First things first, choosing a text editor can be tricky if you are new to programming. Although there are too many of them available in the market, each packed with unique set of features and flavour, but if you have very particular requirements you may find this list very helpful. We present you the list of top 10 text editors with plenty of features, free of cost and used by top developers worldwide.
01. Notepad++
- Platform: Windows
We admit there's a whiff of nostalgia about this entry, given that Notepad++ was one of the earliest text editors we used on Windows. But the app deserves its place on this list, because it can still compete with the best of them. For no money whatsoever, you get a capable (if sometimes workmanlike) editor with plenty of features, and you can also mess about with the interface to make it better suit your requirements.
02. Atom
- Platform: OSX 10.8 or later, Windows 7 & 8, Linux
Launched in 2008, GitHub has become the code storage and development site of choice worldwide, and so any tool it releases is going to cause a big stir.
That's certainly been the case with Atom. Dubbed "a hackable text editor for the 21st Century", it's designed to be simple to use out of the box, but also easily expandable using hundreds of packages.
Since launching in invite-only private beta early last year, it's now fully open source and available to download for free.
03. Brackets
- Platform: Windows/OS X/Linux
Adobe's open-source text editor is created from the code that builds the web, and the developers note that if you can code in Brackets, then you can code on Brackets. In other words, although you initially get a simple, usable editor, seasoned programmers should be able to hack it to their liking.
04. Vim
- Platform: Windows/OS X/Linux/Android/iOS
Vim is essentially the text editor people flock to when they look at the others on this list and consider them toys for newbies. There's a pretty steep learning curve, due to its overtly techie nature; but if you can cling on or are just looking for something more powerful to work with, you'll find plenty to like in Vim's flexible tools, customisation and macros, and efficiency-oriented commands.
05. Emacs
- Platform: Windows/OS X/Linux
There are various incarnations of Emacs but one of the most often-used is GNU Emacs; a free, extensible, customisable text editor. It's one of the most powerful editors out there and as such takes a while to learn your way around, but if you have very particular requirements you may find this is the one for you.
06. Komodo Edit
- Platform: Windows/OS X/Linux
If you don't need all the features of a full IDE, you can get the text editor from Komodo IDE for free. Komodo Edit is a multi-language editor that does multiple selections, auto-complete, tracks changes and has a Markdown viewer.
07. ICEcoder
- Platform: Windows/OS X/Linux
ICEcoder is an open-source code editor that lets you work directly within the browser, whether you’re online or offline. Very lightweight, you can install it and start using it almost instantly. Despite its size, it contains many great features you'd expect from a code editor, including broken tag indicators, highlighting themes and secure login.
08. CoffeeCup Free HTML Editor
- Platform: Windows
Here's another great choice for beginners looking for a simple, free text editor. CoffeeCup Free HTML Editor is the free version of the full version, and so missing a few tools (CSS menu design, FTP upload) but there are plenty of powerful editing tools, a local Help file to walk you through the more complicated parts, and you can also upload your page to CoffeeCup's S-Drive platform, where it will host it for free.
09. Bluefish
- Platform: Windows, OS X, Linux
Bluefish is a text editor with plenty of designer-friendly tools and options. Among the goodies on offer are syntax highlighting (ASP.NET, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, PHP and more are supported), code folding, powerful find and search and replace tools and autocompletion. Bluefish also supports document templates; has wizards to add CSS, forms, tables, forms, audio and video objects; and quick tag editing and easy previewing of the current document.
10. Code Writer
- Platform: Windows 8
Windows tablets hardly look set to blaze past Android and iPads, and the app ecosystem is therefore relatively limited. We're therefore delighted Code Writer exists. The editor boasts a sleek interface that's perfectly suited to the UI formerly known as Metro, and the app provides advanced features such as code outlining, syntax-error flagging, text formatting, and auto-correct. Handily, snapped view is also supported, so you can code while 'researching' things on the likes of Twitter.
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