Editors to Create Your Website

You're eager to start working on building your website, but you still need an essential tool: an HTML editor.  HTML is the language in which web pages are written, and these specialized editors will make your job must easier.  Yes, you will still run into some Mountain Dew and Krispy Kreme-addicted geeks who insists that the "best" code is written in "Notepad" or some other arcane text editor.  Just tell him he's got a zit about to burst and when he's distracted, make your escape.

These editors are designed to speed the process by recognizing html tags, preventing some errors, and many are wysiwyg (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) - meaning you can just type what you want and click buttons to add features.  Yes, the geeks are right that it is best to learn the underlying html, but if your goal is to get a decent website up fast and start turning a profit or providing information, then you will want one of the tools below, and learn the html as you need to.

HTML Editors

Which editor to choose?  There are so many! True, but there are some quick decisions.  First: free, cheap or full featured?

If you can afford it, Macromedia's Dreamweaver or Microsoft's Expression Web are the way to go.  They both has so many features and tools built in, that with either, you will recoup the cost of the program in the money you will save not buying many other tools.

The low cost and free editors are pretty decent, but usually do not include so key features like built in link checking or true wysiwyg functionality.

Commercial Editors

Dreamweaver or Frontpage?  Dreamweaver is a bit more powerful, but also much more complex to learn.  Frontpage excels at developing and managing content in a wysiwyg environment and is intuitive to use; but forces you into certain Microsoft conventions... and the program has some weird bugs.

• Microsoft ExpressionWeb (formerly FrontPage )- WYSIWYG editor - Get the latest information, product details, and download a trial version of ExpressionWeb. Goes for $129, but can be had on sale occasionally for as little as $90.
• Adobe / Macromedia Dreamweaver - mostly WYSIWYG editor (doesn't do cut and paste from outside sources like FrontPage does). Free trial download. Normally costs at least $399, rarely discounted.

Free Editors

• 1stPage2000 - Evrsoft - loads of features
• Arachnophilia - Includes search/replace features, spell checker, will tidy up your markup, has customization available, macros, more.
• BBEdit -Bare Bones Software - HTML editor for MACs. There is a Lite version, and a free trial.

• HAPedit (HTML, ASP, and PHP Editor) HAPedit is useful both dynamic and static web pages. Features include syntax highlighting for HTML, ASP, PHP, JavaScript; a project manager; code completion, SQL console, FTP manager, PHP code pseudocompilation, and many other useful features - For Windows

• HTML Kit 1.0 build 292 - For Windows
• Nvu - WYSIWYG editor, designed for beginners; works like FrontPage and DreamWeaver, but is based on the Mozilla Composer web editor
• Mozilla (the browser) - has a WYSIWYG web editor built-in.
• TSW WebCoder 5.0 - Free. For Windows  

Inexpensive Editors

• Actual Drawing 5.7 - Free trial, $59.00 to buy. Claims that you can create and publish Web pages without knowing HTML. For Windows.
• CoffeeCup HTML Editor 2005 - Free trial, $49.00 to buy - For Windows, Very popular!
• EditPlus - highlights syntax, edits HTML and text, Many features, license: $30.
• HomeSite - by Macromedia. Free trial, older version of Dreamweaver. Works with PHP, Cold Fusion and other programs.
• HotDog - Sausage Software - Several versions available from $39.95 to $199.95. Won numerous industry awards.
• NoteTab - Fookes Software - highly rated. Works with HTML, CSS, PHP, CGI scripts and has search and replace, drag and drop files, strips tags, conversion of text to HTML, etc. $19.95 full version, $9.95 for the standard version, and a free trial version.
• PageSpinner - Optima System - MAC HTML editor. AppleScript and AppleScript-based software.
• PersonalWebKit 3.1 wysiwyg . For Windows 98/NT/2000/XP. Free trial, $34.95 to buy.
• TextPad - Helios Software Solutions. Plain text editor with many features like a spell checker, unlimited undo/redo, sorting, search/replace, bookmarks, etc. $27, free trial.

Specialized Editors

PHP editors

• HAPedit (HTML, ASP, and PHP Editor) HAPedit is useful both dynamic and static web pages. Features include syntax highlighting for HTML, ASP, PHP, JavaScript; a project manager; code completion, SQL console, FTP manager, PHP code pseudocompilation, and many other useful features - For Windows

CSS Editors

XML Editors

• TopStyle CSS, HTML, XHTML Editor - Nick Bradbury (author of Macromedia HomeSite). Download trial or purchase available.

Web Design Software Comparisons