BBEdit 15.5
Bare Bones Software has released BBEdit 15.5, a notable mid-cycle update to the venerable text editor. The new version introduces “workspaces,” which are saved arrangements of open documents and windows that make it easy to switch between carefully customized setups for different projects or clients. You must manually create and save workspaces (including changes) using the BBEdit > Save Workspace command; switch between workspaces using the BBEdit > Workspaces submenu.
The update also adds a Strip Diacriticals text transformation, support for the standard macOS window commands accessible when clicking and holding the green zoom button, folding (collapsing of the outline) for Markdown headings and blockquotes, display of CSV files and other columnar data as tables in the Preview in BBEdit window, simple display of PDF files, and support for FTPS (FTP over TLS), a file transfer protocol used by some hosting providers. Among the many small bug fixes are a collection of improvements that significantly improve performance, particularly in Multi-File Search and Text Factory execution. The minimum system requirements have increased to require macOS 12 Monterey or later, with macOS 12.7.6 recommended.
BBEdit 15.5 also now officially supports Apple Intelligence’s Writing Tools, albeit with the basic interface that doesn’t highlight suggested changes. (The interactive Writing Tools experience is only available to apps relying on Apple’s text-handling routines.) Happily, the extensive accessibility work that went into BBEdit 15 ensures that Grammarly works well inside BBEdit (see “Why Grammarly Beats Apple’s Writing Tools for Serious Writers,” 30 January 2025).
BBEdit 15.5 remains a free update for all BBEdit 15 users, with discounted upgrades for those using earlier versions. For individuals using older versions or those new to the app, a 30-day free evaluation provides access to BBEdit’s complete feature set. After that, the app reverts to Free Mode, which provides a basic set of features. ($59.99 new, free update, 28.3 MB, release notes, macOS 12+)
Once again, kudos to the folks at Bare Bones for their extensive release notes!
Seconding @josehill’s note about release notes!
It looks like BBEdit discounted upgrades are now for v.14 only; v.13.5.7 and earlier is now in the same pot with all earlier versions. (It’s a US$10 difference, if that makes a difference to those considering upgrading. I need to, because v13 is old enough that it does not run on the two newest MacOS major versions.
I think v13 still has discounted pricing. https://www.barebones.com/store/
It does; but the discounted upgrade tiers have moved. Prior to this release you could get a $30 upgrade from v13 or v14. Now v13 has the same status as all earlier versions, and Bare Bones will charge $40.
It’s still generous to include versions from 2.5 up in an upgrade offer.
Ah! Sorry, I was reading too quickly and thought you were saying it wasn’t eligible for a discount. I suspect the pricing tweak may be because of the system requirements increase, as you suggest.
One change I noticed right away:
• When the insertion point is inside of an opening delimiter, or immediately outside a closing delimiter, BBEdit will highlight the matching delimiter, as appropriate.
• If the insertion point is immediately inside of a container element in an HTML document, delimiter matching will highlight the corresponding pair of opening and closing elements. (As part of the HTML tools, this feature is only available during evaluation or with a paid license.)
Very useful when the delimiters are separated by more than a window’s area of lines.