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Developer Tools · head to head

Prettier vs Sublime Text

Prettier logo

Prettier

Developer Tools

Opinionated code formatter

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Sublime Text logo

Sublime Text

Technology

A sophisticated text editor for code, markup and prose

From
$99/license
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Prettier has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Prettier inflexible style rules that cannot be customized significantly, forcing teams to accept opinionated defaults; Sublime Text personal license requires payment after evaluation period
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Prettier and Sublime Text actually diverge.

Attributes where Prettier and Sublime Text differ
AttributePrettierSublime Text
Starting priceFree$99/license
Pricing modelfreeone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsCLI, Editor Plugins, Build ToolsWindows, Macos, Linux
CategoryDeveloper ToolsTechnology
Founded20162007

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Prettier

Nothing recorded that Sublime Text does not also cover.

Only in Sublime Text

  • Lightning fast performance
  • Multiple selections
  • Command palette
  • Instant project switch
  • Plugin ecosystem
  • Customizable UI
  • Advanced search and replace
  • Split editing

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Prettier

  • Automatically formatting TypeScript files to project style standardsnot Sublime Text
  • Enforcing consistent HTML indentation across component filesnot Sublime Text
  • Removing style-related comments from pull request reviewsnot Sublime Text
  • Formatting GraphQL queries with consistent indentationnot Sublime Text

Sublime Text

  • Editing code and text files in a fast native desktop editornot Prettier
  • Working across large files and projects with multi cursor editingnot Prettier

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Prettier

  • Inflexible style rules that cannot be customized significantly, forcing teams to accept opinionated defaults
  • Developers must format entire files rather than selective line ranges in some contexts
  • Limited language support compared to some alternatives, though it covers major languages

Sublime Text

  • Personal license requires payment after evaluation period
  • Business licenses use annual subscription model requiring renewal
  • After 3 years of updates on personal license, upgrade required for continued updates

Pricing, plan by plan

Prettier

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Prettier review.

Sublime Text

$99/license
  • Personal License$99/one-time
    • One license for all computers and operating systems
    • 3 years of updates
    • Free evaluation available
  • Business License - 1-10 seats$65/year
    • Per seat annual subscription
    • Volume discount for 11-25 seats at $60
    • Further discount for 26+ seats

Which should you pick?

Choose Prettier if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on CLI, Editor Plugins, Build Tools.
Prettier review

Choose Sublime Text if

  • You need lightning fast performance.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux.
  • You also want multiple selections.
Sublime Text review

Questions people ask

Is Prettier or Sublime Text better?
Neither clearly leads. Prettier starts at Free and Sublime Text at $99/license, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Prettier or Sublime Text?
Prettier has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Prettier and $99/license for Sublime Text.
Does Prettier or Sublime Text run on more platforms?
Prettier runs on CLI, Editor Plugins, Build Tools. Sublime Text runs on Windows, Macos, Linux.
Can I use Prettier for free?
Yes. Prettier has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sublime Text starts at $99/license.
What is Prettier best used for?
Prettier is most often used for automatically formatting typescript files to project style standards, enforcing consistent html indentation across component files, removing style-related comments from pull request reviews, formatting graphql queries with consistent indentation. Of those, automatically formatting typescript files to project style standards and enforcing consistent html indentation across component files are not what Sublime Text is typically brought in for.
What can Prettier do that Sublime Text cannot?
Sublime Text covers Lightning fast performance, Multiple selections, Command palette, Instant project switch.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Prettier: Is Prettier free and open source?

Yes, Prettier is completely free and open source, available as an npm package with no licensing costs or subscriptions.

Source
Sublime Text: How much does Sublime Text cost?

Sublime Text costs $99 USD as a one-time personal license covering all your computers and operating systems, with 3 years of updates included.

Source
Prettier: Can Prettier be integrated with ESLint?

Yes, Prettier integrates with ESLint by disabling ESLint formatting rules via eslint-config-prettier, allowing both tools to work together with Prettier handling formatting and ESLint handling code quality.

Source
Sublime Text: What are the business license pricing tiers?

Business licenses use annual subscription pricing: $65 per seat per year for 1-10 seats, $60 per seat for 11-25 seats, $55 per seat for 26-50 seats, and $50 per seat for 51+ seats.

Source
Prettier: Does Prettier support configuration customization?

Prettier is intentionally opinionated with limited configuration options to enforce consistency. You can create a .prettierrc file for basic customization, but Prettier does not support extensive rule customization like ESLint.

Source
Sublime Text: Can I evaluate Sublime Text for free?

Yes, Sublime Text may be downloaded and evaluated for free, though payment is required to continue using it after evaluation.

Source
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