The best code editor is one that runs well on your computer, supports the languages you write, and stays out of your way, whether you want a light text editor or an editor with extensions for debugging and Git. Most good options are free or open source. This page lists ten in no particular order, with setup steps.
A code editor is where you'll spend hours at a stretch, so small things matter far more than the feature list suggests: how fast it opens, how readable the text is, whether search works across a whole project. The right one for a freelancer tweaking a WordPress theme isn't always the right one for a team shipping an app.
This guide is for developers, students, website owners and writers who edit HTML, CSS, scripts or plain text. The ten editors below are in no particular order, sorted alphabetically, and each description comes from the editor's own website, re-checked today.
Editors in a quick comparison
In the free plan column, Yes means the editor's own site describes it as free, open source or usable free of charge, and Trial only means a time-limited trial before you buy.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| BBEdit | Mac text and code editor | Mac users wanting a lasting free mode | Yes |
| CudaText | Open source code editor | Free editor for business use too | Yes |
| Geany | Lightweight code editor | Fast editing on older machines | Yes |
| Lapce | Open source code editor | Speed-focused open source editing | Yes |
| Nova | Mac code editor | Mac developers wanting a native editor | Trial only |
| Textadept | Minimalist scriptable editor | Lua-scriptable open source editing | Yes |
| Vim | Modal text editor | Keyboard-driven editing everywhere | Yes |
| Visual Studio Code | Extensible code editor | Beginners to teams wanting extensions | Yes |
| VSCodium | Open source VS Code build | VS Code experience without telemetry | Yes |
| Zed | Fast collaborative code editor | Fast editing with multiplayer features | Yes |
Ten editors for code and plain text
BBEdit
Best for: Mac users who edit code, markup and plain text and want a free mode that keeps working after the evaluation period ends.
CudaText
Best for: Anyone who wants an open source editor with plugins and LSP support that the site says can be used free of charge, even in business.
Geany
Best for: Developers on Linux, Windows or macOS who want a flyweight editor with built-in support for more than 50 programming languages.
Lapce
Best for: Built for developers who care about editor speed and want an open source option that arrives with plugins and a modern interface.
Nova
Best for: Mac developers who want a native editor with language server support and extensions, tried free for 30 days before buying.
Textadept
Best for: Programmers who want a minimalist open source editor they can extend and script in Lua, on Windows, macOS or Linux.
Vim
Best for: Terminal lovers who prefer keyboard-driven modal editing and want a configurable editor that runs on almost any system, distributed freely.
Visual Studio Code
Best for: Teams and beginners who want one free editor across Windows, Mac and Linux with a large extension catalogue for languages, debugging and Git.
VSCodium
Best for: Anyone who likes the VS Code interface but wants community-built, MIT-licensed binaries with telemetry turned off.
Zed
Best for: Developers who want a fast native editor with built-in multiplayer collaboration on a Personal plan the site describes as free forever.
Editor or full IDE: knowing which you need
A code editor opens files fast and lets you add only what you need. A full IDE, an integrated development environment, bundles project templates, build tools and debuggers for one language or platform. If you mostly edit web pages, scripts or config files, an editor is usually all you'll want. If you're building a large app in a single language, an IDE can save setup time.
- Light editors open in a blink and suit older laptops and quick fixes.
- Extensible editors grow with you through plugins for languages, linting and Git.
- Modal editors reward the time you spend learning keyboard commands with very fast editing.
The final newline rule hiding in POSIX
Here's a detail that explains a lot of odd warnings. The Open Group's POSIX.1-2017 definitions describe a line as zero or more non-newline characters plus a terminating newline character, and a text file as a file of lines that don't contain NUL characters, none longer than LINE_MAX bytes including the newline.
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In other words, by that standard the last line of a file isn't really a line unless it ends with a newline. That's why many editors add one when you save, and why Unix tools expect it. Check your editor has a setting for this, turn it on, and you'll avoid noisy diffs and scripts that skip the final line.
Setting up a new editor in an afternoon
- Install the editor and open a real project, not an empty folder.
- Pick a readable font and theme, and set the font size so you're not leaning in.
- Add support for the languages you use, and nothing else for now.
- Turn on format on save, a final newline and trimming of trailing spaces.
- Learn five shortcuts: open file, search the project, multi-cursor, go to line and the command palette.
- Connect version control so you can see changes before you commit them.
If you also use AI to help write code, my notes on prompting ChatGPT for coding tasks show how to keep it from wrecking your codebase.
Telemetry, licences and open source
Free doesn't always mean the same thing. Some editors are open source, so anyone can read and build the code. Some are free to use but owned by a company that collects usage data unless you switch it off. Others have a free mode or a free personal plan with extra features you pay for. Read the licence or the about page before you roll an editor out to a team, especially if client code is involved.
For more tools that save developers time, my round-up of developer productivity tools covers the apps around the editor.
Do you make a code editor? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice for picking a code editor
If you're new to code, start with a free, popular, extensible editor, because tutorials and answers online will assume something like it. If you're on a Mac and want a native feel, try a Mac-only editor during its trial or free mode. If you work in terminals all day, give a modal editor a fortnight before you judge it.
Don't spend a weekend installing extensions. Add them one at a time, when a real job asks for one, and remove any you stop using. And whichever editor you choose, sort out the final newline and formatting settings on day one, because they decide how clean your changes look to everyone else.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best code editor for beginners?
A free, widely used editor with a large extension catalogue is a sensible start, because most tutorials and guides are written with one in mind.
What's the difference between a code editor and an IDE?
An editor is lighter and you add tools as you need them. An IDE bundles building, debugging and project tools for a particular language or platform.
Are free code editors good enough for professional work?
Yes. Many professional developers use free or open source editors every day.
Why does my editor add a blank line at the end of a file?
It's adding a final newline. POSIX defines a line as ending with a newline, so many tools expect the last line to end with one too.
Which code editor is best for an older computer?
Light editors start quickly and use little memory, so they're the better fit for older laptops.
Can I use a code editor for writing plain text?
Yes. Many editors handle Markdown, notes and plain text well, and some are built for prose as much as code.
