Vundle
A plugin manager for Vim that installs, updates, and removes Vim plugins from your .vimrc.VundleVim/Vundle.vim
- Stars
- 23.9k
- Forks
- 2.5k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- Vim Script
- Last update
- 2.3 years ago
- Type
- Dev tool
No commits in over a year — check for forks or alternatives before adopting.
What it is
Vundle (short for Vim bundle) is a plugin manager for Vim, the text editor. You list the plugins you want in your .vimrc configuration file, and Vundle downloads them from Git repositories, keeps them updated, and removes ones you no longer use. It also manages the runtime path for installed plugins and regenerates help tags after installs and updates.
- Install a plugin such as tpope/vim-fugitive by adding one line to .vimrc and running :PluginInstall
- Update all configured plugins with :PluginUpdate
- List configured plugins with :PluginList
- Remove unused plugins with :PluginClean
Great for
- Vim users who want to manage plugins from a single .vimrc file
- People who already use Git and are comfortable editing configuration files
- Users who want to search for Vim scripts by name from inside Vim
Not ideal for
- Neovim or Vim users who prefer a different manager, since the README only describes Vim setup
- Windows users without extra setup, because the README sends them to a separate Windows setup page
- Users of non-POSIX shells such as fish, who need additional configuration according to the README
How to get it
- 1
Clone and build from source
You'll need: Git · Vim · curl (needed for search)
Clone Vundle into the Vim bundle directory
git clone https://github.com/VundleVim/Vundle.vim.git ~/.vim/bundle/Vundle.vim - 2
Run it
- Add the Vundle setup block and Plugin lines to the top of ~/.vimrc, between vundle#begin() and vundle#end().
- Launch vim and run :PluginInstall.
- Use :PluginList to confirm which plugins are configured.
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Pass a custom path to vundle#begin() to change where plugins are installed.
- Use the {'rtp': ...} option to point to a plugin's subdirectory, as shown in the sparkup example.
- Use the {'name': ...} option to avoid naming conflicts with a plugin already installed elsewhere.
- Use :PluginSearch with ! to refresh the local search cache.
- Read :h vundle in Vim for the full documentation.
Downloads
Strengths
- Keeps all plugin configuration in one readable .vimrc file
- Handles install, update, search, and cleanup from a few Vim commands
- Has been around long enough to have 23,906 GitHub stars and a published changelog and Vimdoc
Trade-offs
- Requires Git, and curl for search, so it depends on external tools being installed
- Non-POSIX shells like fish need extra setup, and Windows has its own guide
- The README says the interface is undergoing a change and lists open TODO items such as dependency handling and version pinning
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vundle.vim (this) | 23.9k | Dev tool | beginner | 2.3 years ago | Vim users who want to manage plugins from a single .vimrc file |
| vim-plug | 35.8k | Dev tool | beginner | 22 days ago | Vim or Neovim users who want to manage plugins without a heavy setup |
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.