dockpicks

Code editors

Editors and IDEs for writing code, from lightweight to full-featured.

7 apps, listed best first · prices checked October 2026

  1. Visual Studio Code

    FreeOpen source

    Free, extensible editor that most developers already know

    A free code editor with an integrated terminal, debugger, Git support, remote development and a marketplace of over 80,000 extensions. It also includes GitHub Copilot agent features.

    Our take The default recommendation: works for almost any language, and the extension ecosystem is unmatched. It is an Electron app, so it feels less native and uses more memory than Zed or Sublime Text.

    FreeMIT licenceby Microsoft

    Website Source

  2. Zed

    Free tierOpen source

    Very fast, open-source editor written in Rust

    A code editor written from scratch in Rust that uses the GPU for rendering. It includes AI agent support, edit prediction, a debugger, Git integration, Vim bindings and real-time collaboration.

    Our take Pick it if you want speed and a clean, modern interface. AI features can be turned off entirely. Its extension ecosystem is still much smaller than VS Code's.

    Free; Pro $10/month as of Oct 2026GPL-3.0-or-later licenceby Zed Industries

    Website Source

  3. Sublime Text

    $99

    Lightweight, fast editor with a one-time license

    A fast, cross-platform text and code editor. One personal license covers all your computers and operating systems.

    Our take Good for people who want a quick, responsive editor without a subscription. You can evaluate it for free, but continued use requires a license.

    $99 one-time as of Oct 2026by Sublime HQ

    Website

  4. Cursor

    Free tier

    Editor built around AI coding agents

    An AI-first code editor and agent platform for writing and changing code with natural language. It also has a CLI, cloud agents and GitHub PR review.

    Our take For people who want AI agents doing a large share of the coding. The free plan has limited AI usage, so regular use means a subscription.

    Free; paid plans $8 to $200/month as of Oct 2026by Anysphere

    Website

  5. IntelliJ IDEA

    Free tier

    Full IDE for Java, Kotlin and more, with a free core

    A full-featured IDE from JetBrains. Since version 2025.3 it is a single product where core features are free for commercial and non-commercial use, and an Ultimate subscription unlocks advanced tooling.

    Our take The pick for Java and Kotlin work, and for anyone who wants deep refactoring and code analysis. It is heavier than a plain editor. JetBrains makes similar IDEs for other languages, such as PyCharm and WebStorm.

    Price not confirmed here, see the vendor site (checked Oct 2026)by JetBrains

    Website

  6. BBEdit

    Free tier

    Veteran Mac text and code editor that stays free after trial

    A professional text and HTML editor for macOS aimed at writers, web authors and developers. After a 30-day evaluation it keeps working for free without nag screens; a license unlocks extra features.

    Our take A strong Mac-native choice for text processing, search and replace, and editing many files, even without paying. It is less suited to large projects than an IDE or VS Code.

    Free; license $59.99 one-time as of Oct 2026by Bare Bones Software

    Website Mac App Store

  7. Nova

    $99

    Polished, Mac-native code editor from Panic

    A native macOS code editor with language server support, debugging, Git integration, remote file transfer, build tasks and a JavaScript extensions API.

    Our take For people who want an editor that looks and behaves like a proper Mac app. Its extension library is far smaller than VS Code's, and it is Mac-only.

    $99 one-time as of Oct 2026by Panic

    Website
Compare all 7 side by side
AppPriceModelOpen sourceApp Store
Visual Studio Code Free Free MIT –
Zed Free tier Free tier GPL-3.0-or-later –
Sublime Text $99 Paid – –
Cursor Free tier Free tier – –
IntelliJ IDEA Free tier Free tier – –
BBEdit Free tier Free tier – Yes
Nova $99 Paid – –

Not sure which code editor to pick?

Paste this into ChatGPT, Claude or any AI assistant that can open links. It reads the list, asks about your Mac and budget, and suggests a short list.

Help me choose the right code editor for my Mac. Read https://dockpicks.com/code-editors/ and its plain-text version, https://dockpicks.com/code-editors.md. Ask me which Mac I have, what I use it for and my budget, then recommend a short list from that page with the free and paid trade-offs.

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