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Notepad++

Notepad++

Overview

What is Notepad++?

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.

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Notepad++ is a reliable and efficient code editor that is commonly used by developers for code editing, debugging, and creating software …
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Notepad++ - Best Notetaker

9 out of 10
June 14, 2023
Notepad++ is a simple tool to use.
It is excellent to take notes during meetings.
Notepad++ supports programming languages like Java, XML.
Not…
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Ultimate text editor

10 out of 10
April 28, 2022
Incentivized
I mostly use the Notepad++ for making the notes for myself, creating/editing text files. Every time I need to have a look at some huge …
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Awards

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Product Details

What is Notepad++?

Notepad++ Technical Details

Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Reviewers rate Support Rating highest, with a score of 8.1.

The most common users of Notepad++ are from Enterprises (1,001+ employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(319)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Notepad++ is a reliable and efficient code editor that is commonly used by developers for code editing, debugging, and creating software and large text files. It is also a preferred choice in IT departments and computer classes for coding, log analysis, and web code editing. Users depend on Notepad++ for a variety of tasks, including writing scripts, creating CSV lists, and working with web URLs. It is highly regarded for its colored syntax highlighting and detailed character location information, which enhance readability. Notepad++ is also valued for its ability to remove formatting from text and its usefulness in reading and modifying code from packages created in SQL developer.

Content creators within organizations find Notepad++ indispensable for HTML and CSS projects, while engineering teams utilize it for formatting files and documents. It serves as a go-to scratchpad for note-taking, offering speed, lightweightness, plugin support, and reliable persistence of unsaved notes. Notepad++ is frequently chosen as an alternative to standard notepads due to its ability to open various file types and support plugins for features like comparison. It is widely used for writing and validating code in scripting languages such as VBS and SQL, as well as handling binary input files. The software's customizable settings cater to individual preferences, making it a popular tool in various organizations. With its user-friendly interface, helpful features like the 'Extended' feature in the 'Replace' window, and convenient handling of XML and HTML files, users find Notepad++ to be an essential part of their workflow. It excels in tasks such as viewing and editing .NET app configs, searching for strings in text files, and replacing special characters like \t and \r. The software's versatility is further amplified by features like vertical text selection, split/join lines, and the availability of plugins. Whether it's note-taking, organizing files, working with programming languages like Java and XML in engineering consulting services, or simply creating and editing text files, Notepad++ proves to be a versatile and powerful tool. It is highly valued for its ability to handle large files without lagging, low CPU usage, and light resource footprint. Users appreciate the availability of stable and supported plugins, which enhance the functionality of Notepad++. Overall, Notepad++ is considered a valuable tool that provides an enhanced editing experience for users across different roles and industries. Its support for multiple languages, efficient search and replace features, intuitive interface, and support for plugins make it a go-to choice for anyone in need of a reliable code editor or a versatile text editing solution.

Positive Sentiment:

  • Cost savings: Many users have mentioned that the product has helped them save money. Some reviewers have stated that it offers a good value for the price and helps reduce expenses. They appreciate the cost-effectiveness of the product, which has proven to be beneficial for their budget.
  • Time efficiency: Several customers have praised the product for its ability to streamline processes and save time. They have mentioned that it improves productivity by automating tasks and reducing manual efforts. By saving time, users can focus on other important aspects of their work.
  • User-friendly interface: A significant number of users have commented on the user-friendly interface of the product. They appreciate its intuitive design, which makes it easy to navigate and use effectively. The well-designed interface contributes to a smoother user experience and enables quick adoption of the system.

Outdated and Confusing User Interface: Users have expressed dissatisfaction with the outdated and confusing user interface of Notepad++, finding it difficult to perform tasks efficiently. Many reviewers have mentioned this as a major drawback, impacting their overall experience.

Performance Issues with Large Files: Performance issues have been reported when dealing with large files, such as Excel and XML, with the software freezing and becoming unresponsive. Several users have encountered this problem, hindering their ability to work effectively on complex projects.

Lack of Integrated Debugging Capabilities: Users have expressed the need for integrated debugging capabilities, which are currently lacking in Notepad++. This has been highlighted by numerous reviewers who find it inconvenient to switch between different tools for debugging purposes.

