Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Bluefish Editor VS Google Web Designer

Compare Bluefish Editor VS Google Web Designer and see what are their differences

Bluefish Editor logo Bluefish Editor

Home of the Bluefish Editor, a powerful editor targeted towards programmers and webdesigners. It supports working with local and remote files, syntax highlighting and a WYSIWYN interface.

Google Web Designer logo Google Web Designer

Google Web Designer is a free, professional-grade HTML5 authoring tool. Build interactive, animated HTML5 creative, no coding necessary.
  • Bluefish Editor Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-19
  • Google Web Designer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-07-17

Bluefish Editor features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Bluefish Editor is known for being lightweight, which means it consumes relatively low system resources and performs efficiently even on older hardware.
  • Fast Performance
    The editor offers rapid performance and quick loading times, making it ideal for handling large files and complex projects without slowing down.
  • Syntax Highlighting
    Bluefish supports syntax highlighting for a wide range of programming and markup languages, improving readability and aiding in debugging and development.
  • Multiple Platforms
    Bluefish is available for Linux, Windows, and macOS, providing a consistent development environment across different operating systems.
  • Powerful Search and Replace
    The editor offers robust search and replace functionalities, including support for regular expressions, enabling efficient code manipulation.
  • Integrated Development Tools
    Bluefish includes built-in tools and features that facilitate web development, such as project management, auto-completion, and error detection.
  • Free and Open Source
    As a free and open-source software, Bluefish allows users to contribute to its development and customize the editor according to their needs without any cost.

Possible disadvantages of Bluefish Editor

  • User Interface
    The user interface of Bluefish is somewhat dated and not as polished as some other modern code editors, which might deter users who prioritize aesthetics.
  • Learning Curve
    For beginners, Bluefish may have a steep learning curve due to its extensive range of features and customizable options, which can be overwhelming initially.
  • Limited Plugin Ecosystem
    Compared to more popular editors like Visual Studio Code or Sublime Text, Bluefish has a more limited plugin ecosystem, reducing the ability to extend its functionality.
  • No Integrated Version Control
    Bluefish lacks integrated version control support (e.g., Git), requiring users to use external tools for version management, which can be inconvenient.
  • Fewer Collaboration Features
    The editor does not have built-in features for real-time collaboration or pair programming, which some modern IDEs and editors offer.
  • Less Frequent Updates
    Updates and new feature releases for Bluefish are less frequent compared to some other popular editors, potentially leading to slower adaptation of new technologies.

Google Web Designer features and specs

  • Free to Use
    Google Web Designer is available at no cost, making it accessible for individuals and small businesses with limited budgets.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Provides a visual interface that allows users to quickly design web content without extensive coding knowledge. The drag-and-drop functionality simplifies the design process.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Supports multiple platforms, including Windows, Mac, and Linux, ensuring that users can work on their preferred operating systems.
  • Integration with Google Services
    Seamless integration with other Google services and products, such as Google Ads and DoubleClick Studio, which is beneficial for creating interactive ad campaigns.
  • Animation Capabilities
    Powerful animation tools that enable designers to create rich, interactive web content and animations using HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript.

Possible disadvantages of Google Web Designer

  • Learning Curve
    Although the interface is user-friendly, there is still a learning curve for users who are not familiar with web design principles.
  • Limited Templates
    Offers a limited number of pre-designed templates, which may restrict creativity and efficiency for users who prefer a template-based approach.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users report that the software can be slow or unresponsive, particularly with complex projects or on less powerful hardware.
  • Lack of Advanced Features
    May not have all the advanced features that professional web designers require, limiting its utility for complex or highly customized projects.
  • Dependency on Google Ecosystem
    While integration with Google services can be a pro, it can also be a con for users who prefer not to rely heavily on Google’s ecosystem.

Analysis of Bluefish Editor

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Bluefish Editor is a good choice for web developers who need a fast, reliable, and customizable editor. Its extensive features make it an excellent tool for both beginners and experienced developers.

Why this product is good

  • Bluefish Editor is a popular choice for web developers due to its lightweight yet feature-rich design. It offers syntax highlighting, code folding, and powerful search and replace options. It is also known for its fast performance and efficiency, making it suitable for handling large project files. Additionally, Bluefish is open-source and available across various platforms, which broadens its accessibility.

Recommended for

    Bluefish Editor is recommended for web developers, programmers who work with HTML, CSS, PHP, JavaScript, and other web technologies, and users who prefer a lightweight yet powerful code editor with extensive customization options.

