full Neovim configurations were left out so the list compares single plugins. folke has two entries, one a plugin manager and the other a key binding helper.
Plugin managers: GitHub stars versus the last push
packer.nvim shows 8,087 GitHub stars, but its last push was March 5, 2024, as of Oct 2026. lazy.nvim, another plugin manager, shows 21,688 stars and a last push of June 29, 2026, and mini.nvim, a library of small modules, was pushed to on October 28, 2026.
Stars build up over the life of a project and don't tell you whether work has stopped. If you're starting a new config, the plugin manager is the piece you'll build everything else on, so check it's still being pushed to before you commit.
Which Neovim plugin for which editing job
- You're starting from scratch: pick a plugin manager that's had a recent push.
- You want to find files and text quickly: pick a fuzzy finder.
- You need language servers, linters and formatters: pick a package manager for those tools, or an extension host if you're coming from VS Code.
- You want errors flagged while you work: pick an asynchronous linting plugin with language server support.
- You forget your own keymaps: pick a key binding helper that shows them in a popup.
- You debug inside the editor: pick a Debug Adapter Protocol client.
- You want a calmer screen: pick a pastel theme and a status line.
Checking a Neovim repository before it goes in your config
- Look at the last push date. On this list it runs from March 5, 2024 to October 28, 2026, as of Oct 2026.
- Check the licence. Most here are MIT or Apache-2.0, with one GPL-3.0 and one BSD-2-Clause.
- Read the readme for the Neovim version it needs before you add it.
- Add one plugin at a time, so you know what changed if your setup breaks.
And if you'd like AI help next to your editor, my roundup of AI coding assistants compares the options.
Do you make Neovim plugins? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on Neovim plugins
Get the plugin manager right first, because everything else sits on top of it, and choose one that's still being pushed to. Then add plugins one job at a time: finding files, language tools, linting, debugging, looks. Stars tell you what's popular, but the last push date tells you what's still looked after, and that's the number to check before anything goes into a config you rely on.
Keep a note of why you added each plugin, too. When something breaks after an update, you'll know which ones you can do without.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What are Neovim plugins?
They're add-ons that extend Neovim with features like plugin management, fuzzy finding, language servers, linting, debugging and themes. Most are hosted on GitHub.
Are GitHub stars the same as installs?
No. A star is a bookmark that shows interest. GitHub doesn't show install counts for these plugins, so read stars next to the last push date.
Do I need a plugin manager for Neovim?
A plugin manager installs and updates your other plugins, so it's usually the first thing people add. Check its last push date before you build on it.
Can I use VS Code extensions in Neovim?
One entry here is a Node.js extension host that says it loads extensions like VS Code and hosts language servers. Read its repository to see what it supports.
