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Microsoft Visual Studio Code vs. Notepad++ vs. UltraEdit

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Microsoft Visual Studio Code

    Score9.3 out of 10
    N/AMicrosoft offers Visual Studio Code, an open source text editor that supports code editing, debugging, IntelliSense syntax highlighting, and other features.

    $0

    Notepad++

    Score9.2 out of 10
    N/ANotepad++ is a popular free and open source text editor available under the GPL license, featuring syntax highlighting and folding, auto-complete, multi-document management, and ac customizable GUI.N/A

    UltraEdit

    Score9 out of 10
    N/AUltraEdit is a text editor from IDM Computer Solutions headquartered in Hamilton.N/A
    Pricing
    Microsoft Visual Studio CodeNotepad++UltraEdit
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Microsoft Visual Studio CodeNotepad++UltraEdit
    Free Trial
    NoNoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesNoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Microsoft Visual Studio CodeNotepad++UltraEdit
    Considered Multiple Products
    Microsoft
    Chose Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    I also used sublime and notepad++.
    compared to them, Microsoft Visual Studio Code provide better balance between performance, features, and flexibility. Its lightweight like Sublime Text but offer more features and many extension support.
    Microsoft Visual Studio Code is free, …
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    Notepad++ is a great tool, but has most of the power tips and tools of notepad++ are available into Microsoft Visual Studio Code I use less and less notepad++. It's more easier to "stay" into Microsoft Visual Studio Code, open a new window do my stuff and go for the next task.
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    As mentioned before, IDE's can be excellent with one thing, and the company we do a lot of things, so it's kind of annoying to have multiple programs, heavy ones to open your work, so just use one, Microsoft Visual Studio Code, personalize thanks to extensions, and you are …
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    Microsoft Visual Studio Code provides more flexibility and supports easy integration to different platforms (including cloud). It is more modular and lighter application as compared to other integrated development environments. Microsoft Visual Studio Code is easy to learn and …
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    Visual Studio code UI is very handy.
    Extension feasibility is good
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    1. More features compared to Notepad++ 2. fast performance compare to Android Studio 3.More and usefull extensions then other two 4. Easy to use and everyone can start using it instantly 5. Version Control system is top notch 6.If you start using it , you will forget other ides …
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    It has some much more functionality than Notepad++, all the addons make editing scripts a breeze
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    It has [the] right balance of solutions for [a] wide range of problems. Atom or Notepad++ are lighter but [have fewer] features, [Microsoft] Visual Studio [Code] is full of features but [a] tad heavier.
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    [Microsoft Visual Studio Code] builds on the simplicity and speed of Notepad++ yet remains very customizable and offers features that are comparable and often go beyond other paid offerings such as Dreamweaver CC. It also requires no upfront/subscription so there's no risk in …
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    We moved from Sublime Text. Microsoft Visual Studio Code has similar features, such as a mini view of the document along the right side.

