code editor · Sublime HQ

Sublime Text

Name: Sublime Text
Price: 2.75 USD

Paid text and code editor with a one-time personal licence and a portable Windows build.

29/100

#12 of 12 code editors
Facts checked 8 Oct 2026

In short

A personal licence costs $99 once and includes 3 years of updates¹.
You can download and evaluate it for free, but continued use needs a licence¹.
It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux; the Windows download has a portable version².
Build 4215 is dated September 25, 2026².
Business licences are $65 a seat a year for the first 10 seats¹.

Sublime Text suits people who want a one-time purchase on every desktop system, with multiple selections, custom key bindings and a portable build^1,2,5,6. The $99 personal licence covers 3 years of updates¹. The catch: it is not free for work, it is licensed rather than sold, and advanced git tasks go to Sublime Merge^1,3,4.

Best for: People who prefer a one-time purchase to a subscription and work on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Where the points come from

Systems11 of 22

Code tools3 of 37

Extending3 of 11

Licence and price4 of 18

Upkeep8 of 12

Systems 11 of 22 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Systems besides Windows	macOS, LinuxDownload page offers macOS and Linux builds; no web version is listed².	6 / 9
Portable Windows build	YesWindows download has a portable version².	5 / 5
Remote editing	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's documentation contents page⁷.	0 / 8

Code tools 3 of 37 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Language Server Protocol	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's completions page⁸.	0 / 10
Debugger	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's documentation contents page⁷.	0 / 9
Built-in terminal	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's documentation contents page⁷.	0 / 6
Git in the editor	NoGit integration is side bar badges, status bar, diff markers and Sublime Merge links; no commit feature is listed³.	0 / 6
Multiple cursors	YesDocs cover multiple selection with the keyboard, tab multi-select and column selection^5,7.	3 / 3
Live collaboration	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's documentation contents page⁷.	0 / 3

Extending 3 of 11 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Extension directory	Not publishedDocs describe packages and an API reference, but no directory run by the vendor is shown^7,9.	0 / 8
Custom key bindings	YesUsers create Default.sublime-keymap in Packages/User to customize key bindings⁶.	3 / 3

Licence and price 4 of 18 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Free for work use	NoFree to download and evaluate; a licence must be purchased for continued use¹.	0 / 6
Price	$2.75/moPersonal licence $99 once, with 3 years of updates: $99 over 36 months¹.	4 / 6
Open source	NoThe licence agreement says the software is licensed, not sold; no open-source licence is offered⁴.	0 / 6

Upkeep 8 of 12 points

Rule	What is published	Points
Release in the past year	YesDownload page lists Build 4215, dated 25 Sep 2026².	8 / 8
Telemetry off or none	Not publishedNot published on the vendor's settings page or licence agreement^4,10.	0 / 4

The rule behind each line: how we score code editors.

Plans and prices

As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.

Plan	Price as listed	Per month	Notes
Personal licence1 person	$99 one-time¹	$2.75	Includes 3 years of updates ($99 over 36 months)
Business licenceOrganisations, from 1 seat	$65/seat/year¹	$5.42	$65 a seat for the first 10 seats; lower rates for more seats

The store page shows $99 for the personal licence; adding a Sublime Merge licence is an optional bundle¹.

Strengths

One personal licence key works on all your computers and operating systems¹.
A portable version is offered for Windows².
Key bindings are set in a user .sublime-keymap file⁶.
Multiple selection with the keyboard is documented⁵.
Build 4215 is dated September 25, 2026².

Limits

A licence must be bought for continued use after evaluation¹.
The licence is per user, and the software is licensed, not sold⁴.
Git support shows status and diff markers; advanced Git tasks go to Sublime Merge³.
After 3 years, an upgrade is needed for further updates¹.

Other code editors

1
Visual Studio CodePeople who want one editor for many languages, with remote editing and an extension marketplace
94/100
$0price
2
ZedPeople who want a free editor with debugging and collaboration built in
92/100
$0price
3
GNU EmacsPeople who want a free editor they can reshape in Emacs Lisp, with many tools built in
87/100
$0price
4
VSCodiumPeople who want VS Code's editor as a fully open-source build without Microsoft telemetry
78/100
$0price

All 12 code editors

Sources

Buy Sublime Text, Sublime HQ. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Download Sublime Text, Sublime HQ. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Git Integration, Sublime Text documentation. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Sublime Text End User License Agreement, Sublime HQ. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Multiple Selection with the Keyboard, Sublime Text documentation. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Key Bindings, Sublime Text documentation. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Sublime Text documentation, Sublime HQ. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Completions, Sublime Text documentation. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Packages, Sublime Text documentation. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Settings, Sublime Text documentation. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.

Website: www.sublimetext.com · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with Sublime HQ.