Best Text Editors for Mac of 2025 - Page 2

LightPaper is an intuitive application designed to streamline your writing and note-taking experience while offering an array of robust features. It empowers users to create documents, articles, and blogs with tools such as markdown support, a comprehensive folder navigator, real-time previews, shadow notes, multi-tabs, customizable styles, distraction-free mode, syntax highlighting, math rendering, and full GFM compatibility, including GitHub tasks and Jekyll rendering. This versatile app caters to a broad audience, whether you're a professional writer, blogger, developer, scholar, or student, ensuring that all your writing needs are efficiently met. With LightPaper, you can easily manage your documents through its powerful folder navigator, enabling you to open multiple folders and swiftly browse your files. Not only can you access a document with a simple double-click, but you also have the ability to create new documents or folders, delete items, or rename them as needed. The Quick Open feature enhances your workflow by allowing you to swiftly search through all your files, while the ability to favorite files or folders ensures that your most important documents are always within reach. In addition, the combination of these features makes LightPaper a valuable tool for anyone looking to enhance their writing process.

Textastic for Mac serves as an ideal desktop counterpart to the widely used iOS code editor. Featuring compatibility with over 80 source code and markup languages, it seamlessly extends the robust syntax highlighting capabilities of its iOS version to the Mac platform. Users can easily integrate their own syntax definitions that are compatible with TextMate and Sublime Text. The Mac version is derived from the same code editor that powers the iOS application, ensuring a consistent experience. It utilizes native macOS APIs like Core Text, which enhances performance and speed. The app simplifies your workflow with features such as code completion, file navigation through a symbol list, and support for contemporary Mac functionalities like Auto Save and Versions. Additionally, with iCloud Drive integration, syncing files between macOS and iOS devices becomes a hassle-free process. This application not only supports a vast array of coding languages but also includes features such as iCloud auto-save and macOS Versions, making it a comprehensive tool for developers. Furthermore, it allows for the importation of syntax definitions, themes, and templates from TextMate, enhancing its customization options.

Pulsar is a text editor that is open to community contributions and is designed to be highly customizable. It operates seamlessly on various operating systems, including OS X, Windows, and Linux. Users can easily search for and install new packages, or even develop their own directly within Pulsar. With its intelligent and adaptable autocomplete feature, Pulsar accelerates your coding process. It allows for effortless navigation, enabling you to open a single file, an entire project, or multiple projects simultaneously in a single window. Additionally, you can divide your Pulsar workspace into several panes, making it simple to compare and modify code from different files. The editor also includes a powerful find-and-replace function that updates text in real-time as you work, enhancing your overall efficiency across all projects. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced programmer, Pulsar offers the tools needed to streamline your coding experience.

Kakoune is a remarkably efficient modal text editor that emphasizes real-time feedback and offers powerful, intuitive options for multi-selection. Drawing inspiration from Vim, it presents a unique perspective on modal editing by prioritizing a selection-based workflow, which enhances the natural fluidity of text manipulation. Unlike traditional editors where commands are executed on cursors, Kakoune empowers users by allowing commands to act on selections, thus facilitating precise and rapid editing and navigation. With features such as robust multi-caret editing, context-aware autocompletion, and extensive support for various programming languages, Kakoune is optimized for handling large files and intricate codebases with ease. Its design allows for scripting and extension using shell commands, ensuring seamless integration with UNIX tools and offering users a high degree of customization. Renowned for its remarkable responsiveness and adaptability, Kakoune is particularly well-suited for developers who favor a keyboard-driven interface and value immediate, real-time feedback throughout their editing tasks. This makes it an excellent choice for those looking to enhance their productivity in coding environments.

Code::Blocks is a free, open-source Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that is cross-platform and primarily aimed at developers working with C, C++, and Fortran. Renowned for its lightweight architecture and modular design, Code::Blocks provides a customizable user interface that supports various compilers such as GCC, Clang, and Microsoft Visual C++. The IDE is equipped with an easy-to-navigate interface that includes essential features like syntax highlighting, code folding, auto-completion, and a powerful debugging environment that allows for breakpoints, variable inspection, and tracing the call stack. Additionally, Code::Blocks is highly customizable through the use of plugins, which enable developers to integrate functionalities such as version control, scripting capabilities, and custom build systems. Its combination of being lightweight, flexible, and compatible across different platforms makes it an excellent option for students, educators, and developers engaged in small to medium-sized C/C++ projects. Overall, Code::Blocks serves as a versatile tool that caters to a wide range of programming needs.

