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JOE (Joe's Own Editor) vs micro: catalog facts
JOE (Joe's Own Editor)	micro
Free Free software distributed under the GNU General Public License.	Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.
Windows, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
Familiar WordStar key layout with Emacs-like features Tiny binary with only libc as a dependency	Common keybindings, so there is nothing to learn before editing a file A single static binary with no dependencies or external files
The Windows build lags behind at version 4.6 Keyboard scheme differs from vi and modern GUI editors	Not an IDE; no language server support or project tooling The plugin ecosystem is small
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0	License: MIT
No account needed	No account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.