- Published on June 16, 2020
- Updated on
- Read time 9 minutes
- Category
Sep 21, 2020 Espresso is a gorgeous Mac-only code editor that’s powerful and smooth, like the caffeinated beverage it’s named after. This text editor has been credited with helping its users edit CSS in less. I have compiled a list of top 10 best code editors – both open source and premium. So, let’s have a look at them: 1. Visual studio code Visual studio code commonly referred to as VS code, is one of the best code editors in the market. VS code is a product of Microsoft. Like many Microsoft brands, VS code is a cross-platform editor.
It is always exciting for developers from all over the world whenever they get to showcase their best code editor at computer expos and tech conferences. On that note when we talk about free code editors for Windows and Mac to use in the year 2021, we cannot help but wait in anticipation for brand-new features to use right away.
In this write-up, we will talk about the best coding software for multiple platforms. However, we will lay extra emphasis on Windows OS and Mac OS because they are popular operating systems out there right now.
Most of these best code editors are free; you do not have to buy any expensive licenses or whatever to start working on them. Just download a trial version of the said software and see if it fulfills your requirements. Afterward, you can convert to paid software for yourself or the company you are working for.
In addition, we will also fill you in on the most amazing code editors that you and your development team can use feature-wise. Since not all code editors are alike, some of them cannot be used for wide-scale projects.
Likewise, a basic version code editor can be used as a standalone application. If the app itself allows, it can be integrated into an Integrated Development Environment (IDE). Let’s take look at our best code editor list and see what we have handpicked so far.
9 Free Best Code Editors for Windows & Mac to Use in 2021
Best Code Editors of 2021:
1. Notepad++
One of the most well-known code editors that developers all over the world have been using for quite a while is Notepad++. This amazing application was developed in C++. The initial launch version was very simple. It didn’t have a lot of functions back then, but Notepad++ garnered tons of positive reviews.
Not only developers but casual users also prefer using this tool over Windows’ native notepad application.
Using the pure win32 API, the Notepad++ has an amazing execution speed, which is great for the modern gen machines. Thanks to improved execution times, code compilation spans over a matter of few seconds. This helps programmers to get things done right away.
This application is only compatible with the Windows platform at the moment. It uses a GPL license to work. If you are a Mac fan, don’t worry. We have a couple of code editors appended down the list. Just keep glossing over it.
Key Features
- Auto-completion: Word completion, Function completion
- User-defined Syntax highlighting and folding
- Multi-view and Multi-Language support
- Support syntax highlighting for languages like PHP, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS
- Macro recording and playback
- Entirely customizable GUI
- Autosave
- Guided indentation
- Macros
- Split-screen editing and synchronized scrolling
Pricing
- Free
Check out the best task management tools for Mac:
2. Atom
One of the most famous and useful code editors on this list is Atom. Used by millions of developers all over the world, it is an amazing application with a very simple UI that increases its usability.
One of the cool features of this best free code editor is that the developers can submit packages straight from the application. Atom is available for download at multiple platforms: Windows, Linux, and Mac devices. If you are a Mac OSX user, this is the perfect time for you to give this app a shot.
Key Features
- Package Manager Integrated for Plugins support
- Supports Command Palette
- The feature of smart autocompletion
- Cross-platform editing
- Built-in package manager
- File system browser
- Find and replace tool
- Smart autocompletion
- Multiple panes
- Packages and themes
Pricing
- Free
3. Visual Studio Code [VS Code]
Belonging from the Family of software developed by the tech giant Microsoft, Visual Studio Code is an excellent code editor we have on the list. The application is an amazing piece of software that offers deep built-in support for Node.js, TypeScript, and JavaScript.
One of the most effective and time-saving features of this application is its infusion with A.I.
That means that all of the code that the developer writes in the application is read by the software. As a result, it generates auto-responses for code writing. These responses are based on variable types, function definitions, and essential modules.
This application is available for download on Windows, Linux, and Mac OSX.
