List of the Top Text Editors for Mac in 2025 - Page 2

Textastic for Mac acts as the perfect desktop extension to the popular iOS code editor. Supporting more than 80 source code and markup languages, it brings the impressive syntax highlighting features from the iOS version to the Mac environment. Users can incorporate their own syntax definitions compatible with TextMate and Sublime Text, allowing for greater flexibility. The Mac version is built on the same foundation as its iOS counterpart, ensuring a uniform user experience across devices. It leverages native macOS APIs such as Core Text to boost performance and responsiveness. The application streamlines the development process with tools like code completion, navigation through a symbol list, and compatibility with modern Mac features such as Auto Save and Versions. Moreover, with iCloud Drive integration, transferring files between macOS and iOS is seamless and straightforward. This software not only accommodates a wide range of programming languages but also boasts features like iCloud auto-save and macOS Versions, making it an all-encompassing resource for developers. Additionally, it supports importing syntax definitions, themes, and templates from TextMate, significantly enhancing its customization capabilities, thus catering to the diverse needs of developers. Finally, Textastic encourages a smoother coding experience by combining powerful tools with user-friendly features.

Pulsar is a community-driven text editor that offers extensive customization options for its users. It runs smoothly on multiple platforms, such as OS X, Windows, and Linux, ensuring accessibility for a wide range of users. Installing new packages or creating custom ones is a breeze, thanks to its user-friendly interface. The editor features an advanced autocomplete functionality that not only speeds up coding but also adapts to your coding habits. Users can navigate easily through projects, whether they want to work on a single file or manage multiple projects at once in one window. Furthermore, the ability to split the workspace into various panes allows for straightforward comparison and editing of code across different files. Pulsar also boasts a robust find-and-replace tool that updates text dynamically, greatly improving productivity during development. Designed for both novices and seasoned programmers alike, Pulsar is equipped with the essential tools to enhance and simplify the coding journey, making it a valuable asset in any developer's toolkit.

Kakoune stands out as an exceptionally efficient modal text editor, focusing on real-time feedback and providing intuitive features for multi-selection. Inspired by Vim, it reimagines modal editing by emphasizing a selection-based workflow, which significantly improves the fluidity of text manipulation. Unlike conventional editors that execute commands based on cursors, Kakoune allows commands to target selections, enabling precise and swift editing and navigation. With advanced capabilities such as multi-caret editing, context-sensitive autocompletion, and extensive compatibility with various programming languages, Kakoune excels in managing large files and complex codebases effortlessly. Its architecture permits scripting and integration with shell commands, guaranteeing smooth compatibility with UNIX tools and affording users substantial customization options. Known for its impressive responsiveness and flexibility, Kakoune is particularly advantageous for developers who prefer a keyboard-centric approach and seek immediate, real-time feedback during their editing sessions. Consequently, it serves as an outstanding tool for enhancing productivity in programming environments, ensuring that users can focus on their creative processes without interruptions.

Code::Blocks is a free and open-source Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that operates on multiple platforms, primarily designed for developers who work with C, C++, and Fortran programming languages. It is celebrated for its lightweight structure and modular design, offering a user-friendly interface that accommodates various compilers, including GCC, Clang, and Microsoft Visual C++. The IDE features an intuitive layout that incorporates essential tools such as syntax highlighting, code folding, auto-completion, and a robust debugging environment that facilitates breakpoints, variable inspection, and call stack tracing. Furthermore, Code::Blocks allows for significant customization through plugins, granting developers the ability to incorporate additional functionalities like version control, scripting, and custom build systems. This combination of being lightweight, adaptable, and cross-platform makes it an ideal choice for students, educators, and developers involved in small to medium-sized C/C++ projects. With its versatility, Code::Blocks stands out as a valuable resource that meets diverse programming requirements, making it an excellent addition to any developer's toolkit.

