Introduction
Having the right editing tools at your disposal can make web development a lot easier. Simple text editors can be used to edit HTML (Hyper-text Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) code. For those who wish to take their programming skills (and output) to the next level, it’s worth exploring an integrated development environment (IDE). The Web Development IDE market is flooded with many free and paid options, whether you need a JavaScript IDE, an HTML IDE, or any other. With a bare-bones IDE (only including the basic and essential elements), you can code, edit, test, and debug your application. In contrast, an advanced IDE will provide many features that enhance your programming experience, including automation, visualization, and customization.
But here’s the problem – the number of HTML IDEs available on the market is growing exponentially. Surely you are wondering which HTML IDE you should use. To help you find the best IDE for HTML, we have compiled a list of the Top 10 IDEs for HTML, each with its own unique features. Choosing an IDE that will work for you and your team, as well as support all the languages you intend to use, is the best approach to finding the perfect one.
Before we dive into the best IDE list for HTML, let’s take a moment to introduce HTML and its usage.
What is HTML?
HTML should sound familiar to anybody who has heard of web development. One of the most common and important components of a website structure is HTML, or hypertext markup language. HTML, or hypertext markup language, is the language used to structure web pages, web applications, and their contents. It enables you to manipulate text, images, and other content in order to display them in the desired format. This is done by using tags and elements in HTML which tell the browser how to display the content. Users can structure web content using elements, tags, and attributes to create sections, paragraphs, and links.
An integrated development environment, or IDE, is a software program designed to assist developers and programmers in building software applications. The HTML IDE is a piece of software that is used to create HTML code and is where programmers write their source code. More than 90% of all websites use HTML, so you’ll need to learn an HTML IDE or editor in order to work with them. The following code is an example of HTML in HTML Editor.
<!DOCTYPE> <html> <head> <title>Interviewbit</title> </head> <body> <h1>SCALER ACADEMY</h1> <p>An Educational Institution</p> </body> </html>
Here,
- <html>indicates that it is an HTML document.
- <head>includes the back-end elements for a webpage that aren’t visible on the front-end of a web page.
- <body>contains all visible content of a webpage.
- <h1>refers to the first heading level of the webpage.
- <p>specifies the paragraph of the web page.
Why Use HTML?
The following are some of the use cases for HTML:
- HTML code is used to create how a browser displays web page elements like text, hyperlinks, and media files.
- Because HTML embeds hyperlinks heavily in HTML pages, the user is able to easily navigate between related pages and websites, which enhances the interest of browsing for the user.
- Similarly to Microsoft Word, HTML allows a document to be organized and formatted. Because it is a markup language, it gives you versatile ways to design web pages along with text.
- It allows the programmer to add graphics, videos, and sound to web pages, thereby making the pages more attractive and interactive.
- Since HTML is case-insensitive, we can use tags in either lowercase or uppercase.
HTML IDEs provide more advanced features and are specifically designed to enhance the efficiency of web page creation for developers. An HTML editor makes it easy for users to create a web application from scratch and modify the code to add additional features. As a result, every string of code is clean and works flawlessly, making coding hassle-free for developers.
Top HTML IDEs
Every HTML IDE has its own features, just like any other software. As an example, many HTML IDEs support not just HTML, but also CSS, XML and JavaScript. Below are some of the top HTML IDEs that can be selected for web development.
Visual Studio Code
Visual Studio Code is one of the best and most demanding IDE on the market. This is a free open-source HTML editor from Microsoft that is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux. Users are able to use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create projects across different operating systems. For new programmers, Visual Studio Code is an excellent tool since it explains everything from HTML tags and syntax to error handling. Additionally, it has a clean and well-designed interface, which makes finding various HTML editing tools, opening files, and searching documents easy.
Features
- A built-in debugger tool is also included within the dashboard to assist in editing, compiling, and debugging code.
- It comes with IntelliSense features to provide auto-completion based on variables types, fields, function definitions and imported modules. It also provides syntax highlighting.
- HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, C#, C++, Ruby, SQL, XML, JSON, Python, and many other programming languages are supported by Visual Studio Code.
- Code snippets are built-in and powered by IntelliSense, so it’s easier to enter repetitive code.
Notepad++
Among the most popular HTML editors, Notepad + + is fast, time-tested, and foolproof. With its straightforward and clean user interface, Notepad++ has long been a top open-source HTML editor. Despite the fact that this HTML editor is exclusive to the Windows platform, Linux users can work with this program via Wine. Additionally, a mobile version is available for developers to use instead of installing the program on Windows. Furthermore, Notepad++ supports a variety of languages for developing web pages, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript and PHP.
Features
- Users can choose between split-screen and full-screen layouts when coding with its flexible user interface. Split-screen layouts enable users to work on two documents at once.
- The IDE features syntax folding, syntax highlighting, multiviews, auto-completion, document maps, multidocument interfaces, bookmarks, and a fully customizable GUI (Graphical User Interface). In addition to this long list, there are many more.
