diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index efb0079..7848846 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ Edit `~/.config/notewrapper/config.json`. If it does not exist, it will be creat
 * `directory`: root directory containing all vaults
 * `render`: enable/disable Vivify rendering
 * `jumpToEndOfFileOnLaunch`: move cursor to end of file on open
-* `editor`: selected editor (must be supported)
+* `editor`: selected editor (must be supported). If not set, it defaults to `$EDITOR`.
 * `journalRegex`: regex used to detect journal files
 * `dateEntry`: format for journal entries (see `strftime`)
 * `newLineOnOpening`: add a newline when opening a note
@@ -209,4 +209,4 @@ It is recommended to use a browser different from your main one for rendering.
 * [ ] A converter between journal types
 * [ ] Support multiple vault directories
 * [ ] Port NoteWrapper to other editors (non-exhaustive list of planned ports: `emacs -nw`, `jed`, `ad`, flow-control, `ee`, `amp`, `dte`, `cano`, `mle`, `zee`, `ptext`, `kibi`, `ox`, `ne`, `dit`, `zile`, `moe`, `joe`, `pico`, `vis`)
-* [ ] Default to $EDITOR
+* [x] Default to $EDITOR
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 94a5b2a..f84e55d 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -136,14 +136,16 @@ arg_next:
       debug("In %s, \"jumpToEndOfFileOnLaunch\" wasn't set or we encountered a abnormal type. Defaulting to true.", configPath);
     }
     
-    char *editorToOpen = "neovim"; // default
+    char *editorToOpen = getenv("EDITOR"); // default to $EDITOR
+    int defaultEditor = 1; // this will be used in the warning if the editor does not exists or is unsupported.
     cJSON *editorToOpenJSON = cJSON_GetObjectItem(json, "editor");
     if (editorToOpenJSON && cJSON_IsString(editorToOpenJSON)) {
       editorToOpen = strdup(cJSON_GetStringValue(editorToOpenJSON)); // we must strdup and not just = as we will free all the json after (before parsing args)
+      defaultEditor = 0;
       debug("In %s, \"editor\" was set to %s.", configPath, editorToOpen);
-      error(!isStringInArray(editorToOpen, supportedEditor, numEditors), "user", "%s (fetched from config.json) is not a supported editor.", editorToOpen);
+      //error(!isStringInArray(editorToOpen, supportedEditor, numEditors), "user", "%s (fetched from config.json) is not a supported editor.", editorToOpen); // we check if editor is supported at the end
     } else {
-      debug("In %s, \"editor\" wasn't set or we encountered a abnormal type. Defaulting to %s.", configPath, editorToOpen);
+      debug("In %s, \"editor\" wasn't set or we encountered a abnormal type. Defaulting to $EDITOR (%s).\n P.S. this might still be overwritten by -e or --editor.", configPath, editorToOpen);
     }
     
     cJSON *journalRegexJSON = cJSON_GetObjectItem(json, "journalRegex");
@@ -274,6 +276,7 @@ for (int i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
         } else if (strcmp(arg, "--editor") == 0) {
             error(i + 1 == argc, "user", "Missing argument for --editor");
             editorToOpen = argv[++i];
+            defaultEditor = 0;
             debug("--editor set to %s", editorToOpen);
 
         } else if (strcmp(arg, "--note") == 0) {
@@ -404,6 +407,7 @@ for (int i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
 
                         case 'e':
                             editorToOpen = value;
+                            defaultEditor = 0;
                             debug("-e set editor to %s", value);
                             break;
 
@@ -442,11 +446,10 @@ next_arg:
 }
     // if -n or --note is set but not -v or --vaults it gives an error
     error(!bypassSelectionVault && bypassSelectionNote, "user", "If you want to specify the note, you must also specify the vault with -v <vault's name> or --vault <vault's name>.");
-
-
-    error(!doesEditorExist(editorToOpen, shouldDebug), "user", "%s is either not in your path or not installed.", editorToOpen);
     debug("Finished parsing the attribute flags");
 
+    isEditorValid(editorToOpen, defaultEditor, shouldDebug); // check if editor is supported and if it is installed. If not, it will throw an error.
+
     if (doesBackup) {
       handleBackups(notesDirectoryString, pathToBackup, homedir, interval, (const char**)rsyncArgs, rsyncArgsNumber, shouldDebug);
     }
diff --git a/src/utils.c b/src/utils.c
index fd7836c..2bf8d9b 100644
--- a/src/utils.c
+++ b/src/utils.c
@@ -206,9 +206,16 @@ void handleBackups(const char *pathOfVaults, const char *pathOfBackup, const cha
     }
 }
 
-int doesEditorExist (char *editorToCheck, int shouldDebug) {     // Some exectuables have not exaclty the same name as the editor.
-  char *editor;   
-    if (strcmp(editorToCheck, "neovim") == 0) {
+int isEditorValid (char *editorToCheck, int useDefaultEditor, int shouldDebug) { // check if editor is supported and if it is installed
+    // check if supported 
+    if (useDefaultEditor) { // we use a different error message if it defaulted to $EDITOR
+      error(!isStringInArray(editorToCheck, supportedEditor, numEditors), "user", "%s is not a supported editor.\n(defaulted to $EDITOR as neither \"editor\" was set in the configuration file nor -e/--editor <editor> was set.)\n See https://github.com/tomasriveral/NoteWrapper#editor-support for a list of supported editors.", editorToCheck);
+    } else {
+      error(!isStringInArray(editorToCheck, supportedEditor, numEditors), "user", "%s is not a supported editor.\n See https://github.com/tomasriveral/NoteWrapper#editor-support for a list of supported editors.", editorToCheck);
+    }
+    // check if installed
+    char *editor;   
+    if (strcmp(editorToCheck, "neovim") == 0) {  // some executables are not name the same as the project
       editor = strdup("nvim"); // we must use strdup and not just copy as we would have modified editorToOpen in main
     } else if (strcmp(editorToCheck, "helix") == 0) {
       editor = strdup("hx");
diff --git a/src/utils.h b/src/utils.h
index e8b4704..08f4141 100644
--- a/src/utils.h
+++ b/src/utils.h
@@ -43,9 +43,11 @@ int compareString(const void *a, const void *b);
 // compares two strings in reversed alphabetical order
 // this function is used for qsort
 int reverseCompareString(const void *a, const void *b);
+// checks if editor is supported and if it installed.
 // this basically checks all the dirs from your path for the editor. This is a safety check.
 // If the executable from an editor is not the editor name (for example neovim and nvim), you must handle at the start of the function.
-int doesEditorExist(char *editorToCheck, int debug);
+// This can return an error and stop the program.
+int isEditorValid(char *editorToCheck, int useDefaultEditor, int debug);
 // please use the macro debug instead of _debug.
 //formated debugging.
 void _debug(const int d, const char *file, const int line, const char *function, const char *message, ...);