micro
A simple, nano-like terminal text editor with mouse support and multiple cursors.
- Stars
- 29.8k
- Forks
- 1.4k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- Go
- Last update
- 4 days ago
- Type
- App
What it is
micro is a text editor that runs inside a terminal window, meant to be easy to install and use while still taking advantage of modern terminal features. It ships as a single binary with no dependencies, so you can download and run it without extra setup. It is intended as a successor to nano and is aimed at people who edit files in a terminal or over SSH.
- Editing config files or scripts on a remote server over SSH
- Editing source code with syntax highlighting for over 130 languages
- Making quick edits with multiple cursors, splits, and tabs
- Extending the editor with Lua plugins installed through its built-in plugin manager
Great for
- People who work mostly in a terminal and want an easy editor
- Anyone editing files on remote machines over SSH
- Users coming from nano who want a more modern editor
- People who want mouse support and multiple cursors in a terminal editor
Not ideal for
- People who want a full IDE with deep language tooling; the README describes only a basic 'simple autocompletion' and linting features
- Users on Mingw/Cygwin, since the README says those environments are not supported on Windows
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
Install with Homebrew on Mac
brew install microInstall with Snap on Linux
snap install micro --classicInstall with Scoop on Windows
scoop install micro - 2
Run it
- Install micro using one of the package manager commands or download a prebuilt binary from the releases page
- Run micro -version to confirm the installation
- Open a file by running micro followed by a filename
- Use Ctrl-s to save and Ctrl-q to quit, following the built-in nano-like menu for other keybindings
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Use the built-in plugin manager to install, remove, and update Lua plugins
- Rebind keybindings to your liking, since the README says they can be changed
- Install xclip, xsel, or wl-clipboard so micro can share the system clipboard
- Use splits and tabs, plus the built-in diff gutter, for working across multiple files
Downloads
Strengths
- Installs as a single static binary with no dependencies, per the README
- Familiar common keybindings such as Ctrl-s, Ctrl-c, and Ctrl-v, and rebindable
- Available through many package managers across Linux, macOS, Windows, and BSD
Trade-offs
- Keybindings use Ctrl or Alt, and the README notes macOS terminals may need setup to forward Alt keys
- Some package manager versions may not be up to date, according to the README
- Linux clipboard integration needs xclip, xsel, or wl-clipboard installed
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| micro (this) | 29.8k | App | beginner | 4 days ago | People who work mostly in a terminal and want an easy editor |
| Vim | 15.2k | App | beginner | 6 days ago | Developers who already know Vim and want its keybindings in VS Code |
| edit | 14.7k | App | beginner | 6 days ago | People who want a simple editor for quick text or code edits in a terminal |
| shiori | 11.7k | App | beginner | 10 days ago | People who want a self-hosted alternative to Pocket for saving articles |
| terminal | 105k | App | beginner | 6 days ago | Windows users who work in the command line every day and want tabs and rich text |
| gh-dash | 12.7k | CLI | intermediate | 10 days ago | Developers who spend most of their day in the terminal |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.