Commonly known as an HTML editor, a web editor is a software program designed to create and edit web pages, generally creating in HTML, the markup language for web pages.
There are three types of web editors appropriate for this category. These are WYSIWYG editors, non-WYSIWYG editors, and template-based editors. A newer form of WYSIWYG editors, known as WYSIWYM editors, may also be listed here.
WYSIWYG stands for What You See Is What You Get, and the goal of a WYSIWYG editor is to allow a user to design a website visually, allowing its content to be edited in a form that resembles what it will look like when displayed online in a web browser. A WYSIWYG editor features a user interface that allows the user to view something similar to the end result, and to do so while the web page is being created. Although many WYSIWYG editors also allow for direct HTML coding, the focus of the editor is to allow the user to create or edit the page without expertise in HTML, often using drag-and-drop features or by selecting components from a menu.
Examples of WYSIWYG editors include Adobe Dreamweaver, BlueGriffon, NetObjects Fusion, and Sandvox.
A newer alternative to WYSIWYG editors are WYSIWYM editors, for What You See Is What You Mean. Rather than focusing on the format or presentation of the web page being created, a WYSIWYM editor preserves the intended meaning of each element. With this type of editor, elements such as page headers, sections, paragraphs, and so on are labeled as such in the editing program and displayed appropriately in the web browser.
In a WYSIWYM editor, the user writes the contents in a structured way, marking the content according to its meaning and its significance in the document, leaving its final appearance to one or more stylesheets, in effect allowing the user to concentrate on the content.
At this point, there aren't very many dedicated WYSIWYM editors, although some vendors have integrated WYSIWYM featured into their WYSIWYM products. The WYMeditor is an example of a WYSIWYM editor.
Although most web editors, particularly the WYSIWYG editors, include galleries of templates that can be used to help users get started with their products, some web editors are template-based. An example of a template-based editor is RapidWeaver, produced by Realmac Software.
Non-WYSIWYG editors require users to code the HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and any other languages or scripts required by a web page, although many of these editors will provide shortcuts and other featured designed to make the job easier. Editors designed for the creation of web pages will usually provide syntax highlighting, and may also include keyboard shortcuts that a user can use to quickly insert HTML elements and structures. Other features may include wizards, prompts, auto-completion functions, and tools such as version control, link-checking, validation, code cleanup and formatting, and uploading of the completed product via FTP or another means.
Well-known examples of non-WYSIWYG editors include Arachnophilia, Coda, CoffeeCup, and UltraEdit.
Some web editors are more of a hybrid, requiring users to supply the code, but including a facility that allows the user to view the page as it would appear in a browser. In these editors, there will usually be a field for the insertion of HTML code, and another window that displays the page as it would appear in a browser. Other features might include palette windows, dialog boxes, or widgets for selecting various options.
Not every piece of software that can be used to create a webpage is appropriate in this category, however.
Webpages may be created in a regular text editor or in an editor designed for programming. Unless the editor is designed specifically for HTML or website creation, a more appropriate category would be the Text & Code Editors category.
Similarly, a significant portion of the websites on the Internet was created through a content management system (CMS) or blogging platform. However, the Content Management Systems category or the Blogs category would be more specific for these types of applications, and online editors, such as Weebly, are listed in the Web Design & Development category. The most appropriate category for any resource is the one that is most specific to its content.
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Eleventy (11ty) is a static site generator, a software system for creating website. Available as open source under the MIT License, it is written in JavaScript and requires a JavaScript runtime, such as Node.js. It is known for its simplicity, and its support for a large number of template languages. Inspired by Jekyll, it was created in 2017. Like other static site generators, its purpose is to allow the user to create HTML documents more simply than by typing the documents by hand.
https://www.11ty.dev/
Created by Macromedia in 1997, Dreamweaver has been an Adobe product since 2005. Previously available for purchase, the product is currently offered by a SaaS subscription model, alone or packaged with other Adobe products. The proprietary web design and development program serves as an integrated development environment that uses both a visual design surface (Live View) and a code editor. Its features and support services are outlined.
https://www.adobe.com/products/dreamweaver.html
Founded in 1998, Akmin develops software for web purposes, including SiteGalore and WebsiteForever. SiteGalore is a white-labeled, do-it-yourself website building solution used by ISPs, telecommunications companies, and service providers, and WebsiteForever is a portal solution for ISPs and telecom providers, the default landing page designed to engage customers. The company also develops DeepConnect, which provides a touchpoint with active subscribers.
https://www.akmin.com/
Created by Paul Lutus in 1996, Arachnophilia is a webpage development and general programming tool. Originally written for Microsoft Windows, as a protest against various Microsoft policies and behaviors, it was rewritten as a Java program. As a Java program, it will run on almost any computer platform and is available as CareWare, which is defined on the site, along with user documentation, installation and troubleshooting tips, bug reports, and a FAQ.
https://www.arachnoid.com/arachnophilia/
Operating on a Windows platform, BlueVoda is a website creation software that requires no HTML web design knowledge, using drag and drop technologies and predesigned website templates and no restrictions on the number of websites that can be created with it. An image library includes free logos, templates, webpage background images, and web headers, as well as video tutorials. Customer testimonials are posted to the site, and the software may be downloaded.
