February 3, 2026
Diff Wars: Vim vs The World
Show HN: difi – A Git diff TUI with Neovim integration (written in Go)
Fast code review app sparks love, 'just use tig' shade, and Vim vs Emacs vibes
TLDR: difi is a new fast terminal app for reviewing code changes with Neovim integration. The community split between praise, “just use tig” skepticism, and design critiques, plus a fresh Vim vs Emacs debate—highlighting how devs want quicker, clearer reviews without sacrificing familiar workflows.
A new terminal app called difi hit Hacker News promising faster code reviews: think a clean file list, quick keyboard navigation, and a one-key jump straight into Neovim. It’s built in Go for instant launch, and the maker loves inline highlights (the GitHub-style view) over side‑by‑side windows. And the crowd? Loud, funny, divided. Some cheered, calling it the speed boost they’ve been building themselves. Others threw “just use tig” shade, pointing to the veteran tig that’s been doing terminal diffs for ages. One commenter practically kicked off a Diff Wars reboot: inline vs side‑by‑side, mouse vs keyboard, “new toy” vs “classic tool.”
Design drama also erupted. A sharp-eyed critic begged for a black-and-white demo GIF, calling the current preview “terrible” to read and urging the dev to ditch a busy right-hand panel. Meanwhile, the Vim vs Emacs skirmish flared as the project currently favors Neovim; the maker asked whether deeper editor integrations are needed or if the terminal workflow is enough, instantly summoning the eternal editor rivalry. Through it all, folks applauded the rare move of posting actual screenshots—because on HN, “screenshot or it didn’t ship”—and cracked jokes about developers ceremonially throwing away their mouse to join the h/j/k/l cult. This launch isn’t just a tool drop, it’s a community roast with love.
Key Points
- •difi is a Git diff terminal UI written in Go that launches instantly without daemons or indexing.
- •It provides a structured file tree, focused diffs, and keyboard-first navigation (h/j/k/l) for efficient reviews.
- •Installation is available via Homebrew (macOS/Linux), Go install, or manual binaries for Linux and Windows.
- •By default, difi compares the current branch against main and can open files at exact lines in the editor.
- •Neovim integration (difi.nvim) offers auto-open, inline green/red diff highlights, interactive line edits, and context syncing.