- There are many useful features in Notepad++ that the standard Notepad application does not include such as line numbering, color coding, hints, and many other useful tools. These features make it a popular choice among web designers and front-end developers.
- By creating new plugins or installing third-party plugins, it enhances functionality and adds more advanced features.
Komodo Edit
The Komodo editor and the Komodo IDE are the two versions of Komodo. The editor is open-source and can be downloaded for free. It is a simplified version of IDE. Komodo Edit is an extremely powerful HTML IDE that supports Python, Perl, Ruby, HTML/CSS, JavaScript, as well as other programming languages. Windows, Linux, and Mac OS systems are supported by Komodo Edit. You can perform debugging, unit testing, and code refactoring using it. Moreover, it allows you to add extensions for additional language support or other useful features, including special characters.
Features
- In addition, it integrates with other technologies like Grunt, PhoneGap, Docker, Vagrant, and others.
- One of the many benefits of this HTML editor is the live previews and editing. You can edit and test all at once instead of switching between tabs. With automatic saving, you won’t have to wait to see a preview of your work.
- In addition, it has syntax highlighting, a customizable user interface, autocomplete, and you can track your changes effortlessly to make development easier.
- It features a visual debugger as well as testing tools that ensure that your code is running smoothly.
Brackets
Bracket is undeniably one of the best HTML IDEs developed by Adobe Systems. As a powerful, lightweight editor, Brackets offers a number of great visual tools and preprocessor support that make designing in the browser easy. This is one of the best HTML IDEs around. With its support for HTML, CSS, LESS, SCSS, and JavaScript, it’s a great front-end development tool. Different operating systems are supported, including Windows, Mac, and Linux. With Brackets, styling and customization are simple and straightforward, so coding will never get boring.
Features
- To save you time, it also comes with a live preview feature. It allows you to connect to your browser in real-time; whenever you make changes to HTML or CSS, they are reflected on your screen instantly.
- The inline editor and preprocessor support make this cross-platform IDE stand out from the crowd. You will be able to use Quick Edit and Live Highlight with your SCSS and LESS files, making working with them a lot easier than usual.
- There are many useful extensions included such as Autoprefixer, code-folding, previewing markdown, smart highlighting, and snippets, etc.
- Users can search for and install any supported package using the built-in package manager.
Sublime Text 3
Sublime Text 3 is an excellent option if you’re searching for one of the best HTML IDEs that’s also highly customizable. This IDE is fast and flexible, and will do everything a website developer would expect. It promises high performance and is extremely powerful. There is a paid version of Sublime, but the free version comes with all the features you need to begin coding. This HTML IDE is free and available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Python, C, HTML, JavaScript, and CSS, etc., are among some of the programming and markup languages it supports. TypeScript, JSX, and TSX are among the programming languages supported by the most recent version.
Features
- This tool allows quick search and finding of specific elements, syntax highlighting, as well as split-pane UI capabilities.
- It has a simple interface that’s uncluttered, so you can focus on your code more easily. Another great feature is the distraction-free mode, which shows only the code while hiding other elements.
- To make web development easier, it offers many features like cross-platform support, code auto-completion, split editing, quick file navigation, multiple-selection editing, proprietary command palette, etc.
- Among Sublime Text’s more advanced features is “Goto Anything.” With this feature, you can find and replace the code in a much shorter period of time.
Adobe Dreamweaver CC
Adobe Dreamweaver CC is an HTML IDE that can handle both back-end and front-end development. Dreamweaver CC comes with a code editing tool that supports HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. All kinds of plugins and premium features are available that you would not normally find in other HTML IDEs. Whether you’re looking for a more responsive website or need to edit the code, Dreamweaver does it all. It is possible to write code in any major programming language, and Creative Cloud libraries are readily available. Another advantage is its direct access to a large number of assets in Adobe’s ecosystem, including graphic files, layers, colors, words, characters, etc.
Features
- Many helpful features are available, such as syntax highlighting, code completion, and multi-language support. Additionally, the visual editor allows drag-and-drop functionality.
- It has responsive designs since its fluid grid layout resizes elements automatically to fit various screen sizes on any device.
- There is support for Git. It allows you to manage website codes efficiently and perform multiple Git operations, such as “pull”, “push”, and “fetch”, from the Dreamweaver dashboard.
- It checks the code and page accessibility automatically, making it easier for developers to adhere to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and reviews the final product.
Atom
Atom is one of the most popular open-source HTML IDEs on the market that offers premium tools for free. It was developed and maintained by the GitHub community. It also provides access to open-source packages. Atom allows developers to add, modify, and share source code to improve its functionality. Furthermore, users can select preinstalled themes or create their own to customize their interface. Atom does not have a visual editor, however, it provides a live preview of your webpage. Therefore, you can easily spot errors in the code and fix them. Atom supports many programming languages, such as JavaScript, Node.js, and CSS in addition to HTML and is available for Windows, OS X, and Linux.
