Free & open source · Built with Rust & Tauri · No Electron
ZITEXT: Fast, Minimalist
Text Editor
for Mac,
Windows & Linux
Edit with Focus.
The free Notepad++ alternative built with Rust and Tauri. Under 300ms startup. No Electron. No bloat. Multi-cursor editing, 80+ language syntax highlighting, and built-in JSON/XML tools.
Free forever · No account required · ~10 MB download · macOS · Windows · Linux
⭐ Star on GitHubuse tauri::{Builder, Manager}; use std::fs; #[tauri::command] fn read_file(path: &str) -> Result<String, String> { std::fs::read_to_string(path) .map_err(|e| e.to_string()) } fn main() { Builder::default() .invoke_handler(tauri::generate_handler![ read_file ]) .run(tauri::generate_context!())
{ "editor": { "theme": "catppuccin-mocha", "fontSize": 14, "fontFamily": "JetBrains Mono", "lineNumbers": true, "multiCursor": true }, "keybindings": { "find": "Cmd+F", "replace": "Cmd+Alt+F", "multiCursor": "Alt+Click", "columnSelect": "Shift+Alt+Drag" } }
# ZITEXT Fast, minimalist text editor built with Rust + Tauri. Under 300ms startup. Zero Electron. Free forever. ## Features - Multi-cursor editing and column selection - Syntax highlighting for 80+ languages - Built-in JSON, XML, and YAML formatter - Under 300ms startup on all platforms ## Download Available at zitext.com - no account required.
Powerful features, minimal footprint
Blazing Fast
Instant startup and low memory usage for seamless coding.
Beautiful Themes
Light and Dark themes, or System to follow your OS as it switches.
Custom Keybindings
Fully customizable shortcuts to match your muscle memory.
Smart File Management
Tree view explorer, drag-and-drop support, and auto-session restore.
Modern Editing
Multi-cursor, regex find/replace, and inline JSON validation.
Data Tools
Built-in JSON formatter, validator, and XML/YAML tools.
Your Work, Protected
Atomic, conflict-aware saves, per-tab undo, and crash recovery keep your edits safe.
Split View & Markdown Preview
Edit two files side by side with a resizable divider, and preview Markdown rendered GitHub-style.
Find in Files
Search a whole project folder, with results grouped by file and one click to jump to the line.
Large Files & Live Logs
Open multi-gigabyte logs in seconds, follow them as they grow, filter, highlight and export lines.
File Compare
See what changed between two files, the clipboard or the saved version, and copy changes across.
Text Tools, Marks & Scratchpad
Sort, de-duplicate, encode and convert CSV/JSON, highlight words in colour, and jot notes that save themselves.
How ZITEXT compares
The speed of a native editor, on every desktop platform, at no cost.
| Feature | ZITEXT | Notepad++ | VS Code | Sublime Text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free | Free | $99 licence (free to evaluate) |
| macOS, Windows & Linux | Yes | Windows only | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes (Apache-2.0) | Yes (GPL) | Source is MIT; official build is not | No |
| Built with | Rust + Tauri (native webview) | C++ (Win32) | Electron (bundled Chromium) | C++ |
| JSON & XML formatting | Built in | Via plugins | JSON built in; XML via extension | Via packages |
| Account required | No | No | No | No |
Detailed comparisons: vs Notepad++ · vs VS Code · vs Sublime Text
Built for developers, writers & power users
macOS Developers
Native macOS support with all the power-user features you expect. Perfect for developers seeking familiar editing capabilities on Mac.
Performance Seekers
Under 300ms startup, low memory footprint, and instant response. Built with Rust and Tauri for native speed.
Power Users
Multi-cursor editing, column selection, regex search, customizable shortcuts, and command palette.
Cross-Platform Teams
Consistent experience across macOS, Windows, and Linux. Share workflows and configurations seamlessly.
Open source. Private by design.
ZITEXT’s source code is public on GitHub under the Apache-2.0 licence. There is no account, no ads and no telemetry. Your files never leave your machine. The only network request is an optional check for new versions.
Frequently asked questions
Is ZITEXT free?
Yes. ZITEXT is completely free forever on macOS, Windows, and Linux. There are no paid tiers, no subscriptions, and no account is required to download or use it.
Does ZITEXT run on Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3) Macs?
Yes. ZITEXT ships a native Apple Silicon (arm64) build for M-series Macs, as well as a separate Intel (x64) build. It runs on macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or later.
Is ZITEXT a good Notepad++ alternative for Mac?
Yes. Notepad++ does not run natively on macOS, and ZITEXT brings the same power-user editing to the Mac: multi-cursor editing, column selection, regex find and replace, and syntax highlighting for 80+ languages - in a fast, native app built with Rust and Tauri.
What platforms does ZITEXT support?
ZITEXT runs on macOS 10.15+ (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows 10 64-bit or later (.msi and .exe), and Linux (.AppImage and .deb for Ubuntu 22.04+, Debian 12+, Fedora 36+ or equivalent).
Why is ZITEXT faster than Electron editors like VS Code?
ZITEXT is built with Rust and Tauri, which use the operating system's native webview instead of bundling a full copy of Chromium like Electron apps do. The result is under 300ms startup and a much smaller memory footprint.
What languages and file formats does ZITEXT support?
ZITEXT provides syntax highlighting for 80+ programming languages and includes built-in tools to format and validate JSON, XML, and YAML files.
Is ZITEXT open source?
Yes. The full source code is on GitHub under the Apache-2.0 licence. You can read it, build it yourself, report issues and contribute.
Does ZITEXT collect telemetry or my data?
No. ZITEXT has no telemetry, analytics or crash reporting, and your files never leave your computer. The only network request is an optional check for new versions, which you can turn off in Settings.
How big is the ZITEXT download?
About 10 MB on macOS, Windows and Linux (.deb). The Linux AppImage is larger because it bundles its own libraries.
Download ZITEXT free - Mac, Windows & Linux
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