UltraEdit is a code-aware and context-aware text editor designed for every type of writing, whether you're building a new product from the ground up or simply drafting out copy for the front-end.

We've got five reasons to give it a shot today—after your free 30-day trial, you'll start to see what makes the app such a pleasure to use.

1. It's an Incredibly Robust Markdown Editor

UltraEdit is fast, tough, and able to handle pretty much anything, including simple Markdown text; you can load in and live preview files of up to 10 GB with confidence. We experienced no lapse in speed or performance, even with some of our heftiest documents.

Drag-and-drop editing, a revert-to-save feature, and a compendium of extended text selection, text deletion, copy/paste, and spell-checking capabilities all culminate into a text editing experience like no other. Microsoft Word has officially met its match.

As you'll notice the first time you fire it up, you've got many more custom configuration options than you're probably used to seeing, especially in something like a text editor. You're also free to map out your own keyboard shortcut settings from scratch, if necessary.

2. Its Code Editor Comes With All the Bells and Whistles

The UltraEdit code editor.
Image Credit: UltraEdit

UltraEdit pulls double-duty as both an ordinary text editor and a dynamic code editor. It's GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM)-compatible and offers support for HTML, PHP, JavaScript, Perl, C/C++, Python, and many other popular programming languages, as well as oddballs like Unicode.

This app cuts no corners in terms of its native programming toolkit:

  • HTML live preview
  • Configurable syntax highlighting
  • Auto-complete suggestions
  • Multi-selection and multi-caret editing
  • Code folding
  • Pop-up function tips
  • No plug-ins required

You'll also enjoy support for lines up to 20,000 characters long before wrapping, as well as regular expression support for Perl regex, Unix syntax, and UltraEdit's own legacy syntax.

3. It Includes a Fully-Integrated FTP Client

You can use UltraEdit to access and save files with an in-app, multi-panel FTP browser. Threaded transfers improve transfer rates by up to 25 percent.

Local folder sync, synchronized browsing, remote preview, and many other hot commodities set the stage for a seamless file-sharing pipeline that leaves nothing that you need out of reach. Integrated support for FTP, SFTP, and FTPS protocols as well as just about any type of server under the sun make UltraEdit one of the most versatile text editing systems that come FTP-ready by default.

UltraEdit provides an in-depth walkthrough on how to get started with the program's FTP capabilities on its support blog. It's an excellent introduction to one of the most exciting aspects of this suite of tools. You can do everything right from within the app without any additional downloads or installations.

4. Powerful Search Functionality Comes Standard

UltraEdit's search bar can be used to pull up more than just the keywords that you use in your ordinary writing. You can search with regular expressions and through entire folders of files, all from its in-app search hub, without being restricted by the file that you happen to have open at the time.

Find and replace can also be applied across many different files, not just the one in front of you and its previous versions. Its file-sorting and -selecting features are also worth mentioning; those working in high volume will find these tools to be indispensable, saving you plenty of time and energy down the road.

We had no idea how good life could be before this app. Simply plug your query into UltraEdit's built-in file and project explorer—custom lists, project assistance, and more all make even extremely large collections of files more than manageable. Save yourself the headache.

5. You Can Compare Text Between Up to Three Versions or Files

Comparing files in Ultraedit.
Image Credit: UltraEdit

UltraCompare, another awesome app in the UltraEdit collection, is a tool dedicated exclusively to comparing, merging, and syncing changes, allowing you to compare up to three different files simultaneously. UltraEdit offers plenty on its own in the way of file back-up, auto-save, and auto-recovery, however.

Version control, including the ability to compare any two versions of a document as well as any two folders, is one of this app's signature functionalities, even without factoring UltraCompare into the equation. You can even compare external changes to the version that you're currently working on without overwriting either your work or the work of somebody else on your team.

One of the tools that you'll love in this area is the app's line change indicator. Saved changes are called out in green, while unsaved changes are marked in red. This makes reviewing and revising documents fast, easy, and foolproof.

UltraEdit Text Editor: Mean, Lean, and Ready for Any Challenge

We're really only covered the basics here—macros and scripted automation, a built-in SSH and Telnet panel, and hundreds of other thoughtful features all come together in one of the most uniquely useful text editors for literally any type of writer.

It's an attractive package, that much cannot be denied. If you're a programmer in desperate need of something new, you'll find everything you need with UltraEdit. The same goes for those simply writing prose, as well.