TextMate
General-purpose text editor
Install with Homebrew
brew install --cask textmateQuick Take: TextMate
TextMate 2 is still free, still open source, and still installs on modern Macs in August 2026, but it is a maintenance project rather than a front-line IDE. Keep it if you already depend on bundles and `mate`. Otherwise start with VS Code, Zed, Sublime, BBEdit, or Neovim for extensions, AI workflows, and active release trains. Not abandoned, just no longer the default answer.
Best For
- •Long-time TextMate bundle users
- •Developers wanting a free native lightweight editor
- •Nostalgic Mac web/Ruby workflows
What is TextMate?
TextMate is a macOS text editor created by Allan Odgaard. It made its name on bundles, scoped language grammars, and the mate CLI that Ruby and web developers lived in during the late 2000s. It is free and open source today (GitHub textmate/textmate), with downloads still offered from macromates.com for macOS 10.12+. As of August 2026 TextMate is alive but slow: the 2.0 line is still current, the mailing list and GitHub repo still exist, and people run it on Apple Silicon Macs, yet release pace and mindshare sit far behind Visual Studio Code, Zed, Neovim, Sublime Text, and BBEdit.
Nobody should treat TextMate as the default Mac IDE in 2026. It is a lightweight native editor for people who already like its bundle ecosystem, column editing, and low chrome. It is not discontinued and not acquired. Choosing it is a deliberate niche pick, not a consensus onboarding path for new developers. There is no subscription and no AI usage meter. For AI-assisted coding, people usually pair terminal agents or VS Code/Cursor rather than waiting for TextMate to ship model integrations.
Closer look: TextMate's legacy and what still ships
TextMate's lasting ideas, scoped language grammars, snippet tab stops, and bundle commands, shaped a generation of editors that followed. In 2026 those ideas show up more often in other tools' ecosystems than in TextMate's own release velocity. Honest evaluation separates historical importance from current recommendation strength: a free native editor for fans of the old workflow, not the default onboarding editor for Mac developers who expect AI pair programming and remote containers.
Key Features
Bundle System
Bundles are modular packages that add language-specific behavior. Each bundle contains syntax definitions (TextMate grammars that power highlighting in many other editors), snippets with tab-triggered expansion, macros for repetitive tasks, and shell commands for external tool integration. The default installation includes bundles for Ruby, Python, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, LaTeX, Markdown, and dozens more. Users can install additional community bundles or create custom ones through the Bundle Editor. This system is so influential that the TextMate grammar format (.tmLanguage) became the de facto standard for syntax highlighting across the editor ecosystem.
Multiple Carets
Multiple carets edit several places at once. Hold Command and click to place multiple insertion points, or use keyboard shortcuts to select matching words, lines, or scopes. Once multiple carets are active, every keystroke, typing, deleting, pasting, applies to all positions simultaneously. Handy for renaming variables across lines, prefixing list items, or any repeated structural edit. Combined with column selection (Alt-drag), TextMate provides precise multi-point editing capabilities that rival dedicated code editors.
Snippets and Tab Triggers
Snippets are intelligent text templates that expand when you type a trigger word and press Tab. For example, typing 'for' then Tab in a Python file expands into a complete for-loop structure with placeholders for the iterator, range, and body. Snippets support dynamic variables (like selected text, current date, or clipboard contents), tab stops for sequential navigation, and shell script interpolation for complex transformations. Once a trigger is muscle memory, common boilerplate is a few keystrokes instead of a full rewrite.
Recordable Macros
The macro recorder captures repetitive editing sequences. Press Command+F8 to start recording, perform a sequence of edits (searches, replacements, cursor movements, selections), then press Command+F8 again to stop. The macro can be replayed immediately with Command+F5, saved for later use, or bound to a keyboard shortcut. For data cleaning, log file analysis, or any repetitive text transformation, macros provide automation without requiring scripting knowledge. Scratch macros cover one-off cleanups; saved macros stick around for daily work.
Open Quickly and File Search
Open Quickly (Command+T) fuzzy-matches filenames as you type. Unlike heavy indexing systems, TextMate's file search uses the filesystem directly, making it instant even on large codebases. The file browser sidebar provides a project overview with customizable file filtering, while the Find in Project feature (Command+Shift+F) searches across all files with regex support, showing results in a navigable list with context lines. You can even filter search results by file type or glob patterns to narrow results precisely.
