2
Xcode
Free on the Mac App Store
Apple's free IDE for building, testing and shipping apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch, TV and Vision Pro.
Pick it if you want it free and you want AI built in.
FreeMac
At a glance
| App | Price | Platforms | Pick it if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dash (the app you have) | Paid | Apple | - |
| Neovim | Free and open source | Mac, Windows, Linux | you want it free |
| Xcode | Free on the Mac App Store | Apple | you want it free |
| Zed | Personal $0 forever | Mac, Linux, Windows | you want a free plan to start |
| BBEdit | Free Mode after 30-day evaluation | Apple | you want a free plan to start |
| Nova | $99 + tax | Apple | you would rather pay once |
| Sublime Text | Personal license: one-time purchase with 3 years of updates | Mac, Windows, Linux | you would rather pay once |
| Visual Studio Code | Free and open source | Mac, Windows, Linux, Web | you want it free |
| Android Studio | Free download | Windows, Mac, Linux | you want it free |
1
Neovim
Free and open sourceHyperextensible, Vim-based terminal text editor with Lua plugins, built-in LSP and Tree-sitter.
Pick it if you want it free, you need it on Windows and Linux and you want open source.
FreeMacWindowsLinux
3
Zed
Personal $0 forever; Pro $10/month after a free trial; Business $30/seat/monthFast open-source code editor written in Rust, with parallel AI agents, edit prediction, real-time collaboration and Vim mode.
Pick it if you want a free plan to start, you need it on Windows and Linux and you want open source.
Free planMacLinuxWindows
4
BBEdit
Free Mode after 30-day evaluation
Long-running Mac text and code editor with powerful grep search, multi-file replace and a free mode with no nags.
Pick it if you want a free plan to start.
Free planMac
5
Nova
$99 + tax; optional updates $49/year after; Coda upgrade $79; 30-day free trialPanic's native Mac code editor with a clean interface, extensions, Git, terminals and remote servers.
Pick it if you would rather pay once.
Pay onceMac
6
Sublime Text
Personal license: one-time purchase with 3 years of updatesFast, GPU-rendered text editor for code, markup and prose, known for multiple selections and Goto Anything.
Pick it if you would rather pay once and you need it on Windows and Linux.
Pay onceMacWindowsLinux
7
Visual Studio Code
Free and open source; agents can be used free with a GitHub accountMicrosoft's free, open-source code editor with AI agents, a huge extension marketplace, built-in Git, terminal and debugger.
Pick it if you want it free, you need it on Windows, Linux and the web and you want open source.
FreeMacWindowsLinuxWeb
8
Android Studio
Free downloadGoogle's official IDE for Android apps, with Gemini AI, Compose design tools, an emulator and device streaming.
Pick it if you want it free, you need it on Windows and Linux and you want AI built in.
FreeWindowsMacLinux
We matched these apps to Dash by what they are for, who they suit and where they run, using our research on each app's official website and app store listing. We have not tested them hands-on for this page. Check the price on each app's own site before you buy.