15 Best Free Text Editors for Coders

by Mashjoe on March 10, 2009

A text or code editor is –as its name indicates- a tool for editing text/code. You can use a text editor for a wide variety of tasks from cleaning up data, to editing configuration files on your Mac or server, to writing HTML or coding or simply for writing your fav short story :0 ).

Below is a concise list of 15 of the best free text editors for coders.

Notepad ++
Notepad++ is a free, open source, tabbed and fully customizable editor that handles much more than just plain text. Some of its features are syntax highlighting, code folding, and macros.
notepad-text-editor
[Download]

GNU Emacs
GNU Emacs is an extensible and highly customizable text editor. Some of its features are content-sensitive editing modes, complete built-in documentation, support for many languages and their scripts
gnu-emacs-text-editor
[Download]

Vim
Vim is an advanced and highly configurable text editor. Some of its features are multiple windows, syntax highlighting, multiple levels of undo, and color themes.
vim-text-editor
[Download]

Cream
Cream is a free text editor, and a modern configuration of the powerful and famous Vim. Some of its features are single editing mode, editing of very large files and syntax highlighting.
cream-text-editor
[Download]

Bluefish
Bluefish is a powerful editor targeted towards programmers and web designers. Some of its features are multiple document interface, unlimited undo/redo functionality, and customizable syntax highlighting.
bluefish-text-editor
[Download]

EditPad Lite
EditPad Lite is a free for non-commercial use and general-purpose text editor. Some of its features are reopen menus, block functions and unlimited undo and redo.
editpad-lite-text-editor
[Download]

Smultron
Smultron is a free text editor for Mac OS X Leopard 10.5. Some of its features are easy selection of the opened documents, line numbers, support for syntax colouring for many different languages and support for text encodings.
smultron-text-editor
[Download]

jEdit
jEdit is a mature programmer’s text editor. Some of its features are markers, rectangular selection and Word wrap.
jedit-text-editor
[Download]

Komodo Edit
Komodo Edit is a free, open source editor. Some of its features are utocomplete and calltips, multi-language file support, and syntax checking and coloring.
komodo-edit-text-editor
[Download]

SciTE
SciTE is a SCIntilla-based free text editor for Win32 and X. Some of its features are support for syntax styling, error indicators, code completion and call tips.
scite-text-editor
[Download]

TextWrangler
TextWrangler is the powerful general purpose text editor, and Unix and server administrator’s tool. Some of its features are powerful single and multi-file search and replace, performing incremental searches, multiple clipboards, splittable editing windows and auto-indent.
textwrangler-text-editor
[Download]

Caditor
Caditor is an advanced text editor built for productivity. Some of its features are hex viewer, file hasher and auto-complete.
caditor-text-editor
[Download]

Gedit
Gedit is a powerful general purpose text editor. Some of its features are configurable syntax highlighting for various languages, file reverting, auto indentation and text wrapping.
gedit-text-editor
[Download]

Crimson Editor
Crimson Editor is a professional source code editor for Windows. Some of its features are syntax highlighting for HTML, C/C++, Perl, Java, Matlab and LaTeX, user tools, macros, and spell checker.
crimson-editor-text-editor
[Download]

ConTEXT
ConTEXT is a small, fast and powerful freeware text editor, developed to serve as a secondary tool for software developers. Some of its features are powerful syntax highlighting, project workspaces support, project workspaces support and incremental search with text emphasizing.
context-text-editor
[Download]

If you know any more excellent free text editors feel free to suggest them to us

{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

Dan April 6, 2009 at 1:30 am

What? No Textmate?! No E? No Eclipse?!

A terrible, terrible list. :(

Reply

thetylerhayes (Tyler Hayes) April 10, 2009 at 3:30 pm

Twitter Comment


RT @MrStrider: 15 Best Free Text Editors for Coders [link to post]

- Posted using Chat Catcher

Reply

Carbonize April 27, 2009 at 8:21 pm

Where is PSPad for Windows? It’s my editor of choice and I find it far easier to use than Notepad++ and has far more tools and functions.

Carbonize’s last blog post..Rising Antivirus Review

Reply

Leave a Comment

{ 1 trackback }

Previous post: Top 10 Fashionista Wordpress Themes

Next post: 30 Eco Friendly Web Designs