I started my career with Brackets, then Sublime, then Atom for a short while. Then switched to VS Code for a few years and just recently switched back to Sublime because of how slow VS Code became.
Also great pricing! One time purchase for Sublime is still available in 2025!
I drive a 18 year old car. I don't need all the upgrades I just need something to drive me from a to b. This business model is similar.
PS I believe you can use it without paying anything. They nag you to pay but in a very subtle way.