Key Features
- Code refactoring & debugging
- Easy working with Git and other SCM (Software Configuration Management) providers
- Easily extensible and customizable
- Visual Studio Code CLI
- Live Share
- Helpers (Intellisense, Context Menus)
- Plugins and Themes
- Debugging
- Split Views, Zen Mode
- Integrated Terminal
Pricing
- Free
4. Brackets
Although this list recommends some of the best code editors in the market, there is still no comparison to Brackets code editor. Yes, it is free, but what makes it really useful is the full barrage of extensive new features.
This application has a lightweight framework designed by the people over at Adobe. Believe me, those people know what they are doing. It is one of the best code editors that is completely open-source and you can modify it to your liking.
One of the most amazing features of this application is that you can choose between a browser view to look at how your code is doing or you can view the source code in its original form and modify it from there.
This application is available to be used on Windows, Linux, and Mac devices.
Key Features
- Offers live preview, pre-processor support, and inline editors
- Especially developed tool for macOS
- Quick Edit UI feature puts context-specific code and tools inline
- Pleasant looking UI
- It comes with the inbuilt extension manager for fast & effective extension management
- Quick Docs
- JSLint
- Live Preview
- LESS support
Pricing
- Free
5. NetBeans
Another code editor on this list that as one of the most famous code-editors is NetBeans. It is open-source software that the developers can use to develop applications using programming languages like PHP, Java, and C++, among many others.
This software also contains features like code analyzers that can debug your code for you and also convertors to change anything that needs modification.
If your applications were developed in the recent past, be advised that NetBeans allows you to upgrade all your applications to benefit from the new and improved Java 8 language constructs.
This application is ready to be used on Windows, Linux, and Mac devices.
Key Features
- Offers fast & Smart Code Editing
- Helps you to write bug-free code
- Easy & Efficient Project Management
- Rapid User Interface Development
- Cross-platform support
- Visual debugger
- Static analysis tools
- Code editor
- Code converters
- Multiple language support
- NetBeans Profiler
- Project management
- Batch code analyzers
Pricing
- Free
6. Bluefish
If you are a fan of working on dozens of different software at once and not wasting time for the code editor to take its sweet time to run your code, then Bluefish is the code editor that was designed with you in mind.
It is an excellent cross-platform editor that can handle many files of code at once and run them simultaneously. One other feature that the developers love about this application is that they can edit their code from their remote working station, which can be anywhere in the world.
This application contains many different options for web developers and programmers that can help them write code, websites, and scripts for quality testing of their software.
This application is available to be used by Windows, Linux, and Mac device owners.
Key Features
- Auto-recovery of changes in modified documents after a crash, kill or shutdown
- Unlimited undo/redo functionality
- Loads hundreds of files within seconds
- Project support feature helps you to work efficiently on multiple projects
- Dialogues for many HTML tags, with all their attributes
- User-customizable toolbar for quick access to often-used functions
- Fully featured image insert dialogue
- Multi-thumbnail generation for easy creation of photo albums or screenshot pages
Pricing
- Free
7. Vim
Another software that is reportedly comprehensive and can be considered an IDE within itself is called: Vim. It is an extremely advanced code editor that is open-source which gives you the ability to modify the application to your liking as a developer.
With the help of Vim editors and UNIX systems embedded in the software, the application can manage all of the text-editing activities of the developers in no time at all, whether the application is used online or on the premises.
South indian movies in hindi. This application is available to be used by Linux Devices.
Key Features
- It is command centric which lets you perform complex text related task with few commands
- There are many plug-in available for Vim. Its functionality can be extended in a great manner using these plug-in
- Same as multiple windows, it also supports multiple buffers
- It supports recording features which allow to record and play Vim commands in a repeated manner
- Its memory footprint is exceptionally low
- It is highly configurable and uses a simple text file to store its configuration
- It supports multiple windows. Using this feature screen can be split into multiple windows
- It supports multiple tabs which allow you to work on multiple files
Pricing
- Free
8. Geany
Next on this list of amazing code-editors, we have the software Geany. This application is quite effective because it uses the GTK+ toolkit to accommodate all of the code that the developers push on the software.
