Best Text Editors for Mac in 2023
A solid text editor can be a game changer when it comes to productivity. Whether you are a professional programmer, blogger or student, you are constantly looking for a text editor that meets your needs. Finding the best text editor for Mac can be a daunting task, but I’ve done all the hard work for you and put together a helpful list.
The list has it all, from the simplicity of VS Code to the powerful features of Sublime Text. So, explore these text editor apps and choose the one that best suits your needs.
1. VS Code – Editors’ Choice
Visual Studio Code, commonly referred to as VS Code, is a highly regarded text editor for Mac. This free and open source code editing software developed by Microsoft offers a developer-friendly experience, allowing programmers to write and debug their code with ease. Its intuitive interface has made it popular with the developer community, allowing them to run programs efficiently.
One of the outstanding features of the software is its support for a wide range of programming languages such as JavaScript, Python, C++ and more. Also, the ability to install extensions to enhance your experience and enhance your development experience is what I particularly like about this top-rated text editor for Mac.
Built-in Git integration saves developers by allowing them to easily manage their code repositories and track changes right from the editor. This integration allows programmers to run Git commands in a Mac text editor, which saves a lot of time. In addition, the program offers a visual representation of the repository, making it easier to understand changes over time.
VS Code provides developers with many tools for quick code discovery and troubleshooting, as well as the ability to quickly test code. The interactive debugger is a valuable tool for navigating through code and examining its execution. With all these features, it’s no surprise that VS Code is at the top of our list.
Note. Visual Studio is an IDE for Mac and should not be confused with VS Code.
Supported languages: C++, C#, CSS, Dart, Dockerfile, F#, Go, HTML, Java, JavaScript, JSON, Julia, Less, Markdown, PHP, PowerShell, Python, R, Rust, SCSS, T-SQL, TypeScript, etc. d..
pros
- Extensive customization options
- Lots of extensions
- light weighted
- Uses the Emmet code feature
Minuses
- No obvious cons found
Price: Free
2. Atom – Customizable Text Editor
Atom is a popular, highly customizable text editor for Mac that offers many features for developers, writers, and anyone who needs a solid text editor. It is positioned as a text editor that can be hacked, as it allows you to install custom themes and at the same time enhances the ability to work with external packages. Developed by GitHub, now a subsidiary of Microsoft, Atom is a combination of reliability and innovation.
With a modern and clean user interface, Atom is comfortable and easy to navigate. It also includes useful tools such as a built-in file system browser, multiple panels, and a command palette, making it easy to work with multiple files and projects. In addition, the software offers programmers the ability to split the screen, allowing them to compare and edit code at the same time.
A tree-view file navigator that simplifies file management is a key feature of the application. However, features such as autocomplete, linting, and debugging set this editor apart from others. It also makes it easier to write, test, and debug code.
In addition, programmers can install packages for additional syntax highlighting, support for new programming languages, or integration with popular tools such as Git. The only drawback of Atom is its high resource consumption, which can sometimes slow down your device.
Supported languages: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, Python, Ruby, Go, C, C++, Java, Swift, TypeScript, SQL, Markdown, JSON, XML, Perl, COBOL, CoffeeScript, Scala, etc.
pros
- Cross-platform editing
- Based on an electronic framework
- Smart completion
- Built-in package manager
Minuses
- Takes up a lot of device memory
Price: Free
3. Sublime Text – An easy to use text editor
Sublime Text is another highly requested Mac text editor for coding and managing text. With a user-friendly interface, this software provides users with the speed and features to edit, format and manage text files without any hassle.
An efficient memory management system, which ensures that the editor remains fast and responsive even when working with large files, can be considered one of the key points of the tool. In addition to efficiently handling large files, the Mac Code Editor also provides a split-screen option so that programmers can compare, debug, and edit different parts of code at the same time.
Another impressive feature of the text editor for Mac is syntax highlighting and powerful search and replace features. Using these features, you can easily perform complex searches and you will never lose sight of your code thanks to syntax highlighting. The creators have also provided the ability to search within files, which is useful when working on large projects.
Finally, Sublime Text is popular in my office because it supports macros, allowing me to automate and streamline repetitive tasks. In addition, you can also install a wide range of color schemes, themes, and plugins, adding even more value to this already exceptional text editor.
Supported languages: C, C++, C#, CSS, Go, HTML, Java, JavaScript, JSON, LaTeX, Lua, Markdown, Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby, Rust, Scala, shell script, SQL, XML, YAML, etc. d.
pros
- Autocomplete feature
- Syntax highlighting
- Working with large files is smooth
- Rich functionality
Minuses
- A bit expensive
Price: Free (Personal license starts at $99 | Business license starts at $65)
4. Brackets is your web developer assistant
Brackets by Adobe Inc. is a text editor focused on web development. The software developers have made sure that the product has a modern design and is lightweight. Even after all this, they made sure that the user interface of the program remains easy to use.
One of the app’s most noteworthy features is the live preview, which allows you to test and modify code in real time before saving. This function renders your code exactly as it would appear in a web browser. In addition, the application can be customized to suit your specific requirements by adding extensions.
Brackets also has a built-in image optimizer that reduces the size of image files for faster and more efficient web page loading. The Quick Update tool deserves special attention because it allows you to change multiple instances of a piece of code at the same time, saving you time and simplifying the process.
Finally, the software interface is fully customizable, allowing you to arrange panels and windows however you see fit. Brackets is a great text editor for Mac users, whether you’re an experienced web developer or just starting out.
