Windows and macOS come pre-installed with a program that can open and edit text files. It's called TextEdit on Macs and Notepad on Windows, but neither are quite as advanced as some of the third-party applications that are available today.
Pixlr Editor was once available as a downloadable desktop app for Windows and Mac, but earlier this year its developer announced that the free photo editor would be going online-only.
Most of the text editors below need to be downloaded to your computer before you can use them, but all of them provide their own unique set of features that set them apart from the default software programs that come with Windows and Mac.
Why Use a Text Editor?
A text editor lets you open a file as a text document, something that can be useful for a number of reasons:
- Create a file from scratch using a specific programming language, like an HTML or CSS file for use on a website
- Edit or build files that end with the TXT, REG, XML, CSV, ASP, BAT, AU3, PHP, AHK, SVG, or JS file extension, among many others
- View the text version of a file that you don't know the format for
- Quickly remove formatting like bold, custom font types, URL hyperlinks, etc.
If you just need a super quick way to strip the formatting from some text, try this online text editor. To make a .TXT file online without downloading a program, try Edit Pad.
Notepad++
What We Like
Tabbed interface
Automatically restores recently opened, unsaved files
Auto-completes as you write
Includes tons of really helpful features like macros, syntax highlighting, and plugins
Opens basically any file as a text document
There's a portable version available
Notepad++ is the best alternative notepad application for Windows computers. It’s really easy to use for basic users who just need a text file opener or editor but also includes some really advanced features for those interested.
This program uses tabbed browsing which means you can open multiple documents at once and they'll display at the top of Notepad++ as tabs. While each tab represents its own file, Notepad++ can interact with all of them at once to do things like compare files for differences and search for or replace text.
Probably the easiest way to edit files with Notepad++ is to right-click the file and choose Edit with Notepad++ from the context menu.
This program can open nearly any file as a text document and supports lots of helpful plugins. It also includes a really handy text search/replace function, highlights syntax automatically, auto-completes words, and is the best offline text file converter.
The Notepad++ Find option lets you search for words with criteria like backward direction, match whole word only, match case, and wrap around.
Also supported is bookmarking, macros, auto-backup, multi-page searching, resumed sessions, read-only mode, encoding conversions, and the ability to search for words on Wikipedia and quickly open the document in your web browser.
Notepad++ also supports plugins to do things like auto-save open documents, merge all the text from open documents into one main file, align programming code, monitor open documents to refresh them as they change, copy and paste more than one item from the clipboard at once, and lots more.
Notepad++ lets you save text documents to a huge variety of formats like TXT, CSS, ASM, AU3, BASH, BAT, HPP, CC, DIFF, HTML, REG, HEX, JAVA, SQL, VBS, and many others.
Notepad++ works with Windows only, both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. You can also grab a portable version of Notepad++ from the download page; one is in the ZIP format and the other is a 7Z file.
Brackets
What We Like
Perfect for an uncluttered, minimal working space
Supports split-screen editing
Includes code-specific syntax highlighting
Can view updates for some files live in your web browser
Lets you use keyboard shortcuts
Works on Windows, Linux, and macOS
Plugins are supported to add extra features
What We Don't Like
Built mainly for people with code development in mind, so most of the features are centered around project files, displaying code, etc.
Brackets is a free text editor that's primarily meant for web designers, but can of course be used by anyone to view or edit a text document.
The interface is extremely clean and modern and feels really easy to use despite all of its advanced settings. In fact, nearly all of the options are hidden away from plain site so that it's easy for anyone to use, which also provides an extremely open UI for editing.
Code writers might like that Brackets highlights syntax, can split the screen to edit more than one document simultaneously, lets you click one No Distractions button for a really simple interface, and supports lots of keyboard shortcuts so that you can quickly indent, duplicate, move between lines, toggle line and block comments, show or hide code hints, and more.
You can quickly change the file type you're working with to instantly change syntax highlighting rules, as well as change the encoding of the file if you need to.
If you're editing a CSS or HTML file, you can enable the Live Preview option to watch the page update in real time in your web browser as you make changes to the file.
The Working Files area is where you can open all of the files that belong to a single project, and quickly move between them without leaving Brackets.
Some examples of plugins you can use in Brackets includes one to support W3C validation, Ungit to make it easier to use Git, an HTML tag menu, and Python tools.