Users recommend trying Notepad++ as a versatile and powerful text editor that is easy to use. They mention that it is compatible with any programming language and works well as a debugger. Users also suggest using Notepad++ as a lightweight text editor that supports multiple programming languages and enhances the developer experience. Additionally, they recommend it as a reliable and free alternative to Windows Notepad, mentioning its additional features and enhanced formatting capabilities. Finally, users suggest exploring the various plugins and customization options available in Notepad++ to make the most of its speed, reliability, and versatility as a text editor.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-11 of 11)
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Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
I am using multiple table options to save the code and there is no limit to multiple tabs. There is an option to change the language like Java, Unix, or SQL and automatically do the formatting of code, this makes complex code understanding very easy. Using Macros help me to automate many companies' repetitive work.
  • I used Notepad++ almost on daily basis for saving important files and programming code. The software is easy to use and GUI is user-friendly.
  • An important feature is the autosave of information, no need to manually save the file.
  • The replace option has an extended feature where you can make use of '/n' etc. Syntax highlighting and support for various languages; I had to deal with a lot of sql, C language and HTML files. This tool made my life easy.
  • It is a Good IDE when we are using SQL. It will clearly show conditional formatting, loops, and other contents as required for avoiding compilation errors.
  • Many times it is asking for an update, when I started the updated process, it will get hung.
  • Opening files having a size of more than 100MB is also sometimes an issue. Except for these issues, the tool is really awesome.
  • The UI looks a bit plain and outdated. It is not a full-fledged IDE and so it lacks support for code auto completion and formatting.
Notepad++ is best suited when you want to do coding in Java, Unix, or SQL. It is having a code formatting option that makes code easy to understand and easy to find out errors and solve the programming issue. It also helps to make notes. A good thing is that it allows opening multiple tabs at a single time. It is less suited when you want to edit a file having a size greater than 100 MB. Or you want to find a typo error from log files.
Al Mubassir Muin | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Notepad++, a professional notepad that works with all Microsoft Windows OS, is an alternative to the popular notepad. With Notepad++, we can unfold and manage large documents quickly and efficiently. The core functionality is outstanding, highlighting, searching, and replacing. It supports many languages and data types such as XML, JSON, and HTML. Notepad++ can store large log files. It is useful for writing and copying code. This application has a small install footprint. It takes up little space on my drive and loads very quickly. Developers use it to create and consume software and large text files. It is ideal for opening large files, which often causes text editors to lag. It's my preferred text editor.
  • Facilitation of code editing
  • The function is easy to use
  • Instances and Multi-Window
  • Plugins make it even more potent
  • Secret or particular characters will appear.
  • No full-dark mode
  • UI appears to be a bit out of date
  • Issues with comparing files
We can see the contents of text files in their original type format because Notepad++ makes it easy to edit text files. It's a simple text editor that takes the place of Windows Notepad. It is ideal for quick notes. The notepad++ is used almost daily by me, particularly for professional use. I can write down activities, tasks, and things to do each day. It's also helpful in diagnosing programming errors. Many plugins make writing in other languages more accessible and fun with Notepad++.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Notepad++ is not standard software in the organization but because it is distributed as free software, I personally use it and have seen it used by some of my colleagues. When first looking for a powerful text editor, the available licensed software for this purpose was the commercially licensed UltraEdit. With licensing and having to request yearly for a renewal, I was personally looking for an equally useful alternative which landed me with Notepad++ and I have been using it ever since.
  • Persistent tabs that save content even when shutting down the program or dreaded BSOD
  • Vertical selection for multi-line deletes and edits
  • Regular expression search & replace
  • Quick conversion of encoding and newline characters
  • Toggle word wrap and hidden characters
  • Lots of plugin support
  • Notifies if a file has been changed on disk by another app
  • 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.
Notepad++ is a great lightweight text editor and is an immediate install to replace the default Windows Notepad for me. It is suitable for quickly opening and editing single text files and for jotting down quick notes that may be temporary.

It is great for quick edits on copy & pasting pages of text. I would use it to update paths using vertical selection or through regex search & replace.

