Users switch for modern features Vim lacks: native LSP support, Lua scripting, async plugin execution, and better defaults. Neovim is fully compatible with Vim config but adds Tree-sitter, built-in terminals, and active community development.

Developers switch for instant productivity - VS Code works great out-of-box with IntelliSense, Git integration, and debugger built in. The VSCodeVim extension provides Vim keybindings for those who want both worlds.

Power users switch for Emacs's superior extensibility - it's practically an operating system. Emacs Lisp allows deeper customization than Vimscript. Evil mode provides Vim keybindings for those who prefer modal editing.

Users wanting a lightweight GUI editor switch to Sublime for instant startup, beautiful UI, and powerful multi-cursor editing. The Vintage mode provides basic Vim keybindings while keeping a modern interface.

Modern terminal editor users switch for built-in LSP support, Tree-sitter, and sensible defaults without configuration. Helix uses selection-first modal editing (kakoune-style) which some find more intuitive than Vim's verb-object model.