Brackets comes installed with both a dark and a light theme that you can change at any time, but there are dozens of others that you can install through the Extensions Manager.
Brackets is available as a DEB, MSI, and DMG file for use in Linux, Windows, and macOS, respectively.
Komodo Edit
What We Like
Very attractive and modern interface
You can make virtual projects to bring together files from various locations
Supports unique features not found in similar text editors
Changing the interface setup is easy with one click
The tabbed interface is easy to work with
Runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows
What We Don't Like
It's a bit complex — even with its minimal UI — for people who want just a simple text editor
Komodo Edit is another free text editor with a super clear and minimal design that still manages to pack some awesome features.
Various view modes are included so that you can quickly open or close specific windows. One is “Focus Mode” to hide all of the open windows and just display the editor, and the others show/hide things like folders, the syntax checker results, and notifications.
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This program makes it very easy to open text documents even while one is currently open. At the very top of the program is the path to the currently opened file, and you can select the arrow next to any folder to get a list of files, any of which will open as a new tab in Komodo Edit if you select it.
The folder views off to the side of Komodo Edit are also really useful since they let you browse through the file system as well as create virtual projects that link folders and files together to better organize what you need to work on.
A unique feature in Komodo Edit is the area at the upper-left side of the program that lets you not only undo and redo like most programs, but also go back to the previous cursor location, as well as go forward to return to where you just were.
Here are some other Komodo Edit features worth noting:
- Can connect to a remote FTP server to open and/or save files
- Supports bookmarking specific areas of the document
- Lets you switch to a huge number of file types to highlight syntax differently and to save under that format
- The 'Go to Anything' search box lets you search for files to open, install add-ons, run scripts and commands, open menus, install other languages, change the color scheme, and more
- Recently closed tabs and files are easy to re-open
- Lets you preview files in a web browser
- Templates can be built out of existing files
- A 'Watch File' option can open a document in a new window for reference withouting being added to the tabbed list of files you're editing
- Records macros that can be played back to repeat things
This text editor works with Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Visual Studio Code
What We Like
Whole folders can be opened at once to open all of the text files
A minimal interface is just one click away
Supports tabs for easy file tracking
Includes a debugger; perfect for source code editing
What We Don't Like
Centered primarily around editing and debugging code, so it could be too much for the average user
Settings are difficult to change
Visual Studio Code is a free text editor that's used primarily as a source code editor.
The program is extremely minimal and even has a 'Zen Mode' option one click away that immediately hides all the menus and windows, and maximizes the program to fill the whole screen.
The tabbed browsing interface seen with other text editors is supported in Visual Studio Code as well, which makes it really easy to work with multiple documents at once.
You can also open entire folders of files at once if you're working on a project, and even save the project for easy retrieval later.
However, this text editor probably isn't ideal unless you plan to use it for programming purposes. There are entire sections dedicated to debugging code, viewing command outputs, managing source control providers, and even using a built-in Command Prompt.
The settings are also not as intuitive to adjust since you have to modify them using the text editor; the settings are entirely text-based.
Here are some features you might find useful in this program:
- You can open whole folders at once from the right-click context menu
- A 'Change All Occurrences' option makes it easy to select and edit text you want to change throughout the entire document in one sweep
- Similar is the 'Rename Refactoring' option to change the name of a symbol in every instance of it across all the documents in your project
- Opening recently closed documents is easy since they're listed in the same place
- The 'IntelliSense' feature helps to automatically fill in code based on surrounding text and the location of the cursor in the document
- Files can be auto-saved if you turn the option on
- A document can quickly be reverted back to the state it was in when you last saved it
- The editing space can be split into multiple windows for side-by-side reading and editing
- Dozens of keyboard shortcuts are allowed and fully editable, such as one to copy/paste an entire line of code directly above or below the current position
- You can change the color theme of the program as well as the theme of icons
- Extensions can be installed to add more features to Visual Studio Code, such as one to debug JavaScript code in the Chrome browser and another to run programming code directly from the text editor
- When searching for text strings, you can define whether to match the case and/or the whole word
Visual Studio Code can be installed on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers.
Have you ever used a specific programming language to create a file from scratch, like HTML or CSS file? Are you familiar with building files with extensions such as txt, reg, bat, js etc? Are you managed to view a text version of a file that you didn’t know the format?. If the answer is yes, then you are familiar with a text editor and what it is. If you haven’t done any of this then you might not have used a text editor for at least to remove text formatting such as italic, hyperlinks etc. For them, text editors are mainly used to perform the above functions. So you know what text editor is, but you probably don’t know the best options out there.
