Cost: Free Trial; $56.25. Counting on another incredible text editor in this list, we have stopped at TextMate 2.0 which is one of the best text editors for Mac. Made for the experts as well as the newbies, it is minimal and it has a user-friendly interface. Goorm IDE has support for C, C, Java, Js, python, ruby, node express, jquery, angular, and bootstrap. It even supports web server and integrated debuggger. If you do a google search for Goorm IDE, much of the results are in Korean, which is the same with their social media. TextWrangler is a free program from the App Store, or you can download Sublime Text, which has an indefinite trial mode (this is our current favourite text editor). How to learn C in Mac OS X: How.
Best code editor for Mac
If you are looking to try out Notepad++ but your work machine is a Mac, you might run into a problem, which is — this app was developed for Windows and is only available on that platform. Does this mean you now have no options to use it? Is there a way to try and run it anyway? And what are the best alternatives?
We are addressing all of the above questions in detail below, so let’s get started!
What is Notepad++?
Notepad++ is a text and source code editor. It’s designed for use with the Windows operating system and allows you to edit code for your projects. Conveniently, you can have several tabs with various files open to switch as you work, just like browser tabs.
Notepad++ is distributed for free and is available in 90 languages.
The app is packed with features and allows syntax highlighting, code folding, as well as some limited autocompletion.
Get Notepad++ alternative
Install Setapp and find a perfect replacement for Notepad++ in seconds.
Is there a Notepad++ for Mac?
While Notepad++ is an extremely handy and loved app, there’s no Notepad++ for Mac, unfortunately. The good news is, you have a few options when it comes to editing your source code. First, you might not even need a Notepad++ equivalent for Mac as you can in fact run the app on a Mac using an emulator or a virtual machine. Secondly, the market has quite a few amazing apps that can serve as an excellent Notepad alternative for Mac.
We will cover both solutions in the article below, so keep on reading.
How to run Notepad++ on a Mac
If you are set on running Notepad++ on Mac, you will have to resort to virtual machines and emulators. If you are already using one for another task, you can easily install and use Notepad++ on your Mac. If not, let’s see how you can do that.
And by the way, while dedicated gamers play classics from the 80s using older PC environment emulators, you might not be as passionate about running Notepad++ on your Mac using an emulator or a virtual machine. So here’s a closer look at these options for you to decide if it’s worth the effort.
Run NotePad for Mac with an emulator
To combat the lack of Notepad for Mac, you can use Wine, a free and open source compatibility layer that helps software developed for Windows to run on your Mac. Technically, no code emulation happens in Wine, and the name of the software itself is the acronym for “Wine is Not an Emulator”.
Here are the steps we’ve managed to find that should help you run Notepad++ on Mac:
- Download the Wine package from its official website and unzip the archive
- Open up Terminal and type winecfg to create a C drive where Notepad for Mac will live
- Download Notepad++ from its GitHub repository and put it in the newly created C drive
- Back in the Terminal, navigate to the C drive directory and install the .exe file by typing wine [file name]
- To launch Notepad after the installation is complete, just type wine [file name] in the Terminal once more
Use Notepad for Mac with a virtual machine
Your next option is to use a virtual machine, which is exactly what it sounds like — a virtualization of a guest operating system, including Windows needed for Notepad.
To use Notepad++ this way, start by installing Windows on your Mac with the help of VMware Fusion, a software virtualizer for Macs. Here’s a guide we’ve discovered for each step of the process:
- Make sure you have an official ISO copy (and license keys) of the Windows version of your choice
- Download and install VMware Fusion
- When prompted, drag and drop the Windows ISO file onto the Installation Method window
- Check the Use Easy Install option
- Fill out your license credentials for Windows
- Save your new virtual machine
- Your Windows environment window should now be active!
Now simply download Notepad++ and start using it just like on any Windows machine — and that is how you get Notepad++ for Mac.
Best Notepad++ alternatives for Mac
If simply reading the guides above already felt tedious, you might wonder if you can just find a Notepad++ alternative for Mac that you can install and use without any additional effort. In fact, you can. Below, we talk about Notepad++ alternative apps like CodeRunner, Espresso, Brackets, Sublime Text, Atom, and TeaCode, their features, and uses.
CodeRunnder
CodeRunner is a code editor and an IDE. It’s fast and easy to use. You can write in Python, Ruby, PHP, Perl, Swift, C++, HTML, Java, JavaScript, CSS, and more.
The app has everything you need for work — more than 230 syntax highlighters, smart autofill, auto-indenting, out of the box support for over 25 languages. Debug, browse online documentation, and build in this handy developer app.
Espresso — best HTML editor for Mac?
If you want a dedicated web editor, Espresso is your go-to. This lightweight app for Mac is small and punchy just like its namesake. It handles coding, designing, building, and publishing with a smile on its interface:
Create in HTML, CSS, JS, Ruby, Python, Apache, and more. Use Espresso’s templates and shortcuts, make precise decisions with live preview, utilize find and replace, and create web projects that look nothing less than stunning.