Typora offers a fluid experience for users, serving effectively as both a writing and reading tool. It eliminates the need for a preview window, mode switcher, or any markdown syntax symbols, thereby cutting out unnecessary distractions. Instead, it features a live preview option that allows you to focus solely on your content. The software also facilitates file management with an easily accessible file tree panel and an article list panel, enabling you to organize your files according to your preferences, including integration with sync services such as Dropbox or iCloud. You can effortlessly view the outline structure of your documents in the outline panel, making navigation throughout the document quick and intuitive, as you can jump to any section with just one click. Additionally, Typora allows you to export your work to PDF complete with bookmarks. You can further enhance your productivity by importing and exporting various other formats, such as docx, OpenOffice, LaTeX, MediaWiki, and Epub. To top it off, you can track your document’s length in terms of words, characters, lines, or estimated reading time, providing you with valuable insights into your writing. This comprehensive functionality makes Typora a powerful tool for anyone involved in writing or content creation.

Quiver is an innovative notebook designed specifically for developers, allowing for seamless integration of text, code, Markdown, and LaTeX all within a single note. Users can edit their code using a powerful code editor, enjoy live previews of their Markdown and LaTeX, and quickly locate any note through comprehensive full-text search capabilities. Each note in Quiver consists of various cells that can contain snippets of text, code, Markdown, LaTeX (utilizing MathJax), or diagrams, such as flowcharts and sequence diagrams, enabling a flexible approach to note-taking. Notably, you can incorporate multiple types of cells within one note and assign different programming languages to various code cells as needed. The notebook is engineered to simplify code editing, featuring the remarkable ACE code editor in its code cells, which supports syntax highlighting for over 120 programming languages, boasts more than 20 themes, and includes automatic indenting and outdenting functionalities. Quiver also allows users to format their Markdown with inline options and apply custom CSS styles, while a live preview window displays the rendered Markdown in real-time as you type. Additionally, Quiver employs MathJax to effectively typeset complex mathematical equations written in LaTeX, enhancing its utility for technical documentation. Overall, Quiver stands out as a versatile tool for programmers who desire an efficient and organized way to manage their notes and code snippets.

The source code for Microsoft's Visual Studio Code (VSCode) is available as open source under the MIT license, yet the downloadable version of the product is subject to a different license that is not considered free and open-source software (FLOSS) and includes telemetry features. To provide an alternative, the VSCodium project was created, allowing users to avoid the hassle of downloading and building from the source code by offering pre-built binaries. This project utilizes specialized build scripts that fetch Microsoft's VSCode repository, execute the necessary build commands, and subsequently upload the finished binaries to GitHub releases, all of which are licensed under the MIT license and have telemetry features disabled. For users on Mac OS X Mojave, if you encounter the message “App can’t be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software” when you first try to open VSCodium, you can simply right-click the application and select Open, which should only be necessary the first time you launch it on that operating system. Additionally, comprehensive documentation is available for anyone looking to transition from Visual Studio Code, as well as for addressing various issues that may arise during use of VSCodium. This ensures users have access to all the guidance they need for a smooth experience.

CKEditor 5 is a modern WYSIWYG rich text editor that can easily accommodate the requirements of businesses and users in the age of digital transformation. It allows software creators and developers to build powerful writing solutions for applications of all sorts, within hours. Thanks to a fully customizable framework, ready-to-use builds, native integrations, extensive documentation, and reliable customer support, the editor can be fully tailored to your needs.

Developed entirely from the ground up, JetBrains Fleet draws on two decades of experience in creating integrated development environments (IDEs). It utilizes the robust IntelliJ code-processing engine, featuring a distributed architecture and a fresh user interface designed for modern developers. Our aim with Fleet was to create a swift and efficient text editor that allows for quick code browsing and editing. It launches almost instantaneously, enabling you to start your work without delay, and has the capability to seamlessly evolve into a full-fledged IDE, with the IntelliJ engine operating independently from the editing interface. Fleet encompasses all the beloved features of IntelliJ-based IDEs, such as code completion tailored to your project context, easy navigation to definitions and usages, real-time code quality assessments, and convenient quick-fixes. The architecture of Fleet is thoughtfully designed to accommodate various configurations and workflows, allowing it to run locally on your machine or to offload some processes to the cloud, showcasing its versatility and adaptability for different development needs. This flexibility ensures that developers can choose the setup that best fits their workflow requirements.

