Kate vs UltraEdit

Kate9.0Visit UltraEdit8.4Visit

Higher score Kate #5 in Text Editors 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit KDE

vs

UltraEdit #11 in Text Editors 8.4/10 7-day trial Free trial✓ 5 of 5 features Visit UltraEdit

• Kate fits best

  Free cross-platform coding and text editing

• UltraEdit fits best

  Professionals handling very large files

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Kate 9.0/10 Visit ↗	UltraEdit 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	8.4
Ranking	#5 in Text Editors	#11 in Text Editors
Best for	Free cross-platform coding and text editing	Professionals handling very large files
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Free plan	$94.96/user/yr
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	7 days
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Community, Docs	Community, Docs · 24/7
Integrations	6 integrations	6 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Kate 4/5 · UltraEdit 5/5
Multi-cursor editing	✓	✓
Macro recording	✓	✓
Column editing	✓	✓
Large-file handling	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Extension support	✓	✓
Specs
Supported platforms	Linux, BSD, Windows, macOS	Windows, macOS, Linux
Our review
Pros	Supports syntax highlighting for more than 300 languages Combines multi-cursor editing, macros, projects, and split views Includes terminal, Git, LSP, DAP, plugins, and scripting	Handles large files with disk-based file processing Combines macros, JavaScript scripting, and advanced search Supports Windows, macOS, and Linux with FTP and SSH connectivity
Cons	Its documented integration surface is narrower than broader editor ecosystems Its programming features may exceed the needs of basic text editing Language and debugging workflows center on LSP and DAP support	No free plan is available Starting price is $94.96 per year with annual billing Advanced features may exceed the needs of basic text editing
Our verdict	Kate is a free, open-source, multi-document text editor developed by KDE for programmers and others working with text files. It runs on Linux, Windows, and macOS, and supports tabs, horizontal or vertical split views, syntax highlighting… Read the review →	UltraEdit is a commercial text, code, and hex editor for developers, data professionals, IT teams, system administrators, and power users. Its focus is broad but technically deep: large-file editing, multi-caret and column-based editing,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Kate — where it wins

  • Supports syntax highlighting for more than 300 languages
  • Combines multi-cursor editing, macros, projects, and split views
  • Includes terminal, Git, LSP, DAP, plugins, and scripting

  Where it doesn't

  • Its documented integration surface is narrower than broader editor ecosystems
  • Its programming features may exceed the needs of basic text editing
  • Language and debugging workflows center on LSP and DAP support

• UltraEdit — where it wins

  • Handles large files with disk-based file processing
  • Combines macros, JavaScript scripting, and advanced search
  • Supports Windows, macOS, and Linux with FTP and SSH connectivity

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan is available
  • Starting price is $94.96 per year with annual billing
  • Advanced features may exceed the needs of basic text editing

• Kate9.0/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source editor with broad coding features across Linux, Windows, and macOS.

  Visit KDEFull verdict →
• UltraEdit8.4/10 · 7-day trial

  A deep, large-file editor for professionals who need automation and remote connectivity.

  Visit UltraEditFull verdict →