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Windows is a leading operating system across the globe. Windows devices are commonly used in personal, professional, and academic settings worldwide. Given the popularity of the OS, there is a wide range of coding software for Windows, designed to facilitate and streamline the process of coding applications. To help you find the coding solution that caters to your programming styles and other needs, I’ve compiled the 10 best coding software for Windows. 

What Is Coding Software For Windows?

Coding software for Windows is a code editing program that runs Windows and is designed to enable developers to write and edit code. In addition to providing a coding editor, programming software for Windows comes with other capabilities, such as version control, debugging, testing, and collaboration.

Overviews Of The 10 Best Coding Software For Windows

Below, you’ll find an overview of each of the 10 best coding software for Windows with screenshots, key feature highlights, pricing, and pros and cons.

1

gedit

Best for editing files from remote locations

Free to use

gedit is a multi-purpose text editor that’s easy to use. You can use it to write simple notes and documents. When the advanced features are activated, it’s great for software development.

Why I picked gedit: gedit is great for boosting collaboration among remote teams. It provides some features that allow users to edit files from remote locations. The software makes coding and text editing faster since people can share files and update them regardless of their physical locations. Changes can be easily made at any time since teams can work from different time zones.

gedit has a flexible plugin system, which you can use to dynamically add new advanced features. The capabilities of this software are unlimited. You can get it to do what you want by plugging in a third-party tool.

gedit Standout Features and Integrations

Standout features: gedit lets you perform syntax highlighting for many programming languages, including Shell, XML, C, C++, and Markdown. It supports auto-indentation, text wrapping, spell-checking, auto-completion, integrated file browser, search and replace, and configurable fonts and colors. The software allows you to back up your files so you don’t lose important files when things go wrong.

Integrations include Python, CSS, Java, Perl, XML, Markdown, JavaScript, C++, C, and HTML.

Pros

  • Free code editor
  • Good user manual
  • Very flexible

Cons

  • Product info isn’t detailed
  • Sophisticated configurations
2

Notepad++

Best for high execution speed and small program size

Free to use

Notepad++ is a source code editor and Notepad replacement that supports several languages.

Why I picked Notepad++: I picked Notepad++ due to its customizable features. For instance, it allows you to customize the toolbar icons. There is good online help, featuring a user manual and user community. The user manual helps you to quickly get started with the tool by teaching you how it works, while the user community gives you access to more experienced users who can help you understand the software better.

Notepad++ Standout Features and Integrations

Standout features: Notepad++ has a higher execution speed and a small program size. This is because it's written in C++ and uses pure Win32 API and STL. As a result, the software allows you to build faster with minimal power consumption due to its smaller program size. With Notepad++, you can perform as many operations as possible without losing user-friendliness.

Integrations include MATLAB, Python, PowerShell, Fortran, Java, Visual Basic, Swift, Scheme, Haskell, and Rust.

Pros

  • Customizable features
  • High execution speed
  • Get started for free

Cons

  • Hard to master by beginners
  • Limited to Windows
3

Visual Studio Code

Best for built-in Git commands

Free to use

This is a code editor designed to help you create and debug modern web and cloud applications. Visual Studio Code is free, extensible, and highly customizable with industry-leading features.

Why I picked Visual Studio Code: It streamlines source code management and helps you get things done faster with built-in Git commands. This coding software makes working with Git and other SCM providers very easy. You can review diffs, stage files, and make commits from within the editor, making source code management less laborious and faster. Visual Studio Code allows you to push and pull from any hosted SCM service.

Visual Studio Code Standout Features and Integrations

Standout features: The software features IntelliSense, which goes beyond the conventional syntax highlighting and autocomplete to offer smart completions based on variable types, function definitions, and imported modules. Visual Studio Code allows you to debug code right from the editor with breakpoints, call stacks, and an interactive console.

Integrations include GitHub, Crowdin, Deque, Codeanywhere, SwaggerHub, SpiraPlan, CodeSandox, SonarLint, Flowace, and Coverity.

Pros

  • Customizable and extensible
  • Seamless integrations
  • Streamlined source code management

Cons

  • It gets heavy while installing extensions for each language
  • Complex configurations for beginners
4

Sublime Text

Best for context-aware auto-complete

Free trial available

From $99/license

Sublime Text is an advanced text editor for code, markup, and prose. It comes with sophisticated editing features that help you code with maximum efficiency and speed, easy code navigation, and a user-friendly interface.

