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Head-to-head · Text Editors

Visual Studio Code vs Kate

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score Visual Studio Code #1 in Text Editors 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit site
Kate #5 in Text Editors 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit KDE

Visual Studio Code leads on 0 checks, Kate on 0, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreVisual Studio Code · 9.4/10
  • Free planboth

Visual Studio Code scores higher on our rubric for text editors: 9.4 against 9.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #5.

Visual Studio Code is the better fit for developers wanting the broadest free editor. Kate is the better fit for free cross-platform coding and text editing.

  • Visual Studio Code fits best

    Developers wanting the broadest free editor

  • Kate fits best

    Free cross-platform coding and text editing

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 Visual Studio Code 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Kate 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 9.0
Ranking #1 in Text Editors #5 in Text Editors
Best for Developers wanting the broadest free editor Free cross-platform coding and text editing
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Desktop Desktop
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, Linux Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Docs Community, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Visual Studio Code 4/5 · Kate 4/5
Multi-cursor editing ✓ ✓
Macro recording Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Column editing ✓ ✓
Large-file handling ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Extension support ✓ ✓
Specs
Supported platforms web, windows, macos, linux Linux, BSD, Windows, macOS
Our review
Pros
  • Free, open-source access on desktop and in the browser
  • Multi-cursor editing, IntelliSense, navigation, debugging, and testing
  • Git, terminal, extensions, SSH, Dev Containers, and Codespaces support
  • 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
Cons
  • Focused on source-code work rather than general-purpose text editing
  • Optional AI features and agent workflows are not the core editor experience
  • Large files require confirmation and optimized handling
  • 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
Our verdict

Visual Studio Code is a free, open-source source-code editor for developers working with individual files or complete projects. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and the web, making it suitable for people who move between desktop and…

Read the review →

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 →
  1. Visual Studio CodeText Editors 9.4Free plan
  2. KateText Editors 9.0Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Visual Studio Code — where it wins

    • Free, open-source access on desktop and in the browser
    • Multi-cursor editing, IntelliSense, navigation, debugging, and testing
    • Git, terminal, extensions, SSH, Dev Containers, and Codespaces support

    Where it doesn't

    • Focused on source-code work rather than general-purpose text editing
    • Optional AI features and agent workflows are not the core editor experience
    • Large files require confirmation and optimized handling

  • 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
  • Visual Studio Code9.4/10 · Free plan

    A free, open-source editor with broad development features across desktop and web.

    Visit siteFull verdict →
  • Kate9.0/10 · Free plan

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

    Visit KDEFull verdict →

More comparisons

All text editors comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update