{"id":894,"date":"2006-01-21T16:38:00","date_gmt":"2006-01-21T11:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/01\/21\/first-page-2006-professional-html-editor-free\/"},"modified":"2026-10-12T13:00:25","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T07:30:25","slug":"first-page-2006-professional-html-editor-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/01\/first-page-2006-professional-html-editor-free\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Free HTML Editors in 2026 (From First Page 2006 to VS Code)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Looking for a good <strong>free HTML editor<\/strong>? When we started designing websites as a hobby, our favourite was Evrsoft&#8217;s 1st Page 2000, and in 2006 we cheered the release of the free First Page 2006 with its CSS designer, scripts library and HTML Tidy tools. First Page is no longer developed, but today&#8217;s free code editors are far more powerful. Here are the best free HTML editors in 2026 for beginners and pros.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-64404\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/free-html-editors-2026-1024x538.webp\" alt=\"Best free HTML editors\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/free-html-editors-2026-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/free-html-editors-2026-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/free-html-editors-2026-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/free-html-editors-2026-768x403.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/free-html-editors-2026.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> The best free HTML editor for most people is Visual Studio Code, thanks to live preview extensions, autocomplete and built-in Git. Notepad++ is the lightest choice on Windows, Phoenix Code (the successor to Adobe Brackets) is great for beginners with live preview, and CodePen lets you write HTML, CSS and JavaScript in your browser with no install.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aea0cb28c50e\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aea0cb28c50e\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/01\/first-page-2006-professional-html-editor-free\/#Best_free_HTML_editors_in_2026\" >Best free HTML editors in 2026<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/01\/first-page-2006-professional-html-editor-free\/#Features_that_matter_in_an_HTML_editor\" >Features that matter in an HTML editor<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/01\/first-page-2006-professional-html-editor-free\/#Set_up_VS_Code_for_HTML_in_3_minutes\" >Set up VS Code for HTML in 3 minutes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/01\/first-page-2006-professional-html-editor-free\/#What_happened_to_WYSIWYG_editors\" >What happened to WYSIWYG editors?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/01\/first-page-2006-professional-html-editor-free\/#Tips_for_beginners\" >Tips for beginners<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/01\/first-page-2006-professional-html-editor-free\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/01\/first-page-2006-professional-html-editor-free\/#What_is_the_best_free_HTML_editor_for_beginners\" >What is the best free HTML editor for beginners?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/01\/first-page-2006-professional-html-editor-free\/#Is_Notepad_enough_to_write_HTML\" >Is Notepad enough to write HTML?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/01\/first-page-2006-professional-html-editor-free\/#Is_First_Page_2006_still_available\" >Is First Page 2006 still available?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Best_free_HTML_editors_in_2026\"><\/span>Best free HTML editors in 2026<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/code.visualstudio.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Visual Studio Code<\/a><\/strong> (Windows, Mac, Linux): free, fast and endlessly extensible. Built-in Emmet shortcuts write HTML for you, and extensions such as Live Server refresh the browser as you type.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/notepad-plus-plus.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Notepad++<\/a><\/strong> (Windows): tiny, quick to open and great for quick edits, with syntax highlighting for HTML, CSS, PHP and JavaScript.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/phcode.dev\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Phoenix Code<\/a><\/strong> (desktop and browser): the free, open-source successor to Brackets, with live preview and visual tools that make it friendly for beginners.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/codepen.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CodePen<\/a><\/strong> (online): write HTML, CSS and JavaScript in panels and see the result instantly. Perfect for experiments and learning.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sublimetext.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sublime Text<\/a><\/strong> (all platforms): very fast; free to evaluate, with a licence required for continued use.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Features_that_matter_in_an_HTML_editor\"><\/span>Features that matter in an HTML editor<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Syntax highlighting and autocomplete<\/strong> to spot mistakes and type less.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Emmet<\/strong> abbreviations: type <code>ul&gt;li*5<\/code> and press Tab to create a full list.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Live preview<\/strong> so you see changes immediately.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Formatting and linting<\/strong> (the modern version of First Page&#8217;s HTML Tidy) to keep code clean and valid.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Git integration<\/strong> to track changes and publish to services like GitHub Pages.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Set_up_VS_Code_for_HTML_in_3_minutes\"><\/span>Set up VS Code for HTML in 3 minutes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Download and install Visual Studio Code.<\/li>\n<li>Open a new folder for your site and create <code>index.html<\/code>.<\/li>\n<li>Type <code>!<\/code> and press Tab: Emmet writes a complete HTML page skeleton.<\/li>\n<li>Install the Live Server extension, right-click the file and choose <strong>Open with Live Server<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Edit and save; your browser refreshes automatically.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_happened_to_WYSIWYG_editors\"><\/span>What happened to WYSIWYG editors?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Visual &#8220;what you see is what you get&#8221; editors like First Page&#8217;s designers and Dreamweaver&#8217;s design view have largely given way to website builders and block editors. If you want to build pages visually, the WordPress block editor, Wix or Webflow are easier choices. For learning real HTML, a code editor with live preview is best.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tips_for_beginners\"><\/span>Tips for beginners<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Start with plain HTML and CSS before frameworks.<\/li>\n<li>Use the free <a href=\"https:\/\/developer.mozilla.org\/en-US\/docs\/Learn_web_development\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MDN Learn web development<\/a> guides.<\/li>\n<li>Validate pages with the W3C validator to catch errors.<\/li>\n<li>Try small projects, like a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2014\/04\/reload-buttons-refresh-links\/\">refresh button<\/a> or a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/02\/css-quick-tip-put-it-in-a-box\/\">CSS box<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Ready for more? Read our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/07\/web-application-development\/\">getting started with web application development<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_best_free_HTML_editor_for_beginners\"><\/span>What is the best free HTML editor for beginners?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Phoenix Code and Visual Studio Code with the Live Server extension, because you see changes instantly.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_Notepad_enough_to_write_HTML\"><\/span>Is Notepad enough to write HTML?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes, any text editor works, but a code editor with highlighting and autocomplete makes it much easier.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_First_Page_2006_still_available\"><\/span>Is First Page 2006 still available?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It&#8217;s no longer developed and isn&#8217;t recommended on modern systems. Use one of the free editors above instead.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Looking for a good free HTML editor? When we started designing websites as a hobby, our favourite was Evrsoft&#8217;s 1st&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":64404,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/894","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=894"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/894\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64406,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/894\/revisions\/64406"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}