Version Control Integration
TextMate provides built-in support for Git, Subversion, and other version control systems. The file browser shows version status with color-coded badges (modified, added, conflicted). The gutter displays change markers showing added, modified, and deleted lines. Press Command+Shift+G to view a diff of current file changes, or use the commit window to stage files, write commit messages, and push changes, all without leaving the editor. While not as visually elaborate as dedicated git GUIs, the integration is fast and unobtrusive, perfect for developers who prefer command-line git but want visual diffs.
Shell Command Integration
TextMate includes the 'mate' command-line tool that integrates with Terminal. Use 'mate filename' to open files, 'mate .' to open entire directories as projects, or pipe command output directly into TextMate for inspection (e.g., 'ls -la | mate'). The rmate variant supports editing files on remote servers over SSH. Shell commands within bundles can execute external scripts in any language (Ruby, Python, Bash), process selected text through Unix filters, or display HTML output in a dedicated window. That Unix wiring is why many people open TextMate from the shell rather than from the Dock.
Who Should Use TextMate?
1The Config File Editor
A system administrator who spends their day editing YAML configuration files, shell scripts, and property files. They don't need an IDE, they need an editor that opens instantly from the terminal, provides syntax highlighting for every config format they encounter, and lets them make precise edits with multiple cursors. TextMate launches in under a second via 'mate ~/.zshrc', provides immediate visual feedback with proper highlighting, and its snippets help them write repetitive Ansible or Kubernetes configs efficiently. The lack of project setup overhead means they can edit any file on any system instantly.
2The Academic Writer
A graduate student writing their thesis in LaTeX who needs a stable, distraction-free editor. They use TextMate's LaTeX bundle for syntax highlighting, snippet expansion for common environments (equations, figures, citations), and the built-in PDF preview integration. The multiple caret feature helps them reformat bibliography entries, while macros handle repetitive citation formatting. TextMate's reliability means they never lose work to crashes, and the clean interface helps them focus on writing rather than fighting with the editor. Being free also helps on a student budget.
3The Legacy Code Archaeologist
A developer maintaining older Ruby on Rails or PHP applications who needs a fast, stable editor that handles large log files and legacy codebases. TextMate's excellent Ruby bundle (one of the original inspirations for the editor) provides superior syntax highlighting for older Ruby versions, while the ability to open multi-gigabyte log files without choking is essential for debugging production issues. The macro system helps them reformat legacy code to modern standards, and the grep-style search helps them navigate massive codebases efficiently.
How to Install TextMate on Mac
TextMate is available as a free download from the official website or via Homebrew. It requires macOS 10.12 (Sierra) or later, making it compatible with macOS Sonoma, Sequoia, and beyond.
Install via Homebrew
Run 'brew install --cask textmate' in Terminal. This installs TextMate 2.0 and sets up the 'mate' command-line tool automatically.
Set Up Shell Integration
Add 'export EDITOR="mate -w"' to your ~/.zshrc to set TextMate as your default editor for git commits and other command-line operations.
Install Additional Bundles
Open TextMate > Bundles > Bundle Editor to browse available bundles. Install any language-specific bundles you need that aren't included by default.
Pro Tips
- • Use 'mate -w' for git commits: The -w flag tells TextMate to wait until you close the file before returning control to the terminal, essential for git commit messages.
- • Enable the 'mate' CLI tool: Go to Preferences > Terminal and click 'Install Shell Support' to ensure the mate command is available system-wide.
- • Configure rmate for remote editing: Install rmate on remote servers to edit files via SSH directly in your local TextMate instance.
Configuration Tips
Customize Tab Triggers
Open Bundles > Bundle Editor to view and modify snippet triggers. Shorten common snippets to single letters (e.g., 'h1' for HTML headings) to speed up your workflow. You can also add custom snippets for project-specific boilerplate.
Set Up Project Templates
Create .tm_properties files in project directories to define project-specific settings like tab width, soft wrap, and file encodings. This ensures consistent formatting across team members using TextMate.
Master the Command Palette
Press Control+Command+T to open the Select Bundle Item palette. This provides instant access to all snippets, commands, and macros across all bundles, faster than remembering individual keyboard shortcuts.
Alternatives to TextMate
While TextMate pioneered the modern macOS text editor, several alternatives offer different trade-offs between features, performance, and pricing.
