inline-diff.nvim

High performance, live, VSCode-style inline diff for Neovim. Shows the current buffer's changes against a git ref (which defaults to HEAD) as you type, with word-level highlighting.

Features

• 🔴 Live word-level highlighting as you type
• ⚡ High performance via debouncing and sync / async diffing with Myers algorithm
• 🎯 Compares against any git ref (default: HEAD)
• 🎨 Fully customizable highlight groups
• 📦 Zero dependencies beyond Neovim 0.11+ and git

Why inline-diff.nvim?

Unlike split-based diff tools like diffview.nvim or Neovim's built-in :diffsplit, which open a separate panel to show changes side by side, inline-diff.nvim renders deletions and insertions directly in your buffer, word by word — like VSCode's inline diff editor. There's no context switch, no extra window to manage: you see what changed exactly where it changed, while you keep editing.

gitsigns.nvim also works inline, but only marks changed lines in the sign column without showing the actual content of deletions. inline-diff.nvim shows you the full picture: removed text appears struck through (or highlighted) next to the new version, at the word level.

mini.diff also updates live as you type and can display word-level diffs with deleted virtual lines via its togglable overlay — so the visualization is comparable. The difference is scope: mini.diff is a broader hunk-management tool with apply/reset actions, navigation mappings, and textobject support, while inline-diff.nvim is intentionally a focused, zero-friction visualization layer. If you just want to see what changed without any extra bindings or mental overhead, inline-diff.nvim is the leaner choice.

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Get started

lazy.nvim

{ "cvlmtg/inline-diff.nvim", opts = {} }

packer.nvim

use {
  "cvlmtg/inline-diff.nvim",
  config = function()
    require("inline-diff").setup()
  end,
}

Manual (no plugin manager)

git clone https://github.com/cvlmtg/inline-diff.nvim \
  ~/.local/share/nvim/site/pack/plugins/start/inline-diff.nvim

Then call setup() somewhere in your config:

require("inline-diff").setup()

Suggested keymap

vim.keymap.set("n", "<leader>gd", "<cmd>InlineDiff<cr>", { desc = "Toggle inline diff" })

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For the full reference — commands, Lua API, highlight groups, and configuration — see :help inline-diff.

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Background

This plugin was built as an experiment in vibe coding with Claude Code. The goal was to explore how far AI-assisted development could go on a real, non-trivial Neovim plugin — from architecture to edge cases to performance. The result turned out to be genuinely useful, carefully tested, and high-performance, so it felt worth sharing.