An amazing feature of this application is that it has all of the necessary basic components that make up an effectively integrated development environment or (IDE).
The developers can use this application to produce applications thanks to the software’s library that is full of different filetypes and other important features.
Geany supports Mac OSX, Windows, and Linux operating systems.
Key Features
- Navigating through the source code is easy
- Show status message on attempt to execute empty context action
- Allows you to add a note for applying the indent settings in the project preferences
- Allows popup menu on message window notebooks and sidebar
- Syntax highlighting
- Autocompletion of symbols/words
- Auto-closing of XML and HTML tags
- Many supported filetypes including C, Java, PHP, HTML, Python, Perl, Pascal, and others
- Code navigation
- Simple project management
- Code folding for an overall organized approach to coding huge programs
- Construct completion/snippets
- Call tips
- Symbol lists
- Build a system to compile and execute your code
- Plugin interface
Pricing
- Free
9. Komodo Edit
The software Komodo Edit is an intuitive but immensely powerful code editor that can easily run those long codes that you spent your sprints on.
The application allows you to perform the following functions straight from the application. These functions are integrations with other technologies like Docker, Grunt, Vagrant, PhoneGap, and many others like them.
You can also perform unit testing for all your quality assurance processes, debugging to make your code error-free and code refactoring.
This application is available to be used by Windows, Linux, and Mac device owners from all over the world.
Key Features
- A lot of contemporary color schemes
- Easily integrates into the desktop environment
- Multi-Language Editor
- Native Unicode support and Unicode compatibility checking
- Track Changes
- Multiple selections
- Quick bookmarks
- Smart language detection
- Split view and multi-window
- Variable highlighting
- Symbol browser
- Autocomplete and call tips
- Soft characters and matching braces
Pricing
- A free trial is available
Conclusion
There you have it; these are the 9 best code editors available right now. They are free to download and use. They are designed and loaded with the best functionalities that developers need regularly.
Of course, our standard of a “best” free/ paid code editor may not be the same as yours. If you have a favorite software that wasn’t on this list, feel free to share your input through the comments section below. We will add that program for you in a follow-up extension write up.
[feather_share skin='circle'] Other Related Articles
- • 10 MIN READ
How to Rock Your First Week With nTask?
- • 16 MIN READ
The 19 Best Risk Management Software of 2021
- • 7 MIN READ
15 Techniques of Brainstorming for More Effective Sessions
In this post, we’ll discuss what is an IDE/ Code editor, the difference between IDE & Code editors, and some of the best Python IDEs & code editors, along with their best features.
Python is a multi-faceted programming language that has been embraced globally with open arms. Python comes with innumerable useful features of simplicity, faster execution of programs, an enormous collection of packages, libraries, and much more!
Today, it is the Github’s 2nd most popular language after JavaScript and the most popular one for machine learning. Python is the first choice of several diverse projects ranging from web applications to being deployed into artificial intelligence, machine learning, Deep Learning, and more.
Code editors/ IDEs are the first points of contact with any programming language, so its selection is a very crucial factor in deciding the future journey or workflow of a project.
We always have the option to code onto a notepad. However, it is a known fact that Python IDEs & code editors can dramatically boost the productivity and efficiency of a programmer. So, knowing about their key features and benefits is a must for a python developer.
Before getting into discussing the best Python IDEs & code editors, let us understand what do we understand by IDE and code editors.
What is an IDE?
IDE is simply a software kit consisting of equipment used for software development and testing that enables the automation of all the manual tasks done by a developer.
In the absence of an IDE, the developer will have to perform tasks like selection, integration, and deployment manually which will automatically decrease the productivity and increase the time taken in the completion of the project.
Basically, IDE has been designed to ease the process of SDLC by limiting the coding part and avoiding typing errors.