Why I picked Sublime Text: I’m recommending this software due to its nice and flexible user interface and context-aware auto-complete. The UI comes with default and adaptive themes that are decorated with new tab styles and inactive pane dimming. The themes and color schemes support auto-mode switching so you can tweak the UI to give you the look and feel you want.

Sublime Text features an auto-complete engine that offers smart completions based on existing code in your project. And it takes it a step farther by also offering more info and links to definitions.

Sublime Text Standout Features and Integrations

Standout features: It supports popular new programming languages, like TYPSCRIPT, JSX, and TSX. Sublime Text provides some smart syntax-based features, which enable you to code faster. Its syntax highlighting engine has outstanding capabilities, including handling non-deterministic grammars, multi-line constructs, lazy embeds, and syntax inheritance.

Other exceptional features include very short load times, updated Python API, Tab Multi-Select, and GPU rendering.

Integrations include Kite, Git, MATLAB, Python, Bootstrap Studio, Sublime Merge, Sourcetrail, CSS, Golang, Copado, and Ruby on Rails.

Pros

  • Enables faster coding with auto-complete
  • Flexible pricing
  • Free trial available

Cons

  • Difficulty in installing plugins
  • More responsive customer support required
5

Geany

Best for built-in support for many programming languages

Free to use

Geany is a small and lightweight Integrated Development Environment (IDE). It comes with powerful code editing features, such as syntax highlighting, code folding, and auto-completion.

Why I picked Geany: It’s cross-platform (it runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS) and is translated into over 40 languages. This makes it a very easy-to-use tool for programmers who are not good in English or other popular languages. With its built-in support for over 50 programming languages, you have the flexibility to build applications with the coding language of your choice.

Another interesting thing about Geany is that it’s easily customizable. The software provides settings that allow you to tweak the features to suit your needs and preferences.

Geany Standout Features and Integrations

Standout features: Geany supports many file types, including leading programming languages such as PHP, Java, HTML, Python, and JavaScript. It also supports other file types like Diff output, SQL files, and ini-style config files.

Additionally, Geany is flexible. It has a plugin system that lets you expand its features according to your needs. You can easily add new features or improve existing ones by simply integrating with third-party tools.

Integrations include GitHub, MATLAB, Python, PowerShell, CSS, Kotlin, Ruby, Fortran, Clojure, and Swift.

Pros

  • You can add new features with plugins
  • Support for multiple coding languages
  • Very easy to use

Cons

  • Faster customer support required
  • Some complex plugin settings
6

Dreamweaver

Best for building responsive web pages

7 days free trial

From $20.49/month

Adobe DreamWeaver helps you build dynamic web pages for any browser or device. It supports multiple programming languages, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and more.

Why I picked DreamWeaver: I added it to my list because it enables you to create beautiful websites quickly with maximum flexibility. DreamWeaver has a coding engine that is smart and simplified. The engine makes creating, coding, and managing dynamic web pages very easy. Its visual aids provide the coding support you need to minimize errors and accelerate website development.

Additionally, there are customizable starter templates that enable you to build faster. You can quickly customize the templates to create things like About pages, blogs, and ecommerce pages. Being part of Creative Cloud, DreamWeaver lets you import assets from Creative Cloud Libraries and Adobe Stock.

DreamWeaver Standout Features and Integrations

Standout features include live view editing, multi-monitor support for Windows, and clutter-free UI. The software makes coding faster and more efficient with the live view editing feature, which empowers you to seamlessly edit text, edit image properties, add classes directly, and preview changes instantly without having to switch to another edit mode.

With multi-monitor support for Windows, you can improve your workspaces by displaying them on multiple monitors. DreamWeaver comes with a modern UI, which is streamlined, free of clutter, and allows you to customize your workspaces.

Integrations include Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Photoshop, Arlo, Raffle Workspace Search, SalesCart, diib, CSS, Adobe Comp, HTML, and OpenText xPression.

Pros

  • Step-by-step tutorials
  • Easy collaboration
  • Starter templates available

Cons

  • It only runs on computers with certain specifications
  • Not very easy to learn
7

Emacs

Best for syntax coloring and full Unicode support

Free to use

Emacs is a text editor that is extensible and customizable. It features an interpreter for Emacs Lisp, which is a dialect of the Lisp coding language with extensions to support text editing.

