Geany
What Geany is
Geany is a free, small and lightweight integrated development environment for Windows, macOS and Linux. Its editing features include syntax highlighting, code completion, call tips and code folding. The project lists file types such as C, Java, PHP, HTML, Python, Perl and Pascal. Geany also includes embedded terminal emulation, and plugins can extend its capabilities.
The editor supports macro recording and column editing, but not multi-cursor editing. Geany is distributed under the GNU General Public License, version 2 or later. For Linux, BSD and similar systems, the project recommends distribution packages; it names Debian, Fedora and Ubuntu among the distributions with packages. Prebuilt Windows and macOS binaries are available from geany.org, while a third-party packages page lists packages for other distributions and BSD variants and links to a portable Windows version. Building from source requires GTK3 libraries and headers, dependency libraries, and C and C++ compilers.
Who it suits
Geany suits developers seeking a lightweight IDE with code-editing features, terminal emulation and plugin support. It is available for Windows, macOS and Linux, with distribution packages recommended for Linux, BSD and similar systems.
What it does well
- Provides syntax highlighting and code completion
- Supports several listed programming and markup languages
- Includes embedded terminal emulation
- Plugins can extend the editor
- Supports macro recording and column editing
What to know first
- Does not support multi-cursor editing
- Building from source requires GTK3 and compilers
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Geany | No paid tier; distributed as free software · GPL-2.0-or-later · desktop IDE/text editor | Free |
As geany.org lists them, read 15 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Visit geany.org.
- For Windows or macOS, obtain a prebuilt binary package from geany.org.
- For Linux, BSD, or similar systems, use a distribution package; Debian, Fedora, and Ubuntu are among the named options.
- Check the third-party packages page for additional distribution packages or the linked portable Windows version.
- If building from source, prepare GTK3 libraries and headers, dependency libraries, and C and C++ compilers.
Verdict
Geany offers a compact set of editing and terminal features, with plugin support and packages for its listed platforms. Developers who rely on multi-cursor editing should note that it is not included.
Questions
Is Geany free?
Yes. Geany is listed as free and distributed under the GNU General Public License, version 2 or later.
Which platforms does Geany support?
The listed platforms are Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Does Geany offer a free trial?
No free trial is listed; Geany has a free plan.
Can Geany be extended with plugins?
Yes. The project says Geany can be extended through plugins.
Does Geany support multi-cursor editing?
No. The listed editing facts say multi-cursor editing is not supported.
What is required to build Geany from source?
Building from source requires GTK3 libraries and headers, dependency libraries, and C and C++ compilers.
Facts from Geany's own pages
- Additional packages
- Geany’s third-party packages page lists packages for Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Gentoo, openSUSE, Arch Linux, and BSD variants. · geany.org, 4 Oct 2026
- API maturity
- The API documentation is marked as work in progress and warns that undocumented symbols may change. · geany.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Association
- Geany e.V. is a registered association in Stendal, Germany created to represent the project and handle donated money. · geany.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Association board
- The listed board consists of Enrico Tröger, Frank Lanitz and Silvio Knizek. · geany.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Association founding
- The Geany e.V. association was founded on November 3, 2016. · geany.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Association governance
- The association says development remains the responsibility of core developers and the community rather than the association itself. · geany.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Build requirements
- Building from source requires GTK3 libraries and headers, dependency libraries, and C and C++ compilers. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Build system
- Its build system can compile and execute code through external tools. · en.wikipedia.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Call tips
- The editor offers call-tip assistance while coding. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Code completion
- Geany includes symbol and code completion features. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Code folding
- Geany supports folding sections of source files. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Column editing
- Yes · github.com, 22 Sept 2026
- Construct completion
- It can complete common constructs such as if, for and while statements. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Desktop availability
- Prebuilt packages are available for Windows and macOS, while packages are also available for many Linux distributions. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Documentation
- Official documentation includes a manual, FAQ, release notes, hacking guidance, wiki and plugin API reference. · geany.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Editing features
- Its listed features include syntax highlighting, code completion, call tips, and code folding. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Extension support
- Yes · github.com, 22 Sept 2026
- File types
- The project lists support for file types including C, Java, PHP, HTML, Python, Perl, and Pascal. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · github.com, 22 Sept 2026
- Licence
- Geany is licensed under the GNU General Public License version 2 or any later version. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Licensing
- The project says Geany is distributed under the GNU General Public License, version 2 or later. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Limit: advanced IDE depth
- An independent review says Geany lacks advanced debugger and refactoring capabilities found in heavier IDEs. · scalarly.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: bidirectional text
- Wikipedia reports that the Scintilla base has shortcomings with complex graphemes and bidirectional text. · en.wikipedia.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: plugin ecosystem
- An independent review characterizes Geany's plugin ecosystem as smaller than Visual Studio Code's. · scalarly.com, 15 Oct 2026
Where Geany stands on Freedom251
- Code editors#1 of 45
- Text Editors#2 of 82
- Editor Software#1 of 32
- PHP IDEs#1 of 23
- IDE Software#3 of 53
- C++ IDEs#2 of 24