Alternatives to EmEditor

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

  • UltraEdit

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

    PaidProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinux

    UltraEdit also handles very large files and adds hex editing and macros on Windows, macOS and Linux, but it requires a paid licence.

  • 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 Windows editor with regex find across files, macros and column editing, but without dedicated CSV tools or very large file handling.

  • Sublime Text

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

    PaidProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinux

    Sublime Text handles very large files quickly on Windows, macOS and Linux, but it is paid, closed source and has no dedicated CSV editing tools.

  • 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 is a free cross-platform editor with a large extension ecosystem, but it is Electron-based and heavier on memory than EmEditor for huge files.

  • PSPad

    A freeware text and code editor for Windows with syntax highlighting, hex editing and a built-in FTP client.

    FreeProprietaryWindows

    PSPad is closed-source Windows freeware with a hex editor, FTP client and macro recorder, without EmEditor's large-file and CSV focus.

  • RJ TextEd

    A freeware Unicode text and source code editor for Windows with web preview, hex mode and SFTP.

    FreeProprietaryWindows

    RJ TextEd is Windows freeware with hex and column modes, HTML preview and SFTP, oriented toward web work more than large data files.

  • Notepad3

    A lightweight open-source Notepad replacement for Windows with syntax highlighting and code folding.

    FreeOpen sourceWindows

    Notepad3 is a free, open-source lightweight Windows editor with syntax highlighting and code folding, with far fewer features than EmEditor Professional.

  • CudaText

    A fast, cross-platform open-source code editor written in Object Pascal and extensible with Python.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    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.

Also worth comparing

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

  • Notepad4

    A lightweight Scintilla-based text editor for Windows with syntax highlighting, folding and auto-completion.

    FreeOpen sourceWindows

    EmEditor is a closed-source freemium Windows editor built for very large files and CSV data, with some features requiring the paid Professional edition.

  • Notepads

    Use a lightweight Windows text editor with tabs and Markdown preview.

    FreeOpen sourceWindows

    EmEditor is a Windows editor built for very large files, CSV data and logs, with a free edition, but it is closed source with some paid features.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.