Analysis of Google Web Designer

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Google Web Designer is a good tool for both beginners and experienced designers who need a free, feature-rich platform for creating dynamic visual content. Despite its strengths, it's important to assess if its feature set aligns with your specific needs, as it might not cover very advanced design requirements or non-Google ecosystem integrations as effectively as some other specialized software might.

Why this product is good

  • Google Web Designer is considered a robust tool for creating interactive and animated design content. It provides an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, advanced design features, HTML5 and CSS3 support, and seamless integration with other Google services. This makes it appealing for users looking to create engaging web content without needing extensive coding knowledge.

Recommended for

  • Web designers who want a free platform with powerful animation and interactive content capabilities.
  • Users who already utilize other Google services and seek seamless integration.
  • Designers interested in creating HTML5 ad banners or engaging web content without deep coding expertise.
  • Beginners looking for an intuitive interface to start learning web design concepts.

Bluefish Editor videos

Replacing Dreamweaver with Bluefish Editor

More videos:

  • Review - A quick look at Bluefish Editor
  • Review - Ojambo - Review Bluefish Editor (vs 0014)

Google Web Designer videos

Google Web Designer for Google Ads Demo

More videos:

  • Review - Google Web Designer for Beginners

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Bluefish Editor and Google Web Designer)
CMS
38 38%
62% 62
Text Editors
100 100%
0% 0
Website Builder
0 0%
100% 100
IDE
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Bluefish Editor and Google Web Designer

Bluefish Editor Reviews

Top 8 Dreamweaver Alternatives for Web Designers
Bluefish is yet another open-sourced tool for building web pages in matter of seconds. You can use this superb tool in your Windows or Mac or Linux powered devices, and the tool would do its job very well! Even though you cannot use the power of WYSIWYG Editing in the tool, additional features such as the support for Google Go, Ruby etc, FTP support, spell-checker, preview...
Source: xtendedview.com

Google Web Designer Reviews

16 Best Web Design Software in 2022 [Essential Guide]
Google Web Designer is a free, professional-grade HTML5 authoring tool. Build interactive, animated HTML5 creative, no coding necessary. Use Google Web Designer’s advanced drawing tools to create and animate vector graphics. Set the color, gradient, line style, line thickness and opacity of your shapes.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Google Web Designer seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 10 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.

Bluefish Editor mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Bluefish Editor yet. Tracking of Bluefish Editor recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Google Web Designer mentions (10)

  • Lottie is an open format for animated vector graphics
    Https://webdesigner.withgoogle.com/ Expressive Animator (paid, but not expensive and with free trial), made for SVG animations, can also export Lottie. - Source: Hacker News / 8 days ago
  • Does anyone know a cheaper alternative to adobe animate
    Check out > https://webdesigner.withgoogle.com/. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Show HN: Construct Animate – our new browser-based animation tool
    This looks really nice. I'm reminded of a desktop app Google has called "Google Web Designer" which can do similar timeline based animations and exports to the same formats. But it's nice being able to do in the browser without downloading an app. However, Web Designer is free so there's that. Also, who knows how long Google will continue to support this app. https://webdesigner.withgoogle.com/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • what are programs that are like Adobe animate, and also can open FLA's files
    I don't think .FLA files are compatible with any other software. Flash was originally its own product produced by Macromedia before adobe bought them out. There is only one other product that I know of that you can use a canvas to create animations and that is Google WebDesigner. I'm not sure if you can import FLA though. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Decker, a platform that builds on the legacy of Hypercard and classic macOS
    Google Web Designer which is closed source has Dreamweaver features including templates. See https://webdesigner.withgoogle.com/. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Bluefish Editor and Google Web Designer, you can also consider the following products

Nova Code Editor - Nova Code Editor is software that is used for writing and editing codes.

SquareSpace - Squarespace is the easiest way for anyone to create an exceptional website. Pages, galleries, blogs, e-commerce, domains, hosting, analytics, 24/7 support - all included.

WordPress - WordPress is web software you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.

Adobe Dreamweaver - Adobe Dreamweaver is a proprietary web development tool developed by Adobe Systems.

WYSIWYG Web Builder - Web Builder is a WYSIWYG (What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get) program used to create web pages.

Jimdo - Jimdo offers easy-to-use solutions for micro businesses to create & manage a professional online presence with a website, to start selling online with a website, to build a brand, to ensure EU legal compliance and to attract and keep customers.