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GNU nano vs Kakoune: catalog facts
GNU nano	Kakoune
Free Free and open source under the GPL.	Free Free and open source.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Command line
Shortcuts shown on screen, so there is nothing to memorise Installed or one package away on practically every Unix system	Multiple selections as the core editing model Selection-first commands show what will change before acting
No plugins, projects or language intelligence Not designed for editing large codebases	Modal editing has a learning curve Keybindings differ from Vim, so muscle memory does not transfer directly
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-3.0	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

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