Neovim has long been the editor of choice for power users and keyboard-centric developers. But as visually interactive editors like VSCode popularize cursor-based editing (think multiple cursors, point-and-click editing, and visual feedback), many users have wished for similar ergonomics in the Vim world — without sacrificing the performance and hackability they love.
Now, thanks to yetone/avante.nvim, that future is here.
✨ What Is Avante.nvim?
avante.nvim is a Neovim plugin that transforms your editing experience into something more like a “cursor editor”, bringing in point-and-click navigation, GUI-style cursor movement, and visual edit capabilities — while staying true to Vim’s core philosophy.
It acts like a layer over your usual motions and keybindings, letting you use your mouse like a real editing tool instead of just a selection device.
Think of it like “VSCode-style mouse editing” — but inside Neovim.
🔧 Key Features
-
🖱️ Clickable Cursor Navigation
Move the cursor and insert point naturally by clicking — just like in modern editors. -
🧠 Intelligent Context-Aware Cursor Movement
Avante understands code structure and helps place the cursor where it makes sense, not just where you click. -
🔄 Mode-Aware Behavior
Works intuitively with normal, insert, and visual modes, respecting the modal nature of Vim. -
🧩 Fully Written in Lua
Lightweight, fast, and well-integrated with modern Neovim APIs.
⚙️ Installation
If you’re using lazy.nvim:
{
"yetone/avante.nvim",
event = "VeryLazy",
config = true
}
With packer.nvim:
use({
"yetone/avante.nvim",
config = function()
require("avante").setup()
end
})
🧪 Requirements
- Neovim 0.9 or newer
- A GUI client or TUI that supports mouse events (e.g., wezterm, kitty, or nvim-qt)
- Lua enabled config (recommended: use init.lua or lazy.nvim)
📦 Real Use Cases
- Effortless mouse-based navigation when you just want to jump around quickly
- Enhances hybrid workflows — for users who love modal editing but also like occasional clicks
- Great for touchpad or touchscreen users
- Adds polish to Neovim as a desktop-friendly editor
🧠 Why It Matters
Neovim has always been about speed and precision — but that doesn’t mean it can’t be user-friendly or mouse-aware. avante.nvim bridges the gap between classic modal editing and modern GUI-style interactions.
If you ever wanted to give your Neovim a GUI editor vibe — without actually switching editors — this plugin is a game-changer.
📎 Final Thoughts
avante.nvim isn’t about replacing Vim motions — it’s about enhancing the experience. It opens Neovim to a broader audience and brings it a step closer to being the best of both worlds — fast, modal, scriptable and visually interactive.
Give it a try and experience how Neovim becomes a powerful “cursor editor” — without losing its soul.