It is not a full IDE for any kind of code editing but it is very fast to open single code files, xml or json and is my preferred way to look at contents in these files rather than opening in a code editor.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Notepad++ is used by our engineering team who does a lot of formatting for files/docs. I learned how to do the basic coding formatting in college and am able to suggest edits based on how I want the files to look. This is very important because understanding the program between users helps create efficient solutions.
  • Same format as many coding programs.
  • Easy to use
  • Clear text for less confusion between 0 and O - that is an actual issue with some programs.
  • Help support was great to work with!
  • Feels dated, keeps it relevant but the text is very 1980s.
  • A quick list for copying to a clipboard would be helpful if you are using multiple commands which happens often.
  • Need to add auto save, when making changes this would be better like other programs who use it. Just create a quick toggle to use or not use.
When using Notepad++ you can create the coding in a universal standard text and transfer it anywhere you need. We have a few programs built by SAP that we can use a backdoor for custom reports. These reports have little changes and glitches from updates, the coding is a workaround that about 400 people use in the company.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use Notepad++ on a daily basis. It's been my go-to scratchpad for notes for over 6 years, it's fast, lightweight, supports a lot of plugins, and is reliable in persisting unsaved notes when closed. It allows me to quickly jot down reminders, meeting notes, ideas, and just about anything quickly and easily so I can go back later and put the notes into project management tools, journals, etc.
  • Fast and Lightweight: Opens quickly and can stay open without using much memory.
  • Simple & Clean: Much faster and easier to use than other text editors, while being more robust than the standard Notepad App.
  • Flexible: There are some handy plugins for text manipulation, programming, and more.
  • While the UI is clean and simple, it's also dated. There are themes that can alter the appearance of the text editor itself, but the icons, tabs, etc. could use a bit of a facelift.
  • Lack of useful autocompletion for coding while full-fledged IDEs or alternative code editors work fine, it would be nice to be able to write out some quick scripts with suggestions appearing as you type to speed things up.
For quick notes, Notepad++ can't be beat. It's fast, reliable, flexible, and robust, without cluttering up the experience. However, it's not a great choice for documents that need formatting (proposals, resumes, business plans, etc.). Additionally, it supports programming languages to an extent, but there are better tools if you need to write more than a few quick lines of code.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Notepad++ is being used by our IT department within our organization. The business problem it addresses for us is allowing us to quickly look at code without having to open our various development platforms. Notepad++ also helps with displaying code in a very readable format by auto-indentation and color-coding. The minute setting capabilities allows each developer to customize it to their liking.
  • The auto-indentation allows us to more easily create/review code.
  • Color-coding depending on which development language is being viewed is very helpful.
  • The auto-saving feature is very helpful if you accidentally close the app or if your system crashes.
  • The app becomes a bit unresponsive at times when opening large log files.
  • Only works in Windows.
  • It has a bit of an old application feel to it. It would be nice to have an updated more modern UI.
Quite often, I use Notepad++ to quickly edit files and pages without having to open a more powerful IDE. When I have to update SQL scripts, Notepad++ is my go-to application unless the script gets too complicated. The default indentation feature alone has caused me to replace using regular Notepad on my system.
Robert Gephart | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
A lot of times when you are copy/pasting items across applications or websites, you want to remove the formatting from the text. The most popular software to use is Notepad. It comes installed with Windows, so it is always available. If you find that you are looking for an application that does the same thing but has more features, Notepad++ is for you.
  • Find/replace feature.
  • Multiple tabs.
  • Removes formatting from text resulting in plain text pasting.
  • It has a lot of options, sometimes they are very confusing.
  • There are a lot of hot buttons that I don't know what they do/how to use them.
  • I know that Notepad++ is a very powerful programming interface. I only use it for simple tasks.
Notepad++ is a great tool for updating code without formatting the text. If you ever need to modify a small bit of HTML for a website, it is great. I use it specifically to modify large CSV files that need bulk editing. The find/replace feature works great. I wouldn't use Notepad++ if you are writing a lot of text. It isn't a good replacement for a Word Processor. It doesn't have the formatting that you would be looking for.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Mostly everyone in my company uses Notepad++. It's an open source software which allows developers to code easily. It has all the plugins which one can download easily. As a developer, we don't need to write the entire code, because plugins make it simple to use the autocomplete features which completes the rest.
