Notepad++ vs. TextPad

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Notepad++
Score 9.1 out of 10
N/A
Notepad++ 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
TextPad
Score 7.0 out of 10
N/A
TextPad is a free and open source general purpose plain text file editor, for Windows.N/A
Pricing
Notepad++TextPad
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Notepad++TextPad
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details——
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Notepad++TextPad
Considered Both Products
Notepad++
Chose Notepad++
TextPad works very well, but isn't quite as light weight and convenient as Notepad++. I'm not entirely sure which one allows you to do more overall, but I would imagine they both work very well.
Chose Notepad++
If you're looking for a free and feature-rich option with an active plugin ecosystem, extensive language support, and regular expression capabilities, Notepad++ is a strong choice.If you prefer a straightforward, user-friendly interface and don't require as many advanced …
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, …
Chose Notepad++
I didn’t care for the way some things were handled in other programs I tried, and I’ve stuck with Notepad++ since.
Chose Notepad++
Notepad++ has many advanced plugins whereas the other applications do not have as many as this. It supports many programming languages and takes low storage and gives faster outputs. Syntax auto complete and syntax highlight is also a plus when compared to that of other …
TextPad
Chose TextPad
When you want to quickly edit a file, TextPad starts up quickly and has many features over Microsoft Notepad. Visual Studio Code is an alternative in that it is full-featured and will edit text files but is slower at startup. I prefer the macro feature in TextPad due to its …
Chose TextPad
Textpad and Notepad++ are by far my preferred programs to use for the development process.
Top Pros

No answers on this topic

Top Cons
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Notepad++TextPad
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User Ratings
Notepad++TextPad
Likelihood to Recommend
8.9
(60 ratings)
8.4
(2 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
8.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.1
(16 ratings)
8.8
(2 ratings)
User Testimonials
Notepad++TextPad
Likelihood to Recommend
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
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Open Source
I like the macro feature for transforming text. For example, taking a CSV file of data and quickly turning it into a set of SQL "insert" statements. Also, useful for this is the find/replace feature using regular expressions such as taking a URL QueryString and breaking all the parameters into separate lines and perhaps sorting them for review.
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Pros
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.
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Open Source
  • Quick to load.
  • Very fast searching algorithm for finding and replacing text.
  • Macros are very useful.
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Cons
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.
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Open Source
  • I would like a "delete non-bookmarked lines" so I can skip the "invert bookmarks" step.
  • The "Compare Text Files" could be streamlined to compare text in 2 tabs without going through the save steps.
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Likelihood to Renew
Open Source
I use it every day for 13 years already and it never disappointed me
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Open Source
No answers on this topic
Usability
Open Source
Many of the features are not out of the box. We have install them separately
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Open Source
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
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.
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Open Source
I never had to use support, so I can't answer this. I would hope that it is good though.
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Alternatives Considered
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.
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Open Source
When you want to quickly edit a file, TextPad starts up quickly and has many features over Microsoft Notepad. Visual Studio Code is an alternative in that it is full-featured and will edit text files but is slower at startup. I prefer the macro feature in TextPad due to its simplicity.
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Return on Investment
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.
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Open Source
  • Made my job easier, so I would say it had a positive return on investment. Especially for it's overall low cost.
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