A typical IDE will include tools such as:
- A text editor
- A compiler and/ or interpreter
- A debugger
- A code profiler
- Code complete features
- Integrations and plug-ins
- A number of supporting utilities to interface with external tooling (Docker, cloud deployments, etc.)
Major benefits of IDE–
- It acts as a single environment.
- Code completion features enhance the process of programming.
- Detects errors to provide top quality code.
- Refactoring features enable developers to make thorough and error-free renaming changes.
- Helps in maintaining a seamless development cycle.
- Enhanced efficiency and productivity for developers.
- Delivers world-class software on time.
What is a Code Editor?
CODE EDITOR– It enables a developer with the means to build and modify (edit) the source code of the programming language. The codes are written using reading human text and then combined with other programs.
The formatted notations such as bold, italics, underlining, specific fonts, etc. are specifically not included in this text. For this reason, a plain text editor is used.
However, a code editor is not an IDE (Integrated development environment). IDE has more sophisticated complex functionalities to make the developer’s life easier. It supports debugging, GIT plugins, Code generators, Managing project history, etc.
IDE vs. Code Editors
IDE and Text Editor Megane ii service manual. can be used in the place of each other for developing any software. The Text Editor enables the developer to write scripts, modification of code, text, and much more.
But with IDE a developer can perform a variety of additional functions, such as code execution, version control, debugging, interpreting, compiling, auto-completion, auto linting function, predefined functions, etc.
Code editor does not have the word “integrated” in it as it is simply an editor with added features, such as syntax highlighting and code formatting.
However, code editors have their own benefits. They are simpler and have specialized editors that provide you with useful plugins and tools to suit your software development process.
Let us move ahead and learn what are the most used Python IDEs & code editors are-
Best Python IDEs & Code Editors
Integrated Development Environment
1. PyCharm
PyCharm is one of the most popular IDEs used for Python scripting language. Pycharm has been especially used for Python and is designed to run on several platforms, including Windows, Mac OS, and Linux.
With the support of different Pycharm APIs, developers can create their respective Python plugins. Without being integrated with a different tool, you can use several IDE databases themselves directly.
It provides some of the most efficient functions to its users and developers in the following ways−
Features of PyCharm–
- It provides code completion and inspection.
- It comes with a smart code editor, code navigation, and secure refactoring.
- It offers diverse features like debugging, testing, monitoring, profiling, deploying, and various database tools.
- It supports web development frameworks like JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and Angular JS and web programming and frameworks such as Django and Flask
2. Spyder
Spyder is an open-source, absolutely free IDE, making it much more appealing to the programmers. Developers can expand its usability with additional APIsand plugins.
It was primarily designed to offer a strong scientific background to scientists and engineers all around the world. It provides an advanced level of editing, debugging, and data exploration capabilities.
Their support team helps the programmers with doubts and its comprehensive documentation helps to instantly fix the errors if any.
Features of Spyder–
- It has an amazing variable explorer.
- The IDE comes with features like auto code completion and syntax highlighting.
- It is quite easy to install and has an intuitive interface.
- It can help to explore and edit variables from GUI.
- The IDE has strong integration with iPython Console, interfaces, and alters the variables easily so that a developer can execute the code line by line.
3. Jupyter
It is an open-source platform that supports programmers, who have just begun their career in the field of data science. Because of accessibility and simplicity, programmers can easily learn the various uses of Jupyter to deal with huge data sets for analysis.
It is available free of cost and can allow analysts to work around numerical tasks and data visualization. Inbuilt libraries, such as pandas, NumPy, etc. are available in Jupyter to help programmers to process data efficiently.
Features of Jupyter–
- Jupyter supports markdown and allows you to add HTML elements from images to videos.
- It also provides features like data cleaning and transformation, numerical simulation, statistical modeling, and data visualization.
- It generates a rich and interactive outcome
- It helps to edit snippets before having to run them.
4. PyDev
PyDev serves as a third-party plug-in with Eclipse and is made to use for Python programming. It is also an open-source IDE that provides code analysis, debugging, and code refactoring.
