Over the years, coding has become an art in itself. Today, developers can choose from a wide variety of programming languages, from assembly to Ruby and Python. While there are many programming languages to choose from for a given project, one thing remains constant: every developer needs a code editor to write code.

A good code editor is more than just a simple text editing tool, and that’s where the magic happens: the code that developers write gets translated into usable components for larger projects. Given this importance, it’s no wonder developers are so picky about the code editors they live with day and night. Every developer wants a fast, easy to use, and balanced code editor.

Every code editor will claim to be the best, but you may only need one. Here are some of the major, well-reviewed code editors to see if any are right for you.

0. Vim

Vim is one of the most popular code editors. It’s free, open source and cross-platform, and it’s fair to call it one of the best and most classic code editors of all time. Especially among Linux developers, it has a fairly high reputation. Vim is highly customizable and runs in Dos.

Vim may not be very popular among beginners because of its steep learning curve. Here are some of the features that come with Vim:

  • Integration of the UI
  • Supports syntax highlighting for over 200 languages

1. Light Table

Light Table is another free open source code editor that has a very clean interface and lots of extensions. Light Table is also compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux, and is highly customizable.

With Light Table, the user can see the changes in real time. The editor is very lightweight and supports different embeddings. Light Table aims to create a powerful programming environment that is easy to get started with, but also good to work with.

2. Chocolat

Chocolat is a powerful code editor for Mac, compatible with native Cocoa and with powerful text editing capabilities. Chocolat is designed for seamless integration with the system and supports syntax highlighting for many programming languages. Chocolat provides drag-and-drop functionality for JavaScript, Python and HTML files. Simply drag and drop files or folders to the software interface. Chocolat also supports window segmentation, tabs, color themes and more. The interface is very similar to MacVim.

Some other features:

  • Item search and replacement
  • Real-time error detection

3. Notepad++

Notepad++ is the code editor of choice for developers for a number of reasons. This lightweight code editor is free and open source, it’s fast and takes up very few resources, but it’s pretty much everything developers want. Best of all, the code editor is ideal for beginners and veterans alike.

Notepad++ supports a wide range of programming languages used by developers.

  • Syntax highlighting
  • Support FTP
  • External plug-ins
  • Cross-platform compatibility
  • Code and text folding
  • Integrated compiler

4. Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code (VS Code/VSC) is a free, open source, modern, lightweight Code editor that supports syntax highlighting for almost all major programming languages, supports plug-in extensions, and is optimized for web development and cloud application development. Software cross-platform support Windows, Mac and Linux, running smoothly.

Visual Studio Code also has the following features:

  • Intelligent code completion
  • Customize hotkeys
  • Parentheses matching
  • Code snippet
  • Code comparison
  • Support Git and other features

5. Sublime Text

If you are looking for a lightweight and high-performance code editor, Sublime Text is your choice. This cross-platform code editor looks amazing and performs well, and while it’s paid for, you can try it out indefinitely.

Sublime Text offers many excellent features:

  • Provides installation packages for external plug-ins
  • Support for Python scripts
  • Highly customizable interface
  • Instant file switching
  • Syntax and error detection
  • Multi-line selection and editing
  • Automatic code completion
  • Rich subject matter

6. TextWrangler

TextWrangler is probably the best code editor on the Mac platform. It supports 44 programming languages including JavaScript, Python, HTML, SQL, and more. From Bare Bones Software, TextWrangler is lightweight but versatile: syntax highlighting, intelligent search, code folding, and more for text batching.

As the successor of BBedit, it has made some simplification on the function, lack of Markup, Clippings function, slightly regret. But it’s also a choice for developers because it’s free. The interface is clean and simple, with only common features, and advanced features like FTP/SFTP/AppleScript/Mac OS UNIX scripts are tucked away in the menu.

TextWrangler can easily handle large source code files and offers a wide range of features, including:

  • Support for plug-ins and macros
  • Secure FTP
  • Support SSH
  • Syntax highlighting
  • Done automatically
  • Spell check

7. Atom

GitHub is the world’s largest code-hosting platform, but its developers aren’t content with that. They used the latest popular technology to create a code editor called Atom that “belongs in the 21st century.” Atom is free, open source and cross-platform. It integrates Git and provides package management functions similar to SublimeText. It has rich plug-in extensions and is highly configurable. However, many users also joked about its bloated and sluggish.

