--- title: "Notepad++ Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra" description: "Is Notepad++ the right Source Code Management solution for you? Explore 2006 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/185965/Notepad/reviews/" page_type: "reviews" language: "en" --- Notepad++ 4.7 (2006) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/185965/Notepad/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated September 16th, 2026 # Reviews of Notepad++ Ease of use 4.7 Customer Service 4.3 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews RV Rakhi V QA LeadInformation Technology and Services, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “It was incredibly useful for reviewing log files, comparing test outputs, and making quick edits to test data files without any overhead.“ April 20, 2026 RV Rakhi V QA LeadInformation Technology and Services, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “The lack of a native diff or file comparison view built directly into the core tool was a gap — you had to rely on a plugin that didn't always behave consistently.“ April 20, 2026 MS Marvin S Lead DeveloperComputer Software, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Its suitable for note taking, editing config files or even some coding with syntac highlighting and formatting“ June 19, 2026 IS Ilayda S Marketing DirectorApparel & Fashion, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “It’s very basic, particularly for visual formatting it’s plain text oriented; so things like rich text editing and adding images aren’t really in the cards.“ May 1, 2025 SS Scott S Project ManagerHuman Resources, 1,001 - 5,000 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “It is also a practical tool to prepare clean notes, quickly edit exported files (CSV, logs, etc.) or correct content before integrating it into another system.“ March 3, 2026 DM Dhaval M Associate Electrical EngineerDefense & Space, 10,001+ employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “I don't like how the rows extend out as far as they can because this makes it hard to see the other rows below it.“ March 10, 2025 RR Rufus R Technology Business ConsultantFinancial Services, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Responsiveness of app, vast library of plug-ins, find and replace feature is very powerful, block-comment, line comment, XPath finder, recognising syntax for almost every language - it is ESSENTIAL for anyone in tech.“ November 18, 2024 AH Andrew H Software DeveloperInformation Technology and Services, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “The indexing process can also be slow for large projects.“ March 29, 2025 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 2006 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Gene B. Principal Consultant Financial Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Notepad++ is Everything You Need in an Editor" January 5, 2026 5.0 I love using Notepad++. It has been my go to editor for editing SQL and C Sharp code. I prefer to edit in Notepad++ and then copy paste into Visual Studio for my SQL code. Pros Notepad++ offers great value and outstanding features. It allows me to have multiple windows open at once for editing. I love the fact that it highlights keywords when I use the appropriate file extension. Cons It seems as a default, it assumes the file is a text file and then sometimes I have to go to the finder and rename the file extension. Switched from [Sublime Text](https://www.capterra.com/p/179535/Sublime-Text/) Notepad++ was provided by the client I'm working for and then I liked it so much I decided to use for all of my work. Review Source Junaid E. National IT Manager Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Simple, fast, and reliable for everyday code editing" January 22, 2026 5.0 Overall, Notepad++ is a dependable and efficient code editor that does its job extremely well. It is ideal for quick edits, scripting, configuration files and lightweight development work. Pros Notepad++ is fast, lighweight and extremely easy to use. It launches instantly and provides exactly what you need for everyday code editing. It is completely free which makes value for money hard to beat. Cons The interface feels dated compared to modern IDEs and advance features require plugins which can take some time to configure. Alternatives considered [Visual Studio Code](https://www.capterra.com/p/186634/Visual-Studio-Code/) Reason for choosing Notepad++ While Visual Studio Code is more powerful, Notepad ++ is much lighter and faster for quick edits and simple coding tasks. Review Source TW Tonji W. Data entry Entertainment Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Notepad not better than Word" January 4, 2025 3.0 Used to creates a list , a paragraph, or essay. But not good on editing Pros Mayne a first creation before word.. It can however be used to make a list and shrinked in the corner on the front page of your laptop or computer. Cons Its nothibg like Word misiinh a lot of action. Review Source MS Marvin S. Lead