Brackets
Brackets is an open source code editor created by Adobe Systems. As announced on the app website, Adobe ends support for the app on September 1, 2021.
Brackets features include quick edit, quick docs, live preview, JSLint, LESS support. The app supports codes in multiple formats and in multiple languages, including C++, JavaScript, HTML, Python, Perl, Ruby.
If you prefer to use an app that hasn’t been discontinued, Adobe now recommends using Visual Studio Code as an alternative. This free source code editor by Microsoft allows you to install Brackets extensions and work in the way you know and love.
The app has a vast ecosystem of many coding languages, comprehensive syntax highlighting and autocomplete, debugging, built-in Git commands, and much more.
Sublime Text
Another option for you is Sublime Text. This app is a source code editor and debugger. It has the fan-favorite feature command palette, as well as simultaneous editing, quick navigation, autosave, plus its latest version has just been released at the end of May 2021.
This minimalist-looking app is rich with features and can help you effectively edit your source code with the help of its advanced features, including GPU rendering, tab multi-select, context-aware auto complete, powerful syntax highlighting, and much more.
Atom
Atom is a free open source text editor developed by GitHub. One of the most exciting characteristics of this app is that it is highly customizable.
Marketed as a “hackable text editor for the 21st Century” due to its advanced customization possibilities, this tool allows for cross-platform editing, has a built-in package manager, provides smart autocompletion, offers convenient find and replace, plus can be used for collaboration with its Teletype functionality.
Naturally, Atom is closely integrated with GitHub, so you can log in to your profile and work with Git and GitHub directly from Atom.
How to write code faster with expanders
Sometimes all that’s stopping you from quicker work pace is the routine — you are forced to type out the same things over and over and get bored before you get to the exciting part. Well, no more!
TeaCode is a code expander that provides you with dozens of expanders for Swift, PHP, Objective-C, and HTML. Plus, creating new expanders in the app is simpler than simple.
TeaCode is supported by numerous Mac text editors, including Xcode, TextMate, Coda, and the above-mentioned Espresso, Atom, Visual Studio Code, Sublime.
Just install the app and follow the official instructions for using it with individual editors on the maker website by spotting instructions for your respective editor.
Conclusion
As you can see from the solutions outlined above, the answer to the question, “Does Notepad++ work on Mac?” is both yes and no. You can run emulators and virtual machines to create an environment in which the app will work on your Mac — as we’ve described Wine and VMware Fusion look like viable options for this approach. So it’s kind of a yes, but you are basically creating a bridge into a different operating system and aren’t running the app on macOS but on your Mac.
And if you are not as much attached to the idea of working in Notepad++ no matter what, you can explore all the source code editing alternatives we’ve listed in this article, or even go beyond that. It’s easy to just install an app that solves your task and be done with it, isn’t it?
Popular Notepad++ replacements include CodeRunner, Espresso, Brackets (discontinued), Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text, and Atom. And we’ve discussed them in the paragraphs above.
If you are a Setapp subscriber, you can get CodeRunner and Espresso in Setapp, try them out, and pick the one that fits your workflow best — or just use both for different tasks! And while you are browsing for new Setapp discoveries, TeaCode is a handy little app that is compatible with numerous text editors and saves you a ton of time through code expanders.
Even if you are not subscribed to Setapp yet, you can get a free 7-day trial to try out the mentioned apps and many more as Setapp provides a curated selection of apps that are the solutions to numerous daily tasks and challenges, making your day more effective and packed with results instead of frustration:)
Notepad++ is a widely popular and amazing text editor for Windows. Mac users are always looking to get it on their system. But, does Notepad++ for Mac exist? If you have the same question, this post is specifically written for you.
Here, I will explain the reality to you. Also, I will tell you how to use it on Mac. And, I will also provide the 10 Best Notepad++ Alternatives for Mac that you can use to get a similar or even better experience.
Contents
- 2 Is Notepad++ Available for Mac?
- 3 10 Best Notepad++ Alternatives for Mac
What is Notepad++?
Notepad++ is an advanced text editor for Windows. It is the most popular text editor after Notepad, and a thousand times better and useful than it. It has a customizable GUI, supports several programming languages, and provides syntax highlighting, and syntax folding. You will also get PCRE search and replace, and auto-completing, multi-document editing, etc. It has a long list of features that make it an amazing text editor.
If you have used Notepad all for life, just try it once, and you’ll regret the days you have used Notepad. Notepad++ has a wide fanbase on the internet. And, the services it provides are outstanding, so it is justified. In short, it one of the top-rated text editors in the world. The best part is that it is free and open-source.
Is Notepad++ Available for Mac?
