Aug 28,2019 • Filed to: macOS 10.14 • Proven solutions

You can even use TextMate as your text editor in the terminal with the command mate. If you're looking for a WYSISYG editor, TextMate—and this entire category—is not for you.

From a general perspective, while looking at text editors for macOS 10.14, we are not specifically referring to text as we have it in document text. A large chunk of text editors on the market, particularly those that offer greater capabilities, will turn out to also come with extremely robust features for code compiling. This is where their true potential lies. Today, we will look at 10 best free text editors on macOS 10.14.

Top 10 Free Text Editors for macOS 10.14

1. Brackets

This is a free text editor macOS 10.14 that is open source and maintained by Adobe Systems — one of the major companies in the industry. One of the outstanding features of Brackets is its beautiful interface. Its unique Extract offering lets you grab font, gradients measurements, and so on from a PSD file into a CSS that is clean and ready for use on the web.

Pros

• It comes with extension support which contains a huge and growing library
• Brackets has inline editors and previews

Cons

• It is slow
• Brackets still does not have certain elementary text editor commands
• Its updater is problematic

2. TextWrangler

Developed by Bare Bones, TextWrangler is another best text editor on macOS 10.14. This tool can be regarded as a lightweight version of BBEdit, also designed by Bare Bones. It has all the features needed by hardcore developers to carry out operations in specific columns in a CSV, or in a server admin for scriptwriting.

Pros

• It offers basic text editing as well as manipulations
• TextWrangler is a free yet ideal alternative to BBEdit
• It has an inbuilt FTP or STFP browser
• It is robust and fast to start up

Cons

• It isn’t maintained any longer

3. Vim

This software is a command line-based text editor for macOS 10.14. One of the most renowned text editors on the market, Vim does not have a steep learning curve. It features a stack of documentation which assists a user in learning how to use the app conveniently. Vim is designed with quick reference, help documents, along with a tutorial that runs for 30 minutes to get you acquainted with it.

Pros

• It has capabilities and features for command-based text editing
• It is easy to use

Cons

• Vim requires great effort to customize
• It offers poor support for external tooling

4. Komodo Edit

This is an open source text editor on macOS 10.14 that is free and offers a powerful user interface. Komodo Edit is an amazing tool for writing code and carrying out other operations. The software provides many useful tools, which help you edit, like the capacity of tracking changes, multiple section, autocomplete, and skin and icon sets.

Pros

• It is an extremely professional and comprehensive tool
• It has inbuilt FTP
• Free and open-source, Komodo Edit supports a limited Vim mode

Cons

• It isn’t very lightweight
• It includes project files to project code

5. Sublime Text

Though this app is a commercial text editor to create text file macOS 10.14, it has an evaluation version which can be used for an unlimited period; this makes it free in reality. Sublime Text features a Python Application Programming Interface and allows multiple languages. Furthermore, the software’s capabilities can be enhanced with the aid of plugins, which are often developed by communities and offered via free software licenses.

Pros

• Sublime Text comes with an easy-to-use interface
• There are 22 different themes you can select from
• It has distraction free mode, consisting of placing only the text in your screen

Cons

• It does not allow printing of files
• Sublime Text 10.14 has inadequate language support
• It takes time to load large files on Windows

6. Atom

This is another free text editor macOS 10.14 that is written in Node.js as well as embedded in GitControl. Atom can be employed either as a plain text editor, or as a source code editor. By using plug-ins, the software works well in several languages including HTML, Objective-C, C/C++, CSS, Java, Go, JavaScript, C#, PHP, Python, and many others. This makes it a versatile tool for a lot of developers.

Pros

• It allows multi-tabbed editing, multiple panes, and auto-completion
• The software offers a user interface that is friendly

Cons

• It does not have text UI
• It is extremely slow to start-up

7. TextMate

TextMate basically employs the extremely robust capabilities of UNIX command console in a user-friendly and neat GUI. This provides you with the best of the two worlds — as a committed programmer or a beginner code user. TextMate integrates features such as auto-indentation, search and replace within project, dynamic outlines, column selection, among others.

Pros

• The program features an extensive library of plugins
• It is free and open source

8. GNU Emacs

Emacs, first launched in 1976, is popular for its unique techniques for getting the job done. It employs a programming language called Emacs-Lisp, which has the most fundamental functions of editing for expanding the capabilities of the program beyond its humble text-based origin. Some of these expansions are, an email client, file manager, news reader as well as games such as Tetris and Snake.

