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CotEditor Pricing 2026

Plans, hidden costs, and cheaper alternatives compared

Pricing verifiedJun 2026
1 plans tracked·Updated Jun 2026

Is CotEditor worth the price?

95/10

CotEditor offers a generous pricing model as it is completely free, which is exceptionally fair compared to other text editors.

This makes it an outstanding choice for any macOS user looking for a powerful plain-text editor without any cost. It's best for individual developers, writers, and students who need a reliable editor.

Pricing Plans

Free

Free

  • Syntax Highlighting
  • Powerful Find & Replace
  • Setting via Click
  • Auto Backup
  • Outline Menu
  • Split Editor
  • Character Inspector
  • Scriptable

Hidden Costs & Gotchas

No hidden costs, it is genuinely free.

Which Plan Do You Need?

macOS users needing free text editor

Developers on a budget

Students and casual coders

How CotEditor Compares to Competitors

Compared to Sublime Text, which costs $99 for a perpetual license, or BBEdit, priced at $49.99 annually, CotEditor stands out by offering all its features completely free. This makes it a significantly more accessible option for users who don't want to invest financially in a text editor.

CotEditor Pricing FAQ

How much does CotEditor cost?

CotEditor is free to use. No subscription or one-time fee is required for the core product.

Does CotEditor have a free plan?

Yes. CotEditor offers a free plan called "Free". It includes: Syntax Highlighting, Powerful Find & Replace, Setting via Click.

Is there a cheaper alternative to CotEditor?

Yes. Popular alternatives to CotEditor include BBEdit, Sublime Text, Nova, Vim. Free alternatives include BBEdit, Vim. Compare them side-by-side on Toolradar.

Cheaper alternatives to CotEditor

2 of 4 direct competitors below offer a free plan. Per-seat pricing varies up to 60% across this set.