Alternatives to Aquamacs

An editor based on GNU Emacs and adapted to feel at home on macOS. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

  • Aquamacs

    An editor based on GNU Emacs and adapted to feel at home on macOS.

    FreeProprietarymacOS

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as Aquamacs.

  • GNU Emacs

    An editor that is really a Lisp environment, extensible to the point where people run their email, calendar and shell inside it.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    GNU Emacs is the upstream editor under GPL-3.0, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux with current releases, but its macOS build is less polished and less Mac-like than Aquamacs.

  • Doom Emacs

    An opinionated configuration framework that turns GNU Emacs into a fast, modular editing environment.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOSLinux

    Doom Emacs is a modular, opinionated configuration on top of GNU Emacs for macOS and Linux, trading Aquamacs' Mac-style behaviour for Emacs-native defaults you configure in Emacs Lisp.

  • Spacemacs

    A community-driven Emacs configuration that combines Emacs with Vim-style editing and mnemonic key bindings.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Spacemacs layers Vim-style editing and mnemonic key bindings over GNU Emacs, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and requires installing Emacs separately rather than a Mac-adapted app.

  • Lem

    A general-purpose editor and IDE written in and extensible with Common Lisp, with Emacs and Vim keybindings.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOSLinuxCommand line

    Lem is an open-source editor extensible in Common Lisp with Emacs-like and Vim-like modes on macOS and Linux, so Emacs Lisp packages and configuration do not carry over.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.