Pros

• It can be entirely controlled using the keyboard
• It lets you debug, manage files, and compile

Cons

• It has a long learning curve
• Its extensibility can, occasionally, be a source of distraction to your work

9. Visual Studio Code

Compared to other text editing apps, this software is a newcomer. It is a lightweight text and script editor that, along with many other spectacular features, comes with a dark theme. If you do not like text editors like Vim and Emacs, Visual Studio Code is a perfect alternative.

Pros

• Visual Studio Code offers JavaScript IntelliSense support
• It has a lot of plugins for enhancing its functionality
• The software features integrated Git control, data integrity, and support for distributed and non-linear workflows

Cons

• Its autocomplete, as well as code check offerings, aren’t as robust as those of WebStorm
• Visual Studio Code has a terrible auto import

10. UltraEdit

Developed by IDM Computer Solutions, UltraEdit is a great program which works with remote files perfectly. It isn’t only fast but also stable and easy to use. It handles big files efficiently of sizes over 1GB. UltraEdit comes with an array of features that help you in carrying out operations such as highlighting of syntax, sorting of file or data, editing of column or block, and so on. The software also supports SSH/telnet.

Pros

• UltraEdit works very well with large files
• It is easy to use and fast

Cons

• The themes that were released in version 20 had adverse effect on specific aspects of syntax coloring

Best Free All-in-One PDF Editor for macOS 10.14

PDFelement is an all-in-one PDF File Management program for macOS 10.14 with versatile tools for editing documents in Portable Document Format. This is the best app for you to carry out operations like editing, cutting, copying, pasting and deleting PDF files. It also helps you include text and pictures in PDF documents. PDFelement allows you modify font attributes like size type, and style.

Other features:

• PDFelement for Mac lets you insert, remove and update custom watermarks as well as backgrounds
• You can use the app for inserting, updating or removing headers as well as footers
• This software is an excellent annotator and document converter
• It helps you insert as well as edit hyperlinks
• The program allows you generate and manage library containing pre-built and custom stamps
• You can use PDFelement for Mac to create and edit fillable PDF forms
• It lets you fill PDF forms
• The software offers support to create, edit, and include digital signature on documents in PDF

Free DownloadFree Download or Buy PDFelementBuy PDFelement right now!

This article has been updated as of September 2019 to ensure that all the HTML editors listed are still available for free download. Any new information on latest versions has been added to this list.

During the original testing process, over 100 HTML editors for Windows were evaluated against more than 40 different criteria relevant to both professional and beginning web designers and web developers, as well as small business owners. From that testing, ten HTML editors that stood above the rest were selected. Best of all, all of these editors also happen to be free!

NotePad ++

What We Like

• Small download and program size.

• Loads fast, and runs light.

• Auto-completion for words and functions.

• Plugin options to extend functionality.

What We Don't Like

• No Mac version available.

• May be less useful for languages like Java.

Notepad++ is a favorite free note taking app and code editor. It is a more robust version of the Notepad software that you would find available in Windows by default. That being the case, this is a Windows-only option. It includes things like line number, color coding, hints, and other helpful tools that the standard Notepad application does not have. These additions make Notepad++ an ideal choice for web designers and front end developers.

Komodo Edit

What We Like

• Extensible through plugins.

• Customizable appearance.

• Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

What We Don't Like

• No WYSIWYG editor.

• Not the best editor for beginners.

There are two versions of Komodo available, Komodo Edit and Komodo IDE.

is open source and free to download. It is a trimmed down counterpart to IDE.

Komodo Edit includes a lot of great features for HTML and CSS development. Additionally, you can get extensions to add language support or other helpful features, like special characters.

Komodo doesn't outshine as the best HTML editor, but it's great for for the price, especially if you build in XML where it truly excels. I use Komodo Edit every day for my work in XML, and I use it a lot for basic HTML editing as well. This is one editor I'd be lost without.

Eclipse

What We Like

• Plugin design makes adding new languages simple.

• Open source with large community makes problem solving easier.

• Runs on multiple platforms such as Windows, Mac, and Linux

What We Don't Like

• A large program that's not as light as other editors.

• Consumes considerable system resources, especially on large projects.

Eclipse is a complex development environment that is perfect for people who do a lot of coding on various platforms and with different languages. It is structured as plug-ins, so if you need to edit something you just find the appropriate plug-in and go to work.

If you are creating complex web applications, Eclipse has a lot of features to help make your application easier to build. There are Java, JavaScript, and PHP plugins, as well as a plugin for mobile developers.

