TextEdit Alternatives

TextEdit is described as 'When you need to create text documents, TextEdit is a highly versatile word processor, including tools to format and layout your page, edit and stylize text, check spelling, create tables and lists, import graphics, work with HTML, and even add music and movie files' and is a Text Editor in the office & productivity category. There are more than 50 alternatives to TextEdit for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD and Haiku apps. The best TextEdit alternative is Sublime Text. It's not free, so if you're looking for a free alternative, you could try Vim or gedit. Other great apps like TextEdit are GNU nano, Notepad, CudaText and Aptana Studio.

TextEdit alternatives are mainly Text Editors but may also be Code Editors or IDEs. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of TextEdit.

TextEdit alternatives page was last updated

TextEdit

Free • Proprietary
Text Editor

When you need to create text documents, TextEdit is a highly versatile word processor, including tools to format and layout...

More about TextEdit

Sublime Text
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Paid • Proprietary
Text Editor
Code Editor
IDE
Mac
Windows
Linux
188 Sublime Text alternatives
Sublime Text is a sophisticated text editor for code, html and prose - any kind of text file. You'll love the slick user interface and extraordinary features.
- - Sublime Text is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to TextEdit.
- - Sublime Text is the most popular commercial alternative to TextEdit.
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Sublime Text Features
1. LightweightSublime Text consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsSublime Text can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
3. Syntax HighlightingSublime Text supports syntax highlighting for various programming and markup languages.
4. No TrackingSublime Text will not track you or use your personal data.
5. Dark ModeSublime Text supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
6. AutocompletionSublime Text can predict and complete the rest of a word or phrase you're typing.
7. Distraction-freeSublime Text has a distraction-free mode for when you need to focus.
8. PortableSublime Text can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
Customizable
Package Control
Clean design
Multiple Cursors
Text editing
Font Ligature Support
Simple text editor
Tabbed interface
Code review
High-dpi support
Opinions about Sublime Text as a Alternative to TextEdit
Most users think Sublime Text is a great TextEdit alternative.
Vim
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Text Editor
Code Editor
IDE
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
Haiku
AmigaOS
OpenSolaris
MorphOS
194 Vim alternatives
Vim ("Vi IMproved") is an advanced text editor that allows syntax highlighting, word completion and has a huge amount of contributed content. It also has a GUI version called GVim.
- - Vim is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to TextEdit.
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Vim Features
1. LightweightVim consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsVim can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
3. Syntax HighlightingVim supports syntax highlighting for various programming and markup languages.
4. Command line interfaceVim either have CLI support or is a CLI-only app.
5. Works OfflineVim can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
6. Support for MarkDownVim supports MarkDown for document formatting.
7. Batch EditingVim allows you to select multiple items (tasks, files, images etc) and edit their properties all at once.
8. PortableVim can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
9. No registration requiredYou can use most of the features in Vim without registration.
Keyboard focused
Customizable
Hackable
Well documented
Configurable
Modal editor
Code Syntax Highlighting
Built-in terminal emulation
Terminal-based
Visual Mode
Comments about Vim as a Alternative to TextEdit
Some users think Vim is a great TextEdit alternative, some don't.
Ihsan Praditya
TextEdit is best for simple GUI text editing with a control of font size, alignment, non latin alphabeth, and much more but not for code editing. it's seem a minimal package of MS Word. VIM is like Code Editor which you shouldn't put then non latin font, let alone right to left language font.
Negative comment•
0

Guest
Vim is best in class for what it is designed to do (CLI text editing) but is not at all like the GUI TextEdit. The average TextEdit user would not even recognize Vim.
Negative comment•
2
gedit
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Text Editor
Code Editor
Mac
Windows
Linux
Chrome OS
BSD
GNOME
OpenSolaris
173 gedit alternatives
Official text editor of the GNOME desktop environment. Has syntax highlighting and is suitable for programming, with support for several languages. It is extensible with plugins.
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gedit Features
1. Lightweightgedit consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. Syntax Highlightinggedit supports syntax highlighting for various programming and markup languages.
3. Extensible by Plugins/Extensionsgedit can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
4. Privacy focusedgedit is considered a privacy friendly alternative.
5. Works Offlinegedit can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
6. Ad-freegedit doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
7. Autocompletiongedit can predict and complete the rest of a word or phrase you're typing.
8. Spell Checkinggedit can detect and correct all types of grammar and spelling mistakes.
Customizable
Support for Unicode
GNU nano
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Text Editor
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
Haiku
132 GNU nano alternatives
GNU nano is a small and friendly text editor. Besides basic text editing, nano offers many extra features like an interactive search and replace, go to line and column number, auto-indentation, feature toggles, internationalization support, and filename tab completion.
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GNU nano Features
1. Command line interfaceGNU nano either have CLI support or is a CLI-only app.
Terminal-based
Search and Replace
Automatic Indentation
Comments about GNU nano as a Alternative to TextEdit
pros, cons and recent comments
Guest
GNU nano is a terminal based editor which does not at all resemble TextEdit
Negative comment•
1

