BBEdit vs Textadept

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.

Textadept is a free, open-source text editor for programmers, available with graphical and terminal interfaces. It supports more than 100 programming languages and includes multiple carets and selections, unlimited split views, configurable key bindings, nested snippets, column editing, and macro recording. Lua scripting can extend and customize nearly every aspect of the editor. Shell commands can be used to run code, build projects, and execute tests; optional modules add language debuggers, file comparison, source formatting, an LSP client, scratch buffers, and spell checking. The project says Textadept does not connect to the internet. Pre-built binaries are self-contained and require no installation, and source code is available under the MIT License. Requirements vary: Linux GUI use needs Qt 5 or GTK 3, while the terminal version needs ncurses. Pre-built macOS binaries are for Apple Silicon only. The project provides a manual, Lua API documentation, issue tracker, discussions, wiki, and FAQ.