It also has a paid version that comes with additional features such as fixing the bugs instantly, remote debugging of errors in Python, and much more.
Features of PyDev–
- It comes with Django interaction, auto code completion, and code coverage feature.
- It provides strong features like type hinting, refactoring, debugging, and code analysis.
- PyDev also supports PyLint integration, tokens browser, interactive console, Unittest integration, and remote debugger, etc
- PyDev offers high light syntax, parser errors, folding code, and support in multiple languages.
5. Idle
Idle is the best IDE for someone who is just getting started with Python. It is suitable for beginners and educational organizations. Idle is a fully developed open-source platform in Python and has a clear interface that prevents any uncertainties.
Programmers can operate in various text editors and the IDE also has syntax highlighting to assist them with stack visibility.
Features of Idle–
- Idle is designed primarily in Python using the Tkinter GUI toolkit and is also a cross-platform that improves the versatility of programmers.
- The multi-faceted text editor has many functions including call tips, smart indentation, undo, and python colorizing.
- It also has a strong debugger with constant breakpoints, a global view, and local spaces.
- It enables the use of dialogue boxes, browsers, and editable settings.
6. Wing
It is a set of IDEs specifically built for Python. It has multi-platform support and is easy to use. Wing provides a wide variety of features to easily understand and to perform Python interpretation and debugging functions.
This IDE also has a paid/ premium version that provides you with extra features for commercial use. The IDE allows programmers to test and debug code more efficiently, using a dedicated exception handling tab.
Features of Wing–
- Wing enables you to navigate through the code with go-to-definition, locate the uses and symbol’s in the application, edit a symbol index, explorer, and scan multiple files effectively.
- The test-driven architecture is assisted by the Unit Test, Pytest, and Django Test System.
- It supports remote development and can also be modified and expanded.
- It has auto code completion, the error is shown easily and line editing is also possible.
- Wing gives programmers about 10 minutes to migrate their applications if the trial version expires.
7. Rodeo
Rodeo is a powerful, interactive, highly customizable, and open-source Python IDE designed specifically for data science and machine learning projects.
It also comes with auto code completion, syntax highlighting, Ipython access. Also, it provides built-in tutorials to allow users to learn Python easily and efficiently.
Features of Rodeo–
- It facilitates all the functions necessary for data science or machine learning tasks such as data loading and experimentation.
- It enables programmers to communicate, compare, inspect, and generate data.
- It also provides a visual file navigator, clicks, package search making it way easier for a developer to have access to everything they need.
8. The Eric Python
Eric is a comprehensive Python IDE written in Python. Copal dpb 1000 drivers download. It is developed on the cross-platform Qt UI toolkit, integrating the highly flexible Scintilla editor control.
It is built to be a quick and simple editor and can be used as a professional project management tool that integrates many of Python’s advanced features.
Eric has a plug-in framework that enables simple IDE extension with plug-ins that can be downloaded from the web. The current stable version is eric6 based on PyQt5 (with Qt5) and Python 3.
Features of The Eric–
- ERIC includes a range of editors, configuration windows layout, source code folding and call tips, error high lighting, and advanced functions for searching.
- The project management framework has a sophisticated, integrated application, version control, co-operation, and source code.
- It includes cooperation tools, integrated debugger, built-in task management, profiling, and code coverage support.
- It also enables access to application diagrams, auto-code completion, and syntax highlighting.
![Best code editor windows Best code editor windows](https://imgcdn.maketecheasier.com/2014/03/codemac-textmate.jpg)
Code Editors
1. Sublime Text
Sublime Text is a shareware cross-platform source code editor with a Python application programming interface. It supports several programming languages and markup languages, and users may add functions with plugins that are generally community-built and licensed under free software.
Feature of Sublime Text–
- Sublime text has GOTO anything with a few clicks to open files and can search for signs and words.
- It has a powerful selection function that changes several items at once and also a palette of commands to sort, change the syntax, adjust indentation, etc.
- It has efficient performance, strong API, and package environment.