Typora delivers a seamless experience for its users, functioning effectively as both a writing and reading platform. By removing the need for a preview pane, mode switcher, or markdown syntax symbols, it minimizes unnecessary distractions. Instead, it offers a live preview feature that helps you concentrate entirely on your content. The software simplifies file management with an easily navigable file tree and an article list panel, allowing you to organize files according to your needs, including integration with services like Dropbox or iCloud. You can quickly view the outline of your documents in the outline panel, making it easy to navigate your work with just a click to any desired section. Moreover, Typora enables you to export your documents to PDF, complete with bookmarks for better organization. You can also boost your productivity by importing and exporting a variety of formats, such as docx, OpenOffice, LaTeX, MediaWiki, and Epub. Furthermore, it allows you to monitor your document's length in terms of words, characters, lines, or estimated reading time, providing essential insights into your writing process. With such robust features, Typora stands out as a versatile and potent tool for anyone engaged in writing or content creation, ensuring that users can focus on their craft with minimal interruptions. Ultimately, this functionality positions Typora as a valuable asset in the realm of digital writing tools.

Quiver is a cutting-edge notebook tailored for developers, enabling the smooth amalgamation of text, code, Markdown, and LaTeX within a singular note. It features a robust code editor that allows for editing code seamlessly while providing live previews of both Markdown and LaTeX, complemented by an extensive full-text search for swift note retrieval. Each note comprises various cells that can hold different types of content, including text snippets, code, Markdown, LaTeX (with MathJax support), and diagrams like flowcharts and sequence diagrams, allowing for a customizable note-taking experience. Users can conveniently mix several cell types in one note and assign distinct programming languages to individual code cells according to their needs. The notebook is specifically designed to enhance the code editing process, incorporating the impressive ACE code editor within its code cells, which offers syntax highlighting for over 120 languages, more than 20 themes, and automatic indentations. In addition, Quiver empowers users to style their Markdown with inline formatting options and custom CSS, while a live preview pane shows the rendered Markdown instantly as they write. The incorporation of MathJax facilitates the effective typesetting of intricate mathematical equations in LaTeX, making it particularly useful for creating technical documentation. Furthermore, Quiver's flexibility and organized structure make it an exceptional resource for programmers seeking an efficient method to keep track of their notes and code snippets while fostering creativity. Overall, it is evident that Quiver presents a unique blend of features that cater to the diverse needs of developers in their daily workflows.

The source code for Microsoft's Visual Studio Code (VSCode) is released as open source under the MIT license, but the version available for download operates under a different license that does not qualify as free and open-source software (FLOSS) and includes telemetry functionalities. In response to this, the VSCodium project was established, enabling users to bypass the complexities of building from source by providing ready-to-use binaries. This initiative employs unique build scripts that retrieve Microsoft's VSCode repository, perform the required build operations, and then upload the resulting binaries to GitHub releases, ensuring that they are licensed under the MIT license and come without telemetry features. For Mac OS X Mojave users, if you see the warning “App can’t be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software” when attempting to open VSCodium for the first time, you can simply right-click the application and choose Open, a step that is only necessary during your initial launch on that particular operating system. Furthermore, extensive documentation is accessible for those wishing to switch from Visual Studio Code, along with resources to help troubleshoot any issues that may come up while using VSCodium. This comprehensive support guarantees that users are equipped with all the necessary information for a seamless and enjoyable experience. Ultimately, this effort emphasizes the importance of user choice and transparency in software usage.

CKEditor 5 is an advanced WYSIWYG rich text editor designed to meet the evolving demands of businesses and users in today's digital landscape. It empowers software developers and creators to efficiently develop robust writing tools for various applications within a matter of hours. With its highly customizable framework, pre-built options, seamless integrations, comprehensive documentation, and dependable customer service, this editor can be precisely adapted to suit your specific requirements. Furthermore, its versatility ensures that it remains relevant as technology continues to advance.

Built from scratch, JetBrains Fleet leverages twenty years of expertise in developing integrated development environments (IDEs). It employs the powerful IntelliJ code-processing engine, boasting a distributed architecture alongside a modern user interface tailored for today's developers. The primary objective behind Fleet was to design a fast and effective text editor that facilitates rapid code browsing and editing. It opens almost instantaneously, allowing users to commence their tasks without any interruptions, and it possesses the ability to transform into a comprehensive IDE, with the IntelliJ engine functioning separately from the editing interface. Fleet includes all the popular features associated with IntelliJ-based IDEs, including context-specific code completion, straightforward navigation to definitions and usages, real-time evaluations of code quality, and handy quick-fixes. The thoughtful architecture of Fleet is crafted to support a range of configurations and workflows, which means it can operate locally on your device or delegate certain processes to the cloud, highlighting its adaptability for various development tasks. This inherent flexibility guarantees that developers can select the configuration that aligns perfectly with their workflow preferences, ultimately enhancing productivity levels. In a landscape where efficiency is paramount, Fleet stands out as a tool that can evolve alongside the needs of the developer.