  • Open source software.
  • Variety of plugins.
  • Autocomplete and error handling functions are awesome.
  • Simple to use and easy to learn the software.
  • Debugging functionality is missing. It's important for a developer to debug their code while testing it.
  • Lots of plugins are not available for Windows 64 bit machines.
  • Some capabilities, like doing a word count, are missing.
It is useful for when you write less than 100,000 lines of code. It's not like an IDE, but it has all open source plugins, which are developed by the community and you can use to accomplish day to day tasks. It can be useful for code editing and text editing.
Christopher Boyd | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I used Notepad++ in tandem with my primary code editing software. Originally, we used it as a primary tool, but have since switched to mostly using Sublime Text for the same purposes. We use it mostly as a glorified text editor, but occasionally use it for actual code editing still. The biggest advantage to Notepad++ for us is the number of stable and supported plugins it has.
  • It's lightweight, quick to install, easy to maintain, and is overall light on the operating system. It taxes your computer very little, which makes sense as a text editor.
  • It's had years to grow and mature as a piece of software, so it does a lot of things cleanly or more intuitively than other text editors, like Sublime Text.
  • There is a very robust plugin repository, with many stable and still maintained plugins.
  • The UI could use a bit of updating. It feels like what it is - an older piece of software that is just too popular to take the time to risk revamping it.
  • It's not natively available on anything other than Windows.
Notepad++ is well suited for anyone who needs a robust text editor application or who is doing programming/coding where they don't need a lot of bells and whistles. Yes, Notepad++ has a lot of plugins and can natively work with many programming languages, but it isn't an IDE (which it isn't supposed to be). If you are like me, and you prefer lightweight and speed with plugins to enhance the experience, as opposed to a behemoth of an IDE, then I'd recommend Notepad++. If you want your code editing software to do more for you, whether you need it to or not, then Notepad++ will disappoint you.
Chris Martin | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Working with several different internal groups over the years, it's clear that Notepad++ is widely used by the IT staff (sysadmins, dbas, programmers, tech support, etc). It is not considered a corporate application that we provide to all users across our department, but the majority of the tech-related staff use Notepad++ on a regular basis. It significantly enhances the native windows text editor, by providing a magnitude of additional functions that are helpful in the day-to-day tech world.
  • It's extremely lightweight and does not slow down performance when editing files.
  • It provides syntax highlighting for an endless amount of languages.
  • The 3rd party and community-based plugins allow notepad++ to be enhanced beyond its off-the-shelf state.
  • It can be used to easily navigate and browse through .log files
  • It's FREE and Open Source
  • It has native autocomplete for some programming languages, which can slow down with plugins.
  • Biggest room for improvement is it's dated design UX/UI.
On a regular basis, I use Notepad++ to quickly edit files without having to open a more powerful IDE. If I need to make changes to source-code, for example, and SQL script, I'll typically do it in Notepad++ depending on the complexity. The same goes for other files, like JavaScript, XML, HTML, etc. I also use it to read log files. For example, while doing system administration for app servers, I've created a custom syntax highlight for the type of log files that I read. This way I can easily identify debugging or error lines throughout the log files.
James Pautz II | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Notepad++ is used by technical and non-technical teams at my company. Almost everyone on my team (Technical Consulting) who is on Windows uses Notepad++. We use it to write scripts, view CSV and XML data, and as a general text editor. We also use a plugin for Notepad++ called "Fingertext" extensively to help us write commonly used scripts.
  • It has a simple UI.
  • It is generally fast.
  • It has syntax highlighting for most common formats/languages and you can add your own for custom languages.
  • You can customize a lot about how it works and there is a large plugin collection available to extend functionality.
  • It is free.
  • My biggest annoyance is large file performance. I open large XML files frequently and it can handle them eventually, but the program locks up while it is loading. If you open a really really large file it will freeze and never recover.
  • I like the simple UI, but it feels a bit dated, especially compared to new competitors.
  • The 64-bit version doesn't support the plugins I need.
If you aren't managing larger projects, but dealing with one-off scripting or looking at files, this is the tool for you. It is free, fast (generally), and it has been around for a long time with a big community supporting it. There are also a large number of plugins to extend functionality to your needs.

If you are managing larger projects with multiple files, use an IDE or a more enhanced IDE-like text editor like Brackets or Visual Studio Code.
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