What Are the Best Alternatives to Atom Editor in 2025? (Top 5 Picks)

Mar 19, 2026

The Problem

I tried to open my Atom editor last month and got a notification:

Some packages are deprecated and won't receive updates.
Security vulnerabilities may exist.

I knew Atom was discontinued in 2022, but seeing this message made it real. No more updates. No security patches. No new features. Time to move on.

But where? I had spent years perfecting my Atom setup: custom keybindings, 20+ packages, themes, snippets. Switching editors felt like moving houses.

After weeks of testing alternatives, I found the answer. Here’s what I learned.

Direct Answer: Top 5 Atom Alternatives

Editor	Best For	Migration Difficulty
VS Code	Most developers	Low
Pulsar	Atom purists	Very Low
Zed	Mac users wanting speed	Medium
Neovim	Terminal workflows	High
JetBrains	Enterprise development	Medium

I chose VS Code. But your choice depends on what you valued in Atom.

Option 1: VS Code - The Obvious Choice

VS Code is what Atom was trying to be. Both are Electron-based, but VS Code is faster, better supported, and has a massive extension ecosystem.

Why I Switched

Atom vs VS Code
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Feature              │ Atom          │ VS Code
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Performance          │ Slow          │ Fast enough
Extensions           │ 8,000+        │ 30,000+
Git Integration      │ Requires pkg  │ Built-in
Terminal             │ Requires pkg  │ Built-in
Debugging            │ Requires pkg  │ Built-in
Active Development   │ No            │ Yes
Community Size       │ Small         │ Huge
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

The built-in features sold me. I didn’t need 10 packages just to get basic functionality.

My Migration Steps

Step 1: Install essential extensions

# Theme (Atom One Dark equivalent)
code --install-extension zhuangtongfa.material-theme

# Must-haves
code --install-extension esbenp.prettier-vscode
code --install-extension dbaeumer.vscode-eslint
code --install-extension eamodio.gitlens
code --install-extension usernamehw.errorlens

Step 2: Configure settings to match Atom feel

{
  "editor.fontSize": 14,
  "editor.fontFamily": "Fira Code, Menlo, Monaco",
  "editor.cursorBlinking": "smooth",
  "editor.cursorSmoothCaretAnimation": "on",
  "editor.smoothScrolling": true,
  "editor.minimap.enabled": true,
  "workbench.colorTheme": "One Dark Pro",
  "editor.formatOnSave": true,
  "files.autoSave": "afterDelay",
  "files.autoSaveDelay": 1000
}

Step 3: Recreate keybindings

I exported my Atom keymap and converted them:

[
  {
    "key": "ctrl-shift-k",
    "command": "editor.action.deleteLines"
  },
  {
    "key": "ctrl-d",
    "command": "editor.action.copyLinesDownAction"
  },
  {
    "key": "ctrl-shift-up",
    "command": "editor.action.moveLinesUpAction"
  },
  {
    "key": "ctrl-shift-down",
    "command": "editor.action.moveLinesDownAction"
  }
]

What I Missed

Atom’s settings UI was more intuitive
Some Atom packages had no direct equivalent
The “hackable” feeling - VS Code is more opinionated

What I Gained

Native Git integration (no more git-plus package)
Built-in terminal
Much faster startup
Active community and frequent updates

Option 2: Pulsar - Keep Atom Alive

If you don’t want to change anything, Pulsar is the answer. It’s a community-maintained fork of Atom.

Installation

# macOS
brew install --cask pulsar

# Linux (AppImage)
wget https://github.com/pulsar-edit/pulsar/releases/latest/download/Pulsar.AppImage
chmod +x Pulsar.AppImage
./Pulsar.AppImage

# Windows (Chocolatey)
choco install pulsar

Why Choose Pulsar

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ PULSAR = ATOM + COMMUNITY UPDATES           │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ✅ Same UI as Atom                          │
│ ✅ Your Atom packages work                  │
│ ✅ Your settings migrate automatically      │
│ ✅ Active development continues              │
│ ✅ No learning curve                        │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

I tested Pulsar for a week. My Atom config file worked without changes. All my packages loaded. It felt like Atom never died.

But I ultimately switched to VS Code because:

Pulsar still uses Electron (performance issues remain)
Smaller community than VS Code
Fewer new packages being developed

Option 3: Zed - Speed Demon from Atom’s Creators

Zed is built by former Atom developers (Nathan Sobo and Antonio Scandurra). It’s Rust-based, not Electron, meaning it’s incredibly fast.

Why Zed Is Interesting

Traditional Editors (Electron):
┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│ JavaScript                      │
│ ────────────────                │
│ Chromium                        │
│ ────────────────                │
│ Node.js                         │
│ ────────────────                │
│ OS                              │
└─────────────────────────────────┘
Heavy. Slow startup. Memory hungry.

Zed (Rust):
┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│ Rust Native Code                │
│ ─────────────────────────────── │
│ OS                              │
└─────────────────────────────────┘
Light. Instant startup. Minimal RAM.

Who Should Use Zed

Mac users (Linux in beta, Windows not supported)
Developers who value performance above all
Those who want AI integration built-in
Early adopters comfortable with rough edges

My Zed Experience

I tried Zed for a weekend. The speed is real - it opens instantly. But I missed:

VS Code’s extension ecosystem
Mature debugging tools
Settings sync

Zed feels like the future, but it’s still early. I’ll revisit in 2026.

Option 4: Neovim - For Terminal Enthusiasts

If you work on remote servers or love keyboard-centric workflows, Neovim is worth the learning curve.