    Microsoft Visual Studio Code is also freeware. Sublime Text is $80 per seat, so when you add team members the costs increase.
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    In all honesty, I've not even looked back at any of these alternatives since switching to Microsoft Visual Studio Code a few years ago, there simply isn't the need. For all I know they're all absolutely fantastic, but at the time of switching (and consistently since) Microsoft …
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    The main plus for me was the speed, sleek UI, and the memorable shortcuts for VS Code. Also the smart auto-complete as well as version management (Git), Chrome debugging, and the possibility of plugging in multiple language-specific linters for a better code.
    The auto-complete …
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    Microsoft provides regular update patches to the Visual Studio Code IDE making sure to prevent vulnerabilities. As compared to other editors as mentioned, it is not open source but free to use, which means only certified update patches can be applied to the IDE, whereas in open …
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    Purely on the fact that support and having the app frequently updated alone makes this worthwhile over the others. Some of them also do share the ease of installation, but Microsoft Visual Studio Code has all the common pro points and more, making it a natural selection.
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    Microsoft Visual Studio Code is easy to install, always updated, free, and ultra-customizable with extensions. All other alternatives either don't have these features or are not as great as VS Code in terms of implementing them. I have been using Microsoft VS Code for a year …
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    Visual Studio Code was easy for us to install and to begin developing applications with from day one. Being freely available also makes it easier to adopt the application without having to go through a lot of bureaucratic hurdles initially. It isn't really fair to compare VS …
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    Overall, compared to all other open source text editors like Sublime Text, Vim, etc, I've noticed that the Visual Studio Code has been updated regularly which makes it work more efficiently and resolves any bugs on a continuous basis. I feel like VS Code has the speed like Subli…
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    In my opinion, VS Code is the best option for coding. It works on Windows, GNU/Linux, and macOS. Moreover, there's a great team/community behind the scene to maintain this program.
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    It is more advanced, it has more features and is a lot better than its competitors in terms of everything.
    It stands the best among all the similar software of this type.
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    Visual Studio Code has become my preferred text editor. It has a lot of useful features common to IDEs, and it is still quick enough to jot down quick notes or just throw open a blank file for some text manipulation with regex.
    Incentivized
    Open Source
    Chose Notepad++
    vscode is also a text editor and in many ways is more powerful than Notepad++. Notepad++ is simpler, faster and less busy. vscode is nicer for more complicated things, such as working with multiple files that are related (say a complex set of python scripts) or in a project …
    Incentivized
    Chose Notepad++
    In comparison to vs code, Notepad is less complexed solution with maybe less testing or implementation options but also with better script edition control thanks to the code formatting options. It depends on the task we have but for less complexed scripting that doesn't require …
    Incentivized
    Chose Notepad++
    UltraEdit was offered as a licensed product by my organization, however, because there was a cost to it, I had to obtain manager's approval for the yearly license required to keep it working. This was a hassle for something as simple as an editor. It was a convenient need to …
    Incentivized
    Chose Notepad++
    I prefer Notepad++ to both UltraEdit and VSCode. The fact that it is freely available gives it a leg up on UltraEdit, and the feature set is at least comparable and in some ways better. VSCode is more useful if you are using your text editor to code and want to tie into …
    Incentivized
    Chose Notepad++
    Since my engineering days, I have used this software. Notepad++ has to be one of the most powerful text editors available. It is lightweight and easy to use. It can identify the programming language based upon the extension of the file. It can also open various attachments, …
    Incentivized
    Chose Notepad++
    Atom is a nice little notepad and editor, but it's a bit overkill for a simple note-taking app and doesn't quite compare to Visual Studio Code for more robust tasks like software development. It does have more polish than Notepad++, but the experience is somehow more clumsy. Sub…
    Incentivized
    Chose Notepad++
    I mainly use Notepad++ on windows. EditPlus was very good at regular expressions. I felt it was better than Notepad++. On Mac, sublime is a good tool for the same purpose.
    Incentivized
    Chose Notepad++
    Both visual studio code and Notepad++ are powerful code editors/text editors. So it is hard to pick a favorite as they both have upsides and downsides. In this case Notepad++ I love the plugins that come with it and the ability to get more from other open sources. In general …
    Incentivized
    Chose Notepad++
    Visual studio code has more testing capabilities but Notepad++ is easier to use for day to day text and scripting operations.
    Incentivized
    Chose Notepad++
    I have never looked for other applications to replace or compare to Notepad++. That is how delighted I am to use it no matter where I am at in the working world. It is always one of the first programs that I install on my computer when I start at a new company.
    Incentivized
    Chose Notepad++
    Its performance is very good. Its cost is comparatively less. It supports multiple languages. It takes less time to load and it's very fast.
    Incentivized
    Chose Notepad++
    When I'm looking for a simple application to edit files quickly and easily, I find Notepad++ optimal. I Recommended Notepad++ if you're looking for an editing tool which works quickly and easily for both personal or professional use.
    Incentivized
    Chose Notepad++
    Does the same but in my opinion better. It might [be my] preference but the other options are either too technical or not technical enough. Notepad++ seems to tow this perfect balance, at least in my eyes, of being friendly enough for beginners and deep enough for experts. With …
    Incentivized
    Chose Notepad++
    We actually don't use Notepad++ over any other software, but in tandem with it. It complements other more advanced, modern text editors and definitely provides a lightweight way to edit code files, especially ones that are interpreted like Python, without having to open a full …