Why I picked Emacs: It supports advanced code editing features, like syntax coloring. Emacs has content-aware editing modes for many file types. The tool has full Unicode support for almost all human scripts. It's highly customizable. Using Emacs Lisp code or a graphical interface, you have the flexibility to adjust the editor to suit your team's needs and preferences.

Emacs Standout Features and Integrations

Standout features: In addition to text editing, it offers a wide range of functionality, including a project planner, debugger interface, mail and news reader, calendar, IRC client, and more. Emacs comes with integrated tools that make development faster and easier.

There is a packaging system for downloading and installing extensions so you can extend the software's functionality according to your needs.

Integrations include Sourcegraph Cody, Codeium, Tabnine, Wing Python IDE, Sourcetrail, Scheme, Common Lisp, XML, Termius, Dash, and JSON.

Pros

  • Very customizable
  • Tutorials for new users
  • Good documentation

Cons

  • It takes time to master
  • Documentation is not detailed
8

Apache NetBeans

Best for code refactoring

Free to use

Apache NetBeans provides a development environment, tooling platform, and application framework. It comes with a fast and smart text editor that enables you to code software for Windows using a range of code editing capabilities.

Why I picked NetBeans: It offers a feature-rich text editor that enables you to write code with industry-standard editing capabilities. The editor highlights source code syntactically and semantically, enabling you to write neat code seamlessly. With NetBeans IDE Java Editor, you can easily implement code refactoring with the Inspect and Transform feature. It allows code formatting, code folding, code generation, and more.

NetBeans Standout Features and Integrations

Standout features include smart suggestions and support for multiple languages. It uses smart suggestions to help you code faster and more efficiently. The software offers editors, wizards, and templates that enable you to build applications in PHP, Java, and other programming languages. Apache NetBeans supports Write Once, Run Anywhere, and can be installed on all operating systems that support Java.

Integrations include VINYL, DataMelt, CSS, XRebel, JRebel, Java, PHP, JavaScript, TagMyCode, HTML, and Apache Tomcat.

Pros

  • Available for free
  • Support for many languages
  • Write once, run anywhere

Cons

  • Steep learning curve
  • More information needed on the product website
9

WeBuilder

Best for syntax highlighting and code intelligence

From $59.95/license

This is a smart code editor designed for building web pages. WeBuilder helps you create and edit web page code faster with a clean interface, code intelligence, and maximum flexibility.

Why I picked WeBuilder: The software offers powerful syntax highlighting and supports a wide range of languages, including ASP, ASP Net, Perl, Ruby, and Apache. It comes with standard code intelligence capability, which enables code completion and suggestion.

WeBuilder is an all-in-one editor that empowers you to create, edit, and validate code within a single solution. It's fully customizable, allowing you to adjust the text editor and other things to match your team's needs. With this software, you enjoy faster startup, streamlined UI, and speedy development.

WeBuilder Standout Features and Integrations

Standout features: It features a lot of integrated tools, including syntax checkers, validators, debuggers, beautifiers, CSS prefixer, and HTML Tidy. These integrated solutions make the software an all-in-one tool, which provides the necessary things you need to write and edit code. WeBuilder supports smart code reuse and offers a code snippet library and code templates with assignable shortcuts.

There is an advanced search and replace feature that lets you perform a quick search, detailed search, file search, and more.

Integrations include HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby, and JavaScript. It integrates with syntax checkers, validators, debuggers, beautifiers, etc.

Pros

  • Loads quickly
  • An all-in-one editor
  • Clean user interface

Cons

  • Slow customer service
  • Limited customizations
10

Komodo Edit

Best for multi-language support

Free plan available

From $8 per month

Komodo Edit is a leading editor that enables you to write and manage code with considerable efficiency. It provides standard text editing features that help you write and edit code in multiple languages.

Why I picked Komodo Edit: I picked this software because it supports multiple languages. It doesn’t restrict to one or two programming languages like some other coding tools. With Komodo Edit, you enjoy the flexibility to get things done using the language that is most suitable for your project.

Komodo Edit Standout Features and Integrations

Standout features: It comes with an auto-complete feature, which makes coding easier and more efficient. This feature helps you program faster by suggesting code. Komodo Edit has a change tracking capability that enables you to keep tabs on source code changes. Other interesting features include multiple selections, projects and places manager, skins and icon sets, and minimap.

