2
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 and you want more power-user features.
Free planMac
At a glance
| App | Price | Platforms | Pick it if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nova (the app you have) | $99 + tax | Apple | - |
| Xcode | Free on the Mac App Store | Apple | you want it free |
| BBEdit | Free Mode after 30-day evaluation | Apple | you want a free plan to start |
| Dash | Paid | Apple | you need it to work offline |
| Neovim | Free and open source | Mac, Windows, Linux | you want it free |
| Sublime Text | Personal license: one-time purchase with 3 years of updates | Mac, Windows, Linux | you need it on Windows and Linux |
| Visual Studio Code | Free and open source | Mac, Windows, Linux, Web | you want it free |
| Zed | Personal $0 forever | Mac, Linux, Windows | you want a free plan to start |
| Koder Code Editor | Free | Apple | you want it free |
1
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, you want more power-user features and you want AI built in.
FreeMac
3
Dash
Paid; purchase/subscription via kapeli.comOffline API documentation browser and snippet manager for Mac with 200+ docsets and MCP access for AI assistants.
Pick it if you need it to work offline and you want more power-user features.
PaidMac
4
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
5
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 need it on Windows and Linux and you want more power-user features.
Pay onceMacWindowsLinux
6
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
7
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
8
Koder Code Editor
Free
Code editor for iPad and iPhone.
Pick it if you want it free and you need it on iPhone.
FreeiPhone
We matched these apps to Nova 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.