    Incentivized
    Chose Notepad++
    Notepad++ has been my go-to for quick text or code editing jobs, or even sometimes for storing brief notes for later reference. Its biggest selling points are its host of great features for automating tasks like indentation, sorting and conversion to other formats, and its …
    Incentivized
    Chose Notepad++
    In comparison to applications like Sublime Text or Visual Studio Code, Notepad++ is very limited. But this one has a different use. It's not used to work on projects—more like just editing and converting single files. It's the advanced version of the default Windows notepad. …
    Incentivized
    Chose Notepad++
    Notepad++ is the no-frills, simpler options that is an old reliable text editor. The alternatives have slicker interfaces and more features, but can be overkill for certain uses. The quality of plugins that Notepad++ has is a bit higher and there is less noise. Notepad++ is …
    Incentivized
    Idera, Inc.
    Chose UltraEdit
    UltraEdit is more stable and has a cleaner update process.
    Incentivized
    Chose UltraEdit
    When compared to most file editing programs UltraEdit usually comes out on top for being extremely flexible and feature-rich. We depend on it every day and although we have several other editors available to us we seem to always go back to this time and time again. Very …
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    100%
    Would buy again
    70 Answers
    100%
    Would buy again
    41 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    69 Answers
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    41 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    70 Answers
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    41 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    50 Answers
    96%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    26 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    63 Answers
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    30 Answers
    No answers on this topic
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    User Ratings
    Microsoft Visual Studio CodeNotepad++UltraEdit
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.5
    (104 ratings)
    8.5
    (62 ratings)
    10.0
    (7 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.4
    (2 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    9.4
    (21 ratings)
    9.0
    (4 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    Availability
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.7
    (23 ratings)
    8.1
    (15 ratings)
    9.9
    (4 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Microsoft Visual Studio CodeNotepad++UltraEdit
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Microsoft
    As a general workhorse IDE, Microsoft Visual Studio Codee is unmatched. Building on the early success of applications such as Atom, it has long been the standard for electron based IDEs. It can be outshone using IDEs that are dedicated to particular platforms, such as Microsoft Visual Studio Code for .net and the Jetbrains IDEs for Java, Python and others. For remote collaborative development, something like Zed is ahead of VSCode live share, which can be quite flakey.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Open Source
    well suited for 1) Coding and Development - Writing and editing code, Quick prototyping and testing of code snippets, Debugging and inspecting code using syntax highlighting and line numbering, 2) web development - Creating and editing HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other web-related files .Managing and organizing web projects with multiple files and directories. Not suited for - 1) processing huge files 2) graphic designing 3) complex gui designs 3) Data Analysis and Manipulation - Editing and cleaning up text-based data files before importing them into analytical tools. Applying regular expressions to extract, transform, and manipulate data. 4) System Administration and IT - change system configuration file
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Idera, Inc.
    UltraEdit is well suited for editing very large files. The macro editor is very powerful and easy to use. If one needs a quick-to-open text file editor, you will find UltraEdit much too slow to load. Compared to some free editors on the market, the basic individual user license is quite expensive.
    Incentivized
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    Pros
    Microsoft
    • Integrate with the git repository very well.
    • Integrated copilot chat is very helpful to write code snippets and helps beginners to start with coding and development.
    • Great library of available extensions is one of the best features in Microsoft Visual Studio Code.
    • Dedicated Testing option to configure pytest and others are quite handy to use.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Open Source
    • Notepad++ allows us to keep open files in tabs. Like in a web browser, these tabs let us access these files quickly and easily. Furthermore, even if we forget to save the files when closing the program or shutting down the PC, Notepad++ retains them in the open tabs when we reopen it.
    • Notepad++ supports many different file types. We usually save our files created in Notepad as normal text files, but sometimes as JSON, PHP, and HTML files.
    • Notepad++ is lightweight and requires little resources. Using it is snappy and responsive.
    • The developer of Notepad++ frequently updates the software with bug fixes, performance improvements and new features.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Idera, Inc.
    • Search and replace in files that are not open
    • Cut and paste columns - I don't know any other program that can do this!
    • Is a super fast and powerful text editor.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Microsoft
    • The customization of key combinations should be more accessible and easier to change
    • The auxiliary panels could be minimized or as floating tabs which are displayed when you click on them
    • A monitoring panel of resources used by Microsoft Visual Studio Code or plugins and extensions would help a lot to be able to detect any malfunction of these
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Open Source
    • UI looks a bit dated.
    • Sometimes the number of options are overwhelming and require a quick search to figure out where to locate a particular function.
    • Some way to do a diff between files would be great. Still need to resort to another paid app for that - unless it is a buried function I don't know about or there's a plugin for it.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Idera, Inc.
    • The color coding capacity is rudimentary and keyword based only. A good color coding mechanism should allow context.