Developer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A lightweight upgrade of the notepad" June 19, 2026 5.0 I have it installed on most my pcs just because its a great gap filler between the almost useless notepad of windows and the heavy weight programming ide. For all the times where you just quickly need to open up a text based file for a little edit. Pros Its easy, intuitive but still has everything that the default windows notepad is missing. Its suitable for note taking, editing config files or even some coding with syntac highlighting and formatting Cons It is in the end still "just" a notepad so its not suitable as a proper IDE. It is missing most feature that become critical if you seriously want to work with text Review Source DF Daniel F. Solutions Engineer Market Research Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Notepad++ review from developer" August 7, 2025 5.0 Notepad++ is a great text editor for developers. It is our go-to software for editing files that have foreign language characters. It has many great search options, macros, and other nice features. Pros It had great options for different file encoding which works great with foreign language text. It can easily switch to UTF-8 with or without BOM character which came in very handy. It also has many search options, macro options as well. Cons I would like to see a clip library. For us coders, setting up code blocks in a clip library would be quite useful. Switched from [TextPad](https://www.capterra.com/p/234317/TextPad/) Options for foreign language characters were better Review Source AT Athira T. Sr.Software Engineer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Software beyond a text editor" April 18, 2025 5.0 very fast performance and it's part of my day to day tasks Pros It is a software beyond an editor, allows to do all formatings amendmends.It also allows to view the file in appropriate view eg:json,java class etc. Cons nothing like that as it's part of my day to day coding activities Switched from [Sublime Text](https://www.capterra.com/p/179535/Sublime-Text/) easiness to use notepad++ and it's tab support Review Source MG Mario G. IT Director Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Probablt the most popular text editor" March 17, 2025 5.0 Been using for many years, and just about every feature you want is there, for an editor. Macro record and playback, case conversion and swapping, formatting and beautifying. Pros Tons of features and usable plugins. Supports massive files. Understands and formats a variety of source code formats. Cons Fonts could be easier to customize for old eyes. Alternatives considered [Visual Studio Code](https://www.capterra.com/p/186634/Visual-Studio-Code/) Reason for choosing Notepad++ Lightwight and fast. Force of habit, using for many years. Review Source RV Rakhi V. QA Lead Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Notepadd ++ Review after usage of a year" April 20, 2026 4.0 It's the tool you reach for when you need something fast, simple, and reliable without the weight of a full editor. It's not a replacement for a proper IDE or dedicated testing tool but as a lightweight everyday utility it consistently delivers and rarely gets in the way. Pros It was incredibly useful for reviewing log files, comparing test outputs, and making quick edits to test data files without any overhead. The find and replace with regex support was a particular favorite — it saved a lot of manual work when searching through large log files or cleaning up test data in bulk. Cons The lack of a native diff or file comparison view built directly into the core tool was a gap — you had to rely on a plugin that didn't always behave consistently. Being Windows only was also a recurring frustration for anyone working in a mixed OS environment. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Web Developer Human Resources Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Great lightwell code editing tool" April 6, 2026 5.0 My experience has been excellent. I use it daily for quick script edits, log file analysis, and as a scratchpad for code snippets. It is completely free and does exactly what it promises without any bloat. Pros Notepad++ is lightweight program with low resource consumption while containing essential features for code editing. Cons User interface could use some redesigns. While it is not a challenge to navigate, it feels outdated. Review Source HR Hayden R. Graphic Designer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Solid Code editor for everybody" May 3, 2026 5.0 I had a really good experience with Notepad ++, it supports all the feature i would like it too when i first started to write code. The initial set-up is very straightforward to do and made better being a free platform. Pros It's a simple text editor that's able to support HTML & CSS capabilities, perfect for anybody who wants to learn code. It also predicts which tag im trying to close before i type it in which is really useful. Cons I think the user interface has become a little outdated for it's time. i shortly made the switch over to