Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Geany VS Kate

Compare Geany VS Kate and see what are their differences

Geany logo Geany

Lightweight IDE for Linux and Windows

Kate logo Kate

The Kate Editor Homepage
  • Geany Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-14
  • Kate Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-19

Geany features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Geany is designed to be a small and fast IDE, making it ideal for users who prefer a quick and responsive environment without the bulk of larger IDEs.
  • Cross-Platform
    Geany is available on multiple operating systems including Windows, Linux, and macOS, allowing for consistent development experience across different platforms.
  • Extensible
    Geany supports a wide variety of plugins that can expand its functionality, allowing users to tailor the editor to their specific needs.
  • Supports Multiple Languages
    Geany provides support for several programming languages out of the box, making it a versatile choice for developers working in different languages.
  • Fast Load Time
    Due to its minimalist design, Geany has a very fast load time compared to more complex IDEs, which can enhance productivity.
  • Integrated Build System
    Geany includes a basic integrated build system, which allows you to compile and run code directly from the editor.

Possible disadvantages of Geany

  • Limited Features Compared to Full-Fledged IDEs
    While Geany is lightweight and fast, it may lack some of the advanced features offered by more comprehensive IDEs like IntelliJ IDEA or Visual Studio.
  • Basic Debugging Tools
    Geany's built-in debugging tools are quite rudimentary, which might not meet the needs of developers working on complex projects that require advanced debugging features.
  • User Interface
    The user interface of Geany, while functional, can feel outdated compared to more modern editors and might not have the same level of polish or aesthetic appeal.
  • Plugin Ecosystem
    Geany has fewer plugins available compared to more popular IDEs like Visual Studio Code, which can limit its extendability and customization options.
  • Community and Support
    Being a smaller project, Geany may not have as large a community or as comprehensive support resources as larger IDEs, which can be a disadvantage for troubleshooting and learning.

Kate features and specs

  • Speed
    Kate is known for its fast performance even with large files, making it suitable for programming and text editing.
  • Multiple Document Interface
    Kate supports multiple open documents in tabs or splits, allowing easy navigation and multitasking.
  • Syntax Highlighting
    Kate offers syntax highlighting for numerous programming languages, aiding in the readability of code.
  • Plugin Support
    The editor can be extended with various plugins to add additional functionalities, catering to diverse user needs.
  • Powerful Search and Replace
    Advanced search and replace functionality, including support for regular expressions, provides efficient text handling.
  • Cross-Platform
    Available on multiple operating systems such as Windows, Linux, and macOS, making it accessible to a wide audience.
  • Session Management
    Kate supports session saving, allowing users to easily restore their previous work environment.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source software, Kate is free to use and has a community contributing to its improvement.

Possible disadvantages of Kate

  • Steep Learning Curve
    New users may find it challenging to utilize all features effectively due to its extensive capabilities.
  • Dependency on KDE Libraries
    On non-KDE desktops, Kate might require additional KDE libraries, which could be cumbersome to install.
  • Resource Intensive
    Compared to some simpler editors, Kate might consume more system resources, especially with multiple plugins enabled.
  • Occasional Stability Issues
    There can be occasional crashes or stability issues, particularly when dealing with very large files or complex operations.
  • Limited Customization
    While Kate offers some customization, it may not be as extensive as other text editors like Emacs or Sublime Text.

Geany videos

Geany 1.32 Lightweight IDE - Linux Mint Installation, Features, Plugins and Themes

More videos:

  • Review - Geany for C and Python Programming
  • Review - LinuxDays 2015 - Geany - a lightwight IDE - Frank Lanitz

Kate videos

YSL MONOGRAM KATE BAG REVIEW AFTER ONE YEAR - WEAR&TEAR , WHAT FITS, WORTH IT?! 2020 | SAINT LAURENT

More videos:

  • Review - Kate Somerville Review - Worth it?
  • Review - WHICH YSL BAG SHOULD YOU BUY? IS IT WORTH THE $$$!?! YSL KATE REVIEW | Margarita Nazarenko