Guest
Nano is a great terminal based editor, but anyone looking for an alternative to TextEdit is of course expecting a GUI application.
Negative comment•
1
Notepad
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Proprietary
Text Editor
Windows
128 Notepad alternatives
Fastest and lightweight simple text editor bundled with all Windows OS. Just plain text, saves in .txt format. So it has been used by people for long time Since 1980s. Features improved especially since 2018.
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Notepad Features
1. LightweightNotepad consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
Minimalistic
Simple text editor
Support for Unicode
Save as txt
Bundled with Windows
Comments about Notepad as a Alternative to TextEdit
pros, cons and recent comments
Guest
Notepad lacks rich text editing
Negative comment•
1
CudaText
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Text Editor
Code Editor
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
181 CudaText alternatives
CudaText is a cross-platform text editor, written in Lazarus / Free Pascal.
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CudaText Features
1. LightweightCudaText consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsCudaText can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
3. Support for ThemesYou can use themes and templates to change the look and feel of CudaText.
4. AutocompletionCudaText can predict and complete the rest of a word or phrase you're typing.
5. Ad-freeCudaText doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
6. No registration requiredYou can use most of the features in CudaText without registration.
7. Syntax HighlightingCudaText supports syntax highlighting for various programming and markup languages.
Native application
Customizable
Minimap
Command palette
Aptana Studio
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
IDE
Mac
Windows
Linux
120 Aptana Studio alternatives
Aptana Studio is a complete web development environment that combines powerful authoring tools with a collection of online hosting and collaboration services that help you and your team do more. Includes support for PHP, CSS, FTP, and more...
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Aptana Studio Features
1. Real time collaborationMultiple users can work together in Aptana Studio simultaneously.
Support for FTP
Discontinued
The last update is from Feb 2021 and the last release is from Jul 2018.
TextMate
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Text Editor
Code Editor
IDE
Mac
149 TextMate alternatives
TextMate brings Apple's approach to operating systems into the world of text editors. By bridging UNIX underpinnings and GUI, TextMate cherry-picks the best of both worlds to the benefit of expert scripters and novice users alike.
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TextMate Features
1. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsTextMate can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
2. Support for ThemesYou can use themes and templates to change the look and feel of TextMate.
3. Syntax HighlightingTextMate supports syntax highlighting for various programming and markup languages.
4. LightweightTextMate consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
5. Support for MarkDownTextMate supports MarkDown for document formatting.
Automatic Indentation
Search and Replace
Snippets Manager
SciTE
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Text Editor
Code Editor
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
Xfce
142 SciTE alternatives
SciTE is a SCIntilla based Text Editor. Originally built to demonstrate Scintilla, it has grown to be a generally useful editor with facilities for building and running programs. It is best used for jobs with simple configurations - I use it for building test and demonstration...
SciTE has no features, suggest some!
PSPad
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Proprietary
Text Editor
Code Editor
Windows
158 PSPad alternatives
PSPad is a freeware programmers editor in 8 languages for Microsoft Windows operating systems. Some features are highlighted syntax, ftp, projects and so on. Code explorer for Pascal, C/C++, INI, HTML, XML, PHP and more in development, internal web browser with APACHE support.
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PSPad Features
1. Syntax HighlightingPSPad supports syntax highlighting for various programming and markup languages.
2. LightweightPSPad consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
3. PortablePSPad can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
Hex Editor
ASCII to Hex
Edit files without creating a project
UltraEdit
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Paid • Proprietary
Text Editor
Code Editor
Mac
Windows
Linux
200 UltraEdit alternatives
UltraEdit is the ideal text, HTML and HEX editor, and an advanced PHP, Perl, Java and JavaScript editor for programmers. An industry-award winner, UltraEdit supports disk-based 64-bit file handling (standard) on 32-bit Windows platforms (Windows 2000 and later).
Suggest and vote on features
UltraEdit Features
Column based text editing
Hex Editor
jEdit
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Text Editor
Code Editor
Mac
Windows
Linux
129 jEdit alternatives
jEdit is a mature programmer's text editor with hundreds (counting the time developing plugins) of person-years of development behind it. jEdit beats many expensive development tools for features and ease of use AND it is released as free software with full source code...
jEdit has no features, suggest some!