Honestly, it appears that Mac applications are gradually becoming less prominent. There are compelling reasons for the popularity of cross-platform applications, mainly their flexibility, but this approach doesn’t resonate with our fundamental values. Since our inception as a Mac software developer in 1997, the team at Panic has derived immense satisfaction from crafting products that truly reflect the spirit of the Mac experience. Years ago, we launched Coda, a revolutionary all-in-one web editor tailored specifically for Mac users. As we set out to create Nova, we took a fresh look at the evolving web landscape and acknowledged the necessity for a fresh start. This realization led us to create a state-of-the-art text editor that is not only entirely new but also exceptionally fast and versatile, featuring essential tools like intelligent autocomplete, multiple cursors, a Minimap, editor overscroll, and tag pairs and brackets, among many other functionalities. For developers keen on utilizing it, Nova features integrated support for a myriad of programming languages including CoffeeScript, CSS, Diff, ERB, Haml, HTML, INI, JavaScript, JSON, JSX, Less, Lua, Markdown, Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby, Sass, SCSS, Smarty, SQL, TSX, TypeScript, XML, and YAML. This comprehensive language support guarantees that developers are equipped with all the necessary tools to work effectively and efficiently in various coding environments, ensuring their creativity knows no bounds.

Bluefish is a powerful text editor tailored for programmers and web developers, providing an extensive range of features that facilitate the creation of websites, scripts, and code across various programming and markup languages. You can find a comprehensive list of its features, browse through screenshots, or download the software directly from the official website. Being an open-source initiative, Bluefish is distributed under the GNU GPL license, allowing users to access it at no cost. It is designed to operate on several platforms, working smoothly on widely used desktop operating systems like Linux, FreeBSD, MacOS-X, Windows, OpenBSD, and Solaris. The newest version, Bluefish 2.2.12, serves as a minor maintenance update that brings forth several small improvements, including a crucial fix that resolves a crash encountered during basic search functions. Enhancements have also been made to Python 3 compatibility, along with improved encoding detection for Python files, showcasing the commitment to supporting developers' needs. Additionally, the triple-click feature now successfully highlights entire lines, and on Mac OSX, Bluefish has enhanced its compatibility with the updated permissions system. Moreover, the user interface accurately reflects the correct language settings for specific languages on OSX, contributing to a more streamlined user experience. This continuous evolution makes Bluefish not only a versatile tool for developers but also a platform that consistently adapts to the changing needs of its users, ensuring that it remains a relevant and effective choice in the ever-evolving landscape of development tools.

Firepad is an open-source, real-time collaborative text editor that fosters authentic teamwork through sophisticated operational transform methods that allow for smooth merging and conflict resolution. It supports various document rendering in editors such as CodeMirror, Ace, and Monaco, drawing inspiration from ot.js for its operational transform capabilities. By leveraging the Firebase Realtime Database, Firepad provides effective cloud storage and data synchronization, making it ideal for applications that require collaborative text editing. The platform accommodates both rich text and code editing, and its extensibility opens the door for customization to meet diverse needs. Developed by Michael Lehenbauer in conjunction with the Firebase team, Firepad is continuously evolving, and the community is encouraged to enhance it further; thus, consider giving the project a star on GitHub and contributing any improvements or features you envision! The opportunities for extending its functionality are extensive, promising to propel this adaptable tool into new realms of innovation. Additionally, user feedback and participation could lead to even more dynamic features that enhance user experience.

