BBEdit
BBEdit is a Mac HTML/text editor: a line-numbered buffer (the cover is index.html) with grep, projects, and Free Mode.
OUR TAKE
Pick BBEdit for Mac writers/devs who will stay on Free Mode or pay $59.99 — not Cursor first unless they want an agent editor. Free Mode is a subset.
Good fit
Mac writers/devs who will stay on Free Mode or pay $59.99 — not Cursor first unless they want an agent editor.
Poor fit
Free Mode · BBEdit 16 Individual $59.99 · Upgrade from 15.x $29.99
USD, before tax · Checked 2026-10-26 · barebones.com/products/bbedit
Compare:
OUR TAKE
Pick BBEdit for Mac writers/devs who will stay on Free Mode or pay $59.99 — not Cursor first unless they want an agent editor. Free Mode is a subset. Grep / projects / multi-file sit behind the license.
Good fit
Mac writers/devs who will stay on Free Mode or pay $59.99 — not Cursor first unless they want an agent editor.
Poor fit
Free Mode · BBEdit 16 Individual $59.99 · Upgrade from 15.x $29.99
USD, before tax · Checked 2026-10-26 · barebones.com/products/bbedit
Compare:
What it costs
USD, before tax · Checked 2026-10-26 · barebones.com/products/bbedit
Free Mode
Subset of features; you can download and work
$0
BBEdit 16 Individual
US
$59.99
Upgrade from 15.x
US
Lowest paid
$29.99
Upgrade from 14.x or prior
US
$39.99
Multi-user
Not published by the vendor
Not published by the vendor
The product is not OSS.
Not published by the vendor
Not published by the vendor
Checked 2026-10-26·barebones.com/products/bbedit
Before you pay
Good fit
Mac writers/devs who will stay on Free Mode or pay $59.99 — not Cursor first unless they want an agent editor.
Watch out
Free Mode is a subset. Grep / projects / multi-file sit behind the license.
Instead, try
Nova if Mac IDE with a public $; Cursor if AI editor; Free / paid from $8/mo
Compare BBEdit with
Limits, in full
- 01
Free Mode is a subset. Grep / projects / multi-file sit behind the license.
- 02
Not Cursor. No agent loop on this listing.
- 03
macOS-only
If BBEdit isn't it
Why: Mac IDE with a public $.
Paid only$49/yr
macOS-only (15.6+)Checked 2026-10-23·nova.app/buy
vs BBEdit
Why: AI editor; Free / paid from $8/mo.
Free· paid from$8/mo
Plus is Grok-onlyChecked 2026-10-19·cursor.com/pricing
vs BBEdit
Why: GPU editor; public $ / OSS core.
Free· paid from$10/mo
Personal has no Zed-hosted token poolChecked 2026-10-23·zed.dev/pricing
vs BBEditLimits & alternatives3 limits · Nova, Cursor, Zed instead
Limits, in full
- 01
Free Mode is a subset. Grep / projects / multi-file sit behind the license.
- 02
Not Cursor. No agent loop on this listing.
- 03
macOS-only
If BBEdit isn't it
Why: Mac IDE with a public $.
Paid only$49/yr
macOS-only (15.6+)Checked 2026-10-23·nova.app/buy
vs BBEditWhy: AI editor; Free / paid from $8/mo.
Free· paid from$8/mo
Plus is Grok-onlyChecked 2026-10-19·cursor.com/pricing
vs BBEditWhy: GPU editor; public $ / OSS core.
Free· paid from$10/mo
Personal has no Zed-hosted token poolChecked 2026-10-23·zed.dev/pricing
vs BBEdit