BBEdit vs SciTE

BBEdit is a text and HTML editor for writers, web authors, and software developers using macOS. Its tools include grep pattern matching, multi-file search and replace, syntax coloring, function navigation, code folding, and text completion. For web authoring, it provides HTML markup tools, standards-based syntax checking, and live previews of HTML and Markdown documents. A license adds Git and Subversion support, and licensed users can create in-app worksheets to converse with ChatGPT, Claude, and Ollama. Workflow options include AppleScript, macOS Unix scripting, Automator, Xcode as an external editor, and the Language Server Protocol. BBEdit can open and save text files on FTP and SFTP servers. Free Mode continues after the 30-day evaluation period, though some advanced features require a paid license. The listed BBEdit 16 Individual plan costs $59.99 as a one-time purchase. BBEdit 16 requires macOS 14.0 or later and supports Intel and Apple silicon Macs; Bare Bones says there are no Windows or Linux versions.

SciTE is a free Scintilla-based text editor for Linux, macOS, and Windows, with tools for building and running programs. It provides automatic syntax styling and can keep multiple files in memory while displaying one file at a time. The documentation lists styling for C/C++, Python, Java, JavaScript, Rust, SQL, HTML, YAML, and other languages. SciTE can compile or run source files and place command output in its output pane. Editing includes multi-cursor, column editing, macro recording, and large-file handling, with extension support. Properties files control much of its behavior and can add external applications to the Tools menu. Windows downloads support Windows 7 and later in 32-bit, 64-bit, and ARM versions. The Linux binary is for 64-bit Intel-compatible processors and requires GTK 2.24 or later. A commercial macOS version is available through the Mac App Store. The listed SciTE plan is free.