At its core, the platform features an interpreter specifically designed for Emacs Lisp, a specialized variant of the Lisp programming language tailored for text editing applications. It provides context-sensitive editing modes that incorporate syntax highlighting for numerous file types. There is an extensive built-in documentation system, which includes a tutorial designed to assist newcomers effectively. Users enjoy robust Unicode support that caters to almost every human script, enhancing global usability. The system is highly flexible, allowing for alterations through Emacs Lisp code or a graphical interface, making it accessible to various skill levels. In addition to fundamental text editing, it encompasses a wide range of functionalities, including tools for project planning, email and news reading, debugging, calendaring, and even an IRC client, among many others. A dedicated packaging system allows users to effortlessly download and install a multitude of extensions, thereby expanding the platform's capabilities. Furthermore, it supports arbitrary-size integers natively and employs HarfBuzz for efficient text shaping. There are also built-in features for JSON parsing, enhanced Cairo drawing support, and the incorporation of portable dumping instead of the traditional unexec method. The system conforms to XDG standards for initialization files and includes an additional early-init file for further customization options. Moreover, it incorporates native tab bar and tab-line functionalities, as well as the ability to manipulate images—such as resizing and rotating—without the dependency on ImageMagick, showcasing its versatility for a wide array of tasks. Overall, the platform emerges as a formidable tool that meets diverse user requirements, transcending basic text manipulation and offering a comprehensive environment for various computing needs. It is this adaptability that truly sets it apart in the realm of text editors.

CodeRunner is a streamlined and effective programming text editor and integrated development environment (IDE) specifically designed for macOS users. This adaptable tool accommodates a wide variety of popular programming languages, executing them with remarkable speed. It natively supports 25 languages, but users can effortlessly add more through terminal commands. With over 200 syntax modes available, combined with an impressive suite of advanced editing features and thoughtful design components, CodeRunner is poised to be your go-to editor for various text file types. Its code completion feature is exceptional, employing sophisticated text matching that transcends basic single-word suggestions. The innovative extra-fuzzy search algorithm enables quick navigation through potential completions amongst thousands, enhanced by useful documentation snippets and a smart ranking system to prioritize results. Moreover, instead of filling your code with print statements for debugging, you can utilize CodeRunner's extensive built-in debugging tools, which enable you to set breakpoints and step through your code with ease. The user-friendly interface, paired with powerful functionalities, makes CodeRunner suitable for both beginners and experienced developers, ensuring that everyone can benefit from its capabilities. Whether you're writing simple scripts or complex applications, CodeRunner's versatility and efficiency will make your coding experience more enjoyable.

Spacemacs represents a collaborative approach to Emacs, transforming the editing process by merging the best features of both Emacs and Vim. This cutting-edge editor prioritizes user comfort, mnemonic structuring, and uniformity in its interface. Key bindings are systematically organized with easy-to-remember prefixes, such as b for buffer, p for project, s for search, and h for help, allowing for seamless navigation. A distinctive real-time display showcases available key bindings, significantly improving user experience. Moreover, a simplified query mechanism enables quick access to layers, packages, and additional resources. The standardized conventions ensure that similar functions share the same key bindings, which enhances user familiarity. The community-centric configuration provides users with a handpicked array of packages, curated by knowledgeable contributors, while any bugs are swiftly resolved, ensuring a trustworthy and efficient environment. As a result, Spacemacs transcends the role of a mere code editor, evolving into a vibrant community where users actively collaborate and support each other in their coding endeavors, fostering a sense of shared growth and learning.

Neovim features a robust API that is easy to explore, version-controlled, and thoroughly documented. By utilizing MessagePack for structured communication, it enables the creation of extensions in any programming language. The architecture allows remote plugins to function as co-processes, which promotes safety and supports asynchronous execution. This versatility permits integration with various platforms, including GUIs, IDEs, and web browsers, where Neovim can serve as an editing tool or scripting host effortlessly. The consistency across all environments is achieved through a unified build type and command interface. Neovim also provides advanced terminal capabilities, such as cursor styling, focus events, and bracketed paste functionality, enhancing the user experience. Equipped with a built-in terminal emulator and sensible defaults, it ensures complete compatibility with Vim's editing model and Vimscript v1. For those moving from Vim, it is advisable to begin with :help nvim-from-vim for guidance. The latest stable release is version 0.5 (RSS), with a roadmap available for users interested in updates and forthcoming goals. Neovim is designed to support new applications while staying true to Vim's core functionalities, all while boasting 30% less source code compared to Vim. Furthermore, while Lua is incorporated into Neovim, it also provides robust support for Vimscript, featuring the most advanced Vimscript engine available, complete with an AST-producing parser that enhances performance. This dual compatibility empowers users to utilize their existing scripts while also exploring the rich features offered by Lua, making it a versatile choice for developers. With its commitment to innovation and user-friendly design, Neovim continues to evolve as a powerful tool in the editing landscape.