Aptana Studio 3

What We Like

Best Free Text Editor

• Good for JavaScript.

• Multiplatform support (Windows, Mac, Linux).

• Plugins expand supported languages.

What We Don't Like

• Lack of updates and announcements since 2014.

• Bulkier and sometimes slower than some other editors.

Aptana Studio 3 offers an interesting take on webpage development. Instead of focusing on HTML, Aptana focuses on JavaScript and other elements that allow you to create rich internet applications. That may not make it the best fit for simple web design needs, but if you are looking more in the way of web application development, the tools offered in Aptana may be a great fit.

One concern about Aptana is the lack of updates that the company has done over the past few years. Their website, as well as their Facebook and Twitter pages, announce the release of version 3.6.0 on July 31, 2014, but there have been no announcements since that time.

While the software itself tested great during initial research (and it was originally placed 2nd in this list), this lack of current updates must be taken into consideration.

NetBeans

What We Like

• Version control functionality.

• Customizable appearance.

• Specialized for Java.

What We Don't Like

• Takes some time to learn.

• Consumes a lot of system resources while running.

• Can be slow to execute commands.

NetBeans IDE is a Java IDE that can help you build robust web applications.

Like most IDEs, it has a steep learning curve because it doesn't often work in the same way that web editors work. Once you get used to it you’ll find it very useful, however.

The version control feature included in the IDE is especially useful for people working in large development environments, as is the developer collaboration features. If you write Java and webpages this is a great tool.

Microsoft Visual Studio Community

What We Like

• Well supported with updates and the addition of new features.

• Wide range of programming languages supported.

• Nice design that is beginner-friendly.

What We Don't Like

• Premium features come with high price tag.

• Heavy program that consumes significant memory and processing power.

• Bit of a learning curve for new users.

Microsoft Visual Studio Community is a visual IDE to help web developers and other programmers get started creating applications for the web, mobile devices and the desktop. Previously, you may have used Visual Studio Express, but this is the latest version of the software. They offer a free download, as well as paid versions (that include free trials) for Professional and Enterprise users.

BlueGriffon

What We Like

• Multiplatform support (Windows, Mac, Linux).

• WYSIWYG editor with previews.

• Good for beginners

What We Don't Like

• Can suffer lag during use.

• Lots of options may bewilder new users.

BlueGriffon is the latest in the series of webpage editors that started with Nvu, progressed to Kompozer and now culminates in BlueGriffon. It is powered by Gecko, the rending engine of Firefox, so it does a great job of showing how work would be rendered in that standards-compliant browser.

BlueGriffon is available for Windows, Macintosh and Linux and in a variety of languages.

This is the only true WYSIWYG editor that made this list, and as such it will be more appealing for many beginners and small business owners who want a more visual way to work as opposed to a purely code-focused interface.

Bluefish

What We Like

• A fast and lightweight program.

• Multiplatform support (Windows, Mac, Linux).

What We Don't Like

• Primarily a code editor without a WYSIWYG interface.

• Lacks an easy FTP upload feature.

Bluefish is a full-featured HTML editor that runs on a variety of platforms, including Linux, MacOS-X, Windows, and more.

The latest release (which is 2.2.10 or 2.2.10-2 for High Sierra) fixed some of the bugs found in previous versions.

Noteworthy features that have been in place since the 2.0 version are code-sensitive spell check, auto complete of many different languages (HTML, PHP, CSS, etc.), snippets, project management and autosave.

Best Free Text Editor For Windows 10

Bluefish is primarily a code editor, not specifically a web editor. This means that it has a lot of flexibility for web developers writing in more than just HTML, however, if you’re a designer by nature and you want more of a web-focused or a WYSIWYG interface, Bluefish may not be for you.

GNU Emacs Profile

What We Like

• Included with most Linux systems.

• Powerful with plenty of features.

What We Don't Like

• More complicated than other editors.

• Not the best choice for beginners.

Best Free Text Editor App For Mac

GNU Emacs is found on most Linux systems and makes it easy for you to edit a page even if you don't have your standard software.

Emacs is a lot more complicated some other editors, and so offers more features, but I find it harder to use.

Best Free Text Editor For Mac

Feature highlights: XML support, scripting support, advanced CSS support and a built-in validator, as well as color coded HTML editing.

Best Free Pdf Editor For Mac

This editor, whose latest version is 26.1 which was released in May 2018, can be intimidating to anyone who isn't comfortable writing plain HTML in a text editor, but if you are and your host offers Emacs, it is a very powerful tool.