Alternatives to CudaText

A fast, cross-platform open-source code editor written in Object Pascal and extensible with Python. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as CudaText.

  • Sublime Text

    A fast native editor for code and prose, paid for but with an evaluation that never stops working.

    PaidProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinux

    Sublime Text is a fast native editor on the same three desktops with strong multiple cursors and large-file handling, but it is closed source and paid.

  • Visual Studio Code

    Microsoft's code editor, free to use but shipped under a Microsoft licence rather than an open one.

    FreeProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinux

    Visual Studio Code offers a far larger extension library plus Git, terminal and debugger, but it is Electron-based, heavier and not open source.

  • Notepad++

    The fast Windows text and source code editor that replaced Notepad for a generation of users.

    FreeOpen sourceWindows

    Notepad++ is a free GPL-3.0 editor with regex find across files, macros and column editing, but it runs only on Windows.

  • Lite XL

    Edit text and code in a lightweight Lua-based editor.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Lite XL is a lightweight MIT-licensed editor for Windows, macOS and Linux that is extended with Lua plugins instead of Python add-ons.

  • Geany

    A small, fast IDE built on GTK that starts instantly and does not depend on a heavy desktop environment.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Geany is a small GTK-based IDE with symbol lists and a configurable build command, though it has no language server support in the core.

  • Zed

    A Rust editor from the people who built Atom, written for speed and for two people editing one file.

    FreemiumOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Zed is an open-source Rust editor with tree-sitter and language servers out of the box plus real-time collaboration, with a smaller extension ecosystem.

  • Textadept

    A fast, minimalist programmer's text editor that can be scripted and extended with Lua.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxCommand line

    Textadept is a minimalist open-source editor with portable executables, graphical and terminal interfaces and Lua scripting, and it makes no network connections.

  • Kate

    KDE's text editor: syntax highlighting for over 400 languages, split views, multi-cursor editing and an embedded terminal.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsLinux

    Kate is KDE's GPL-2.0 editor with over 400 syntax definitions, an embedded terminal and multi-cursor editing, but it depends on KDE Frameworks and lacks a macOS build.

Also worth comparing

These listings name CudaText as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • Bluefish

    A lightweight open-source code and text editor for programmers and web developers.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    CudaText is an open-source cross-platform editor with over 300 syntax lexers and Python add-ons, configured through JSON files, with many features coming from plugins rather than built in.

  • ecode

    A lightweight multi-platform code editor built on a hardware-accelerated GUI, focused on responsiveness and performance.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    CudaText is an open-source cross-platform editor written in Object Pascal with over 300 lexers and Python add-ons, configured through JSON files.

  • EmEditor

    A Windows text editor built for very large files, CSV data, logs and code.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindows

    CudaText is a free, open-source cross-platform editor with a hex viewer for very large files and Python add-ons, though many features come from plugins.

  • GNOME Text Editor

    A simple text editor for the GNOME desktop focused on a pleasing default experience.

    FreeOpen sourceLinux

    CudaText is a free, open-source editor for Windows, macOS and Linux with more than 300 lexers and Python add-ons, configured through JSON files.

  • jEdit

    A mature, plugin-driven programmer's text editor written in Java for many operating systems.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    CudaText is a free, open-source native editor with more than 300 lexers and Python add-ons, so it needs no Java runtime.

  • Mousepad

    A simple, fast text editor for the Xfce desktop, meant for quickly editing text files.

    FreeOpen sourceLinux

    CudaText is a fast cross-platform editor with more than 300 syntax lexers and Python add-ons, running on Windows and macOS too, though its configuration uses JSON files.

  • UltraEdit

    A commercial text, code and hex editor for Windows, macOS and Linux that handles very large files.

    PaidProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinux

    CudaText is a free, open-source cross-platform editor with a hex viewer for very large files and Python add-ons.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.