Sublime Text as it's formatting and use of colour make writing and understanding code a little easier for me. Review Source eZ emin Z. Sn. Developer Computer Software Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Simple is the best! Notepad++ is the best in the west!" January 17, 2024 5.0 We have been using it for many years. We switched to notepad++ from dreamviewer. Really simplicity and placement of font sizes (being able to see more lines on a single monitor) gives us comfort Pros The "search in files" and "replace in files" feature is very good. File recovery is very good at keeping the file you forgot to save in memory. The "Mark" feature is also very useful. You can easily filter the source code (especially multi-line) by marking certain code snippets or functions. Cons More integration options can be added. The feature of automatically opening newly created files "in the following encoding" can be added. each time, we need to change the file encoding property to UTF-8 BOM. Switched from [Adobe Dreamweaver](https://www.capterra.com/p/233245/Adobe-Dreamweaver/) The program was very slow and old. It was in 2012. Dreamviewer may have changed and become faster. But those years were very slow. Review Source ZM Zain M. Self-employed Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Super Simple, Super Snappy and Super Sturdy!" September 9, 2022 4.0 Notepad++ is \*the\* essential tool for anyone wanting more than regular Notepad AND less than bloated and sluggish text editors like VS Code, Atom, and the whole slew of "modern" Electron-based editors. While it doesn't have the most modern look, lacks some features and QoL improvements that are expected in today's digital environment, it excels with its super fast startup times, dead simple text editing features suited for coding, doesn't feel bloated or gets in the way of your flow, is lightweight and snappy, and packs a slew of cool features that might be a bit hidden at first, but once you know where to look or need them, they pack lots of power :) And while I do wish it would get a graphical upgrade, it should not come at the cost of its speed, simplicity and performance. Until someone manages to make an alternative that's like VS Code in features and look and feel, BUT with Notepad++'s speed and performance, I'm sticking with N++ for now :) Pros The blazing fast startup speeds, the simple yet flexible UI and features, the code highlighting in so many languages, and the ease of writing code in a dead simple environment that is lightweight, fast and doesn't get in the way of getting to develop your cool ideas 😇 I also love how it keeps all the files open, even unsaved ones, so that you're able to jot down stuff quickly or paste code snippets without losing them when closing Notepad++ :) Also, it has some really handy keyboard shortcuts for essential stuff that I now can't live without in other text editors, like CTRL+D to duplicate line :D Cons While the native GUI allows for a snappy and fast-booting experience, there can be some "archaic" features or "outdated" ways of doing things, or outright some essential QoL features missing that are ubiquitous in the modern dev era. While most aren't an issue, the biggest drawback that I experience is that code hinting can become rather slow in a large codebase, as the dropdown menu "stutters" for every single letter typed, and you'd think such a trivial matter would have better performance. But it's not an issue as it only happens sometimes, and it pales in the face of every other pro :) Switched from [Apache NetBeans](https://www.capterra.com/p/178681/Apache-NetBeans/)[Visual Studio Code](https://www.capterra.com/p/186634/Visual-Studio-Code/) Performance, startup speeds, simplicity in its UI, and familiarity Review Source AH Andrew H. Software Developer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Best Code Editor " March 29, 2025 4.0 It is the best code editor for me. It’s fast and intuitive for simple coding Pros I can be built directly within this platform with the syntax highlighting and plugin support Cons The indexing process can also be slow for large projects. Review Source ES Ed S. Service Desk Manager Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Notepad++ is an A+ for Text Editing" January 21, 2025 5.0 Notepad++ is very fast, easy to work on, and keeps everything simply yet feature rich. Many editors do either too much or too little, Notepad++ does the correct combination of it all, and customizable enough to fix anything to most users' liking. Pros The simple interface, working formatter, syntax highlighter, and out-of-the-box support for pretty much every language I'm aware of. Cons I wish there was a native Vim bind, but there are multiple fully featured community plugins available. Review Source NS Netra S. Senior RPA Developer Oil & Energy Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Reliable and fast code editor" December 5, 2024 5.0 Notepad++ is a lightweight application that requires very less memory storage which makes it easy to use and it opens very quickly with very less loading time. Pros It's