Please read on to find out the best Text Editors for PCs. Whether it is Windows, Mac or Linux, these text editors are going to make you productive while you code next time.
Notepad++
If you are wondering which one is the best text editor for PCs to start with, read the title again; Notepad++. It might be the first text editor one may stumble upon. This best text editor is Windows only and it is free. One of the plus points of this text editor is its interface. You are getting a customizable interface with this popular code editor. Do you wish for a minimal and simple interface or do you rather prefer the toolbar-rich interface? You can choose either of them as you wish.
Another thing about the user interface of this text editor for Windows that the users would find useful is the tabbed interface. This would help you to work on multiple documents with ease. The document map is a feature of this best code editor which gives a view of where you are standing in your work at any given time. And there are those small but very productive features such as auto-completion, text-shortening, macro recording, shortcut customization and more. You can also do syntax highlighting and it is customizable. You can get Notepad++ either as an installable app or as a portable app so that you can even run it from a flash drive/cloud storage service. This text editor for Windows is coming with a lot of other plugins to extend the features.
Download from Website: Notepad++
Auto code completion, tag completion, and lookup for many programming languages. CSS style builder, HTML tag builder, tag navigators, and much more. Sidekicks, code builders, function navigators, program execution, and more. Script editor for windows 10. XML, HTML, and CSS validators Regular expression capable find and replace, find / replace in files across the entire file system and more.
Note: Even though Notepad is a powerful editor it is not supporting Mac OS. For Mac users, please see 8 Best Notepad++ Alternative for Mac Users.
Light Table
Light Table is a cross-platform text editor available for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. This minimalist text editor is best suited for website development, but not limited to that. One of the most interesting features of this text editor for Mac is the instant preview of the webpage working on, which will display on the embedded browser.
To make the most use of screen space, this code editor fashions a tabbed and pane interface. The open source text editor for Linux is a result of a Kickstarter project. Most of the features in this text editor meet the needs of users such as inline code feedback, instant testing of code, centralized plugins, and so on.
Free Text Editor
Download from Website: LightTable
BlueFish
BlueFish is yet another multi-platform text editor so that whether you are a Windows, Mac OS or Linux user, you can get the benefits of this Linux text editor. This text editor for PC can handle a huge number of files simultaneously and can still keep up its speed. This lightweight text editor may overwhelm some people as it got an excess amount of tabs and toolbars. You will appreciate this text editor for the snippet support and external program integration.
If you are a web developer, this text editor gives you the ability of remote editing. You also get features such as syntax highlighting and checking. With support for a majority of programming languages, BlueFish is one of the best code editors out there.
Download from Website: BlueFish
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Sublime Text
Sublime is a feature packed text editor with support for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. It’s distributed as evaluation software, or in other words, you can try it for free without any time limit. Then you might have to pay $70 to get the full license. Another attractive thing is that sublime text stays fast and responsive even on less-powerful devices. This text editor for Linux features powerful search functionality within the app. There is a distraction-free mode to help you focus, by hiding away all the clutter. You can select multiple rows and make changes to them simultaneously in the sublime text editor.
One area where this best code editor shines is the keyboard shortcuts. You will get to use a large number of keyboard commands to operate inside this text editor Mac. Moreover, you could also customize these shortcuts to your convenience and even chain the shortcuts together to achieve complex and fast operations. To open multiple documents at the same time, this best text editor has got a tabbed interface. If you wish to see where you are in the document at any point of time, look at the right side of the window and you can see the bird’s eye view of the same. The sublime text also provides plugins and add-ons for specific programming languages.
Download from Website: Sublime Text
Gedit
If you have used GNOME Linux desktop, you might know about Gedit, since it is the default text editor for Linux. But that doesn’t mean it is confined to that platform alone. You will get Gedit versions compatible with Windows and Mac OS too. The text editor for PC has a simple design and useful features are packed in. You will get syntax highlighting as many of other code editors does. To help you make changes quickly, it features a ‘search and replace‘ capability.
