11 Best HTML & CSS Code Editors for 2021

You know how marketers useblogging toolslike Grammarly and Hemingway to spell check their posts and improve their readability? Developers can use similar tools to help them write and improve their code. These are known as code editors.

Ideally, a code editor will provide at least the basic functionality you need to write code faster and easier. This includes spell checking, syntax highlighting, and auto-completion. While such a basic editor might be ideal forbeginner coders, experienced coders might prefer a more advanced editor.

Below we’ll look at code editors that range in functionality, price, and purpose so you can pick the one that best suits your experience, budget, and business. Let’s get started.

What is an HTML editor?

An HTML editor is a type of software that helps web developers create cleanHTML codein a convenient and functional way. There are two types of HTML Editors: text editors and WYSIWYG editors.

Text Editors use features like autocompletion to help you write code. If you start to type HTML code, the text editor will automatically add the closing tag for you.

WYSIWYG editors are great for first-time website builders because they display what the website will look like when you add, delete, or modify HTML code.

It’s important to understand that any text editor works for HTML documents, but some are optimized for the syntax of a specific language. To highlight the best for HTML and CSS, respectively, we’ve divided the following code editors into two sections. Let’s get started.

The best HTML editors will provide the functionality you need to write code correctly — and to write it faster thanks to autocompletion. Ideally, an HTML editor will provide a clean interface, syntax highlighting, and a preview of tools in the operating system you use.

Below we’ll take a closer look at the best-rated editors on G2.

1.UltraEdit

G2 Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars

UltraEdit is designed to be an all-in-one solution. It solves every challenge a developer or IT professional faces: programming and project management, text data and record reformatting, data sorting, large file manipulation, remote file operations, advanced file searching, and more.

That means it’s ideal for advanced users working on their own or in enterprise companies. It’s not for beginners or hobbyists, and the price reflects this. You can purchase for a one-time fee of $119.95 or $189.95, or pay an annual subscription of $79.95 or $99.95. While none of these price points are unreasonable, they are high compared to the alternatives on the list.

Pros

• A feature-rich, comprehensive solution for developers and IT professionals
• Can easily handle large file edits without impacting performance
• Effective search and organization functionality

Cons

• Steepest price point on this list
• Some users cite minor UI flaws

Price

UltraEdit is available as a subscription or a one-time purchase. Subscriptions are $79.95 and $99.95 annually. One-time purchases are $119.95 and $189.95.

2.NoteTab

G2 Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars

NoteTab gives you complete control over your HTML code and speeds up the creation process. With this editor, you can insert tags and other HTML code from a toolbar, drag-and-drop code snippets from a list to your document or insert them using a keyboard, and use the auto-complete feature to insert tags as you type. There’s also a multilingual spell checker included and a customized input controller for syntax highlighting.

What really sets NoteTab apart is that it’s the only HTML editor offering support forBootstrap CSS。这将enable you to build a Bootstrap site faster with NoteTab than with any other editor.

Some drawbacks are that NoteTab does not support git. It also currently only offers syntax highlighting for HTML, XML, and CSS files, so this is not for you if you’re working with JavaScript, PHP, or some other programming languages.

Pros

• Flexible enough to support the needs of a range of developers
• 大扩展图书馆进一步定制
• Supports the Bootstrap CSS framework

Cons

• No integration with git
• 只强调了HTML、XMS和CSS语法

Price

NoteTab is available as a free light version and as a paid version, which retails for $39.95.

3.Notepad++

G2 Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars

Notepad++ is a free, open-source code editor that’s specifically designed for novice programmers. Like other code editors, it offers syntax highlighting and autocorrect. What sets Notepad++ is how many languages it supports, how many files you can load and work on simultaneously, and how lightweight it is. In addition to HTML and CSS, Notepad++ supports 75 other programming languages. You can open up different file formats in these different languages at the same time and make edits without having to worry about using a ton of CPU power or causing slow load times.

Some limitations make this editor less than ideal for some users. First, Notepad++ only works for Microsoft Windows. That means, if you’re working on any other operating system, like macOS for example, then you’ll have to use another editor. Second, Notepad++ does not offer support for git. If you want to push code to a repository inside your editor, you’ll also be better off using an alternative.

Pros

• Free and open-source
• Lightweight and fast
• Supports a wide range of programming languages

Cons

• Only available for Windows
• Somewhat outdated interface
• No git integration

Price

Notepad++ is free.

4.Sublime Text

G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Sublime Text is like the Notepad++ for macOS users with sophisticated needs. It’s compatible with multiple programming languages like Notepad++. It offers the standard features that Notepad++ offers — and so much more, including cross-platform support, split editing, and multiple-selection editing. In exchange for this power and flexibility, you’ll have a steeper learning curve.

For example, you can use a variety of keyboard shortcuts to quickly execute tasks in Sublime Text — as long as you can remember them. You can customize virtually everything in the editor, from key bindings to menus to snippets and more — as long as you have the time.

All of these features are included in the free version of Sublime, but this version eventually starts displaying popups prompting you to purchase a premium license.

Pros

• Sleek, simple, user-friendly interface with customizable color coding
• 多画面编辑and multiple-selection editing
• Built-in file organizer for easy navigating and locating

Cons

• Only available for macOS
• Paid version is pricey; free version occasionally prompts you with pop-ups to purchase the full version

Price

Sublime Text is available as a free version, or you can purchase a license for $80.

5.TextPad

G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars

TextPad is a simple and intuitive editor for Windows that’s ideal for plain text files. Its interface can seem austere when compared to others, but that’s purposeful. It’s designed to be so simple that you can use it right away. TextPad allows you to edit multiple files simultaneously, drag and drop text between files, indent blocks of text, split or join lines, insert whole files, and undo and redo any changes.

