Code editors are software programs developers and programmers use to write and edit their code. Before dedicated code editors emerged, programmers and developers used regular text editors like Microsoft’s Notepad or Apple TextEdit.
The problem is a regular text editor doesn’t provide any features specific to coding, so it is not as efficient for editing code as a dedicated code editor. Code editors have useful features such as syntax highlighting, auto-completion, and indentation, which make the coding process faster and easier.
What Features Are Important in a Code Editor?
Deciding which code editor is right for you depends on the projects you will be working on, your skill level, and your coding goals. But here are some key features to look out for in a good code editor:
- Code editing features like error and warning marks, syntax highlighting, and auto-completion.
- Easy navigation, such as jumping between code segments, classes, and functions.
- Easily customizable to suit your particular working style.
5 Best Code Editors
There are many different code editors out there. In fact, while researching this, I came across one website which listed 25 of them. But you don’t want to read through a list that long, so here I have narrowed it down to just five of the best.
Visual Studio Code
🏆 Best for beginners learning to code.
Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code is the most popular code editor. In fact, according to a Stack Overflow survey in 2021, it is used by over 70% of professional developers.
VS Code is robust yet lightweight and has built-in support for JavaScript, TypeScript, and Node.js. It has an excellent debug feature and automatically spots errors in your code. However, you can add support for other languages by installing an extension.
Operating Systems: Windows, Mac, Linux.
Pricing: Free.
Key features:
- “IntelliSense” provides smart auto-completions based on variable types, function definitions, and imported modules.
- Built-in Git commands enable you to review diffs, stage files, and make commits, all from within the editor.
- Add extra features with extensions for languages, debuggers, themes, and other services.
- Use Microsoft Azure to deploy and host sites with React, Angular, Vue, Node, Python, and more.
Visual Studio Code has an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars from 1,923 reviews on g2.com.
Pros:
- Lightweight.
- Excellent debug feature.
- Supports many languages.
- Supports many file formats.
- Automatically spots errors in your code.
Cons:
- The UI could be improved.
UltraEdit
🏆 Best for any text-based files you need to edit frequently.
If you need to make bulk changes to multiple lines of code at once, UltraEdit is what you need. It has a Column Mode feature, which enables you to edit vertically. This means you can add the same code to multiple lines simultaneously.
Another time-saving feature is dynamic auto-completion, which provides code-aware and content-aware suggestions on-the-fly. Then there are the multi-caret and multi-select capabilities and the powerful search function, which means that editing large files is much easier.
Operating Systems: Windows, Mac, Linux.
Pricing: 30-day free trial, $79.95 per year.
Key features:
- Fast coding with dynamic auto-completion.
- Multi-caret and multi-select editing capabilities.
- Live preview for HTML and Markdown.
- Powerful search function — find anything anywhere.
- Vertical editing in “Column Mode”.
- Integrated FTP, SSH, and Telnet quick uploading and online editing.
- Customizable user interface plus a selection of themes to choose from.
UltraEdit has an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars from 1,096 reviews on g2.com.
Pros:
- Excellent syntax highlighting.
- Column editing and multiple cursor modes are beneficial.
- Works well with many programming languages.
- Handles large data files easily.
- Very stable — rarely crashes.
- Frequently updated.
Cons:
- It takes a bit of getting used to when you first use it.
Notepad++
🏆 Best for developers whose main priority is speed.
Notepad++ is a free, open-source code editor based on Microsoft’s Notepad text editor. It adds some useful features specifically for coding, such as syntax highlighting, where different elements of your code are in different colors, and auto-completion to help you code faster.
It also has a “code folding” feature where it collapses any blocks of text you are finished with, so you can just focus on what you’re currently editing. Another handy feature is how it automatically saves what you are working on and opens it again when you next run Notepad++. This is great if you are so engrossed in your work that you forget to save it.
Operating System: Windows.
Pricing: Free.
Key features:
- Syntax highlighting — displays quotes, functions, and parentheses in different colors.
- The code folding feature collapses blocks of text you have finished working on.
- Auto-completion to help you code faster.
- Document map shows where you are within your code.
- You can open multiple files at the same time.
Notepad++ has an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars from 2,178 reviews on g2.com.
Pros:
- Excellent highlighting, searching and replacing capabilities.
- You can easily convert your code into different formats.
- There are many useful plugins available.
- Automatically saves your drafts and opens them again the next time you run Notepad++.
- Frequently updated.
Cons:
- Scrolling could be improved.
- Only available on Microsoft Windows
Sublime Text
🏆 Best for developers requiring plenty of shortcuts and customization.