To be candid, Mac applications seem to be fading into obscurity. While there are valid motivations for developing cross-platform applications — primarily their versatility — it doesn't align with our core identity. Established as a Mac software developer in 1997, the team at Panic finds joy in creating products that embody the essence of Mac. Many years ago, we introduced Coda, a groundbreaking all-in-one web editor specifically for Mac users. However, as we began developing Nova, we reassessed the current landscape of the web and recognized the need for a new beginning. Hence, our journey commenced with a top-tier text editor that is not only brand new but also incredibly fast and adaptable, packed with all the essential features like intelligent autocomplete, multiple cursors, a Minimap, editor overscroll, and tag pairs and brackets, among many others. For those interested, Nova offers integrated support for a variety of languages including CoffeeScript, CSS, Diff, ERB, Haml, HTML, INI, JavaScript, JSON, JSX, Less, Lua, Markdown, Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby, Sass, SCSS, Smarty, SQL, TSX, TypeScript, XML, and YAML. This extensive support ensures that developers have the tools they need to work efficiently and effectively across multiple programming languages.

Firepad is a collaborative text editor that operates in real-time and is available as open source. It enables genuine collaboration through advanced operational transform techniques that facilitate merging and resolving conflicts seamlessly. With the capability to render documents in editors like CodeMirror, Ace, or Monaco, Firepad's operational transform functionality is inspired by ot.js. Utilizing the Firebase Realtime Database, Firepad ensures efficient cloud storage and synchronization of data. Developers can create applications that necessitate collaborative editing for text documents, as Firepad inherently supports both rich text and code editing, and its extensibility allows for adaptation to various other needs. Created by Michael Lehenbauer and the Firebase team, Firepad continues to evolve, and contributions are welcome, so please consider starring the project on GitHub and submitting your pull requests with enhancements! The potential for additional features is vast, inviting further innovation and improvements to this versatile tool.

At its foundation lies an interpreter dedicated to Emacs Lisp, a variant of the Lisp programming language enhanced for text editing tasks. It offers content-aware editing modes that feature syntax highlighting for a variety of file formats. The platform includes comprehensive built-in documentation, complete with a tutorial aimed at newcomers. Users benefit from extensive Unicode support accommodating nearly all human scripts. It is highly customizable, allowing modifications through Emacs Lisp code or via a graphical interface. Beyond mere text editing, it encompasses a diverse array of functionalities, such as a project planner, email and news reader, debugging interface, calendar, IRC client, and much more. The presence of a packaging system enables users to download and install various extensions seamlessly. Additionally, it provides built-in support for arbitrary-size integers and utilizes HarfBuzz for effective text shaping. There is also native functionality for JSON parsing, improved support for Cairo drawing, and the adoption of portable dumping in lieu of unexec. The system adheres to XDG conventions for initialization files and includes an additional early-init file for enhanced customization. Furthermore, it supports built-in tab bar and tab-line features, as well as the ability to resize and rotate images without relying on ImageMagick, making it a versatile tool for a wide range of tasks. Overall, it stands out as a powerful platform that caters to a multitude of user needs beyond simple text manipulation.

CodeRunner is an efficient, lightweight programming text editor and integrated development environment (IDE) tailored for macOS. This versatile application was crafted to accommodate a diverse array of popular programming languages and execute them without delay. By default, it can run code in 25 different languages, but users can easily configure it to support additional languages through their respective terminal commands. With a robust offering of over 200 syntax modes, an array of advanced editing capabilities, and thoughtful design elements, CodeRunner is sure to become your preferred editor for all types of text files. Its code completion functionality stands out as one of the finest available in any IDE, featuring intelligent text matching that goes beyond mere single-word suggestions. The extra-fuzzy search algorithm allows users to swiftly locate the right completion among thousands, supplemented by useful documentation snippets and a smart ranking system for results. Instead of cluttering your code with print statements for debugging, take advantage of CodeRunner's comprehensive built-in debugging tools, which allow you to set breakpoints and step through your code seamlessly. With its user-friendly interface and powerful features, CodeRunner is ideal for both novice programmers and seasoned developers alike.

Spacemacs is a community-centric distribution of Emacs that revolutionizes the editing experience by integrating both Emacs and Vim's strengths. This innovative editor emphasizes ergonomic design, mnemonic organization, and consistency throughout its interface. Key bindings are thoughtfully categorized with mnemonic prefixes such as b for buffer, p for project, s for search, and h for help, making navigation intuitive. Users benefit from a unique real-time display that highlights available key bindings, enhancing usability. The platform also features a streamlined query system to effortlessly locate layers, packages, and more. With a standardized set of conventions, similar functionalities utilize the same key bindings across the board, promoting familiarity. Additionally, the community-driven configuration ensures that users have access to a curated selection of packages optimized by experienced users, while bugs are addressed promptly, fostering a reliable and efficient working environment. This makes Spacemacs not just an editor, but a vibrant community of users supporting one another in their coding journeys.

