saasrankedSoftware, ranked on the facts

code editor · Pulsar-Edit

Pulsar

Free MIT-licensed editor, forked from Atom, with a package registry, Git panel and terminal package.

63/100

#7 of 12 code editors
Facts checked 8 Oct 2026

Pulsar is a community-led fork of the discontinued Atom editor1,3.

In short

Pulsar suits people who want a free, customisable editor in the style of Atom, with a Git panel, a terminal package and a public package registry6,7,9. It has a portable Windows build and releases through May 20262,5. The catch: its docs describe no debugger, no remote editing, and extra IDE features, such as linting, that need separately installed community packages10, and Windows builds are unsigned2.

Best for: People who like Atom's customisable, package-driven style.

Where the points come from

Systems11 of 22
Code tools15 of 37
Extending11 of 11
Licence and price18 of 18
Upkeep8 of 12

Systems 11 of 22 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Systems besides WindowsmacOS, LinuxDownloads include macOS DMG and ZIP, and Linux deb, rpm, AppImage and tar.gz. No web version2.6 / 9
Portable Windows buildYesDownload page offers a Windows portable zip that needs no install2.5 / 5
Remote editingNot publishedNot published in the docs contents11.0 / 8

Code tools 15 of 37 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Language Server ProtocolNot publishedDocs describe language servers and community IDE packages, but do not show the project publishes them10.0 / 10
DebuggerNot publishedNot published in the docs on core packages or IDE features6,10.0 / 9
Built-in terminalYesThe Terminal core package brings a shell session into Pulsar6.6 / 6
Git in the editorYesThe Git panel stages changes and commits with a message and a Commit button7.6 / 6
Multiple cursorsYesThe home page lists multiple cursors among its features1.3 / 3
Live collaborationNot publishedNot published in the docs contents11.0 / 3

Extending 11 of 11 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Extension directoryYesA package explorer lists installable packages, and the docs have developer and API sections9,11.8 / 8
Custom key bindingsYesDocs say a personal keymap.cson file is loaded last and can override bindings8.3 / 3

Licence and price 18 of 18 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Free for work useYesMIT licence with no fee4.6 / 6
Price$0Free and open source4.6 / 6
Open sourceYesThe repository's LICENSE.md is the MIT licence4.6 / 6

Upkeep 8 of 12 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Release in the past yearYesTags v1.132.1 (May 20, 2026) and v1.131.3 (March 20, 2026) fall inside the past 12 months5.8 / 8
Telemetry off or noneNot publishedNot published on the repository page or the customising docs3,8.0 / 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.

PlanPrice as listedPer monthNotes
Free1 personFree2,4$0MIT licence; installer and portable zip on Windows

Strengths

  • Free and MIT-licensed4.
  • Portable Windows zip alongside the installer2.
  • Git panel stages hunks or lines and commits from the editor7.
  • Public package explorer and published developer documentation9,11.
  • Keybindings change in a keymap.cson file8.

Limits

  • Its docs describe no debugger6,10.
  • Linting, references, rename and hover need separately installed community packages10.
  • Windows binaries are unsigned and trigger Windows SmartScreen warnings2.
  • No web version; the site lists Windows, macOS and Linux only1.

Other code editors

  1. 1
    Visual Studio CodePeople who want one editor for many languages, with remote editing and an extension marketplace
    94/100
    $0price
  2. 2
    ZedPeople who want a free editor with debugging and collaboration built in
    92/100
    $0price
  3. 3
    GNU EmacsPeople who want a free editor they can reshape in Emacs Lisp, with many tools built in
    87/100
    $0price
  4. 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

  1. Pulsar, Pulsar-Edit. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  2. Download Pulsar, Pulsar-Edit. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  3. pulsar-edit/pulsar, GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  4. LICENSE.md, GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  5. Tags, pulsar-edit/pulsar, GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  6. Core packages and features, Pulsar-Edit. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  7. GitHub package, Pulsar-Edit. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  8. Customizing keybindings, Pulsar-Edit. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  9. Pulsar Package Explorer, Pulsar-Edit. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  10. IDE features, Pulsar-Edit. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  11. Pulsar documentation, Pulsar-Edit. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.

Website: pulsar-edit.dev · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with Pulsar-Edit.