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JOE (Joe's Own Editor)GNU Emacs
Free

Free software distributed under the GNU General Public License.

 Free

Free software under the GPL, part of the GNU Project.

Windows, Linux, Command line Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
  • Familiar WordStar key layout with Emacs-like features
  • Tiny binary with only libc as a dependency
  • Extensible in Emacs Lisp at runtime, so any behaviour can be changed without rebuilding
  • Org mode is a genuinely excellent system for notes, tasks and literate documents
  • The Windows build lags behind at version 4.6
  • Keyboard scheme differs from vi and modern GUI editors
  • A steep learning curve, with keybindings unlike any other editor
  • A usable configuration takes substantial time, hence Doom and Spacemacs
Downloadable app Downloadable app
Open source Open source
License: GPL-2.0 License: GPL-3.0
No account needed No account needed
Works offline Works offline

Checked October 2, 2026

Checked September 21, 2026

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