You can install Sublime Text on Ubuntu, Linux Mint, or other Ubuntu-based Linux distros from a Deb or by using a Snap package.
For those unfamiliar with it, Sublime Text is a closed-source, cross-platform text editor with a long history – and a sizeable following among web and software developers. It’s fast, featured and can be expanded with plugins created by its community of users.
Sublime Text runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. Ubuntu users can install it from a Deb or APT repository, or make use of a snap package. It’s not available in the main Ubuntu repos as it’s not open-source.
Installing Sublime Text on Ubuntu
The Sublime Text website has downloads for Windows, macOS and Linux, with Debian (.deb) installers provided for Ubuntu (x86-64 and Aarch64).
Unlike some other third-party Debs (like Google Chrome) which add a corresponding APT repo to your system during installation, Sublime Text doesn’t. To get future updates you have to re-download and re-install – a bit of a minor hassle.
If you want automatic updates to new builds you can add the repo yourself, manually (covered below) or, alternatively, use a Snap package instead.
Use the Sublime Text Snap
The Sublime Text snap is the quickest and easiest way to install the app and ensure you get future updates. It’s not an official package, but is maintained by the trusted Snapcrafters community team.
While you can open the Ubuntu Software or App Center (depending on your Ubuntu version), search for and instal it, the snap sandboxed means it won’t have access to files and folders elsewhere on your system.
Instead, install it using your terminal where you can pass the --classic flag:
sudo snap install sublime-text --classic
Finally, launch the app from the app picker/grid/menu and away you go!
Add the Sublime Text APT repository
If you don’t like using snap packages (or in the case of Linux Mint, can’t), you can use the APT repository instead. This has regular Deb packages for all supported Ubuntu LTS releases.
Adding the repository is the recommended way to install the editor on Ubuntu, as future releases get installed alongside other systems updates.
Step 1: Download the security key for the Sublime text editor repository. This is important as it ensures the packages you download from the repo are what they say they are:
wget -qO - https://download.sublimetext.com/sublimehq-pub.gpg | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/sublimehq-pub.asc > /dev/null
Step 2: Add the Sublime Text stable repository:
echo -e 'Types: deb\nURIs: https://download.sublimetext.com/\nSuites: apt/stable/\nSigned-By: /etc/apt/keyrings/sublimehq-pub.asc' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/sublime-text.sources
Step 3: Install Sublime Text:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install sublime-text
After the install is complete, open Sublime Text from the application grid/picker/app launcher.
Sublime Text is asking for a license?
Sublime Text is a proprietary text editor. While you can download and use it for free without restrictions, you are supposed to buy a license if you use it full-time.
A 3-year license for Sublime Text costs $99 USD as of September 2026.
However, the evaluation period is unlimited with no functional limitations. The trial period does not expire which means you can ‘evaluate’ Sublime Text for free, for as long as you like.
Just keep in mind that buying a license supports its existence.