a very low memeory application. It supports almost all programming languages. I use it for editing the code and I really like the ease with which editing can be done because of the clean User Interface Cons No features to dislike. I like all the features the product offers Review Source RR Rufus R. Technology Business Consultant Financial Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Essential Software For Anyone In Tech" November 18, 2024 5.0 My job would be so much more tedious without Notepad++. Otherwise difficult tasks like finding syntax errors or comparing files is made easy with it. Pros Responsiveness of app, vast library of plug-ins, find and replace feature is very powerful, block-comment, line comment, XPath finder, recognising syntax for almost every language - it is ESSENTIAL for anyone in tech. Cons If you have a lot of files open, it can be difficult to make sure you compare the two you intended when using the compare plug-in. Review Source AF Analia F. Ssr. QA Tester Insurance Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A great text editor tool, which can also be used as Coding IDE" October 5, 2024 5.0 A great text editor tool, which can also be used as Coding IDE Pros It can identify lot of different programming languages and add proper indexation Cons Sometimes plugins identification is tough due to the many available options Review Source Gokul K. Senior Consultant Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Notepad++ V7.7.1" September 13, 2019 5.0 I am using this Notepad++ as an developer for past 6 years right from 2013. As an developer and support person in my project I used to have lot of SQL insert commands, BCP IN/OUT and other FTP commands to be typed and generated it as an macro for millions of rows. So this software is used to avoid lot of halles in first place. As well since I am an developer this is used to create formatting loop for SQL procedure, functions and views. As well by erroneously if the notepad closed also the next day when we opends it saves the data in the local and we can get started from the place where we left. Pros 1\. Notepad is very good and easy when we are a developer particularly for .HTML, CSS Designs 2. It is an Good IDE when we are using for SQL. It will clearly shows conditional formatting, loops and other contents as required for avoiding compilation errors. 3. The IDE is free in the market and selling for a least dollar amount by Scooter INC., 4. Automatic spell checker and avoiding grammatical things when typing the words. This feature is called "Autocomplete" which suits to HTML and SQL also. 5. Macros also available which is used for any BCP or Insert commands when writing for SQL server coding (T-SQL). 6. Supports N number of languages right from HTML till Java, ASP and VB also. SO formatting is very easy and done at one place rather than having their IDE's when developer develops multiple tings at one place. Cons 1\. Notepad++ is sometimes slower in nature and getting closed automatically without any error messages though it was light weight in nature. 2. For a developer/programmer this is very good however for tech managers and directors this is not a good tool to dealt with since we have lot of paid one in the market with features in the market for any presentations to be performed. Overall disadvantage or CONS is less so nothing to be presented much apart from this. Reason for choosing Notepad++ Good for Developer which acts as an IDE for several languages in a single place to use. Example a developer may develop an HTML, JQuery, VB and SQL as an backed. So all formatting can be done at a single place without any hassles. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer System Architect Telecommunications Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Not a simple Text Editor" April 6, 2021 5.0 This is my preferred tool for daily activities. I use it to compare 2 text files (something really useful), also to take notes (as the primary objective of this tool), to read code (it has support to several coding languages), to read JSON files (by far, my preferred functionality). Pros There's a large number of really useful features in this application that can serve many different use purposes. The three major strengths I see in this tool are: - The powerful onboard features (check how many options are there on the default menu bar. The search function is really flexible, with the mark functionality onboard that help us to identify words or even lines to be fully replaced or deleted). Another really nice one is the shift+alt+click functionality to make dynamic selection of texts. Also, special mention to the auto-save feature of multiple files (usually, I keep on more than 30 opened files at same time). - The facility to install and start using it (it is straight forward as any text editor should be) and, the stability combined with low use of system resources (as earlier mentioned, even with +30 opened files simultaneously, performance never drops). - The large variety of available plugins that make it this tool capable to assume many