Features
- It comes with more than 80 built-in packages. The program allows users to add up to 8,700 extra packages, as well as create custom packages.
- This HTML IDE is packed with plenty of packages and theme collections, runs light, and loads quickly, making it one of the best on the market.
- Another feature is the support for multiple panes. The interface can be split into as many windows as needed to compare and edit code side-by-side.
- There are also features like syntax highlighting, autocompletion, and Teletype (so that developers can collaborate in real-time).
- Automatically completes code with smart autosuggestions – makes coding faster and easier.
PyCharm
PyCharm is a decent HTML IDE that allows the development of web pages in a number of languages, including CSS, HTML, Python, Node.js, JavaScript, and more. Windows, OS X, and Linux are all compatible with the IDE. There is also a free, open-source version of PyCharm with limited features available. Developed by JetBrains, this cross-platform IDE provides code analysis, a graphical debugger, and an integrated unit tester to minimize web developers’ time constraints.Nowadays, it’s used most frequently to develop professional web applications – thanks to a powerful command-line interface and comprehensive coding assistance.
Features
- In addition, it includes an integrated Python debugger as well as unit tests with line-by-line code coverage. Therefore, PyCharm can be a great tool if you are developing cross-platform technology projects.
- It easily integrates with Mercurial, Git, and SVN.
- You can speed up development by using code completion.
- The Smart Search feature helps you jump to any file, symbol, or class. You can easily jump to problem areas and switch tools with smart navigation.
- PyCharm can be integrated with Anaconda, iPython Notebook, and other libraries for scientific development.
PHPStorm
Another HTML IDE developed by JetBrains is PHPstorm. It provides the most effective tools for web developers that work with PHP Frameworks such as WordPress, Zend Framework, Symfony, Laravel, Magento, Drupal, Yii, and others. The interface is extremely attractive as well as easy to use. With it, you can use various front-end programming languages, including HTML5, CSS, LESS, JavaScript, and TypeScript. It’s compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux. Due to its intuitive interface and advanced features, PHPStorm allows developers to work on projects of any size and scope without worrying about typos and errors.
Features
- This HTML IDE lets you customize themes and extensions to enhance your programming experience.
- Code assistance will automatically handle your code while you type and check if it is okay.
- It comes with built-in version control, SQL database management capabilities, command-line tools, and more.
- Its major features include a rich code editor (with syntax highlighting), code autocompletion, and coding style support, as well as a simple visual debugger.
CoffeeCup
The CoffeeCup HTML IDE provides a wealth of features and functionality. It is possible, for example, to create HTML and CSS files from scratch or to alter a pre-made template design from the library. CoffeeCup HTML editor comes in both a free and a paid version. Use ready-to-use layouts or existing themes to get a jumpstart on creating a professional design. The CoffeeCup HTML editor comes with a library of components, allowing users to add web elements across multiple pages, such as menus, footers, and headers. It is possible to modify certain library items rather than manually updating each new page.
Features
- Using this HTML IDE, you can preview a website before publishing it. Using a live preview, the user can code while viewing the web page side-by-side. You can also display a page in a new window with an external preview.
- It also comes with a built-in validation tool that identifies errors in your code and ensures that your website functions properly.
- It includes a template downloader so you can study and develop the code using available templates.
Conclusion
Most professional websites are built and maintained using HTML IDEs because a good HTML IDE can increase productivity tremendously. Your HTML code is more likely to be filled with errors if you write it in a basic text editor or word processor. However, the use of an HTML IDE can greatly enhance your ability to handle errors as well as streamline your workflow with features designed specifically for this purpose. This can take the hassle out of coding and give you more time to focus on your website’s content.
Though coding might seem intimidating at first, HTML IDE provides many features that make it easier for you to get started. Hopefully, this article enabled you to better understand HTML IDEs and narrow down your choices. If you choose any of the HTML IDEs listed above, you’ll likely be blown away by the experience. It’s a good idea to try different HTML IDEs to find the best one for you.
FAQs
Q.1: Can I use Eclipse for HTML?
Ans. Yes, Eclipse HTML Editor can be used for HTML. Eclipse HTML Editor is an Eclipse plugin that lets users edit HTML, JSP, and XML pages. With this plugin, eclipse users are able to quickly create HTML, JSP, and XML pages.
Q.2: What IDE should I use for HTML (free)?
Ans. Visual Studio code, Komodo Edit, and Notepad++ are some of the free, open-source IDEs that you can use for HTML. Sublime Text 3, Netbeans, etc., are also available.
Q. Is Vscode suitable for HTML?
Ans. Yes, VS Code is great for HTML. A wide range of web technologies are supported, including HTML, CSS, SCSS, Less, and JSX/React. Visual Studio Code is fast, less buggy, lightweight and offers almost every feature plus a few more, like an integrated terminal and auto-completion. It also includes syntax highlighting, auto-completion, and customizable formatting.
