Kate
Text editor software
Editor software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
Take the quiz to check if Kate and its alternatives fit your requirements.
Completely free
Free Trial unavailable
Free version
Small
Medium
Large
-
What is Kate
Kate is a desktop text editor for creating and editing plain text and source code. It targets developers and technical users who work with multiple files and programming languages, particularly on Linux and other platforms supported by KDE. Kate focuses on code-oriented editing features such as syntax highlighting, project/file navigation, and extensibility through plugins while remaining a general-purpose editor for text files.
Strong code editing features
Kate provides syntax highlighting and language-aware editing for many programming and markup languages. It supports common developer workflows such as multi-document editing, split views, and configurable indentation and formatting behaviors. These capabilities make it suitable for day-to-day code editing without requiring a full IDE.
Integrated project workflow
Kate includes project-oriented features that help users organize and navigate sets of files. It offers file tree and quick navigation tools that reduce context switching when working across repositories or documentation sets. This is useful for users who want lightweight project handling inside a text editor.
Open source and extensible
Kate is developed as open-source software within the KDE ecosystem and is distributed through common Linux package managers. It supports plugins that extend functionality (for example, additional tooling and navigation features). This model enables transparency and community-driven improvements, and it can fit organizations that prefer open-source tooling.
Best fit on KDE/Linux
Kate is most commonly used on Linux desktops, especially in KDE environments. While it can be available on other platforms, the experience and packaging may be less consistent than editors designed primarily for cross-platform parity. Organizations with standardized Windows or macOS fleets may need additional validation and support planning.
Plugin ecosystem varies
Kate supports plugins, but the breadth and maturity of available extensions can vary by distribution and version. Some workflows may require specific plugins that are not maintained at the same cadence as the core editor. Teams that rely heavily on third-party extensions should evaluate availability and long-term maintenance.
Limited enterprise governance features
Kate is a desktop editor and does not focus on centralized administration features such as enterprise policy management, managed updates, or built-in compliance reporting. Deployment and configuration are typically handled through OS-level tooling rather than product-native controls. This can increase operational effort for large, tightly governed environments.
Plan & Pricing
Pricing model: Completely free / open-source License: LGPL-2.0-or-later (project sources hosted on KDE/GitHub). Pricing details: No subscription plans, paid tiers, or usage-based charges are listed on the official Kate project pages or KDE Apps listing. Kate is distributed as free software and provided for download across Linux, Windows and macOS. Notes: Downloads, releases, and source code are published by the Kate project (KDE).
Seller details
Krita Foundation
Netherlands (registered foundation; specific city not consistently published)
2013
Non-profit
https://krita.org/
https://x.com/krita_painting
https://www.linkedin.com/company/krita-foundation/