jEdit is a prominent text editor tailored for programmers, with a development background that spans numerous person-years, particularly due to the extensive contributions made through its plugins. This powerful editor offers features that outshine many expensive alternatives while remaining completely free and open-source under the GPL 2.0 license. It comes equipped with a built-in macro language and a flexible architecture that allows for easy plugin integration, with countless macros and plugins available for download. Users can conveniently manage their plugins via the "plugin manager" feature, which simplifies the installation process. Furthermore, jEdit accommodates a broad range of character encodings, including UTF-8 and Unicode, enhancing its adaptability. The editor is also highly configurable and customizable, encompassing both fundamental and advanced functionalities one would expect from a contemporary text editor. This versatility ensures that jEdit caters to the varied requirements of its user base. Consequently, jEdit emerges as an enticing option for developers looking for a powerful yet user-friendly tool to assist them in their programming endeavors, making it a staple in the realm of software development.

gedit functions as the default text editor for the GNOME desktop environment, emphasizing ease of use with its straightforward interface. Users seeking additional capabilities can enhance their experience by enabling a range of plugins, enabled by a flexible plugin architecture that supports the addition of new advanced functionalities. This level of adaptability positions gedit as an effective tool for both everyday users and those who need more intricate features, making it suitable for a diverse audience. Furthermore, the ability to customize gedit through plugins ensures that users can tailor their editing environment to meet their specific needs.

CudaText is a flexible text editor that works seamlessly across different operating systems and is crafted using Object Pascal. Being an open-source project, it allows users to access its extensive features without any cost, even for commercial use. When run on a Linux system with an Intel Core i3 3GHz processor, the application starts up swiftly and operates smoothly. Users can further extend its capabilities through Python-based add-ons, plugins, linters, and various external tools, making it incredibly versatile for various tasks. The syntax parser, driven by the EControl engine, is highly effective and accommodates over 270 programming languages with comprehensive syntax highlighting. It also facilitates the display of code structures such as functions and classes, depending on the lexer’s features. Among its many capabilities are code folding, support for multiple carets and selections, as well as sophisticated find and replace functions that leverage regular expressions. Configuration settings are conveniently stored in JSON format, allowing for specific lexer adjustments. The user interface is organized into tabs and offers options for split views and windows, enabling users to manage up to six groups of tabs simultaneously. A command palette featuring fuzzy matching improves navigation, while a minimap and micromap assist in text manipulation. CudaText also highlights unprinted whitespace and supports a broad range of encodings, catering to various user preferences. In addition to customizable hotkeys, it includes a binary/hex viewer adept at processing files of nearly any size, making it especially beneficial for examining large log files that can reach up to 10 GB. The integration of these features positions CudaText as an exceptional tool for both programmers and writers, enhancing productivity in coding and writing endeavors. Its adaptability and extensive feature set ensure that it remains a popular choice in the text editing landscape.

CotEditor is tailored for macOS, meeting the needs of its users seamlessly. Its quick launch allows you to start writing right away when inspiration hits. As an open-source initiative, CotEditor encourages anyone to contribute to its development and expansion. It offers syntax highlighting for more than 50 widely-used programming languages, including HTML, PHP, Python, Ruby, and Markdown, while also permitting users to customize their preferences. The user interface allows for window splitting into multiple panes, making it easy to view different sections of your document at once. You can also examine the Unicode character information for any highlighted character, which appears in a handy popover. There's no requirement for complex configuration files or technical know-how; all settings, such as syntax definitions and themes, can be adjusted through a simple preferences window. CotEditor alleviates the concern of losing unsaved edits by automatically backing up your work during sessions. Furthermore, it features a tool that identifies and lists characters in your document that cannot be converted to the target encoding, ensuring a hassle-free writing experience. This blend of accessibility and robust functionality establishes CotEditor as an indispensable resource for both writers and developers. In summary, whether you're crafting a piece of code or writing a story, CotEditor provides the tools necessary for an efficient and enjoyable experience.