Visual Studio Code
Free, dominant extensible editor with Copilot/GPT-5.6-class integrations in 2026. Heavier than TextMate but unmatched ecosystem. Default recommendation for most developers.
Zed
High-performance collaborative editor gaining Mac mindshare. Choose Zed for speed and modern multiplayer; TextMate for classic bundle workflows.
Sublime Text
Fast proprietary editor with familiar minimalism. Paid license. Closer spiritual successor for many ex-TextMate users.
BBEdit
Mac-native power editor still actively celebrated in 2026. Choose BBEdit for polished native text processing; TextMate for open-source bundle nostalgia.
Neovim
Terminal-first modal editing with infinite Lua config. Choose Neovim if you live in the terminal; TextMate if you want a classic Mac GUI.
Pricing
TextMate 2.x is free to download and use. The project is open source on GitHub under its project license terms. There are no paid tiers, no seat subscriptions, and no feature paywalls. Optional commercial themes/bundles from third parties may exist but are not required. Support is community-driven (GitHub issues, mailing list) rather than a paid SLA.
Pros
- ✓Completely free with no feature restrictions or paid tiers
- ✓Native macOS performance, starts instantly, minimal memory usage
- ✓Bundle system provides excellent language support for over 100 languages
- ✓TextMate grammar format became the industry standard for syntax highlighting
- ✓Multiple carets and a mature snippet system for fast edits
- ✓Excellent command-line integration with mate and rmate tools
- ✓Stable and reliable, rarely crashes or loses work
- ✓Clean, distraction-free interface that stays out of your way
- ✓Strong LaTeX and Markdown support for academic writing
- ✓Open-source maintenance continues when macOS compatibility requires it
Cons
- ✗No built-in LSP (Language Server Protocol) support for modern IDE features
- ✗No integrated terminal or git GUI compared to VS Code
- ✗Smaller extension ecosystem than VS Code or Sublime Text
- ✗No built-in AI coding assistance or Copilot integration
- ✗UI design feels dated compared to modern editors
- ✗Limited debugging capabilities compared to full IDEs
- ✗Some bundles for newer languages may be less maintained than older ones
- ✗Learning curve for bundle customization and snippet creation
Community & Support
TextMate has a dedicated community that has persisted for two decades. The GitHub repository (github.com/textmate/textmate) hosts the source code and issue tracker, with active contribution from both the original author Allan Odgaard and community members. The TextMate mailing list and IRC channel provide user support, while the TextMate wiki and manual offer full documentation. The bundle ecosystem is community-maintained, with the textmate organization on GitHub hosting official bundles. Support is primarily community-driven through GitHub issues, there is no paid support tier, which is consistent with the free, open-source nature of the project. Updates are released periodically as new macOS versions require compatibility adjustments. In August 2026 the practical support path is GitHub issues plus the historical macromates mailing list rather than a commercial helpdesk. New developers discovering TextMate through old tutorials should know the editor still opens projects, still runs bundles, and still offers the mate CLI, but day-to-day Mac engineering conversations have largely moved to VS Code, Zed, Neovim, and BBEdit. That does not make TextMate unusable, it makes it a deliberate niche choice with zero license cost and a smaller extension marketplace.
Frequently Asked Questions about TextMate
About the Author
Expert Tips for TextMate
Mac editor conversations in 2026 more often celebrate BBEdit, Zed, or VS Code than TextMate, indicating TextMate's mindshare is niche despite continued availability.
Long-time developers still mention TextMate affectionately as a formative Mac editor, but recommendations for new setups almost always point elsewhere for AI and extension ecosystems.
Related Technologies & Concepts
Related Topics
macOS Text Editors
macOS Text Editors, related to TextMate
Developer Tools
Developer Tools, related to TextMate
Open Source Software
Open Source Software, related to TextMate
Sources & References
Fact-CheckedLast verified: Aug 9, 2026
Key Verified Facts
- TextMate 2 is offered as a free download requiring macOS 10.12 or later from macromates.com.[cite-1]
- TextMate's source code is publicly available in the textmate/textmate GitHub repository.[cite-2]
- TextMate is not a discontinued commercial product; it remains downloadable as free open-source software in 2026.[cite-1, cite-2]
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- 5BBEdit still relevant 2026 (context)
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
"Shows Mac editor landscape still discusses native classics in 2026."
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Research queries: TextMate 2 macOS 2026; macromates download; TextMate vs VS Code Zed