This Linux text editor has a tabbed interface. Many more features are included in it like bracket matching that will make your work smooth. ‘Snippets’ is a plugin which helps to add text macros and documentation statistics to analyze open documents. More of such plugins are available for Gedit
Download from Website: Gedit
Emacs
Emac is the text editor you could access if you have an operating system with command line interface (CLI). That means it’s a text editor for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS, and it is free. It is one of the powerful tools out there but not the easiest one to use. There are many variants of Emacs available among which GNU Emacs is the most used one. You can handle from simple documents to complex codes using Emacs text editor.
This text editor for Mac supports macro reading. If you get familiar with all the shortcuts (which are a lot actually), you can tame Emacs. This cross-platform text editor is also suitable for non-programming purposes such as calendaring, project planning, news reading, and word processing.
Download from Website: Emacs
Related: Best 10 Dark Themes for Windows 10
Brackets
Web designers might not need an introduction to Brackets, one of the best code editors basically meant for web designing. You can also view and edit text documents using it. One appealing thing about this is the extremely clean and modern interface Video editor for mac youtube. that it fashions. This too is a cross-platform text editor compatible with Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. The text editor features syntax highlighting, no-distraction mode and lots of keyboard shortcuts. To edit multiple documents, a split screen capability is provided in this code editor.
Live Preview is another feature which gives you a real-time update of the CSS/HTML file in the default web browser. ‘Working files’ area is capable of opening all the files belonging to a single project. You can change the theme of Brackets between dark and light or can get more themes from the extension manager. Whether it is for W3C validation or to use Git or an HTML tag menu or Python tools, plugins are available in Brackets.
Download from Website: Brackets
MeetingWords
Meeting Words is yet another cross-platform and free text editor, and vastly different from any of the text editors in this list. How is it different!! It runs entirely online. Though, it differs from all other online text editors also. Unlike other online code editors, Meeting Words doesn’t require you to register an account and sign in. It is as simple as opening the link and start typing. Collaboration function is the highlight feature of this text editor. Multiple users can edit the same document simultaneously. Also, they can chat back and forth (similar to Google Docs). Updates made to the document is instantly shown on the page. The updates by each collaborator can be identified easily as each collaborator will have text highlighted in unique colors.
To get your friends as collaborators just share the link using the ‘Share this pad’ button and it can also share an email. The time slider button shows the history of all edits done in the document, and you can even share a link to the specific version of the document. One drawback of Meeting Words is that it is not possible to open existing documents using it. The only workaround on that is to copy and paste the content of an already existing document to the text box of Meeting Words. To download documents prepared in Meeting Words, make use of the Import/Export option and save it in a preferred format.
Visit the Website: Meeting Words
Vim
Just like Emacs, Vim and its variants are available for any operating systemwith CLI and it is free. This code editor is configurable and while it is not lightweight, it is not too heavy either. Vim supports a number of languages. The capability of this text editor for Mac is to keep a history of your actions that help you to repeat or undo the same.
The CLI centered Mac text editor can automatically recognize file types. You might feel Vim as difficult until you cover the not so small learning curve of it. It also packs features such as error detection, syntax highlighting, and customizability.
Download from Website: Vim
Visual Studio Code
Visual Studio Code is a powerful and free text editor that you would love to use. Its design and power may make you wonder that it is an IDE, let’s get that doubt cleared, it is not an IDE! The text editor for Windows is capable of contextual code completion as it has a built-in Intellisense. In fact, a lot of features are built into this text editor to make your experience great. This source code editor fashions a tabbed interface as many other text editors do.
There is a ‘Zen mode’ to hide all the menus and windows, so you can focus on your work on this Windows text editor. You are also getting built-in Git integration. To run your code with breakpoints and call stacks there is a built-in debugging feature. A number of keyboard shortcuts are also injected into this text editor. You can open an entire folder of a project in Visual Studio Code. This text editor is ideal for programming purposes. Even with all these features, Visual Studio Code never lacks in its speed and performance.
Download from Website: Visual Code Studio
Best Text Editor For Mac Quora
Now you know which are the best text editors for your PC. If you are looking for a text editor for Windows, Mac OS or Linux, all options are covered here. All that you need to do now is to select the one that suits you the best. Let us know in the comments which one is your choice.
Pixlr Editor was once available as a downloadable desktop app for Windows and Mac, but earlier this year its developer announced that the free photo editor would be going online-only. Affinity Photo has long been a top seller on the Mac App Store (although you can also buy direct from Serif), as it provides a really powerful selection of photo-editing tools for just under £50/$50. Best photo editor for mac.
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