Sublime Text is ideal for handling large projects with heavy coding. For example, it has no problem opening a source code file of 7 MB in size and then scrolling through thousands of lines of code. You can also easily jump between functions and files with the Goto Anything feature.
Sublime Text can also save you time when writing code, thanks to its smart autocomplete feature, which completes your code based on existing code in your project. In addition, it supports all formats and file types, is easy to customize, and supports TypeScript, a popular new programming language.
Operating Systems: Windows, Mac, Linux.
Pricing: Free trial, $99.
Key features:
- GPU rendering on Linux, Mac, and Windows, resulting in a fluid UI with up to 8K resolutions.
- Native support for Apple Silicon processors.
- Intuitive code navigation with split view, sidebar, tab bar, Goto Anything, and Goto Definition.
- Smart autocomplete completes your code based on existing code.
- Support for TypeScript, a popular new programming language.
- Powerful syntax highlighting.
Sublime Text has an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars from 1,642 reviews on g2.com.
Pros:
- Easy to customize.
- Supports all formats and file types.
- You can easily install plugins and packages from within the editor.
- You can save multiple versions of the same file.
- You can easily merge changes from multiple people into the same file.
Cons:
- Not as many features as some other code editors.
- The UI could be improved.
BBEdit
🏆 Best for editing large volumes of text or code on a Mac.
BBEdit is a powerful text and HTML editor available only on macOS. But if you are a Mac user and want to edit large chunks of text or HTML code, it could be what you are looking for.
The various built-in functions for sorting, converting, searching, and replacing texts are most helpful. You can also use the “Clippings” feature to access any frequently used items easily.
Operating System: Mac.
Pricing: 30-day free trial, $49.99.
Key features:
- Powerful text searching enables you to locate and edit large sections of text.
- Use “Text Factories” to automate repetitive text-processing tasks.
- Easily batch-apply text transformations across multiple files, folders, and open windows.
- The “Clippings” feature gives you easy access to any frequently used items.
- The “Function Popup” feature enables easy navigation of your code.
BBEdit has an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars from 57 reviews on g2.com.
Pros:
- Very customizable.
- Lots of useful features.
- Makes it easy to deal with large files.
- Saves drafts of everything you are working on.
Cons:
- Only available on Mac.
- The UI could be improved.
- Can take a while to load because it contains so many tools.
FAQ
What are code editors called?
Alternative names for code editors are source-code editors or programming text editors.
What are code editors used for?
Code editors are used by programmers and web developers for writing and editing code.
Is Python a code editor?
Python is not itself a code editor. Instead, it is a programming language. However, there are various code editors that support python, including a dedicated one called PyCharm.
Is Notepad ++ a good code editor?
Yes. Notepad++ has an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars from 2,178 reviews on g2.com. However, it is only available for Microsoft Windows.
Is Notepad++ better than VS Code?
No. Although Notepad++ is a good code editor, VS Code is better. In fact, VS Code is used by over 70% of professional developers.
Is Google Docs a code editor?
Google Docs can be used to write and run JavaScript code. It’s not as good as using a code editor like Visual Studio Code or UltraEdit, but you can use it as a playground to quickly run snippets of code.
Summary
Code editors are designed to make the process of writing and editing code quicker and easier than just using a basic text editor such as Notepad. Today, I have looked at five of the best code editors, and here is a quick recap of each of them.
- Visual Studio Code is the most popular code editor, used by over 70% of professional developers. It is free and available on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
- UltraEdit is another excellent code editor available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It has an extremely helpful column editing mode. However, it costs $79.95 per year.
- Notepad++ is a very useful free code editor based on the Notepad text editor, adding helpful features for editing code. However, it is only available on Windows.
- Sublime Text is great for editing huge files with large volumes of text. It is available on Windows, Mac, and Linux, although it costs $99.
- BBEdit is another code editor that is great for editing large files. However, it is only available on Mac and costs $49.99.
FAQs
What code editor does freeCodeCamp? ›
CodePen is a popular online code editor used by many developers around the world. It is also one of the recommended editors you can use for the freeCodeCamp curriculum. CodePen is only for frontend projects and supports HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
What is the best code editor for beginners? ›CoffeeCup HTML Editor
CoffeeCup HTML Editor offers two different versions of its code editor. First, there's the free version, which is great for beginners looking for a simple text editor. This allows you to create new HTML and CSS files from scratch or to edit existing site files.
- Atom. Atom is a text editor that allows users to collaborate on code together, similar to a Google Doc, through its Teletype feature. ...
- Visual Studio Code. ...
- Sublime. ...
- Notepad++ ...
- Brackets. ...
- Komodo Edit. ...
- CoffeeCup. ...
- Adobe Dreamweaver.
