I switched to CotEditor a few years ago, but before that I used BBEdit starting from way back on System 6 on a Mac SE.
Definitely a great utility, but recently a bought the new version and just a few weeks later a new version was released that required me to buy it again. That soured me a bit on the company.
I really like CotEditor though. Fully native Mac app, works great.
If you bought a license and then "just a few weeks later a new version was released", then you were eligible for a free upgrade. And you can still get it; try writing to 'sales@barebones.com' and asking. (Odds are that your free upgrade email was sent and you didn't see it, or it got spam-filtered.)
I did email them, and I was offered a discount, but not a free upgrade. I was already checking out CotEditor at that point, however, and liked it, so I just stayed with that.
Definitely a great utility, but recently a bought the new version and just a few weeks later a new version was released that required me to buy it again. That soured me a bit on the company.
I really like CotEditor though. Fully native Mac app, works great.