What it does
Kate is KDE's cross-platform text editor for code and other text files. Its project sidebar and split views support work across multiple files, while syntax highlighting, multi-cursor editing, language-server integration, and built-in plugins add programming workflows such as search in files, terminal commands, and project builds.
Kate is practical for a multi-file editing session: use the project sidebar to navigate a directory, split the editor to compare files, and search across the project when locating a symbol or repeated text. It also includes multi-cursor editing and an embedded terminal, and its plugin set can add actions such as building or debugging. The official download page lists Linux distribution packages and Flatpak/Snap routes, Windows via the Microsoft Store, and macOS installers. The source repository contains multiple license texts, so this record does not treat one license file as applying to every component.
Strengths
- Project navigation, split views, and search-and-replace across files are documented editor features.
- The official page advertises syntax highlighting for over 400 languages, multi-cursor editing, and LSP support.
- Official download options cover Linux, Windows, and macOS.
Best for
- Developers who want a full-featured desktop text editor with project browsing and build/debug plugins
- Editing several files side by side on Linux, Windows, or macOS
Sources
- Kate - Get an Edge in Editing (Oct 25, 2026)
- Features - Kate (Oct 25, 2026)
- Get Kate - Kate (Oct 25, 2026)
- LICENSES/GPL-2.0-or-later.txt · master · Utilities / Kate · GitLab (Oct 25, 2026)