Best Text Editor For macOS

Best Text Editor For macOS in 2022 [Free & Paid]

Are you keeping an eye out for the best text editor for macOS? Then we’re here for your rescue. Text editors do a lot of work. From simply editing text, duh? To correctly write complex codes. A top-tier text editor should be useful, functional, and best at what it does. Now, we’re here to present a list of such text editors, which may end your everlasting search for a mac text editor.

But, before jumping onto the list, let’s take a quick glimpse at

Why Having A Good Text Editor is Important?

Well, the importance of your text editor varies from user to user as it fairly depends on why you’re using it? If you’re using it for writing a document, then you may not find any usefulness or interest in complex text editors like Atom.

But, if you’re a programmer, blogger, or content creator, and looking forward to using a text editor to create a website or a complex piece of code and want to rectify your code without any formatting difficulties, then a text editor proves truly important. Also, there’re some things that text editors help you in, such as:

  1. Syntax Highlighting
  2. Auto-indentation
  3. Tools helping with debugging and so on.

Along with these, there’s a whole gamut of features that a text editor can render.

8 Best Text Editor for macOS in 2022 (Free & Paid)

Now, as we’ve discussed the importance of a decent text editor. Let’s dive right into the best text editor for macOS. The list comprises both free and paid software and you’re ‘free’ to opt for what you want. The list goes as:

1. UltraEdit

UltraEdit

UltraEdit is a mind-blowing player of the text editor domain. It is capable of handling the biggest files with swift. UltraEdit renders its services to professionals in various fields. Whether you’re an editor, technical writer, programmer, or web developer, UltraEdit always has something for you.

From basic features of typical text editors to advanced tools for web development, UltraEdit got it all.

UltraEdit’s all-access packs load useful features such as file finder, native FTP client, code folding, and so on.

The main features of UltraEdit include:

  • Web Development.
  • Ease of performance.
  • Hexadecimal Editor.
  • Compatible with 64-bit file handling and so much more.

Pricing- $99.95 per year, with all-access packages.

Also Read: Best Mac DVD Burners


2. Microsoft Visual Studio Code

Microsoft Visual Studio Code

Developers have recently started to awe Microsoft Visual Studio Code (VS Code). Loaded with numerous packages and free extensions, it’s attracting users of various domains.

In MS Visual Studio, users can also modify the code editor to their specifications.

Along with supporting organizations and helping in debugging, VS Code also comprises built-in terminals and offers syntax checking and interaction that’s compatible with a variety of source control technologies.

VS Code can be considered one of the finest IDEs (Integrated Development Environment) for python coders.

Here are the most sought features of VS Code:

  • Auto-completion of codes.
  • Free extensions.
  • Debugging.
  • Efficient collaboration and so on.

Pricing- Free


3. Sublime Text

Sublime Text

Released in 2008, Sublime is one of the best text editors available on the internet marketplace. Sublime is a cross-platform code editor that supports various programming and markup languages. It’s already a powerful text editor but users can also increase its functionality by using plugins that are mainly community-built and are free to use.

To hasten plugins, Sublime Text incorporates a Python API ( Application Programming Interface). With Sublime text, users can perform simultaneous editing i.e.make interactive changes to more than one area at a time.

A Sublime Text editor is also compatible with the grammar of many languages using TextMate.

Key Features of Sublime Text Editor: 

  • Cross-platform compatibility (Windows, macOS, Linux).
  • Highly customizable via JSON that includes specific settings for projects as well as platforms.
  • Python-based API for plugins.
  • Quick navigation to files, lines, etc.

Pricing- $99


4. Atom

Atom

Atom is a free-to-use and open-source text and source code editor for various platforms( Windows, macOS, and Linux). It has support plug-ins written in JavaScript and embedded Git Control.

It is a desktop application developed by GitHub and it was built using web technologies. Most of the packages of Atom consist of free licenses. These are community-built and maintained.

It is based on the Electron framework (formerly called Atom Shell). Electron framework allows the designing of cross-platform desktop applications by  Chromium and Node.js. The initial code of Atom was written in CoffeeScript and Less. But, most of it has been converted to JavaScript.

Features of Atom are:

  • It is highly customizable.
  • Users can alter the looks of Atom.
  • It has a keymap that can be used to map key combinations to commands.

Pricing- Free

Also Read: Best Mac Cleaner Apps to Clean and Optimize Your Mac


5. Notepad++

Notepad++

If you want to work on TXT, HTML, CSS, PHP, and XML, Notepad++ is suited for you.

Notepad++ is an open-source text editor. This application is popular with programmers and coders because it lets them see and alter their codes, paste small parts of codes from FTP( File Transfer Protocol), and use it without waiting for their development environment to load.

Notepad++ is more frequently used than its rivals Atom and Sublime Text.