Why Neovim

Server Workflow:
┌────────────┐        ┌────────────┐
│  Local     │  SSH   │  Remote    │
│  Machine   │ ────▶  │  Server    │
│            │        │            │
│  VS Code   │        │  vi/vim    │
│  works     │        │  always    │
│  great     │        │  works     │
└────────────┘        └────────────┘

With Neovim:
┌────────────┐        ┌────────────┐
│  Local     │  SSH   │  Remote    │
│  Machine   │ ────▶  │  Server    │
│            │        │            │
│  Neovim    │        │  Neovim    │
│  same      │        │  same      │
│  config    │        │  config    │
└────────────┘        └────────────┘

Basic Neovim Setup

I tested LazyVim, a popular Neovim distribution:

-- Bootstrap Lazy.nvim
local lazypath = vim.fn.stdpath("data") .. "/lazy/lazy.nvim"
if not vim.loop.fs_stat(lazypath) then
  vim.fn.system({
    "git",
    "clone",
    "--filter=blob:none",
    "https://github.com/folke/lazy.nvim.git",
    "--branch=stable",
    lazypath,
  })
end
vim.opt.rtp:prepend(lazypath)

-- Basic plugins
require("lazy").setup({
  "folke/tokyonight.nvim",      -- Theme
  "nvim-tree/nvim-tree.lua",     -- File explorer
  "nvim-treesitter/nvim-treesitter", -- Better syntax
  "neovim/nvim-lspconfig",       -- LSP
})

The Learning Curve

Neovim took me 2 weeks of daily use to feel comfortable. I had to:

Learn Vim motions (hjkl, w, b, e, etc.)
Configure LSP for each language
Build muscle memory for keybindings

I still use Neovim for quick server edits, but VS Code remains my main editor for larger projects.

Option 5: JetBrains IDEs - Enterprise Power

For professional development in specific languages, JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm) offer features no text editor can match.

What JetBrains Offers

Feature                │ JetBrains │ VS Code/Atom
───────────────────────┼───────────┼──────────────
Intelligent completion │ ✅ Strong │ ⚠️ Via LSP
Refactoring           │ ✅ Built  │ ⚠️ Extensions
Code analysis         │ ✅ Deep   │ ⚠️ Basic
Database tools        │ ✅ Built  │ ❌ Need ext
Framework support     │ ✅ Native │ ⚠️ Extensions
Price                 │ $$$       │ Free
───────────────────────┼───────────┼──────────────

When to Choose JetBrains

You work primarily in one language (Java, Python, JavaScript)
Your company pays for the license
You need powerful refactoring tools
Database integration is important

I used IntelliJ IDEA for a Java project. The code analysis found bugs VS Code never caught. But for web development, I prefer VS Code’s lighter weight.

How I Made My Decision

I tested each editor for at least one week:

Week 1: VS Code
├── Felt familiar (Electron-based like Atom)
├── Extensions covered 90% of my needs
└── Decent performance

Week 2: Pulsar
├── Exactly like Atom, which was comforting
├── But same performance issues
└── Decided to move forward, not backward

Week 3: Zed
├── Incredible speed
├── Missing too many features I need
└── Promising but too early

Week 4: Neovim
├── Loved the keyboard workflow
├── Too steep a learning curve
└── Will use for servers, not daily driver

Decision: VS Code
├── Best balance of features and performance
├── Largest community and extension ecosystem
├── Active development by Microsoft
└── Skills transferable to most jobs

Common Migration Mistakes

Mistake 1: Installing Too Many Extensions

I replicated my 20+ Atom packages in VS Code. Big mistake. VS Code slowed down, and half those features were built-in.

What I do now: Start with 5 essential extensions, add more only when needed.

Mistake 2: Trying to Make VS Code Exactly Like Atom

I spent hours configuring VS Code to behave like Atom. Wrong approach. Each editor has its own philosophy.

Better approach: Learn VS Code’s native workflow. It’s different but often better.

Mistake 3: Not Backing Up Atom Settings First

Before migrating, export your Atom settings:

~/.atom/
├── keymap.cson        # Your keybindings
├── config.cson       # Your settings
├── snippets.cson     # Your snippets
└── packages/         # List of installed packages

You’ll reference these during migration.

Mistake 4: Ignoring Built-in Features

VS Code has many features built-in that required Atom packages:

atom-beautify    → editor.formatOnSave
linter-eslint    → ESLint extension
git-plus         → Built-in Git
terminal-plus    → Built-in terminal
minimap          → Built-in minimap
emmet            → Built-in Emmet

Check for built-in features before installing extensions.

Summary: Choose Based on Your Priorities

If You Value…	Choose
Largest ecosystem, most jobs	VS Code
Atom experience unchanged	Pulsar
Maximum speed (Mac only)	Zed
Terminal workflow, servers	Neovim
Deep code analysis	JetBrains

For most former Atom users, I recommend VS Code. It has the smoothest migration path and the largest community.

If you loved Atom specifically for its hackability and packages, try Pulsar first - it’s Atom with updates.

If performance is your priority and you’re on Mac, Zed is worth watching.

The best editor is the one that gets out of your way and lets you code. Try 2-3 options for a week each before committing. Your muscle memory will thank you.

Final Words + More Resources

My intention with this article was to help others share my knowledge and experience. If you want to contact me, you can contact by email: Email me

Here are also the most important links from this article along with some further resources that will help you in this scope:

👨‍💻 VS Code Official Site
👨‍💻 Pulsar Editor - Atom Fork
👨‍💻 Zed Editor
👨‍💻 Neovim
👨‍💻 JetBrains IDEs
👨‍💻 Reddit r/Atom Discussion

Oh, and if you found these resources useful, don’t forget to support me by starring the repo on GitHub!