Bluefish is a free and open-source software and an advanced source code editor with a variety of tools for programming and website development. It supports editing source code such as C, JavaScript, Java, PHP, Python, and as well as markup languages such as HTML, YAML, and XML. It is available for many platforms, including Linux, macOS, and Windows, and can be used via integration with GNOME or run as a stand-alone application. Designed as a compromise between plain text editors and full programming IDEs, Bluefish is lightweight, fast and easy to learn, while providing many IDE features. Bluefish was one of the first source code editors on the Linux desktop. It has been translated into 17 languages. The source code is available under the GNU General Public License.
Compared to an IDE Bluefish lacks functionality like an integrated debugger or a WYSIWYG web design component.
From the Wikipedia article “Bluefish (software)”, CC BY-SA 4.0
What is Bluefish?
Bluefish by The Bluefish Developers is open-source Windows software in the ides & code editors category. It is written in C and Python. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and Solaris.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (NSIS) installers for 64-bit Windows. The main installer is 51.4 MB. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 2.4.2, released on July 17, 2026. The version history goes back to July 11, 2021: 8 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 1.6 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 15,126 times. Wikipedia has an article about it in 22 of our languages. On Windows it registers 1 file type, including .bfproject. Similar programs include OpenCode, Apache NetBeans and RStudio.
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Also runs on Linux, macOS and FreeBSD
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
In short: Bluefish is an open-source ides & code editor tool for 64-bit PCs. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Key features
- Well done syntax highlighting which for example supports languages inside languages (e.g. Javascript inside HTML inside PHP)
- All kind of powerful editor features like auto indenting and auto completion for many functions and libraries in many programming languages
- Project support
- Support for remote files over ftp, sftp, webdav, etc
- Powerful multi-file and regex capable search and replace engine
- Customizable integration of external programs such as pylint, make, etc
- Snippets plugin to automate often used code
- Code-aware in-line spell checking
- Zencoding or Emmet support
- Bookmarks
Screenshots
Is Bluefish safe to download?
- The file is served by bennewitz.com; check that it is the publisher’s official mirror
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
DF6630B20ED85D13A65E4FD2C0D500EE8C93CE7DC75471FCE57D5AED427EFE67· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link answered when we last checked it (October 22, 2026)
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 8 versions ›8 versions over 5 years · about 1.6 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4.2Latest | July 17, 2026 | 51.4 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.4.1 | April 2, 2026 | 52.2 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.4.0 | February 1, 2026 | 52.0 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.2.19 | November 21, 2025 | 51.8 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.2.18 | October 30, 2025 | 51.8 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.2.17 | March 31, 2025 | 50.7 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.2.13 | May 4, 2023 | 4.7 MB | 32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.2.12rc2 | July 11, 2021 | 4.6 MB | 32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Bluefish.Bluefish -echoco install bluefish -y"Bluefish 2.4.2 Setup.exe" /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
flatpak install flathub nl.openoffice.bluefishInformation
- Publisher
- The Bluefish Developers
- Category
- IDEs & code editors
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- sourceforge.net
- Written in
- C and Python
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Other platforms
- Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris
- Version
- 2.4.2
- Released
- July 17, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- July 11, 2021
- Versions listed
- 8
- Updates / year
- 1.6
- Chocolatey downloads
- 15,126
- Website
- bluefish.openoffice.nl
- winget ID
- Bluefish.Bluefish
- Chocolatey package
- bluefish
File types it opens (1)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Bluefish free?
Yes. Bluefish is open-source software under the GPL-3.0 licence.
Is Bluefish safe to download?
The download comes from bennewitz.com; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install Bluefish with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can Bluefish be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does Bluefish run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Bluefish?
The versions page lists all 8 versions with links to their official installer files, back to July 11, 2021.
What are alternatives to Bluefish?
OpenCode, Apache NetBeans, RStudio, VSCodium and Node.js (LTS). The alternatives page compares them.
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