http://www.bluevoda.com/
The web design and development application features a drag-and-drop interface, fully responsive and customizable templates, and several other components for building responsive pages, such as headers, footers, galleries, slideshows, and basic elements like spans and divs, as well as real-time preview features, and the ability to design in code or to import and edit CSS, SASS, JavaScript, and HTML within its Sublime Text-like editor. Tutorials and a discussion forum are included.
https://bootstrapstudio.io/
Founded in 1996 in a coffeeshop in Corpus Christi, Texas, the company is now headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, from where it develops and markets a large number of web products, its flagship product being the CoffeeCup HTML Editor, others including an HTML & CSS Code Editor, Responsive Design Pack, Site Designer, Responsive Email Designer, and Form Designer, including a free and commercial HTML editor. Its products, services, and special offers are highlighted.
https://www.coffeecup.com/
Native to macOS, Espresso is an application designed to help people write, code, design, build, and publish websites "with flair and efficiency." It features sophisticated text features, Live Preview with Browser Xray, CSSEdit tools, the Navigator, Dynamo autobuilding, and Server Sync. Its website provides a preview of the software, including its coding capabilities and build, through screenshots and descriptions. It is available for a one-time purchase, and a free trial is also available.
https://espressoapp.com/
Licensed as proprietary, commercial software, the web-based WYSIWYG text editor is a platform-independent, web-based JavaScript and HTML text editor available through three license options: Basic, Pro, and Enterprise. The editor includes access to more than a hundred and seventy Bootstrap-based responsive design blocks, which are free to be used in web or mobile projects. The features of the editor and the design blocks are highlighted, and a JavaScript Page Builder is included.
https://www.froala.com/
From 1996 to 2001, NetObjects Fusion was developed and distributed by NetObjects, Inc., and marketed from 2001 to 2009 by Website Pros; it was then distributed again by the reestablished NetObjects, Inc. in 2009. Currently (January, 2026), its website is not operational, but the NetObjects Community (gotFusion) is up, offering help, training, and support for the NOF product line, offering free support for those who move their website hosting account to gotFusion.
https://www.gotfusion.com/
GrapesJS is an open-source, multi-purpose, web builder framework that combines various tools and features to build HTML templates without expertise in coding. Designed to be a replacement for the common WYSIWYG editors, which are good for content editing but not for creating HTML structures, GrapesJS allows the user to build their own editors. Its features include built-in drag-and-drop blocks, a style manager, and an asset manager. The code may be accessed if desired.
https://grapesjs.com/
HTML-Notepad is a WYSIWYG editor for structured documents, which are texts that have hierarchical and semantically meaningful structures, such as headers, plain-text islands, tables, and so on. Not intended for creating full-featured websites, the editor uses Sciter Engine for its UI, allowing it to work on all major desktop operating systems. The program consists of only two files, the executable and the Sciter DLL. Although installation is not required, installation packages are available.
https://html-notepad.com/
Created by Blumentals Solutions SIA, HTMLPad is an all-in-one HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code editor with several features and tools for creating, editing, validating, reusing, navigating, and deploying HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code, which includes CSS studio and a powerful JavaScript editor. HTML5 and CSS3 ready, the program operates on the Microsoft Windows platform. Other web code editors offered by Blumentals are compared, side-by-side, and may also be purchased.
https://www.htmlpad.net/
Distributed under the Apache 2.0 License, Hugo is an open-source static website editor. Written in Go in 2013, Hugo is maintained by the Hugo open-source community and is designed to convert Markdown and templates into a static website quickly. Optimized for speed and designed for flexibility, Hugo includes an advanced templating system and fast asset pipelines, rendering a large site in seconds, often less. Documentation, themes, and access to the Hugo community are presented.
https://gohugo.io/
While not a web editor in its own right, Hugo CMS is a content management system for Hugo with two integrated editors that allow users to create and edit fast, search-engine-friendly websites from anywhere, requiring only an Internet connection and a web browser. Users can choose between Markdown and a visual editor to create and edit web pages, just as they would in a word processor or Markdown editor. It is available free as open-source, but premium options add support.
https://hugocms.com/en/
Released in 2008, Jekyll is a static site generator written in Ruby and distributed under theMIT License. The Jekyll project on GitHub continues to be updated, and releases are made regularly. Jekyll renders Markdown, Textile, and Liquid templates, producing a complete, static site ready to be served by Apache HTTP Server, Nginx, or another web server. Static web generators do not use databases to generate pages. Documentation and a portfolio of sites built with Jekyll are featured.
https://jekyllrb.com/
Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, Mobirise is an AI-powered web editor that offers a wide collection of pre-made themes and templates, including blocks and page templates for free and premium themes, aligned with the latest web design trends, and several customization options. Websites built with this website builder are mobile-friendly by default. Also available is a Code Editor extension that allows manual HTML/CSS coding and the addition of external plugins.
