KWrite vs Sublime Text
KWrite
apps.kde.orgSublime Text
sublimetext.comSide by side
| Figure | KWrite | Sublime Text |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 7 |
| Spec score · Text Editors | 8.4 (#20) | 8.8 (#7) |
| Column editing | Yes | Yes |
| Extension support | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Multi-cursor editing | Yes | Yes |
| Product | KWrite is a text editor by KDE based on Kate’s editor component. | Sublime Text is a text editor for code, markup and prose. |
| Supported platforms | Linux,Windows,macOS | Windows,macOS,Linux |
Plans
Sublime Text
- PersonalPrice not published
- Business: seats 1-10Price not published
- Business: seats 11-25Price not published
- Business: seats 26-50Price not published
- Business: seats 51+Price not published
- Business license$65 a year
- Personal license$99, paid once
In their own words
KWrite
KWrite is a free text editor from KDE, built on Kate’s editor component. It runs on Linux, Windows, and macOS. The editor highlights syntax according to file type and includes word completion, automatic indentation, plugin support, and Vi input mode. Multi-cursor editing, column editing, and extension support are listed. Linux users can install it through Discover or another AppStream store, a distribution package manager, or Flathub. Nightly installers include a Linux AppImage and Windows and macOS builds for ARM and Intel. The project lists KWrite under the LGPL-2.1+ license. The latest listed release is version 26.08.2, dated 2026-10-08. Nightly builds come from the latest development branch and are intended for testing. KDE provides a handbook, forum, and #kate channel on Libera.Chat, plus bug-reporting and source links. Its privacy policy generally limits transfers from end-user devices to explicit user actions, though distributors may modify the software.
Sublime Text
Sublime Text is a text editor for code, markup, and prose on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Editing includes multi-cursor and column work, macro recording, large-file handling, tab multi-select, split views, Goto Anything, Goto Definition, and context-aware auto-completion. GPU rendering is supported on all three platforms, including resolutions up to 8K. The maker lists native Apple Silicon support and Linux ARM64 builds. Extensions can add plugins, syntax definitions, menus, and snippets, and a documented Python API supports plugin development such as LSP. The download page identifies Sublime Text 4, Build 4215, as the current release. The software can be downloaded and evaluated without an enforced time limit, but continued use requires a license. A Personal license costs $99 as a one-time purchase and includes three years of updates. Business licensing costs $65 per seat per year for the first 10 seats, with lower rates for larger tiers. The maker is based in Woollahra, Sydney, Australia.