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Kate

kate-editor.org

Free plan WindowsmacOSLinux
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Spec score 8.5 #14 of 82 in Text Editors

What it is

Kate is a free text editor for viewing and editing text files on Linux, macOS and Windows. It can show multiple documents in horizontally or vertically split windows, and supports multi-cursor and column editing. For code and other structured text, Kate provides syntax highlighting for over 400 languages, bracket matching and on-the-fly spell checking. Programming tools include auto-completion with argument hints, scriptable auto-indentation and Vi input mode; the editor uses the Language Server Protocol for auto-completion in many languages. Search and replace handles regular expressions, multiline searches, open files and files on disk. Listed plugins include an embedded terminal, SQL, build, GDB and Replace in Files tools. Kate can open remote files and supports Unicode and other encodings. Backups on save and swap files can help recover data after a system crash. The editor is free, and its listed plan describes it as available for Linux, Windows and macOS. Nightly packages are compiled daily, but may be unstable or incomplete and are recommended for testing.

Spec sheet

Product
Kate is a text editor for viewing and editing text files.Read 4 Oct 2026 · kate-editor.org
Platforms
The download page provides installation options for Linux, Windows and macOS, including nightly packages.Read 4 Oct 2026 · kate-editor.org
Free plan
YesRead 22 Sep 2026 · kate-editor.org
Privacy
KDE says its software generally does not transfer information from users’ devices except after explicit user action; any telemetry is opt-in and disabled by default.Read 4 Oct 2026 · kde.org
Support
Kate support is offered through its KDE Discuss section, Matrix channel and KDE bug tracker.Read 4 Oct 2026 · kate-editor.org
Column editing
YesRead 22 Sep 2026 · kate-editor.org
Development
Kate and its related frameworks are created by volunteers around the world; the team page reports 95 contributors during the last year.Read 4 Oct 2026 · kate-editor.org
Extension support
YesRead 22 Sep 2026 · kate-editor.org
File handling
Kate supports opening remote files and Unicode and other encodings.Read 4 Oct 2026 · kate-editor.org
Language integration
The homepage says Kate uses the Language Server Protocol to provide auto-completion for many languages.Read 4 Oct 2026 · kate-editor.org
Macro recording
YesRead 22 Sep 2026 · kate-editor.org
Multi-cursor editing
YesRead 22 Sep 2026 · kate-editor.org
Multiple documents
Users can view and edit multiple documents at once in horizontally or vertically split windows.Read 4 Oct 2026 · kate-editor.org
Nightly builds
The site says nightly packages are compiled daily and may be unstable or contain bugs or incomplete features, and recommends them for testing.Read 4 Oct 2026 · kate-editor.org
Plugins
Listed plugins include an embedded terminal, SQL, build, GDB and Replace in Files plugins.Read 4 Oct 2026 · kate-editor.org
Programming
Programming features include auto-completion with argument hints, scriptable auto-indentation and Vi input mode.Read 4 Oct 2026 · kate-editor.org
Recovery
Kate includes backups on save and swap files to recover data after a system crash.Read 4 Oct 2026 · kate-editor.org
Search
Search and replace supports regular expressions, multiline searches and files on disk or multiple open files.Read 4 Oct 2026 · kate-editor.org
Supported platforms
Linux,BSD,Windows,macOSRead 22 Sep 2026 · kate-editor.org
Syntax highlighting
Kate supports syntax highlighting for over 400 languages, bracket matching and on-the-fly spell checking.Read 4 Oct 2026 · kate-editor.org

Plans and prices

Kate Free Text editor for Linux, Windows and macOS Read 4 Oct 2026 · kate-editor.org

Every Kate plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Syntax highlighting covers over 400 languages.
  • Supports multi-cursor and column editing.
  • Search handles regular expressions and multiline queries.
  • Backups and swap files support crash recovery.
  • Free on Linux, macOS and Windows.

Limits

  • Nightly packages may be unstable or incomplete.
  • No free trial is listed.
  • Support is offered through KDE Discuss, Matrix and the bug tracker.

Who it suits

Kate suits people who want a free text editor across Linux, macOS or Windows, including programmers who need language-aware editing, search tools and plugins. Its split-document view and recovery files may also suit people working with multiple text files.

Verdict

Kate pairs broad text-editing tools with programming features and file-recovery options at no cost. Users considering nightly packages should note the stated risk of instability or incomplete features.

Where Specifiction places it

Alternatives to KateAll alternatives →

Zed From $10/mo · Free plan 9.1 Visit