Best Regular Expression Testers in 2026
Updated
In short: regex101 is ranked #1 of 23 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of RegexPilot and RegexCraft. The best-ranked option with a free plan is RegexPilot. The lowest first paid tier on this page is regex101 at €4.99/mo.
A regular expression tester gives you a way to check patterns against text and inspect how they behave. Compared on regex flavors, pattern explanation, and step-through debugging, the entries can help you focus on language compatibility and how much visibility you want while troubleshooting. Saved patterns and code generation matter if you expect to reuse patterns or move them into a project. Also compare available platforms, free-plan availability, and paid-from pricing. regex101, RegexPilot, and RegexCraft are among the options, with Debuggex and RegexStudio also included. Think about whether your main need is quick validation, understanding a complicated expression, or keeping tested patterns accessible for later work.
23 regular expression testers ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Recognised 40% · Phone app 26% · Documented 20% · Free plan 14% of the score
- 1 regex101 No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.1€4.99/mo Regex flavors: PCRE2 (PHP), JavaScript, Python, Golang, Java, .NET, Rust, POSIX ERE, POSIX BRE, PCRE (Legacy)Pattern explanation: YesStep-through debugger: Yes
- 2 RegexPilot No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.0Free Regex flavors: JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java, C#, PHP, Ruby, Go, Perl, Rust, Scala, Kotlin, Groovy, Clojure, Elixir, R, Dart, Swift, MySQL, PostgreSQL, POSIX shellPattern explanation: YesStep-through debugger: No
- 3 RegexCraft No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.8Free Regex flavors: .NET, PCRE2, JavaScript, TypeScript, PHP, Python, Java, Ruby, Go, Rust, Perl, Kotlin, SwiftPattern explanation: YesStep-through debugger: Yes
- 4 Debuggex No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.8$5/mo Regex flavors: JavaScript, Python, PCREPattern explanation: YesStep-through debugger: Yes
- 5 RegexStudio No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.6 Regex flavors: JavaScript, PCRE, Python, Java, Go, .NET, Rust, RubyPattern explanation: YesStep-through debugger: Yes
- 6 The Regex Coach No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.1Free Regex flavors: Perl-compatiblePattern explanation: YesStep-through debugger: Yes
- 7 RegexBuddy No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.0 Regex flavors: 94 flavors, including PCRE, PCRE2, .NET, JavaScript, Java, Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby, Boost, RE2, ICU, and POSIX BRE/EREPattern explanation: YesStep-through debugger: Yes
- 8 RegEx Visualizer & Explainer No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.9Free Regex flavors: JavaScript RegExpPattern explanation: YesStep-through debugger: Yes
- 9 RegexRegex No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.8Free Regex flavors: JavaScript RegExp, Python re, PHP PCRE2, Java Pattern/Matcher, .NET Regex, PerlPattern explanation: Yes
- 10 AppTools Regex Tester No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.5 Regex flavors: JavaScript, PCRE (PHP), Python, GoPattern explanation: YesStep-through debugger: Yes
- 11 RegExr No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3 Regex flavors: JavaScript, PHP/PCREPattern explanation: Yes
- 12 Regex Tester Pro No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2 Regex flavors: JavaScript, Python, Go, Java, PCRE, .NETPattern explanation: Yes
- 13 RegexAssistant No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.0 Regex flavors: Boost, Scintilla, POSIX, STD Regex, Perl, SEDPattern explanation: Yes
- 14 RegexPlanet No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.9 Regex flavors: Your Browser, Bun, Deno, Erlang, Go, Haskell, Java, MySQL, .NET, Node.js, Perl, PHP, PostgreSQL, Python, Ruby, Rust, Swift, Tcl, XRegExp
- 15 Regex Hero No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.8 Regex flavors: .NET
- 16 Regex Shuttle No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.6 Regex flavors: JavaScript (native RegExp engine)Pattern explanation: Yes
- 17 RegEx Tester No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.4 Regex flavors: .NET, Node.js, Python, Java
- 18 SK Play Labs Regex Tester No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.4 Regex flavors: JavaScriptPattern explanation: Yes
- 19 Regulex No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Regex flavors: JavaScript/ECMAScriptPattern explanation: NoStep-through debugger: No
- 20 txtnode Regex Tester No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.2 Regex flavors: JavaScript
- 21 Regexo No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.0 Regex flavors: Java
- 22 Regex Playground No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 4.9
- 23 Retest No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 4.7
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 Samsung Mobile US Press?
regex101 is ranked #1 of 23 with a score of 8.1. RegexPilot is second and RegexCraft third.
How many of these have a free plan?
7 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 mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.