- It can be highly customized and is a cross-platform software.
- It has great compatibility with language grammars.
- It helps the user to pick unique project preferences.
2. Visual Studio Code
Visual Studio Code is a simplified code editor with software aids such as debugging, task execution, and version control. It aims at providing the tools needed by the programmer for a fast code-build-debug cycle and leaves more complicated workflows for even more detailed IDEs such as Visual Studio IDE.
Features of Visual Studio
- It facilitates syntax highlighting and auto code completion with IntelliSense which finishes the syntax based on variable types, function definition, etc.
- It has a strong debugger and the user is able to debug from the editor.
- It is incorporated strongly with GIT in order for a user to push and commit GIT operations directly from its own editor.
- Visual studio is incredibly extensible and can be modified to incorporate languages, debuggers, topics, and more.
- It offers multi-language access and many useful features that other languages do not have.
- The layout is reasonable with a smart interface.
3. Vim
Vim is a fully customizable text editor designed for powerful text editing. It is an enhanced version of the vi editor distributed with most UNIX systems.
Vim is sometimes referred to as “programmer editor,” and it gets efficient during coding that many see it as a complete IDE. It is a really reliable text editor and every new release improves the quality of its efficiency. This text editor can be used as a command-line interface as well as a standalone tool.
Features of Vim–
- VIM is very stable and even has a multilevel undo tree.
- It has a robust plugin system.
- It offers all kinds of support for many programming languages and files.
- It provides a smooth integration, searches, and replace functions.
- Vim gives the users 2 different modes, i.e. Editing and default mode.
- It has its own language of scripting that allows the user to alter actions and customized functions.
4. Atom
Atom is an open-source cross-platform developed on web technologies using Electron( a framework for building desktop applications using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS).
It is highly customizable and offers Python language support installing the extension when Atom is running.
Features of Atom–
- It has a clean and smart interface.
- It provides a comprehensive package manager and enables support for third-party packages.
- It also offers multi-language support.
- It has a sizeable memory footprint.
- It offers smart auto-completion and good syntax highlighting.
To Sum Up
We hope you had a good overview of Python IDEs & code editors. This article covers the top Python IDEs used by developers all over the world. As a programmer, you must use the best IDE/ code editor that you are most comfortable using.
Share your views about this post and your experience with Python IDEs & code editors in the comment section below!
What is IDE Python?
Best Code Editor For Python
IDE is short for Integrated Development Environment. It is a coding tool that makes it easier for you to write, test and debug your code, as it usually offers code completion or code insight through highlighting, resource management, debugging tools and many such features.
Which is Better Spyder or PyCharm?
Spyder is lightweight than PyCharm only because the PyCharm comes with several plugins by default. Spyder has a larger library that you download when you install the program with Anaconda. But, PyCharm can prove to be a bit user-friendly because its user interface is customizable from top to bottom.
Best Coding Software For Windows 10
Should I use PyCharm or Visual Studio Code?
Both PyCharm and Visual Studio communities have good support. In the case of PyCharm, it is customized for Python developers, you need to download and set up other IDEs for other programming languages. Visual Studio Code is more modular here, it just requires the information of the kind of project you are currently in.
Should I use a Text Editor or IDE?
IDEs can be used as text editors, and vice versa. A text editor is just for writing/modifying text/code. With an IDE, you should do a lot more within that single program; running, debugging, version control, etc.
How useful was this post?
How useful was this post?
Click on a star to rate it!
Average rating 0 / 5. Vote count: 0
No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.
Please do Rate Us and Share!
Related Blogs
Best Text Editor to Use in 2021?
A Text editor is a great asset to have when working with code, text editors provide a lot many feature-rich tools to help you modify code- syntax highlighting for multiple languages, error reporting, built-in file uploads, search & replace. The best text editors are the ones that make coding a breezing experience, without formatting..Hire Top 1% Remote Developers, Free For The First Week
Connect with quality remote developers and code your ideas away.
No thanks, I'm not hiring right now.