Neovim boasts a first-class API that is easily discoverable, versioned, and well-documented. Its use of MessagePack for structured communication allows for extensions to be created in any programming language. Remote plugins operate as co-processes, ensuring safety and asynchronous execution. Various platforms such as GUIs, IDEs, and web browsers can seamlessly integrate Neovim as their editing tool or scripting host. This consistency extends across all environments, utilizing a single build type and command. It also offers modern terminal capabilities, including cursor styling, focus events, and bracketed paste functionality. With a built-in terminal emulator and sensible defaults, Neovim maintains full compatibility with Vim's editing model and Vimscript v1. If you are transitioning from Vim, starting with :help nvim-from-vim is recommended. The current stable release is version 0.5 (RSS), and interested users can check the roadmap for updates and future objectives. Neovim aims to facilitate new applications while maintaining its commitment to Vim's established functionalities, all while featuring 30% less source code than Vim. Additionally, while Lua is integrated into Neovim, it also offers support for Vimscript through the most sophisticated Vimscript engine available, which includes an AST-producing parser for enhanced performance. This dual support allows users to leverage their existing scripts while exploring the capabilities of Lua.

jEdit stands out as a well-established text editor for programmers, boasting a development history that spans hundreds of person-years, especially when factoring in the creation of plugins. This robust editor surpasses many costly alternatives in terms of functionality and user-friendliness, all while being offered as free software with complete source code under the GPL 2.0 license. It includes a built-in macro language and an extensible architecture for plugins, with a vast selection of macros and plugins readily available. Users can easily download and install these plugins directly from jEdit through the convenient "plugin manager" feature. Additionally, jEdit supports a wide variety of character encodings, such as UTF-8 and Unicode, making it highly versatile. It is designed to be configurable and customizable, encompassing all the essential and advanced features one would anticipate in a modern text editor, ensuring it meets the diverse needs of its users. As a result, jEdit remains a compelling choice for developers seeking a powerful yet accessible tool for their coding tasks.

gedit serves as the text editor for the GNOME desktop environment, prioritizing user-friendliness through its default simple interface. Users can access more sophisticated functionalities by activating various plugins, thanks to a versatile plugin architecture that allows for the dynamic incorporation of new advanced features. This adaptability makes gedit a powerful tool for both casual users and those requiring more complex capabilities.

CudaText is a versatile text editor that operates across multiple platforms and is developed using Object Pascal. As an open-source initiative, it provides users the freedom to utilize its features at no cost, including for commercial purposes. On an Intel Core i3 3GHz processor running Linux, the application launches quickly and efficiently. Users can enhance its functionality through Python-based add-ons, plugins, linters, and external tools, making it highly adaptable. The syntax parser, powered by the EControl engine, is robust and supports over 270 languages with rich syntax highlighting. It also enables the visualization of code structures, such as functions and classes, contingent on the capabilities of the lexer. Additional features include code folding, the ability to use multiple carets and selections, as well as advanced find and replace options that utilize regular expressions. Configuration files are conveniently stored in JSON format, allowing for lexer-specific settings. The interface is tabbed and includes options for split views and windows, accommodating up to six groups of tabs. A command palette with fuzzy matching enhances navigation, while a minimap and micromap aid in text editing. CudaText also displays unprinted whitespace and supports a wide array of encodings, catering to diverse user needs. Furthermore, it allows for customizable hotkeys and includes a binary/hex viewer capable of handling files of virtually any size, which is particularly useful for analyzing large log files up to 10 GB. The combination of these features makes CudaText a powerful tool for programmers and writers alike.

CotEditor is specifically designed for macOS and aligns perfectly with the expectations of macOS users. Its rapid launch time ensures that you can begin writing without delay whenever inspiration strikes. As an open-source project, CotEditor invites contributions from anyone interested in enhancing its capabilities. It supports syntax highlighting for over 50 popular programming languages, such as HTML, PHP, Python, Ruby, and Markdown, while also allowing users to create personalized settings. The interface enables you to split the window into several panes, facilitating the simultaneous view of various sections of your document. You can easily inspect the Unicode character data of any selected character, which is displayed conveniently in a popover. There is no need for complicated configuration files requiring technical expertise; all your settings, including syntax definitions and themes, can be managed through a straightforward preferences window. With CotEditor, the worry of losing unsaved changes is eliminated, as it automatically backs up your work during editing sessions. Additionally, it provides a feature to identify and list characters in your document that cannot be converted to the desired encoding, ensuring a smooth writing experience. This combination of user-friendliness and powerful features makes CotEditor a valuable tool for writers and developers alike.