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.

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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.

Top 10 Best Text Editor for Windows 10 1. Sublime Text Editor. Nowadays the Sublime Text Editor is the best one in the market. It’s solely focused on features rather than looks. It’s a great alternative to IDE but not as heavy as it. You won’t believe how lightweight it is that gets the job done pretty quickly. Sublime Text is a sophisticated text editor for code, markup and prose. You'll love the slick user interface, extraordinary features and amazing performance. Download UltraEdit today to get started on your free 30 day trial. 32 and 64 bit downloads in various languages. What is Notepad. News about Notepad new website. Notepad is a free (as in “free speech” and also as in “free beer”) source code editor and Notepad replacement that supports several languages. Running in the MS Windows environment, its use is governed by GPL License. Teletype for Atom. Great things happen when developers work together—from teaching and sharing knowledge to building better software. Teletype for Atom makes collaborating on code just as easy as it is to code alone, right from your editor. The Best Free Text Editors for Windows, Linux, and Mac Lori Kaufman @howtogeek Updated September 21, 2016, 5:34pm EDT We all use text editors to take notes, save web addresses, write code, as well as other uses.

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:

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  • 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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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.

PRODUCT DISCLOSURE $

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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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  • 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.

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Aptana Studio 3

What We Like

  • Good for JavaScript.

  • Multiplatform support (Windows, Mac, Linux).

  • Plugins expand supported languages.

What We Don't Like

  • Lack of updates and announcements since 2014.

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  • 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.

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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.

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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.

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BlueGriffon

What We Like

  • Multiplatform support (Windows, Mac, Linux).

  • WYSIWYG editor with previews.

  • Good for beginners

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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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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Free Download Text Editor Atom

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.

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.

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

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.