Text editors are essential for coding, and it's crucial to have the right one for your needs. Just like with integrated development environments, the software needs to meet the specific purposes of your project. While there are several free options, some boast premium functionalities, so come with a price tag. Let's check out the features of what's on offer so that you can take your pick from these best text editors for Mac.
1. Sublime Text
To open Sublime Text from a command line or terminal in Mac OSX requires a small configuration change but is possible. Identify the executable Try this command from the command prompt. Download the latest version of Sublime Text 2 for Mac. All you need in a text editor. Sublime Text 2 is a text editor especially focused on working with code. Sublime Text 3 is a code editor software program that allows you to be able to write code efficiently. Here you can do all that you want within the coding process, and it has a solid number of plugins and packages to customize the platform directly to your needs. Sublime Text is available for Mac, Windows and Linux. One license is all you need to use Sublime Text on every computer you own, no matter what operating system it uses. Sublime Text uses a custom UI toolkit, optimized for speed and beauty, while taking advantage of native functionality on each platform.
Here's a text editor that's packed with functionality and provides a premium user experience. Some of the notable features include the split-editing, quick shortcuts, and a distraction-free writing mode.
Moreover, it supports a ton of keyboard shortcuts that ease your workflow. One of the most useful of these is the 'Goto Anything' feature that allows you to instantly jump to symbols, lines, or words that you are looking for.
Price: Free Trial & $80
2. Atom
This one's a highly customizable text editor that's free. It's packed full of useful features, and you can add a lot more thanks to the open-source packages.
The software is marketed as a 'hackable' text editor because you can customize it and add your own tweaks by editing the CSS in its back end. The downside, though, is that it's quite sizeable and not a light app.
Price: Free
3. UltraEdit
If you work with many massive text files, this can be one of the best Mac text editors for you. It supports a wide range of languages, from HTML and PHP to Javascript.
The interface is highly customizable to suit your unique needs. Further, there are many add-ons and extra features such as debugging, auto-complete, Templates, etc. Make use of custom keyboard shortcuts to work fast and smart.
Price: $79.95 per year
4. Notepad +
This free text editor features a tabbed document interface, support for macros and plugins, and an autosave function that automatically saves files temporarily before giving you the option of saving them to another location.
An interesting aspect is that it optimizes as many routines as possible without losing user-friendliness. This makes the system throttle down and reduces power consumption to be more environmentally friendly.
Price: Free
5. Brackets
Web designers will get a lot of use of the free Brackets text editor. It's been designed by Adobe and boasts a helpful 'Live Preview' feature, which allows you to see any CSS and HTML changes in real-time while you edit.
This proves useful in avoiding mistakes and keeping an eye on the final result. Another excellent plus point is that it works really well with other Adobe programs. For instance, you can quickly get the correct color, font, gradient, and measurement information from a photoshop file. This eases your workflow, and it can be made even more efficient with other extensions.
Price: Free
6. Visual Studio Code
Any roundup of text editors would be incomplete without a mention of Microsoft's Visual Studio Code. It includes a terminal and debugger as well as integration with numerous source control tools. You can also download a variety of free extensions and packages for additional functionality.
Further, it's been optimized for Mac and can highlight syntax for over 30 languages. The keyboard-centric interface, automatic real-time API description, and other features make this one worth checking out.
Price: Free
7. BBEdit
No matter the complexity of your coding projects, you can trust this text editor to handle it. It's speedy, smooth, and packed full of convenient features.
For instance, when you copy a large chunk of text and open a new BBEdit document, it will automatically appear, ready to work on. It supports dozens of languages and provides helpful tools for both coders and writers.
Price: $3.99 per month
8. Espresso
As the name suggests, this app will supercharge your productivity when it comes to text editing. It's got an impressive user interface with a three-column view for real-time editing that shows the code editor, your files, and the navigator.
Price: $79.95 per year
4. Notepad +
This free text editor features a tabbed document interface, support for macros and plugins, and an autosave function that automatically saves files temporarily before giving you the option of saving them to another location.
An interesting aspect is that it optimizes as many routines as possible without losing user-friendliness. This makes the system throttle down and reduces power consumption to be more environmentally friendly.
Price: Free
5. Brackets
Web designers will get a lot of use of the free Brackets text editor. It's been designed by Adobe and boasts a helpful 'Live Preview' feature, which allows you to see any CSS and HTML changes in real-time while you edit.
This proves useful in avoiding mistakes and keeping an eye on the final result. Another excellent plus point is that it works really well with other Adobe programs. For instance, you can quickly get the correct color, font, gradient, and measurement information from a photoshop file. This eases your workflow, and it can be made even more efficient with other extensions.
Price: Free
6. Visual Studio Code
Any roundup of text editors would be incomplete without a mention of Microsoft's Visual Studio Code. It includes a terminal and debugger as well as integration with numerous source control tools. You can also download a variety of free extensions and packages for additional functionality.
Further, it's been optimized for Mac and can highlight syntax for over 30 languages. The keyboard-centric interface, automatic real-time API description, and other features make this one worth checking out.
Price: Free
7. BBEdit
No matter the complexity of your coding projects, you can trust this text editor to handle it. It's speedy, smooth, and packed full of convenient features.
For instance, when you copy a large chunk of text and open a new BBEdit document, it will automatically appear, ready to work on. It supports dozens of languages and provides helpful tools for both coders and writers.
Price: $3.99 per month
8. Espresso
As the name suggests, this app will supercharge your productivity when it comes to text editing. It's got an impressive user interface with a three-column view for real-time editing that shows the code editor, your files, and the navigator.
You can see changes reflected instantly in the browser and the interface. Moreover, it supports drag-and-drop for ease of use. This is a Mac-only app and is especially well-suited for editing CSS.
Price: $99.00
9. Komodo Edit
Whether it's Python, Perl, Ruby, HTML/CSS, Javascript, etc., Komodo IDE can handle it all. It's free to use and has all the features you may need to get your project done, complete with debugging and testing.
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Further, you can customize it with plugins and macros. Some of the extensions available include additional language supports, user interface enhancements, a functions list, etc. The speed and efficiency make it one of the best text editors for Mac.
Price: Free
10. Textmate 2
TextMate is a lightweight and minimalist app that's still packed with the essential project management features. It also works with Xcode and comes with extensive documentation.
Some of the notable features include version control, file search, macros, snippets, etc. All in all, it's a powerful and customizable text editor with support for several programming languages.
Price: Free
Summing Up
Have you tried any of these text editors for Mac yet? If you're into app development, you might also like to check out the best iOS emulators.
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I have been writing about tech for over 10 years now. I am passionate about helping people solve their tech problems with easy and practical solutions. At iGeeksBlog, I write and edit how-to guides and accessory reviews for all things Apple. My work has previously appeared in Live IT and Woman's Era magazines. When not working, I love reading and traveling.
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