Ten of the best HTML editors

Published 08/11/2011

From needing to make a few simple HTML tweaks to a full website overhaul, there is a huge range of HTML editors available to download today. Ranging from the simple to the complex, and from the free to the costly, here are ten editors which stand out from the crowd for either usability, low cost, or are totally free.

Aptana Studio

Aptana Studio is one of the more nicely and more modern-looking sites to download your html editor from. Aptana claims to be the world's most powerful open-source integrated development environment and works pretty seamlessly. Of of the more trivial elements of it's design is the black background in the editor itself. Although something that initially looks like it would be unbearable to strain your eyes at hour after hour it actually isn't that bad at all once you get used to it.

Coffee Cup

Coffee Cup's main emphasis is on creating development tools that are easy to use and as soon as you get into the editor you feel like you've been in it for hours. Coffee Cup's HTML editor is actually just one out of many products that they offer alongside a form builder, photo gallery and a range of other tools. Whilst probably not suitable for the advanced user, this is certainly a great editing tool for some basic HTML adjustments. Also, downloading what you need from their site is a very cleanly laid out and user friendly affair

Text Wrangler

A great HTML editor for all the Mac user out there, Text Wrangler is the less tricked-out version of 'BBEdit'. But with all the fancy pants software development elements cast aside for BBEdit to take care of, Text Wrangler is still a very capable and clean looking HTML editor. The download site looks a bit unbranded and make you feel as if you have accidentally wondered to the FAQ page rather than the main product page but that aside, the actual editor you are left with a nice edition to your dock.

Notepad

The original but unfortunately by no means the best is Notepad, the default Windows installed HTML editor that most people don't realise is even a HTML editor. Notepad deserves a level of respect like an elderly master of the arts, it's not cool but it's been round the block a few times and was one of the first used tools. Don't except any nifty colour organisation of your code, or much else for that matter, but it works and already on your PC.

Notepad + +

When Notepad retired it unleashed its offspring known as Notepad++ to take it's place. An interesting and rather unique selling point of this editor is is green focus through making it's processes as efficient as possible it aims to take up as little CPU power as possible.

Taco

Another editor for the Mac users amongst us, this is a very nicely presented editor for your HTML and PHP needs. With the usual bells and whistles you might come to expect from a good editor it also includes some really nice advanced features such as spell checking, live browser previewing and more.

Net Beans

With numerous modules involved with this editor such as a form editor and debugger, NetBeans is a very useful editor. A really good feature of the site is it's emphasis on tutorials, demos, plugins and polls which really engage with the user rather than leaving them high and dry in a sea of jargon that many editors can do.

HTML Kit

With their Image picker tool, how to sections and 'preview in iPad', HTML Kit is a good example of a very modern editing tool.

Amaya

As W3C's editor, Amaya packs a default level of weight regradless of what the download page may look like. Which is probably a good thing as it's pretty grim. There seems to often be a turning point in the design on certain pages where once they come from a technological authority high enough the actual aesthetics of the page's design seem to somewhat go out the window. But the download page isn't the thing in question here, it's the editor, which through through consistently getting mentioned all over the internet has developed a strong usership.

Kompozer

Kompozer claims that it's users don't even need to know HTML. With a focus on ease on usability this high on the agenda this is certainly the go-to editor for those looking to make some tweaks or just getting started with the bare knowledge.

by Chris Fiander

Ten of the best HTML editors

Tags

Comments

More Inspiration

Inspiration

GameStop shakes up the gaming scene with candy controllers #BehindTheBrand

Inspiration

Carlsberg finally do something interesting with the “probably” schtick #BehindTheIdea

Inspiration

#MemberSpotlight on Illustrator Athanasia-Danae