different roles such as a text editor, a JSON file analyzer, a XML analyzer, a code editor, a two-text files comparison tool... Cons For some features, we have so many options that it may be confusing for new users. For instance, I keep on forgetting how to mark and delete some lines because despite the mark functionality appears on the search bar, the remove functionality is hidden under search-bookmark option. Review Source sandeep K. Software developer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Notepad++ is a text and source code editor for use with Microsoft Windows." October 5, 2022 5.0 I use Notepad as my Python integrated development environment since it makes programming simpler. Additionally, it aids with code completion. " It is free and open source, has a tonne of functionality, is simple to change, and supports plug-in integration. Pros As a programming editor, I have been using Notepad ++. I write code in practically all well-known programming languages, including Python and Java. It contains incredible editor capabilities including text highlighting, word searching, text replacement, and debugging. Both technical and non-technical users will find it to be quite simple to use. As a programming editor, I have been using Notepad ++. I write code in practically all well-known programming languages, including Python and Java. It contains incredible editor capabilities including text highlighting, word searching, text replacement, and debugging. Both technical and non-technical users will find it to be quite simple to use. Cons Because Notepad++ has its own ecosystem, it cannot be integrated with any other significant productivity tools that users frequently use, such as Zoom, Dropbox, Asana, etc. However, since it's not a really substantial piece of software, it's not a big deal. Because Notepad++ has its own ecosystem, it cannot be integrated with any other significant productivity tools that users frequently use, such as Zoom, Dropbox, Asana, etc. However, since it's not a really substantial piece of software, it's not a big deal. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Senior Software Developer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Love to work with this editor" October 11, 2020 5.0 1) It's easy to use 2) Handy software editor for improving your work performance and skills. 3) Advanced version from windows default notepad editor. 4) Auto save file feature. 5) Technical updates are available on approx monthly basis. What problems are you solving with the product? What benefits have you realized? 1) I am using this tool for storing my important data on daily basis. Like I have written some daily used data in a text file. So whenever I have to add new content of the day then i added in this file. In case i forget to save that data then it's automatically keep my data is safe. So i no need to save again an again. 2) Opening programming file of C#,Html,Java script, c etc language. 3)Analysis logs of software project in organization. 4)Used this editor tool for learn Python language. 5)Easy to use and every text is having line no. So it's easy to find any info on particular line. 6)Giving multiple tab opening function for multiple file opening at a time. 7) I love more in this tool is Auto save of file. Pros 1) I like auto save function in notepad++.It's giving advance feature on normal notepad. 2) Any programming language development we can do. Because it's supporting every type of file extension. 3) Easy for find character length, Line no and search. 4) We can install some extra plug in for use like If we want to install JSON type plugin then we do . 5)More control on files. Like Colors and comments are also manageable in this editor. 6) More frequent updated are available. 7)Intellisense also working for particular programming or typing a text. Cons I am using this tool from last 5 year. But Still not such an issue. In case of large file of txt. It's not able to open. So we can say this need to improve. Like it's not able to open 1GB size txt file. Review Source AI Anwarul I. Software Engineer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Notepad++ Review" June 29, 2021 5.0 I can say Notepad ++ is the king of Text Editor, Actually it is more than a Text Editor, Every single day I use this while I need to organize a bunch of text, Finding particular word & replace with other one, If my device crushes I can rest assure my doc will not be lost, To be honest I stared my programming career with Notepad++, I used to write HTML, CSS code in Notepad++. Pros • Notepad++ is easy to install & light weight, User friendly & versatile, • Multiple encoding of text is really useful, • MD5 & Sha-256 digest are also useful features, • Can record while typing is really cool, • Super fast in search & replace including complex ones, • Regex can be used in finding and replacing, • Multiple tabs can be opened at once, • Auto save feature is really user friendly, • Can be used as universal programming environment, • If Notepad++ is used as IDE it's colors for different parts of code (language vs variables) is