Prominent features of Notepad++ include: 

  • Notepad++ is filled with lucrative features, such as an interface for tabs, and support for plug-ins.
  • It also has an autosave tool that temporarily stores documents and allows you to save them to another location. This program proves to be a savior for scripters.
  • Although, this application is free and supports limited formats(TXT, HTML, CSS, PHP, and XML).
  • Notepad++ has an old-school user interface and rusted functionalities.

Pricing- Free


6. Vim

Vim

Basically, Vim is a free and open-source text editor program. Vim is designed for dual use, a command-line interface, or a standalone appliance in a GUI (graphical user interface). Vim consists of various editing modes, 12 in total. Out of which the most important ones are; normal mode, visual mode, insert mode, and cmdline mode. Initially, Vim was available only on Unix-based operating systems. But, now it has been ported to many OS such as Linux, classic macOS, Windows, BSD, MorphOS, and so on.

This text editor tool is quite customizable and flexible; best for users who want to have almost full control of their text editing environment. Users can access many plugins that can enable and extend many facilities to Vim.

While being used, Vim maintains the user’s changes in a swap file(with .swp extension), this file can be used to recover changes if a crash occurs. Although, this feature can be disabled.

Features: 

  • Compatible with numerous programming languages.
  • Can be integrated with various tools.
  • Supports many file types.
  • Detailed plug-in system.

Pricing- Free


7. Brackets

Brackets

Brackets is a source code and text editor with priority to web development. It was developed by Adobe. It is a free-to-use and open-source desktop application under the MIT license.

Brackets is currently maintained on GitHub by open-source and community developers. This text editor is mainly written in JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Brackets is cross-platform in nature and compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux.

The main purpose behind Brackets is its extensive and live HTML, CSS, and JavaScript functionality. However, developers can add more functionalities by creating extensions. The user can find and install extensions by using the built-in extension manager. One can also find extensions online via Brackets Extension Registry.

This built-in feature lets users edit multiple functions and properties simultaneously. All the changes are applied straight to the file associated.

Amazing features of Brackets are:

  • Brackets offer a quick edit facility to its users i.e. inline editing of CSS, and JavaScript elements for developers.
  • It supports multiple coding languages from different file types. Starting from C++, C, and VBScript to Java, JavaScript, HTML, Python, Perl, and so on.
  • The full-fledged list includes more than 38 file types. This wonderful feature gives users the ability to work on different files of a project in one go.

Pricing- Free


8. TextMate

TextMate

Your search for the best text editor for macOS might come to an end after knowing about TextMate. Basically, TextMate is a general-purpose GUI text editor. TextMate is compatible with macOS and was developed by Allan Odgaard.

TextMate language grammar lets users create their own common syntax highlighting modes by assigning a new name to each document keyword. It also offers user-defined and user-editable commands. Commands can be used to send many kinds of input by TextMate such as the current document, selected text, the current word, etc. The output can similarly be handled by TextMate in many ways.

All the TextMate language grammars, snippets, macros, commands, and templates can be called ‘bundles’ of functionality. Any part of these ‘bundles’ can be executed by pressing a keyboard shortcut and then pressing the TAB key.

Features of TextMate include:

  • Language grammar
  • Commands customization.
  • Built specially for macOS.
  • Folding code sections.

Pricing- Free

Also Read: Best Duplicate Photo Finder for Mac


Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Which operating system should I opt for?

Well, it’s totally up to you. Some editors are only usable on particular operating systems. If you want to move between two operating systems, then you might have to cut down your options.

So, it’s better to have a cross-platform solution rather than having separate text editors for Windows or macOS.

Q2. Which are some basic functions a text editor should have?

The basic functions of a text editor must depend upon the requirements of your project. However, the following features are beneficial:

  1. Search and replace feature allows you to search for specific lines and replace them in one or more documents.
  2. Go to, this allows you to quickly navigate between various files, sections, lines, and so on.
  3. Select text and lines, simultaneously.
  4. Auto-indentation is recommended.
  5. Customizable interface.

Q3. Is adding more features to your text editor a good choice?

A text editor that lets you add features or plugins is less feature-rich than an ‘all-loaded’ text editor. But, you may expand your application to meet your needs.

The best text editors allow their users to enjoy several plugins installed and provide new plugins to install per your wish.

Q4. Should I care about the look and interface of my text editor?

The looks of a text editor have nothing to do with its functionality. But, many users feel the need to customize their text editor as per their choice. Preferences over the position of buttons, colors, and so on, can be customized in a text editor.

Editors can be quite customizable and flexible. So, before purchasing one, don’t forget to inquire.


Final Words on Best Text Editor for macOS in 2022

So, these were the best text editors for macOS that you can consider. Using a text editor that suits you totally depends on your needs and domain of work. So, be sure to get an insight into each of them before selecting the one that works for you.

For more technical information, do subscribe to our Newsletter.

By Support

Our aim is to chase the future, innovations, and the latest trends of all things tech

Write Comment
Deprecated: File Theme without comments.php is deprecated since version 3.0.0 with no alternative available. Please include a comments.php template in your theme. in /home/firmsexplorer/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 5613

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *