Bare Bones Software, the company behind popular code editors BBEdit and TextWrangler, this week announced plans to retire TextWrangler as it focuses development on BBEdit.

Going forward, TextWrangler will not be updated for the next version of macOS, but it will continue to be functional so long as the new version of macOS doesn't introduce any software-breaking bugs.

bbedit
Bare Bones is instead recommending its customers download BBEdit 11.6, which was released in July. Customers can use BBEdit 11.6 unlicensed indefinitely, and the unlicensed version contains the same features that are available in TextWrangler. BBEdit is not available through the Mac App Store like TextWrangler, but can be downloaded from the Bare Bones Software website.

What you may not know is that last July, we released BBEdit 11.6. You can use this version unlicensed, forever, for free. Without a license, BBEdit now includes all of the features that TextWrangler offers, plus quite a few others. That's right. You no longer have to pick between them.

BBEdit is free for 30 days, after which a license costs $49.99. Customers who don't wish to purchase a license can continue to use the software's free features indefinitely.

Top Rated Comments

ike1707 Avatar
107 months ago
Who here remember the days of ResEdit?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jeabraham Avatar
107 months ago
I think you're confusing "identified developer" and "app store". You can't submit apps to the app store without being an identified developer, but you can still sign your apps as an identified developer even if you release them outside of the app store. Your own screenshot shows that you can install apps that aren't on the app store, as long as they're signed.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jmh600cbr Avatar
107 months ago
These guys make super bad icons
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dredlew Avatar
107 months ago
textmate is free. bbedit can die now.
Did you even attempt to read the article?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Evil Spoonman Avatar
107 months ago
Text editors come and go with advantages and disadvantages. None has been more trusty than BBEdit. You always think you've come up with a new flashy editor and then you need to open a 500MB text file, or do complex multi-file processing, or some other damn thing... and your new flashy editor slows to a crawl, or doesn't behave properly, or crashes. And... back to BBEdit.

Although I do use Coda 2 for most of my development, I continue to use BBEdit for many, many things. And have done since BBEdit... 5 I think? Going on 20 years now. Some of the most robust software I've ever used.

I see it as only a good thing that they are unifying their code base.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chrfr Avatar
107 months ago
Not making it available on the appstore is a very bad idea.

Lots of corporate policies got security requirements that computers run apps from only app store or trusted developers... and here when they mention trusted developers, it's developers that got signing certificates trusted by that company.
There's no worry. BareBones is a trusted developer, so you don't need to change settings regarding Gatekeeper.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...