https://mobirise.com/
A successor of Panic, Nova is a native macOS code editor, positioned as a fast, Mac-first IDE with built-in Git, terminal, and a robust extensions API. It is macOS-only and sold as a paid product. It focuses on web and app development, with a focus on macOS design and performance. Key features include editor fundamentals, smart autocomplete, multiple cursors, minimap, tag pairing, and fuzzy matching, with several integrated tools and extensions. Purchase includes one year of updates.
https://nova.app/
Pinegrow is a Linux, Mac, and Windows web editor that creates responsive websites with live multi-page editing, CSS and SASS styling, a CSS grid editor, and components for Bootstrap, Foundation, and WordPress. As a downloadable and installable program, sites can be built offline, saving standard HTML and CSS files rather than a proprietary file format that may one day become inaccessible. Available through an annual license or as a one-time payment.
https://pinegrow.com/
Not specifically an HTML editor, the Quick ’n Easy WebBuilder is a visual website generator with outputs for HTML4, XHTML, and HTML5, allowing sites to be built using drag-and-drop features, along with form layout objects, form fields, and validation tools, producing responsible web design based on CSS media queries. Available for the Linux, macOS, and Windows operating systems, the application may be purchased online, and a 30-day trial period is included.
http://www.quickandeasywebbuilder.com/
The UK-based software company’s main product is RapidWeaver, a template-based web editor that has been on the market since 2004, although it has others, such as Squash, an image compression app. RapidWeaver may be purchased from the site, which also includes video and text tutorials, a community support forum, training courses, and suggestions for hosting services. Other resources include an overview of its affiliate program, a blog, and a newsletter.
https://www.realmacsoftware.com/
A continuation of the former Mozilla Application Suite, based on the same source code, SeaMonkey is a free and open-source Internet suite that includes an Internet browser, email and newsgroup client, a web feed reader, an HTML editor, IRC chat, and web development tools. It was created in 2005 after Mozilla decided to focus on its standalone projects, Firefox and Thunderbird. Its HTML editor features dynamic image and table resizing, and quick insertion and deletion of table cells.
https://www.seamonkey-project.org/
Featuring a free online website editor, accessible to those who host their site with Site123. With no need for knowledge of HTML or coding, the program creates sites that are responsive to all screen sizes. Offering free hosting, as well as premium hosting plans, the premium hosting plan includes free domain registration. Various search engine optimization tools are also provided, and additional resources may be purchased from its online store. Its pricing plans are highlighted.
http://www.site123.com/
Available 24/7, Template Monster has been in business since 2002, specializing in website templates, including WordPress themes and plugins, e-commerce themes made for a variety of platforms, CMS templates for Drupal, Joomla, and MotoCMS 3, which may be purchased individually or through an unlimited download plan. Also available are website templates with a drag and drop builder, and premium graphics, and marketing, design, and development services.
https://www.templatemonster.com/
Developed by Lauyan Software, TOWeb is a template-based website creator made particularly for small businesses, clubs, associations, and individuals who want to create a website quickly without technical knowledge. Its features include responsive design, WYSIWYG content editing, several templates to choose from, and a CSS3-based theme editor. Supported are e-commerce solutions, SEO-friendly pages, multiple languages, and the ability to be published to any web host.
https://www.lauyan.com/
Although UltraEdit also supports programming in Unix shell scripts, C++, PL/SQL, and Visual Basic, its primary purpose if programming for the web, offering features for HTML, PHP, CSS, and SAS. Compatible with the Linux, macOS, and Windows platforms, the editor includes native FTP, an SFTP browser, and an SSH/telnet console, as well as a fully integrated file compare, allowing for a visual diff of entered code. It is available by purchase, subscription, or as part of a suite.
https://www.ultraedit.com/
Available through a personal, professional, or team license, WeBuilder is developed by Blumentals Solutions SIA, which also offers other web development products, compatible with the Microsoft Windows operating system. The all-in-one code builder is designed for web developers, offering features for the creation and management of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby, Python, ASP, SSI, and Perl code. Its features, screenshots, prices, and support options are stated.
https://www.webuilderapp.com/
Made for macOS and iOS, both of which are sold separately, Wolf 2 is a website editor and builder that is integrated with the Bootstrap Framework, generating responsive layouts that display appropriately on desktops, tablets, and mobile devices. The desktop version uses drag-and-drop features, while the mobile edition uses tap-and-pan. Demos of its features are available online, and purchases may be made from the Apple App Store. User guides and videos are available.
https://wolf.aidaluu.com/
The WYMeditor is an open-source, web-based WYSIWYM text editor designed for editing content on web pages. Unlike WYSIWYG editors, it explicitly shows the XHTML structure of the content to the user, and to conform to the W3C XHTML specifications. Licensed under the GNU General Public License or the MIT License, it may be freely downloaded from the site. Its features are highlighted, and a demo is available. A list of applications using WYMeditor is included.
http://www.wymeditor.org/
Available for recent versions of the Microsoft Windows platform, a 30-day trial version of the software may be downloaded from the site, after which the payment of a license fee is required. Featuring tools for beginners and professional designers and developers, the web editor builds responsive websites and supports web fonts, animations, pre-made blocks, form tools, images, and other media, icon libraries, navigation tools, and hundreds of extensions are available.
https://www.wysiwygwebbuilder.com/
