13 Free and Open-source Text editor Apps for macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon)
1- MarkText
A Simple and elegant markdown editor
MarkText is an MIT licensed open source project, and the latest version will always be downloadable for free from the GitHub release page.
Read about MarkText 's features, license, platforms, and more.
2- Onivim
Native, lightweight modal code editor
Onivim 2 is a reimagination of the Oni editor. Onivim 2 aims to bring the speed of Sublime, the language integration of VSCode, and the modal editing experience of Vim together, in a single package.
Onivim 2 is built in reason using the revery framework.
Onivim 2 uses libvim to manage buffers and provide authentic modal editing, and features a fast, native front-end. In addition, Onivim 2 leverages the VSCode Extension Host process in its entirety - meaning, eventually, complete support for VSCode extensions and configuration.
Read about Onivim 's features, license, platforms, and more.
3- SubEthaEdit
General purpose plain text editor for macOS.
General purpose plain-text editor for macOS. Widely known for its live collaboration feature.
Read about SubEthaEdit 's features, license, platforms, and more.
4- CotEditor
The Plain-Text Editor for macOS
CotEditor is exactly made for macOS. It looks and behaves just as macOS applications should.
CotEditor launches so quick that you can write your text immediately when you want to.
CotEditor is developed as an open-source project that allows anyone to contribute.
Read about CotEditor 's features, license, platforms, and more.
5- Helix
A post-modern text editor.
Helix is a Kakoune / Neovim inspired editor, written in Rust.
The editing model is very heavily based on Kakoune; during development
Read about Helix 's features, license, platforms, and more.
6- MacVim
Vim - the text editor - for macOS
MacVim is a port of the text editor Vim to Mac OS X that is meant to look better and integrate more seamlessly with the Mac than the older Carbon port of Vim.
MacVim supports multiple windows with tabbed editing and a host of other features such as:
Bindings to standard OS X keyboard shortcuts (⌘-Z, ⌘-V, ⌘-A, ⌘-G, etc.),
Transparent backgrounds,
Full-screen mode,
Multibyte editing with OS X input methods and automatic font substitution,
ODB editor support,
Read about MacVim 's features, license, platforms, and more.
7- micro
a modern and intuitive terminal-based text editor
micro is a terminal-based text editor that aims to be easy to use and intuitive, while also taking advantage of the capabilities of modern terminals. It comes as a single, batteries-included, static binary with no dependencies; you can download and use it right now!
As its name indicates, micro aims to be somewhat of a successor to the nano editor by being easy to install and use. It strives to be enjoyable as a full-time editor for people who prefer to work in a terminal, or those who regularly edit files over SSH.
Read about micro 's features, license, platforms, and more.
8- neovim
hyperextensible Vim-based text editor
neovim is a free open-source hyperextensible Vim-based text editor
Read about neovim 's features, license, platforms, and more.
9- Noto
The plain text editor for macOS
Noto is a beautiful and simple plain text editor for macOS written in Swift.
Read about Noto 's features, license, platforms, and more.
10- Plain Text Editor
Simple distraction-free notepad
Simple text editor without any rich text nonsense. The simplicity is a feature.
It won’t handle your 1 million line log file, but it is a nice way to write down some ideas.
Read about Plain Text Editor 's features, license, platforms, and more.
11- slap
Sublime-like terminal-based text editor
slap is a Sublime-like terminal-based text editor that strives to make editing from the terminal easier. It has:
Read about slap 's features, license, platforms, and more.
12- TextMate
TextMate is a graphical text editor for macOS 10.12 or later
TextMate is a simple yet open-source and free powerful native text/ code editor for macOS.
Read about TextMate 's features, license, platforms, and more.
13- VimR
VimR — Neovim GUI for macOS in Swift
Project VimR is a Neovim GUI for macOS. The goal is to build an editor that uses Neovim inside with many of the convenience GUI features similar to those present in modern editors. We mainly use Swift, but also use C/Objective-C when where appropriate.
Read about VimR 's features, license, platforms, and more.