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Geany and Kate)
Text Editors
57 57%
43% 43
IDE
58 58%
42% 42
Software Development
59 59%
41% 41
Productivity
58 58%
42% 42

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Geany and Kate

Geany Reviews

10 Best Notepad++ Alternatives in 2020
Geany is a text editor which uses GTK+ toolkit. It also has certain basic features of an integrated development environment. The tool supports many filetypes and has some nice features.
Source: www.guru99.com
10 Best Sublime Text Alternatives in 2019
Geany is a text editor which uses GTK+ toolkit. It also has certain basic features of an integrated development environment. The tool supports many filetypes and has some nice features.
Source: www.guru99.com

Kate Reviews

We have no reviews of Kate yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Kate should be more popular than Geany. It has been mentiond 45 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Geany mentions (6)

  • Zed on Linux Is Here
    If you want a fast C++ editor with no spurious network connectivity and a conventional desktop UI, check out Geany: https://geany.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Finding the Last Editor
    > One that isn't tied to a specific platform, or preferably even a specific company, and that I trust will still be around until I'm done programming. That is Geany[0]: no opinions, no company affiliations, no editor wars. It has been around forever, works on everything, and is open-source. [0] https://geany.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • Best lua ide?
    I just use Geany for everything, it has a long history and has proven itself to be reliable. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Geany is a fantastic, fast, powerful GUI text editor for many purposes & has a low barrier to entry
    After trying a bunch of GUI text editors in Linux and on the Mac I gotta say that to me, Geany is the best. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • I know, not exactly Linux.
    Have you tried Geany? It's based on Scintilla, just like Notepad++ is (although that's an implementation detail that you don't really need to know to use either of them), which helps it to feel very similar. Source: almost 3 years ago
View more

Kate mentions (45)

  • Leaving Neovim for Zed
    A lot of editors are being discussed here but I see nobody has mentioned Kate (KDE's Advanced Text Editor) [1] in the conversation yet, so I'm doing it. Kate is a very mature and capable editor. It natively supports LSP and has much, much more to offer in terms of project management, support for build system, SQL database integration, and of course, advanced editing features. I started using it a few years back... - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • JetBrains' unremovable AI assistant meets irresistible outcry
    Have a look at Kate, its not bad and has good support for LSPs https://kate-editor.org. - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • Multiple Notepad++ Flaws Let Attackers Execute Arbitrary Code
    Maybe there are power features or something which makes Notepad++ better, but for my usage Kate (https://kate-editor.org/) fits the same niche. Fast startup / UI, but it has enough features to technically be an IDE (including an LSP apparently). - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • In you opinion is it better to code the arduino in the arduino language or c++, and do you prefer the arduino IDE or vs code IDE
    The Arduino IDE is quite primitive though, and poorly suited for larger or complex projects - if it starts getting in my way I'll feed my project to kate and a makefile. Source: over 1 year ago
  • "Why people pirate Microsoft Word" and the problems with everyday software like Microsoft Office being ridiculously expensive.
    Kate - a very powerful, very fearure-rich (including language server support for IDE-quality code completion and analysis and error checking for most mainstream languages) alternative to VS Code (has a very similar layout, git integration, and command pallette) that's much faster and lighter and isn't from Microsoft (it's FLOSS). Source: over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Geany and Kate, you can also consider the following products

VS Code - Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

Notepad++ - A free source code editor which supports several programming languages running under the MS Windows environment.

Sublime Text - Sublime Text is a sophisticated text editor for code, html and prose - any kind of text file. You'll love the slick user interface and extraordinary features. Fully customizable with macros, and syntax highlighting for most major languages.

Vim - Highly configurable text editor built to enable efficient text editing

GNOME - An easy and elegant way to use your computer, GNOME is designed to put you in control and get things done.

VSCodium - Binary releases of Visual Sudio Code without Microsoft branding, telemetry and licensing