The Best 8 Free HTML Editors for the Mac
We have evaluated 20 free HTML editors for Macintosh on over 40 different criteria critical to professional web designers and developers. The subsequent applications are the best free HTML editors for Macintosh, both WYSIWYG and text editors, ranked best to worst. All editors listed will have a score, percentage, and a link to more information.
The Best 8 Free HTML Editors for the Mac
Best Value: Komodo Edit
What We Like
- Lots of add-ons available.
- Built-in FTP client.
- Auto-complete and syntax checking features.
What We Don’t Like
- Slow to load.
- Feels cluttered.
- Challenging to install color schemes.
Komodo Edit is hands down the best 8 free XML editors available. It includes a lot of excellent features for HTML and CSS development. Plus, if that isn’t sufficient, you can get additions to add on languages or other helpful features (like special characters).
Komodo Edit is not the most useful HTML editor out there, but it is excellent for the price, mainly if you build in XML. I do Komodo Edit every day for my work in XML, and I use it a lot for basic HTML editing as excellent. That is one editor I’d be lost without.
There are 2 versions of Komodo: Komodo Edit and Komodo IDE.
Best for JavaScript Developers: Aptana Studio
What We Like
- Integrated debugger.
- Build-in Code Assist feature for tags.
- Built-in terminal emulator.
What We Don’t Like
- No longer in development.
- Minimal support for PHP.
- Some dependencies.
Aptana Studio offers an exciting take on website development. Rather than focusing on HTML, Aptana focuses on JavaScript and different elements that allow you to create rich internet applications.
One thing I like is the outline view that makes it easy to visualize the document object model (DOM). This makes for more straightforward CSS and JavaScript development.
When you are a developer creating web applications, Aptana Studio is the right choice.
A Full-Featured Java IDE: NetBeans
What We Like
- Version 9.0 was released by Apache after the acquisition.
- Supports the Jigsaw Module system.
- Supports Java Shell, new in JDK 9.
What We Don’t Like
- Needs a high-memory computer to run fast.
- Not various plug-ins.
- Auto-completion is buggy.
NetBeans IDE is the best Java IDE that can help you build robust web applications. Like most maximum IDEs, it has a steep learning curve because they don’t often work in the same way that web editors do. But once you get utilized to it, you’ll be hooked.
One excellent feature is the version control included in the IDE, which is useful for working in large development environments. If you write Java and web pages, it is a fabulous tool.
Best for LAMP Developers: Bluefish
What We Like
- Auto-completion and auto-tag closing.
- Powerful search and replace.
- Quick to start and load files.
What We Don’t Like
- Not for novice programmers.
- The user interface looks intimidating.
- Besides many tabs and toolbars.
Bluefish is a complete-featured web editor for Linux. There are more built-in executables for Windows and Macintosh. There is code-sensitive spell check, autocomplete of multiple languages (HTML, PHP, CSS, more.), snippets, project management, and auto-save.
It is essentially a code editor, not precisely a web editor. It means that it has a lot of versatility for web developers writing in more than just HTML, but you might not like it as much if you’re a designer by nature.
A Powerful Multi-Language IDE: Eclipse
What We Like
- Robust debugging and profiling profile.
- Code-completion feature.
- Fast deployment and implementation.
What We Don’t Like
- Slow when working with large files.
- Not recommended for large businesses.
- The steep learning curve for novice programmers.
Eclipse is a complex, Free Source development environment perfect for people who do some coding on various platforms and other languages.
Eclipse is structured as plug-ins. Therefore if you want to edit something, see the appropriate plug-in, and run.
When you are creating complex web applications, Eclipse has many features to help make your application easier to build. There are JavaScript, Java, and PHP plugins, as good as a plugin to mobile developers.
SeaMonkey: A Swiss Army Knife IDE From Mozilla
What We Like:
- Tabs for WYSIWYG editing, HTML code, HTML tags,
- and browser views.
- Suitable for building simplistic, basic websites.
What We Don’t Like
- Composer element no longer doing maintained.
- Generates HTML 4.01 Transitional code.
SeaMonkey is the Mozilla plan all-in-one internet application suite. It involves a web browser, IRC chat client, email and newsgroup client, and Composer, the web page editor.
One of the right things about using SeaMonkey is that the browser is built-in, so testing is a breeze. Plus, it’s a free WYSIWYG editor by an embedded FTP client to publish your web pages.
Amaya: A Basic HTML Writer
What We Like:
- Useful for up to HTML 4.01.
- Supports SVG and MathML.
What We Don’t Like
- Last updated in 2012.
- No higher in development.
Amaya is the best World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) web editor and web browser. This validates the HTML as you build your page and displays your Web documents in a tree structure, which helps understand the DOM.
Amaya has various features that most web designers won’t ever use, but if you want to be sure that your pages follow the W3C standards, this is a great editor to use.
Straightforward and Stable: BBEdit 12
What We Like
- Supports HTML5.
- Opens large files.
- Great customer support.
- Rock-solid software.
What We Don’t Like
- Advanced features require a paid version after a 30-day free trial.
- Must search menus for features and options.
BBEdit is a paid program with free capabilities (the same powers that the now-defunct TextWranger had. While Bare Bones Software, the BBEdit makers offer a paid version, you may find the free version does everything you need. You can review a feature comparison here.
If you’re using TextWrangler, this is not compatible with macOS 10.13 (High Sierra). But, the free (and paid) version of BBEdit is.
