The Ultimate Guide to HTML Editors
As the world of digital design and coding continues to expand and grow, so does the variety of tools available to help us achieve our design and coding goals. HTML editors are one such tool that has become indispensable for web designers and developers alike. However, choosing the right HTML editor can be daunting with so many options available. This ultimate list of HTML editors is designed to make choosing an HTML editor as easy as possible. This guide covers everything you need to know to find the best HTML editor for your needs, from pricing and features to supported browsers and platforms.
What is an HTML Editor?
An HTML editor is a software tool that allows us to create and modify websites using the W3C HTML5 language. The basic premise of an HTML editor is that it provides us with a clean, organized workspace where we can enter and edit our website's markup. Once our markup is complete, we can preview our website in a web browser or export our work for further modification or integration.
Best HTML Editor for Beginners
For beginners looking to get started with HTML and CSS, we recommend using a free online HTML editor like TypeIt. We also include a couple of paid options for those unwilling or unable to give up their favorite language. Regardless of your experience level, we recommend choosing a tool that assists you as much as possible with the primary content structure of your website.
Best HTML Editor for Windows
If you're developing websites for business or personal use, you'll need to use a computer with Windows. While there are many great options for editing websites using a Mac, we've found that Windows users have the fewest issues either installing or using an HTML editor.
Best HTML Editor for code completion
While code completion is a fantastic feature available in most modern code editors, it's worth noting that support for it can vary from browser to browser. Some browsers (like Google Chrome) will automatically complete elements, attributes, and property/method names as you type. Others (like Internet Explorer) will only recognize keystrokes when you've pressed the Tab key. If you're developing websites that will be viewed through either a Windows or Mac browser, take advantage of the code completion support available in your favorite code editor.
Best HTML Editor for CSS Editing
Like HTML, CSS is a language that helps shape the look and feel of our websites. CSS, however, is a W3C standard that defines the language itself while providing a set of rules for how websites should be structured. Because of this, CSS can be a little more complex to understand than HTML. If you're looking to get more advanced with your website's layout or enjoy playing around with CSS, we recommend using an HTML editor that supports real-time CSS editing.
Best HTML Editor for JavaScript Editing
JavaScript, like CSS, is a language that helps shape the look and feel of our websites. Unlike CSS, however, JavaScript is an HTML5 standard used to add features to websites such as creating dynamic content, interacting with user input, and more. Because of this, more and more websites are making use of JavaScript to provide a more engaging user experience. For example, some games use user input to control the player character's movement or may use a user's mouse or touch screen actions to trigger the launch of missiles or other weapons.
Best for Windows: Notepad++
Notepad++ is a free, open-source text editor available for both Windows and Mac computers. Not only is Notepad++ a capable HTML editor, but it can also be used to write other types of code such as C++, Python, and Go. If you're developing websites for both business and personal use, Notepad++ is an ideal choice due to its support for both platforms.
Best Free: HTML Edit
HTML Editor is a free, open-source HTML5 code editor that can be used for web development and text editing. Although there are a lot of bells and whistles included in the paid version of this tool, the free version is still capable of doing everything that the full version can do. When choosing between HTML Editor and another HTML editor, we recommend opting for the free version to avoid any future limitations that may be added to the full version.
Final Words
The world of HTML editors is massive and diverse, making it challenging to navigate. We've done the heavy lifting for you and selected the best HTML editors available. There's sure to be something that meets your needs, even if you're a beginner.