Despite being free software, Atom provides several key and important features, including:

  • Built-in package management tools
  • Customizable themes
  • Support command panel
  • And making integration

8. Coda

Code is a Code editor for the Mac platform, and developers looking for speed and stability should love it. Coda is an editor for Web developers and Web designers. Coda is lightweight and powerful. It integrates terminals, text editors, CSS editors, content publishing (combined with the FTP Client function of the Transmit) and other tools required by the entire Web development process. Code is a paid software with a 7-day free trial.

Coda offers a number of powerful features, including:

  • Built-in debugger
  • Local terminal
  • Leopard GUI
  • Automatic code completion
  • Large files are supported

9. Text Mate

Text Mate is another popular code editor on the Mac platform and is well known in the Ruby and RoR communities. In fact, the complete list of supported languages covers all major and minor programming languages. The basic editor is free, but the full editor costs a fee.

Text Mate, along with BBEdit, is called Emacs and Vim on the MAC. Especially suitable for developers to use, you can customize many intimate use of the function.

Text Mate provides many features, including:

  • Support FTP
  • Support the Xcode
  • Syntax highlighting
  • Collapsible code blocks are supported
  • Column selection and typing
  • Automatic code completion

10. jEdit

JEdit claims to be a serious editor for serious programmers. It is an open source (freely available) project developed in Java and released under the GPL license. It runs on Windows, Linux, Mac, and many other platforms, and has plug-ins that extend the basic functionality. It also supports syntax highlighting for more than 80 file types. Supports multiple character encodings including UTF-8.

JEdit has handy macro definition capabilities that can be used in scripting languages such as BeanShell, Jython, and JavaScript.

In addition to plugins and macros that support 100+, there are some wonderful features:

  • Integrate the compiler through third-party plug-ins
  • FTP support and integrated FTP browser
  • Spell check

11. BBEdit

Also known as Bare Bone Edit, this code editor is only available on the Mac platform, allowing you to easily search, manipulate, and Edit code. The trial version is free to download and use, while the full version costs a fee.

The intelligent interface gives BBEdit first-class features, including grep matching, searching and replacing multiple files, proje-defined tools, feature navigation and syntax highlighting for numerous programming languages, code folding, FTP and SFTP opening and saving, AppleScript and Unix scripting support for Mac OS X, code completion, and a powerful HTML tool suite.

BBEdit provides the following features:

  • Code completion
  • Separable edit window
  • Syntax is highlighted

12. Araneae

Araneae, which is only available on Windows, is known for its clean and simple interface, which makes it easy for developers to write code. Araneae is completely free software.

Provides the following functions:

  • Support for popular programming languages, including HTML, CSS, PHP, Rails, XHTML, and more
  • Multiple instances such as jEdit are supported

13. UltraEdit

UltraEdit is a code editor for Windows. Although UltraEdit is not an open source software and requires payment, it is one of the most powerful code editors in the world. It supports almost all major programming languages, including JavaScript, HTML, Perl, C/C + +, and PHP. Can edit text, hexadecimal, ASCII code, can completely replace notepad (if the computer configuration is strong enough), built in English word check, C++ and VB command highlight, can edit multiple files at the same time, and even open a large file speed is not slow. Code folding and macros are also supported.

The code editor includes features developers love, such as:

  • With SSH integration
  • Syntax is highlighted
  • Multiple code
  • Editable columns and blocks
  • Support FTP

14. Emacs

Emacs is a well-known integrated development environment and code editor. Emacs is widely recognized as one of the most popular code editors for professional programmers. Emacs is highly extensible and popular with programmers and other computer users who do mostly technical work. It was originally done by Richard Stallman at MIT in 1975 with Guy Steele II.

Emacs also has the following features:

  • Real-time editor
  • Self-documenting
  • customizability
  • Extensibility (integrated with Lisp)

Feel free to share or add your own editor in the comments section