Atom
A hackable text editor for the 21st Century.
Overview
Atom was a free and open-source text and source code editor for macOS, Linux, and Microsoft Windows with support for plug-ins written in JavaScript, and embedded Git Control, developed by GitHub. Atom was a desktop application built using web technologies. Most of the extending packages have free software licenses and are community-built and maintained. On June 8, 2022, GitHub announced that Atom would be sunsetted and archived on December 15, 2022, in favor of focusing on Visual Studio Code.
✨ Key Features
- Highly extensible through packages and themes
- Built-in package manager
- Smart autocompletion
- File system browser
- Multiple panes
- Find and replace
🎯 Key Differentiators
- Extreme hackability and customization
- Clean and approachable user interface
- Pioneered the use of Electron for desktop editors
Unique Value: Offered unparalleled hackability, allowing users to customize their editor to a degree that was previously difficult to achieve.
🎯 Use Cases (3)
✅ Best For
- Front-end development with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
- Creating custom editor packages
💡 Check With Vendor
Verify these considerations match your specific requirements:
- Users looking for an actively maintained and supported editor
- Performance-critical tasks
- New projects (as the editor is discontinued)
🏆 Alternatives
Was a direct competitor to Sublime Text and the predecessor to VS Code's dominance. Its performance was generally slower than both.
💻 Platforms
✅ Offline Mode Available
🔌 Integrations
💰 Pricing
Free tier: Was always free and open-source. The project is now archived.
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