    • With the latest versions, the top menu has a lot of big icons and has a user-friendly kind of look which impacts the actual text window. Most users don't fancy pretty icons and like efficiency over pretty buttons.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Microsoft
    Solid tool that provides everything you need to develop most types of applications. The only reason not a 10 is that if you are doing large distributed teams on Enterprise level, Professional does provide more tools to support that and would be worth the cost.
    Incentivized
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    Open Source
    I use it every day for 13 years already and it never disappointed me
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Idera, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    Usability
    Microsoft
    Microsoft Visual Studio Code earns a 10 for its exceptional balance of power and simplicity. Its intuitive interface, robust extension ecosystem, and integrated terminal streamline development. With seamless Git integration and highly customizable settings, it adapts perfectly to any workflow, making complex coding tasks feel effortless for beginners and experts alike.
    Incentivized
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    Open Source
    There are lot of features to talk about. Especially the usability is good. Everyone can easily to use and user-friendly. Can also update easily. Can also write and execute the programming languages like C, C++ etc. Encoding is also the major feature that helps me a lot and converter as well.
    Read full review
    Idera, Inc.
    As a program UltraEdit comes ready to use out of the box and requires very little setup for it to be extremely useful. It's flexibility among a wide array of tasks and files makes it a go-to for all our troubleshooting and data viewing needs. Timely updates and great support.
    Incentivized
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    Reliability and Availability
    Microsoft
    Overall, Microsoft Visual Studio Code is pretty reliable. Every so often, though, the app will experience an unexplained crash. Since it is a stand-alone app, connectivity or service issues don't occur in my experience. Restarting the app seems to always get around the problem, but I do make sure to save and backup current work.
    Incentivized
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    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Idera, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    Performance
    Microsoft
    Microsoft Visual Studio Code is pretty snappy in performance terms. It launches quickly, and tasks are performed quickly. I don't have a lot of integrations other than CoPilot, but I suspect that if the integration partner is provisioned appropriately that any performance impact would be pretty minimal. It doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles (unless you start adding plugins left and right).
    Incentivized
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    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Idera, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Microsoft
    Active development means filing a bug on the GitHub repo typically gets you a response within 4 days. There are plugins for almost everything you need, whether it be linting, Vim emulation, even language servers (which I use to code in Scala). There is well-maintained official documentation. The only thing missing is forums. The closest thing is GitHub issues, which typically has the answers but is hard to sift through -- there are currently 78k issues.
    Incentivized
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    Open Source
    I haven't needed to utilize any support related to Notepad++. I guess this is a good thing because I found it to be quite intuitive. There are almost infinite features you can tweak and plugins you can download but I haven't had to do that because Notepad++ is really good right out of the box.
    Incentivized
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    Idera, Inc.
    Have never needed support, not once. So giving them a 10 for the fact that their product is so good that we've never needed it.
    Incentivized
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    Alternatives Considered
    Microsoft
    Visual Studio Code stacks up nicely against Visual Studio because of the price and because it can be installed without admin rights. We don't exclusively use Visual Studio Code, but rather use Visual Studio and Visual Studio code depending on the project and which version of source control the given project is wired up to.
    Incentivized
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    Open Source
    Notepad for Windows, Microsoft Word...LibreOffice Writer....I have used all of these for code writing and editing. Once again I like the universal feel of Notepad++. Basic Notepad, is just that, basic...and kind of clunky for what it is. This is a cool that I have installed on all my computers and also keep it on a thumb drive if I need it elsewhere.
    Incentivized
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    Idera, Inc.
    I have evaluated Notepad++ as an alternative to UltraEdit. In some cases, such as loading time, Notepad++ is a superior product. However, in terms of editing existing macros, and editing very large text files UltraEdit is a much better product.
    Incentivized
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    Scalability
    Microsoft
    It is easily deployed with our Jamf Pro instance. There is actually very little setup involved in getting the app deployed, and it is fairly well self-contained and does not deploy a large amount of associated files. However, it is not particularly conducive to large project, multi-developer/department projects that involve some form of central integration.
    Incentivized
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    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Idera, Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Microsoft
    • Saves money by replacing suites of tools such as Visual Studio, IntelliJ, etc.
    • Speeds development time and developer environment setup time
    • Strengthens code quality with integrated autoformatting and linting
    • Strengths Git practices by keeping version control tightly connected with the code
    Incentivized
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    Open Source
    • Productivity has increased for developers.
    • It's free so instead of buying a piece of software, you can use this to replace many of them that may only specialize in one thing.
    • It gives our developers confidence knowing they have such a reliable, free tool at their disposal.
    Incentivized
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    Idera, Inc.
    • Its ease of use and functionality make it fast and reliable which saves my designers time.
    • Its simplicity makes it fast and easy to train new users.
    • UE's guidance features make it a great tool with a good ROI.
    Incentivized
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