The most straightforward answer to this question is NO. Notepad++ is not available for Mac, unfortunately. It is only available for Microsoft Windows. If you are using Mac and want to use Notepad++, then you have two options- either use special workarounds to run it on Mac or use some other great alternative.
The former option requires a lot of effort and isn’t worth your time in my opinion. Since Notepad++ is specifically used to get everything for minimalistic efforts, it’d make it worthless. So, I’d recommend using the latter option. There are many great alternatives available that you can use.
Can I use Notepad++ on Mac?
Since Notepad++ isn’t available for Mac, one would think that it is impossible to run it on Mac. However, the reality is different. It is still possible to run it on Mac. As I mentioned above, you have to use special workarounds for that. You can run it by using apps like Wine or VMWare, or any other virtualization software or emulator. However, that would require a lot of effort and there’s no point doing that in my opinion.
If you still want to know about it, ask me via the comment box, and I’ll explain. Or, you can also use a YouTube video guide explaining that. Another way to run Notepad++ on Mac is by rewriting it in a way that it doesn’t rely on the Win32 API. Both of these methods are unlikely to be used by any normal user.
10 Best Notepad++ Alternatives for Mac
As I have explained, using a great Notepad++ Mac alternative is the most viable option available. So, if you are on Mac and want to use something like Notepad++, here are the 10 best Notepad++ alternatives for Mac. You can use these apps to have a very similar and even better experience.
You can also use multiple apps if you find that some of the features are missing in any of th apps. But, for casual users, any single app would be enough.
1. Brackets
Brackets is a free and open-source code editor by Adobe. It is a great Notepad++ alternative on Mac as it is full of features. And, it is updated with new features every month. It also has an ‘Extract’ feature that will help you to extract colors, gradients, fonts, and more from a PSD file. Then, you can turn it into CSS styles. If you are into coding, you’d definitely find it useful.
2. Atom
Atom is a wonderful replacement for Notepad++ on Mac. It is a free-to-use open-source text editor that is full of features. It is a powerful yet simple tool that almost anyone can use. This editor is developed by the GitHub team. It is completely hackable and you can mold it in any way you want.
3. BBEdit
BBEdit is my personal favorite text and code editor for Mac. It is the perfect replacement for Notepad++ as it has all the features that you’ll need. Along with that, it has a clean and appealing user interface. It is perfect for writing, searching, and editing. The best thing is that it is completely free. You can get it from the App Store.
4. Textmate
TextMate is one of the best text editors for Mac. It covers all the features that Notepad++ offers. It supports syntax highlighting, syntax folding, supports Gerp and regex, and more. This editor also has a unique feature called visual bookmarking that allows you to jump between locations within a document. The only limitation is that it is not free. It costs $58 but the money spent will be worth it.
5. jEdit
jEdit is a very useful free-to-use text editor for Mac. It is developed by a team of very experienced coders, so they have made sure that you get all the necessary features in it. One notable feature of this editor is that it supports using keyboard shortcuts to cut down your time while coding. This feature is missing in many well-known text editors.
6. Textastic
Text Editor For Coding Mac
Textastic is the perfect text editor who is looking for a powerful tool that doesn’t cost much money. It is full of useful features and has a sleek user interface. It supports more than 80 source code and markup language with auto-completion support. And, it only costs $7.99.
7. Sublime Text
Sublime Text is another feature-rich and powerful text editor available for Mac, Windows, and even Linux. It is specifically developed for coding and serves the purpose of editing as well. It supports split editing, customizable key bindings, and more. The only limitation that makes people think about using it is its price, which is $70.
8. UltraEdit
UltraEdit is another impressive text editor for Mac. It claims itself the best option in the world. And, if you go through the available list of features and capabilities, you’d easily believe them. Despite being feature-packed, it has an easy to understand user interface. However, it is not free. You have to spend $80 to buy it.
9. Coda 2
Coda 2 is a powerful text editor developed specifically for web developers and professional coders. It has all the essential features that you’d need along with a long list of advanced features. It supports syntax highlighting and syntax folding for a wide range of languages. To use it, you’d have to spend $99.
10. Komodo Edit
Komodo Edit is the right text editor for you if you are not looking for a heavy, complex, but a lightweight tool. For simple writing, editing, and searching, this is the perfect editor. You can also increase its functionalities by downloading repositories from GitHub. The user interface is simple and anyone can easily understand it well. And, it is completely free.
Final Verdict
Notepad++ is an amazing text editor full of advanced features. Unfortunately, it is not available for Mac. So, you can use any of these 10 best Notepad++ alternatives for Mac. These will help you to do whatever task you wanted to do on Notepad++. However, if you still want to try it on Mac, you can do that by using a virtualization software or emulator. But, the procedure would be a bit long.
Text Editor For Macos
That’s all for this post. I hope you find it helpful. Feel free to share your opinions about it in the comments section.