Best Regular Expression Testers in 2026
Updated
In short: RegexCraft is ranked #1 of 23 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of regex101 and RegexPilot. The best-ranked option with a free plan is regex101. The lowest first paid tier on this page is regex101 at €4.99/mo.
When you need to check a pattern against sample text, a regex tester can help you see what it matches and inspect how it behaves. Compare the supported regex flavors, pattern explanations, and step-through debugging, then consider whether code generation or saved patterns would be useful in your work. Available platforms, free plans, and paid starting prices add practical context. The ranking begins with regex101, RegexPilot, and RegexCraft, with Debuggex and RegexStudio also among the early entries. Look across the criteria to find a fit for the languages you work with and the way you want to test or reuse patterns.
23 regular expression testers ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 RegexCraft Top pick · 7.1 Free plan · Free
#2 regex101 Runner-up · 6.9 Free plan · €4.99/mo
#3 RegexPilot Also great · 6.9 Free plan · Free- Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Regex flavors
- .NET, PCRE2, JavaScript, TypeScript, PHP, Python, Java, Ruby, Go, Rust, Perl, Kotlin, Swift
- Pattern explanation
- Yes
- Step-through debugger
- Yes
- Code generation
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free planFree trial apiLinuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Regex flavors
- PCRE2 (PHP), JavaScript, Python, Golang, Java, .NET, Rust, POSIX ERE, POSIX BRE, PCRE (Legacy)
- Pattern explanation
- Yes
- Step-through debugger
- Yes
- Code generation
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms€4.99/mofirst paid tier About regex101Visit site - Free planFree trial extensionmacOSWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Regex flavors
- JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java, C#, PHP, Ruby, Go, Perl, Rust, Scala, Kotlin, Groovy, Clojure, Elixir, R, Dart, Swift, MySQL, PostgreSQL, POSIX shell
- Pattern explanation
- Yes
- Step-through debugger
- No
- Code generation
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Regex flavors
- Perl-compatible
- Pattern explanation
- Yes
- Step-through debugger
- Yes
- Code generation
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Regex flavors
- JavaScript, Python, PCRE
- Pattern explanation
- Yes
- Step-through debugger
- Yes
- Code generation
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$5/mofirst paid tier About DebuggexVisit site - Free plan Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Regex flavors
- JavaScript RegExp
- Pattern explanation
- Yes
- Step-through debugger
- Yes
- Code generation
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - LinuxWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Regex flavors
- 94 flavors, including PCRE, PCRE2, .NET, JavaScript, Java, Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby, Boost, RE2, ICU, and POSIX BRE/ERE
- Pattern explanation
- Yes
- Step-through debugger
- Yes
- Code generation
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Regex flavors
- JavaScript, PCRE, Python, Java, Go, .NET, Rust, Ruby
- Pattern explanation
- Yes
- Step-through debugger
- Yes
- Code generation
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Regex flavors
- .NET
- Code generation
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WindowsmacOSLinux
- Regex flavors
- Java
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Regex flavors
- JavaScript RegExp, Python re, PHP PCRE2, Java Pattern/Matcher, .NET Regex, Perl
- Pattern explanation
- Yes
- Code generation
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Regex flavors
- JavaScript/ECMAScript
- Pattern explanation
- No
- Step-through debugger
- No
- Code generation
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Regex flavors
- JavaScript, PCRE (PHP), Python, Go
- Pattern explanation
- Yes
- Step-through debugger
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Regex flavors
- JavaScript (native RegExp engine)
- Pattern explanation
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Regex flavors
- JavaScript, PHP/PCRE
- Pattern explanation
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Regex flavors
- JavaScript
- Pattern explanation
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Regex flavors
- .NET, Node.js, Python, Java
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Free plan
- Yes
- Regex flavors
- JavaScript, Python, Go, Java, PCRE, .NET
- Pattern explanation
- Yes
- Code generation
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Windows
- Regex flavors
- Boost, Scintilla, POSIX, STD Regex, Perl, SED
- Pattern explanation
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Regex flavors
- Your Browser, Bun, Deno, Erlang, Go, Haskell, Java, MySQL, .NET, Node.js, Perl, PHP, PostgreSQL, Python, Ruby, Rust, Swift, Tcl, XRegExp
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Regex flavors
- JavaScript
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - LinuxRecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which regular expression tester is ranked first on Everything Xiaomi?
RegexCraft is ranked #1 of 23 with a score of 7.1. regex101 is second and RegexPilot third.
How many of these have a free plan?
6 of the 23 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, regex101 has the lowest first paid tier we found: €4.99/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes: documentation depth, a free tier and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.



