Codecademy Go
It's one of the best coding courses for beginners because of the simple lesson structure, community support, and option to build a coding portfolio. There are 14 coding languages available in Codecademy Go, including Python, JavaScript, CSS, and HTML. Codecademy Go is available for both Android and Apple.
If you're new to the world of programming, Python is the best coding language to start with. It's a beginner-friendly code with a simplified syntax, using fewer lines than other coding languages, making it easy to read, understand, and use.
What coding software do hackers use? ›C++ is one of the go-to C languages for hackers because it helps them gain low-level access to hardware and processes.
What apps do professional coders use? ›- Enki.
- CodeHub.
- Programming Hub.
- Grasshopper.
- Encode.
- Mimo.
- Programming Hero.
- Sololearn.
Is freeCodeCamp certification recognized by employers? For the most part, no. Holding certification from an online learning platform like freeCodeCamp is an achievement, but many employers see this as a form of self-learning.
Can you get a job off of freeCodeCamp? ›Yes, you can get a job with a freeCodeCamp certificate. freeCodeCamp is a free online learning platform helping students of all skill levels gain tech skills.
Will freeCodeCamp get me a job? ›I used freeCodeCamp as my main learning resource, built my own projects on the side, joined developer communities and built connections along the way, shared my learning online like on twitter, and landed a job.
What is the hardest type of code to learn? ›
- C++ C++ is an object-oriented programming language and is considered the fastest language out there. ...
- Prolog. Prolog stands for Logic Programming. ...
- LISP. LISP stands for List Processing. ...
- Haskell. ...
- Assembly Language (ASM) ...
- Rust. ...
- Esoteric Languages.
Let's get this out of the way: no, you are not too old to program. There isn't an age limit on learning to code, and there never was.
What is the fastest code to learn? ›- HTML and CSS. HTML, which stands for HyperText Markup Language, is one of the most common programming languages for beginners, as it's often seen as the most straightforward programming language to learn. ...
- JavaScript. ...
- Python. ...
- C, C++, and C# ...
- Java.
Is HTML or Python Easier? Both HTML and Python are easy to learn and master. It's hard to choose which one is easier because they have different functions and applications.
Which software is best for HTML and CSS coding? ›- Sublime Text.
- TextPad.
- BBEdit.
- Komodo IDE.
- Visual Studio Code.
- Atom.
- Edit+
- Bluefish.
Atom. Atom is a desk application based on web technologies that allows you to take control of your editor with CSS and other features. Categories in common with Visual Studio Code: Text Editor.
Does Google have a coding app? ›It's Code with Google's goal to make sure everyone has access to the collaborative, coding, and technical skills that can unlock opportunities in the classroom and beyond.
What software do I need to learn coding? ›- BitDegree.
- Code Academy.
- Khan Academy.
- Coursera.
- Code.org.
- Udemy.
- Free Code Camp.
- W3Schools.
- freeCodeCamp. freeCodeCamp is a non-profit organization in the United States, dedicated to helping people learn to code for free. ...
- Coursera. ...
- Codecademy. ...
- edX. ...
- Udemy. ...
- Udacity. ...
- W3Schools. ...
- SoloLearn.
- Python. ...
- Java. ...
- Ruby. ...
- C++ ...
- Haskell. ...
- LISP. ...
- Prolog. ...
- Malbolge. Malbolge is by far the hardest programming language to learn which can be concluded from the fact that it took no less than two years to finish writing the first Malbolge code.
Is coding job stressful? ›
In general, coding is a fairly relaxing job. There is the flexibility of working remotely as a programmer, and in many cases there is the security of routine. However, as with any job, whether coding is stressful depends largely on the company you work with. Cultural pressures and tight deadlines can cause stress.
Is Java or Python easier? ›Java and Python are two of the most popular programming languages. Of the two, Java is the faster language, but Python is simpler and easier to learn. Each is well-established, platform-independent, and part of a large, supportive community.
Do hackers use Python? ›Exploit Writing: Python is a general-purpose programming language and used extensively for exploit writing in the field of hacking. It plays a vital role in writing hacking scripts, exploits, and malicious programs.
Which server is used by hackers? ›Apache HTTP Server - This is the most common server used in the industry. Apache Software Foundation develops it and it is a free and open-source software for Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and many other Operating systems.
Where do hackers write code? ›You need to write them in something known as a text editor. The default text editor on most computers will be something like Notepad, which lets you write text and save it into any format of file.
What are 3 coding platforms? ›...
In this article, I will explore online platforms you can use today and become a rock star coder.
- Code.org. ...
- Khan Academy. ...
- Free Code Camp. ...
- MIT OpenCourseware. ...
- Code Academy. ...
- Code Conquest. ...
- HTML 5 Rocks. ...