Supported languages: C++, C, VBScript for Java, JavaScript, HTML, Python, Perl, and Ruby.
pros
- Easy
- Allows you to edit code directly
- Editing Without Distractions
- Fragments of the color code
Minuses
- Don’t show code hints or syntax errors
- Complex preference settings
Price: Free
5. Vim is a lightweight text editor for Mac
When compiling a list of the best text editors for Mac, it would be inappropriate to neglect the veteran editor Vim. Serving the programming community for over three decades, Vim is an updated version of the Vi editor. It is widely known for its system administration and coding capabilities.
Like the other text editors on the list, Vim offers a lot of customization options, allowing users to tailor the software to their specific requirements. However, what sets Vim apart is its support for multiple buffers, which allows users to work on multiple files at the same time, making it a great choice for handling complex jobs.
However, using Vim’s built-in scripting language, developers can create their own plugins and extensions. In addition, there are also many third-party extensions that can further extend the functionality of Vim.
Despite the many features, the program interface remains simple and easy to use. It’s also one of the lightest text editors around, and with keyboard shortcuts, tasks can be done quickly and efficiently.
Note. The software is free; however, the producers encourage donations to a children’s charity in Uganda.
Supported languages: C, C++, Python, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Ruby, Perl, Lua, shell scripts (Bash, Zsh, etc.)
pros
- Interface without a mouse
- Lightweight and fast
- Powerful plugin model
- open source
Minuses
- Challenging learning curve
- You need to put in a lot of effort to set up
Price: Free
6. BBEdit – Award-Winning Text Editor
BBEdit is an award-winning HTML and text editing software. A program developed by Bare Bones can support the community of writers, as well as be useful to the community of developers and content authors of the site.
The program is especially useful for users who need to quickly find and replace lines in multiple files. It offers several powerful tools such as code folding, window splitting, and a “cut”feature for frequently used code snippets.
For the programming community, BBEdit provides code completion and automatic code indentation. In addition, it also has syntax highlighting for about twenty programming languages. Apart from this, it also has a built-in debugger to detect and fix errors.
All in all, the app is a flexible text editor suitable for developers, authors, and anyone who works with text on a regular basis. Because it contains extensive search and replace capabilities, coding features, productivity tools, and a highly customizable interface, BBEdit is a popular choice among Mac users.
Supported Languages: ANSI C, C++, Fortran 95, HTML, Java, JavaScript, Lasso, Object Pascal, Objective-C, Perl, PHP, Python, Rez, Ruby, Setext, SQL, etc.
pros
- Supports a wide range of programming languages
- Powerful search and replace functionality
- Extensive customization options
- Clean interface
Minuses
- A bit pricey
Price: Free (individual license starts at $49.99).
7. Emacs – a simple text editor
Emac is one of the contenders for being the best text editor for Mac. The program is in high demand among developers and authors due to its robust and customizable features. One of the reasons for its popularity is the ease of downloading, installing and using the program.
The open source program is highly customizable and has specialized modes for various tasks such as programming or editing markup languages. Emacs also has a package manager for quickly installing new modes, themes, and extensions.
In addition, Emacs has excellent keyboard shortcuts that allow you to change words efficiently and quickly and navigate through files without using the mouse. It also supports macros to automate repetitive tasks.
Emacs includes a shell that allows users to execute commands and scripts without leaving the editor. It offers text editing, syntax highlighting, autocomplete and code folding for programmers working on large projects.
Supported languages: C, C++, Python, Java, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Ruby, Perl, Lisp, shell scripts, SQL, etc.
pros
- Powerful navigation and editing capabilities
- Cross platform support
- Has a large and active community
Minuses
- May be memory intensive
- Difficult to use
Price: Free
8. UltraEdit is a multilingual editor for Mac.
UltraEdit may be last on my list of text editors for Mac, but it’s unmatched on this list. This tool is widely known by developers, programmers and power users as it allows you to process large files with ease and offers a wide range of features and capabilities.
The program supports more than fifty programming languages and allows users to quickly navigate through their files. It includes advanced features such as syntax highlighting, code folding, and auto-indentation, making it easy to create complex scripts.
In addition, UltraEdit shows excellent integration with other tools and programs. Users can also access and edit files directly from FTP or SFTP servers, and support for Git, Subversion, and other version control systems makes code management and collaboration easy. The editor also offers customization options to suit individual preferences.
Supported languages: C, C++, Cobol, Fortran, Pascal, Perl, Plb, Visual Basic, VB Script, ASP, C#, CSS, HTML, Java, JavaScript, ECMAScript, PHP, Python, etc.
pros
- Supports syntax highlighting
- Handle large files with ease
- The search and replace function is present
Minuses
- Interface can be overwhelming
- Expensive
Price: Free (individual subscription for $79.95)
FAQ
Deciding which is better, an IDE or a text editor, depends solely on your individual requirements. The two tools serve completely different purposes; The IDE is used for testing and previewing code projects, while the text editor is only used for generating code.
Unfortunately Notepad++ does not offer a Mac compatible version. However, you can use any of the text editors for Mac listed above to suit your needs.
TextEdit is the default text editor that comes with Mac. It is a simple word processor that can create and modify simple or rich text documents with formatting and images.
That’s all!
What do you think of the Mac text editors I provided? Have you used any of the editors mentioned or do you have a favorite that I didn’t mention? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.
Leave a Reply