It’s not updated as often as other editors on this list, which can make the product feel more stagnant.

Pros

• Capable of simultaneously editing multiple files and dragging code between them
• Simple and intuitive for both new and savvy programmers

Cons

• Infrequent updates
• Somewhat antiquated interface

Price

TextPad is $16.50 for one license. However, TextPad also lets users download beta versions for free to test them.

6.BBEdit

G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

BBEdit is an HTML editor for macOS that offers a free and premium version. It makes it easy to create, import, and edit files and to search for and replace text across multiple files. With this editor, you can also compare two text files and analyze them to find any missing, extra, or similar text between them.

It’s ideal for developers looking for basic functionality. For anything beyond that, like code error checking and debugging, you’ll need a more advanced editor.

Pros

• Basic but capable user interface is ideal for those looking for a simple tool
• Contextual text coloring
• Handy file comparison feature

Cons

• One available for macOS
• Some users have reported occasional performance issues

Price

BBEdit is available as a free version and a paid version, which retails for $49.99.

7.Komodo IDE

G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars

Komodo IDE is a unique code editor because it also serves as an integrated development environment (or IDE for short). Your workflow will improve with this editor because it is a two-in-one editor and debugger. Python, PHP, Perl, Go, Ruby, Node.js, JavaScript, and more are all supported languages in Komodo IDE.

Live previews are one of many benefits of this HTML editor. Instead of flipping back and forth between tabs, you can edit and test all in one screen. With automatic saving, you'll never have to wait before reviewing a preview of your work.

This free tool was developed by ActiveState which also provides language distributions like ActivePerl and ActivePython if you need an enterprise coding solution along with the HTML editor.

Pros

• Live previews of the results of your code
• Autosave your work
• Efficient debugging mode
• Ability to customize colors and syntax highlighting

Cons

• Not ideal for those looking for a lightweight editor without an IDE component
• Resource-intensive to operate

Price

Komodo IDE is free.

8.Visual Studio Code

G2 Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars

Visual Studio Code is a powerful, open-source, cross-platform editor from Microsoft. Rather than the standard syntax highlighting and autocomplete, VS Code offers IntelliSense, which provides smart completions based on variable types, function definitions, and imported modules. This makes it a powerful solution for debugging your code. VS Code also integrates with git so you can push code to or pull from any hosted SCM service.

One major drawback is that there’s no preview tool, which can be frustrating for developers working primarily with HTML or PHP.

Pros

• Smart code completing
• Large extensions library for a tailored solution
• Can push to a repository from inside the editor
• Large user base and developer community

Cons

• Interface and options may be intimidating for newer programmers
• Potentially occasional performance issues

Price

Visual Studio Code is free.

9.Atom

G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars

Developed by the GitHub team and maintained by the GitHub community, Atom is a free, open-source code editor for macOS That means when downloading Atom, you’ll get the entire GitHub package so you can create and push code in the same place and, secondly, that any developer can use, edit, or extend its source code.

To make it easy for developers to do this alone or together, Atom offers the Teletype package. You can think of Teletype as the Google Drive for developers. This package (shown in the image above) enables users to share their workspaces with invited collaborators who can join and make edits in real-time.

原子有several other powerful functions, including cross-platform editing, smart autocompletion, find and replace, and a built-in package manager. Each of these enables users to easily create and make changes in their code as well as the program’s source code using whatever operating system they prefer.

Pros

• Easy to use and learn
• Teletype integration allows for real-time collaboration
• Small details to make coding more efficient, like autocomplete and find-and-replace
• Many plugins available from the developer community

Cons

• Only available for macOS
• Resource-intensive. and some report it to be slightly slower than competitors
• Excessive plugins can weigh down performance further

Price

Atom is free.

10.Edit+

G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars

Edit+ is a premium code editor for Microsoft Windows. The price depends on the number of users that you need to buy a license for.

Edit+ supports syntax highlighting for HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, Java, C/C++, ASP, Perl, VBScript, Python, and Ruby on Rails. While other editors offer out-of-the-box support for more languages, Edit+ can be extended for other programming languages by submitting a custom syntax file. Other features include spell check, autocompletion, search and replace, customizable keyboard shortcuts, tabbed document interface, and window splitting.

Pros

• Syntax highlighting for HTML, CSS, and a handful of common programming languages
• Splitscreen code editing
• Customizable keyboard shortcuts

Cons

• No way to change the editor’s theme colors
• Limited to Windows devices
• Lacks extensive customization of other options

Price

BBEdit is available as a free version and a paid version, which retails for $35.

11.Bluefish

G2 Rating: 4.1 out of 5 stars

Bluefish is a lightweight and fast open-source, multi-platform application. You can integrate external programs such as Make, lint, and HTML Tidy or even use your own program or script for advanced text processing and error detection.

If you're just starting to learn code, there's an unlimited undo and redo feature as well as in-line spell check to catch mistakes. And if your computer crashes as you work, there's auto-recovery to save your progress. With Bluefish, you'll be able to work efficiently on up to 10,000 projects at once.

Pros

• Lightweight, fast, and free
• Simple to use for beginners
• Customizable toolbar with handy widgets

Cons

• Outdated graphical user interface
• Infrequent updates
• Occasional performance issues when many files are opened at once

Price

Bluefish is free.

Choosing Your Code Editor

A code editor can help you create code faster while avoiding errors. It’s a must-have for your web development toolkit. When making your selection for the best HTML editor, make sure its capabilities align with your needs.

Whether you need a basic editor with syntax highlighting and live preview options or a more sophisticated editor with an advanced find-and-replace tool and code snippet library, we hope you'll find one or more of these features among the options we've listed.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in June 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.