You can make writing code as complicated as you want, but at the end of the day, all you really need is your favorite, trusty text editor. You can use a simple one like Microsoft’s Notepad, but oftentimes it’s helpful to have a text editor that has syntax highlighting/coloring, support for multiple languages, code suggestions, AI integrations, a robust find and replace feature, and other features and options that make writing code just a tad bit easier.
If you’re in search of a good, free text editor – you’ve come to the right place.
Below you’ll find 12 first-class free text editors that are designed with coders’ needs in mind. Whether you use a Windows, Mac, or Linux machine – you’ll find a few options here that will satisfy your code-authoring needs.
Our Top Five Text Editors
1. Visual Studio Code
A popular and feature-rich text editor developed by Microsoft.
Website: https://code.visualstudio.com/
Pros of Visual Studio Code for text editing:
- Extensive customization: Visual Studio Code allows users to customize their editor extensively. It provides a vast collection of themes, color schemes, and extensions, allowing users to tailor their editing environment to their preferences and needs.
- Powerful editing features: Visual Studio Code offers a wide range of powerful editing features, including intelligent code completion, syntax highlighting, code navigation, and integrated debugging. These features enhance productivity and make coding more efficient.
Cons of Visual Studio Code for text editing:
- Resource-intensive: Visual Studio Code can be resource-intensive, especially when working with large projects or using multiple extensions simultaneously. It may consume a significant amount of memory and processing power, potentially affecting the performance of the system.
- Steeper learning curve: While Visual Studio Code is highly customizable and feature-rich, it can have a steeper learning curve compared to simpler text editors. Users may need to spend some time familiarizing themselves with the various features and settings to make the most of the editor.
2. Atom
A highly customizable and hackable text editor created by GitHub.
Website: https://atom.io/
Pros of Atom for text editing:
- Extensibility: Atom is highly extensible and customizable through packages and themes. It has a vast ecosystem of community-developed packages that enhance functionality, allowing users to tailor the editor to their specific needs.
- Hackability: Atom is designed to be hackable, meaning users can modify and contribute to its core codebase. This openness allows for deeper customization and empowers users to shape the editor according to their requirements.
Cons of Atom for text editing:
- Performance: Atom’s performance can be a concern, especially when working with larger files or projects. It may experience lags and slowdowns, particularly when using numerous packages or extensions simultaneously, affecting the overall editing experience.
- Memory usage: Atom tends to consume a significant amount of memory, especially when multiple projects or large files are open. This can be problematic for users with limited system resources, leading to slower performance or even crashes in extreme cases.
3. Sublime Text
A fast and powerful text editor with a sleek interface and extensive plugin support.
Website: https://www.sublimetext.com/
Pros of using Sublime Text for text editing:
- Speed and performance: Sublime Text is known for its impressive speed and performance, even when working with large files or projects. It has a lightweight and efficient design, allowing for quick startup times and smooth editing experience.
- Customizability: Sublime Text offers a high degree of customizability, allowing users to personalize their editing environment. It supports various themes, color schemes, and plugins, enabling users to tailor the editor to their preferences and workflow.
Cons of using Sublime Text for text editing:
- Proprietary software: Sublime Text is a proprietary software, meaning it is not open source. Some users prefer open-source alternatives due to their transparency and the ability to contribute to the development and improvement of the software.
- Lack of built-in package manager: Unlike some other text editors, Sublime Text does not have a built-in package manager. While it is possible to install packages manually, the absence of a centralized package management system can make it less convenient for discovering and installing new extensions.
4. Notepad++
A lightweight text editor with a wide range of programming language support, exclusive to Windows.
Website: https://notepad-plus-plus.org/
Pros of using Notepad++ for text editing:
- Lightweight and fast: Notepad++ is a lightweight text editor that launches quickly and performs efficiently even when dealing with large files. It’s designed to be resource-friendly, making it suitable for low-end systems or situations where system resources are limited.
- Wide language support: Notepad++ supports a wide range of programming languages and offers syntax highlighting and code completion for many of them. It makes it easier for developers to work with different languages and provides a better editing experience with accurate language-specific features.
Cons of using Notepad++ for text editing:
- Limited cross-platform availability: Notepad++ is primarily available for Windows and does not have official versions for other operating systems like macOS or Linux. This can be a limitation for developers who work across different platforms and need a consistent editing experience.
- Lack of extensive customization options: While Notepad++ offers some level of customization, it may not have the same level of extensibility and customization options as other text editors like Visual Studio Code or Atom. Users seeking a highly customizable and adaptable editing environment may find Notepad++ to be somewhat limited in this aspect.
5. Vim
A highly configurable and efficient text editor known for its powerful editing capabilities.
Website: https://www.vim.org/
Pros of using Vim for text editing:
- Efficient and fast editing: Vim is designed to be a highly efficient and fast text editor. Its modal editing approach and extensive keyboard shortcuts allow experienced users to navigate, edit, and manipulate text quickly, without the need to reach for the mouse.
- Lightweight and versatile: Vim is a lightweight text editor that can be run in a terminal or as a standalone application. It is available on a wide range of platforms and supports numerous programming languages, making it a versatile choice for developers.
Cons of using Vim for text editing:
- Steep learning curve: Vim has a steep learning curve, especially for users who are not familiar with modal editing or have no prior experience with Vim-like editors. The complex commands and unique editing paradigm can require a significant investment of time and effort to master.
- Less intuitive for beginners: Vim’s editing style and interface can be less intuitive for beginners or occasional users. The initial experience may feel challenging, and users may need to consult documentation or tutorials to perform basic tasks until they become more comfortable with Vim’s commands and workflow.
Other Popular Text Editors
6. Emacs: A versatile text editor known for its extensibility and powerful features.
Website: https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/
7. Brackets: An open-source text editor specifically designed for web development with live preview features.
Website: http://brackets.io/
8. TextMate: A macOS-exclusive text editor with a clean interface and extensive language support.
Website: https://macromates.com/
9. gedit: The default text editor for the GNOME desktop environment, offering simplicity and ease of use.
Website: https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Gedit
10. BlueJ: An educational Java development environment with an integrated editor and debugger.
Website: https://www.bluej.org/
11. Eclipse: A robust and extensible integrated development environment (IDE) that supports multiple programming languages.
Website: https://www.eclipse.org/
12. Code::Blocks: A cross-platform and customizable IDE for C, C++, and Fortran development. Website: http://www.codeblocks.org/
13. Geany: A lightweight and fast text editor with IDE features, supporting various programming languages. Website: https://www.geany.org/
14. Kate: A powerful text editor with an extensive feature set, ideal for Linux systems and the KDE desktop environment. Website: https://kate-editor.org/
15. PyCharm Community Edition: A free and full-featured Python IDE with intelligent code assistance and debugging capabilities. Website: https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/
What do you think?
Find one that you like the best and stick to it, as everything down to the text can influence your clients’ web reputationwhether they are a golf course or a restaurant. There’s a ton of text editors out there so be sure to share your experiences and opinions on the text editors above, and if your favorite isn’t on the list – please tell us about it in the comments.
Related Articles
- Cheat Sheets for Front-end Web Developers
- Best Free Programming Fonts
- 15 Tools to Help You Develop Faster Web Pages
- 7 Incredibly Useful Tools for Evaluating a Web Design
- 6 Exceptional Web-based Image Editors
- Questions to Ask a Web Developer