really useful, • Multiple plugins can be integrated and thus makes Notepad++ more powerful & expandable, • Particular file type can be selected while saving files. Cons • UI looks a little old, • As Notepad++ has a universal programming environment, • Multiple themes can be added • Adding compilation would be great while using as IDE • As this is a text editor, So feature like bold & italic could be available Review Source AA Alex A. System Analysis Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Come for the easy way to view and edit text files, stay for features " October 13, 2021 5.0 Notepad++ has become one of the first programs I install and any new computer or server. Having a light weight way to open up any source code files, being able to view the code in a extremely readable manner, and being able to make quick changes has been extremely valuable to me in to many situations to count. Notepad++ is to programming what a good multitool is to handyman work, its unobtrusive enough to always keep on you and will save a ton of time when a more powerful or specialized tool will not yield better results. Pros Light weight and open source, can be installed on pretty much anything without having to worry about taking up resources. Extremely useful to keep on a server. Recognizes a lot of programming languages and syntax right out of the box, but also has the options of adding plugins to expand upon its functionality. Notepad++ is exactly what you would expect from the name, it is like the basic Notepad application with a ton of useful extras. Most importantly though is the program does not bombard you with its extra functionality, instead letting the user explore freely. If you are in the market for a better version of Notepad that is exactly what you will find when you first open it, and if you like it enough that you want to explore further you can discover a large amount of additional useful features. Cons As a piece of open source free software for viewing and editing raw text files and source code I cannot think of any cons. Compared to a full IDE Notepad++ lacks may critical features, but Notepad++ is not a full IDE and does not claim to be. When viewed through the lens of being a simple text editor that extends itself just beyond its necessary scope for the users convivence I cannot find any faults. Review Source pA peter A. IT Asset & Configuration Analyst, Service Catalog Manager and Knowledge Base Manager Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best Times With NotePad As a developer" November 14, 2022 5.0 Notepad++ has given me a good experience when it comes to finding where an error is in a code. I can say with this too i have developed my hawk eye of spotting bugs. Pros Notepad++ is very easy and simple to use. It menu is simple and the tools available makes programming enjoying. I love it ability to identify a line of code where there is an error , when you try to compile what you have coded. It is light on the machine, it does not consume cpu or memory making it ease to code and play music or movie at same time. Cons I have not yet seen a feature that stores previous code and compares to current code , so that you can easily spot out what lines where changed or added. I think it will be a good feature to have Switched from [ECLIPSE](https://www.capterra.com/p/27349/ECLIPSE/) I needed something light to work with Review Source Noureen P. Corporate Human Resources Staffing and Recruiting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Streamline Your Coding Workflow with Notepad++ ." March 1, 2023 5.0 features of Notepad++ include syntax highlighting for a wide range of programming languages, multi-tabbed interface, search and replace with regular expressions, auto-completion, and macro recording and playback. Additionally, it has a plugin architecture that allows users to extend its functionality with plugins for tasks such as code folding, FTP integration, and more. Pros Versatile: Notepad++ can handle a wide range of file types, including programming languages, HTML, and XML.Lightweight: Notepad++ is a lightweight application that does not consume many resources, making it run smoothly even on older hardware.Customizable: Notepad++ offers a range of customization options, including syntax highlighting, code folding, and user-defined shortcuts, which can help you personalize your editing environment.Powerful search and replace: Notepad++ allows you to perform advanced searches and replace operations across multiple files, making it easy to update code snippets or text across an entire project.Plugin support: Notepad++ has an extensive plugin library that extends its capabilities, allowing you to add new features, automate tasks, or integrate with other tools. Cons Notepad++ is primarily a single-user text editor and does not have built-in collaboration features like those found in more advanced editors or integrated development environments (IDEs).and also Notepad++ does not have built-in debugging tools, which may make it less suitable for complex programming tasks. Review Source Similar Products Featured