Integrations include Docker containers, MySQL, Python, Ruby, Golang, Java, PHP, Oracle Database, Node.js, and Perl.

Pros

  • Get started for free
  • Smart code suggestions
  • Support for many languages

Cons

  • More customization features required
  • The product website needs more content

The 10 Best Coding Software For Windows Summary

Tool Trial Info Price
1
gedit

Best for editing files from remote locations

Not available

Free to use Website
2
Notepad++

Best for high execution speed and small program size

Not available

Free to use Website
3
Visual Studio Code

Best for built-in Git commands

Not available

Free to use Website
4
Sublime Text

Best for context-aware auto-complete

Free trial available

From $99/license Website
5
Geany

Best for built-in support for many programming languages

Not available

Free to use Website
6
Dreamweaver

Best for building responsive web pages

7 days free trial

From $20.49/month Website
7
Emacs

Best for syntax coloring and full Unicode support

Not available

Free to use Website
8
Apache NetBeans

Best for code refactoring

Not available

Free to use Website
9
WeBuilder

Best for syntax highlighting and code intelligence

Not available

From $59.95/license Website
10
Komodo Edit

Best for multi-language support

Free plan available

From $8 per month Website

Other Options

In addition to the 10 best coding software for Windows I’ve reviewed, here are some other solutions that are worth checking out:

  1. VIM

    Best for providing an extensive plugin system

  2. BlueGriffon

    Best for WYSIWYG authoring

  3. IntelliJ IDEA

    Best for remote development teams

  4. Eclipse

    Best for multiple language support and unlimited customization

  5. jEdit

    Best for providing auto-indent and syntax highlighting for more than 200 languages

  6. Microsoft Visual Studio

    Best IDE for .NET and C++ developers on Windows

  7. Light Table

    Best for embedding anything you want, from graphs and games to running visualizations

  8. Brackets

    Best open-source code editor with inline editors and live preview capability

  9. UltraEdit

    Best text editor for large files

  10. SnipAway

    Best for running code folding and multiline selection

Selection Criteria For Coding Software For Windows 

Here’s a summary of the main selection and evaluation criteria I used to develop my list of the best code editors for Windows for this article:

Core Functionality

The core functionalities I considered while I was researching this article include:

  • Support for multiple programming languages
  • Cross-platform capabilities
  • Debugging
  • Customizability

Key Features

I looked out for the following key features in all the tools before adding them to the list:

  • Collaboration: Collaboration features allow remote teams to work together on tasks efficiently and productively. Coding software with advanced collaboration capabilities empowers remote teams to work together in real time, share files, and communicate effectively.
  • Syntax highlight: It enables you to display source code in different colors and fonts. This helps you improve the readability and context of the text.
  • Auto-completion: This feature helps you code faster by automatically predicting and completing the current word or code you’re typing. Advanced editors use the context of the code you’ve typed to predict what you’re to type next.
  • Code folding: With code folding, you can selectively hide or display parts of a document. This helps you to manage large amounts of text and improve readability by displaying sections that you want.

Usability

I recommended tools that are easy to get started with. I considered coding software for Windows that comes with training resources, responsive customer service, a very intuitive user interface, and other things that make using new software easy, such as webinars, ongoing learning opportunities, and blogs.

Software Integrations

I selected software that allows you to integrate third-party tools. Software integrations let you streamline development processes by bringing your toolset together. For instance, you can integrate with your SCM provider and manage the source code right from within the editor.

Pricing

I always look out for solutions that are fair, scalable, and transparent in their pricing. They include freemium plans, free trials, or free demos to make getting started easier.

People Also Ask

Here are some questions that are frequently asked about coding software for Windows:

Other QA and Coding Software Reviews

Do you want to learn more about coding software and quality assurance? Read the following review articles.

Fast-Track Your Next Project With the Best Coding Software for Windows

Equip your team with the best coding tool for Windows. It helps your team members code collaboratively and get things done faster, especially when you integrate with other software development tools. Go through the coding systems outlined above to find the one that suits your project needs and team’s preferences.

Do you have any questions or something you would like us to mention in the next article? Let us know in the comment section. And if you want to learn more about software testing and the QA industry, subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest articles and podcasts from industry experts.

By Anyalebechi Elisha

I’m Anyalebechi Elisha, a tech blogger and cybersecurity expert. For more than 3 years, I’ve been researching and writing short-form and long-form articles across many tech niches – with major focus on cybersecuty.