- The Code Player.
Python is one of the most chosen programming languages to learn first for its wide use and simplicity. It is a great stepping stone to learning more complex programming languages and frameworks!
What job can I get after a coding bootcamp? ›What can I do after a coding bootcamp? Bootcamp grads often find employment as web developers, software developers, data scientists, and UX/UI designers. Some specialize in a specific language, such as Java or Python.
Do employers recognize coding bootcamps? ›An Indeed survey also revealed that a majority of employers have high confidence in coding bootcamp grads. Seventy-two percent of them think that coding bootcamp grads are just as prepared as computer science degree holders.
Is freeCodeCamp worth doing? ›freeCodeCamp is a good learning tool even for beginners that have no background knowledge of coding. The platform provides all the necessary information about coding including videos, articles, and interactive coding lessons.
Is freeCodeCamp enough to land a job? ›
If by full program you are referring to the full stack curriculum (first six certifications) then yes that will give you a good starting foundation. As someone who used freeCodeCamp and landed a dev job here are some tips I can give you.
Is freeCodeCamp certificate paid for? ›freeCodeCamp Certificates are Free
The entire freeCodeCamp curriculum contains thousands of hours to complete, each certification taking 300 hours. The certifications include: Responsive Web Design. JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures.
Each certification should take approximately 300 hours to complete and includes 5 required projects, while the other challenges are optional.
Does freeCodeCamp certificate expire? ›no, they shouldn't expire.
What course should I start with freeCodeCamp? ›HTML, CSS, JavaScript are the strong points of FCC. The React course needs some updating, but it teaches you the basics. They need to update it to include more functional components rather than class components, as the industry has shifted in the last few years.
Which programming language does Elon Musk know? ›Elon Musk's iconic company, Tesla, operates on an operating system built on the Python programming language. Elon Musk continues to prefer it as his favourite programming language.
What is the hardest code to master? ›Malbolge. Malbolge is the toughest programming language as it took at least two years to write the first Malbolge program.
What is the secret to coding? ›The secret is to understand what the code is trying to do and how it can help you solve your problem. Having thought through this, you will save your application from the unintentional side effects of using someone else's code in your project.
What age is too late to learn coding? ›The simple answer is, no. There are many job opportunities in tech for coders of all ages. Although it may take some effort to study relevant programming languages, there is no reason you can't learn to code in your 30s and beyond.
How old is the average coder? ›Interestingly enough, the average age of computer programmers is 40+ years old, which represents 69% of the population.
Can I get a coding job at 40? ›
At CodeYourFuture, many of our students started their coding journey with us after they turned 40. In fact, we've had students up to 55 years of age! If you think coding or a career in tech might be for you, our Intro to Coding course is designed for people who have never coded before.
Can I learn coding in 2 weeks? ›To answer this, YES, you can learn HTML in 2 weeks. But, you need to have a roadmap to understand how to divide your days as per the concepts in HTML required.
Who is the fastest coder in the world? ›...
| Gennady Korotkevich | |
|---|---|
| Known for | Programming prodigy; highly ranked sport programmer from an early age |
| Awards | Codeforces peak rating 3979 (22 January 2022) |
- Focus on the Fundamentals. ...
- Learn to Ask for Help. ...
- Put Your Knowledge into Action. ...
- Learn How to Code by Hand. ...
- Check out Helpful Online Coding Resources. ...
- Know When to Step Away and Take a Break from Code Debugging. ...
- Do More Than Just Read Sample Code. ...
- Conclusion.
Likelihood to Recommend. I recommend Notepad++ for all the developers for code editing, debugging, and a lot more. It is a very good tool for writing notes with a lot of features. Read full review.
Is C ++ free? ›There are good free C++ compilers available for all major OS platforms. Download one that suits your platform: Gnu Compiler Collection: Includes g++, a popular C++ compiler.
Is Notepad ++ free? ›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 GNU General Public License.
Is Sublime or Notepad++ better? ›Notepad++ is easier to learn and understand than most other options, so it's a good choice for beginners. And it offers syntax highlighting for HTML, PHP, and JavaScript. Sublime Text runs on multiple platforms, including Linux, Mac, and Windows, providing powerful shortcuts such as modifying multiple lines.
Is writing code hard? ›The truth is no, coding isn't hard to learn. Learning anything for the first time can be challenging in the beginning. Over time, with some patience, practice, and determination, anyone can master the art of coding. When it comes to learning to code, practice makes perfect.
Why do people still use Notepad++? ›Notepad++ Use Cases
It is fast and lightweight: The app is lightweight and does not take up a lot of storage space in your drive. It loads fast and is ideal for working with large text files. It is an excellent tool for extensive file-parsing.