# Notepad++ Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Notepad++ the right Source Code Management solution for you? Explore 2004 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/185965/Notepad/reviews --- Notepad++ 4.7 (2004) [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 March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of Notepad++ Ease of use 4.7 Customer Service 4.3 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews 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 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 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 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 MA Moath A Operations ManagerConstruction, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “For tweaking internal scripts, examining logs, or just blindly changing system files, Notepad++ is quick, light, and supports every language we need.“ June 27, 2025 SM Sabrina M CashierRetail, 10,001+ employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “Furthermore, I found the website very difficult to navigate, and they have a long list of downloads that do not specify what version is compatible with your OS or has the right features.“ June 7, 2024 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 Catherine G BPO SpecialistComputer Software, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “Doesn't have debugging capabilities and when processing huge files there is a performance issue in Notepad++.“ June 9, 2024 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 2004 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 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 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 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 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 SS Scott S. Project Manager Human Resources Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Simple and Efficient" March 3, 2026 5.0 Notepad++ is a simple tool but extremely practical to work on text, scripts or configuration files. Even in a non-technical environment, it is very useful on a daily basis. Pros I appreciate its lightness and speed. Notepad++ opens instantly and allows to handle text files much easier than a classic editor. 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. Cons Also, even if it is perfect for editing text, it is obviously not a collaboration tool: as soon as you need to work as a team, you have to use other platforms. Review Source JN Jean-Pierre N. Instructional Designer Higher Education Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Notpad +++ is a user-friendly editor" January 12, 2026 5.0 Notpad +++ is a user-friendly editor that has a very simple graphical interface, and can support several plugins. Pros I like the fact that it has a very simple graphic interface, is user-friendly, free for all Windows users, and opens very fast. It can also highlight the syntax for different colors in multiple languages. Cons While its GUI is simple, it lacks some important elements compared to other editors. It also lacks very important features for debugging. Review Source Przemek P. Senior IT Specialist Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Notepad++ a must have for IT specialist. " April 3, 2023 5.0 It gives me a free scripting program to work with all types of codes. I can quickly view and evaluate the script, make necessary corrections, and then save it in the same format it was opened with. Pros Notepad++ is suitable for all scripting languages and can be used to write and edit all types of code, like scripts and configuration files. It is easy and free to use, which makes it a valuable asset for programmers and IT specialists in general. Cons Sometimes I miss the terminal feature like in Powershell or Visual Studio, where I could check the code without implementing it in the environment. Such a testing feature is almost a must-have, and because Notepad++ doesn't have it I sometimes chose other scripting solutions. Reason for choosing Notepad++ Simple, functional, easy to install configure and deploy.. and cheap. Switched from [Visual Studio Code](https://www.capterra.com/p/186634/Visual-Studio-Code/) VS Code is a complex tool which is not always good for complexed but repeating tasks. Review Source Antonio B. Senior Solutions Engineer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Free, easy to use, fast, what else?" June 24, 2022 4.0 It is super positive. It is a product that I must always have installed on my PC. Opening a file, writing a short document, working with JSON and XML, reading source code... every day there is something that I do with this product!! Pros The product is easy to use. Just with a couple of clicks you have a solution that can help you in the day by day activities: you can take easily quick notes (potentially without saving, the file will stay there), you can use the tool to open files with specific formats like XML and JSON leveraging additional plugins for formatting in the right way the file. Last but not least, Notepad++ is really fast when opening a file, it is immediate, you do not need to wait. Cons It is difficult to find a real limit to the product. As functionalities, it is done more than what promises to do. Obviously, you can't compare the product with other solutions specialized to do specific things, for example, if you need to work with C# code frequently, you may prefer a dedicated and specialized environment. If you need to write a document including for example charts and images, you should use something else. Alternatives considered [Microsoft OneNote](https://www.capterra.com/p/227211/Microsoft-OneNote/)[Visual Studio Code](https://www.capterra.com/p/186634/Visual-Studio-Code/)[Microsoft Word](https://www.capterra.com/p/227146/Microsoft-Word/) Reason for choosing Notepad++ For my requirements, just with a single product, I was able to find what I need. That was the main driver of the choice. Obviously, if you need something more specialized, you should evaluate other products. In my case, I saw Notepad++ as a quick win: I have a fast way to open the files that I need. Review Source MP Mike P. Network Administrator Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best Notepad you can have" December 4, 2024 5.0 I am not a coder so I really don't use the product to the full, but as a notepad it far exceeds any other that's out there. Pros The #1 reason I love Notepad++ is that it keeps my notes without saving them, perfect for when I am in a rush or don't pay attention to my battery life. Cons There is not a Mac or Linux version out there. Review Source AKT A. K. T. Android Developer Computer Software Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "Best notepad++, always open it in system." January 16, 2025 5.0 Notepad ++ is very useful and easy to install it, doesn't need to save created new file and automatic save its contains. When we need to write any type of notes that time first preference is it. Great software. Pros Notepad ++ is very useful and easy to install it, doesn't need to save created new file and automatic save its contains. Cons Nothing to any drawback on it, because doing everything perfectly. Review Source PWM Pyae Win M. PHP Web Developer Education Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Best Light Weight Text Editor" September 9, 2024 5.0 Pros I use notepad ++ every day for my taking notes. UI is pretty and very simple for all user. Useful feature for me is automatic save when we close the software. I can chage the font size, theme colors and import coding. The best thing is that it is free. And then search and replace files make me enjoy. For devloper, it includes many useful features like code import, scripting, HTML,CSS,etc... Cons There is nothing. I enjoy to use notepad ++. It is very useful function, features than microsoft notepad. Review Source VM Viktoriia M. Customer Support Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Notepad++ review" August 25, 2024 5.0 Pros I use Notepad++ daily for notes. The most important to me that in one window I can work with multiple files in different tabs. It increases my productivity. Cons Cons: works only on Windows platform. And also one downside that it doesn't detect mistakes. Review Source SM Sabrina M. Cashier Retail Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Interested in Scripting? Install Notepad ++" June 7, 2024 5.0 Pros I was unaware of Notepad ++ until I became interested in learning basic visual script, a programming language. At first, I attempted to write scripts in Microsoft's built-in text processing software, but I found that very tedious and difficult. However, after looking online for software that eases programming for beginning script writers, I found Notepad ++, and I am so glad that I did. In short, while software like Notepad does not allow users to change text color, Notepad ++ does. Ultimately, this feature--coupled with a few others--makes differentiating between different lines of text much easier, which is useful when programming, where you see several repetitive lines of code that can be an eyesore at times to read. Thus, I greatly enjoyed Notepad ++ and recommend it to anyone interested in scripting, as it makes the whole process more streamlined and convenient. Cons I will try to keep this portion of the review as brief as possible because I really enjoyed Notepad ++ and don't have (or even want to say!) many negative things about it. Furthermore, as I think about it, not many grievances even come to mind in the first place! However, with that said, one (and the only) thing I noticed was their advertising and marketing. Simply put, it was VERY difficult to find the official webpage, and when I eventually did (which took a while), I wasn't even confident that it was, in fact, the official site. Furthermore, I found the website very difficult to navigate, and they have a long list of downloads that do not specify what version is compatible with your OS or has the right features. Ultimately, in conclusion, it's quite confusing to find and download, but once you do, it is absolutely worth it! Review Source Catherine G. BPO Specialist Computer Software Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Notepad ++ best editor" June 9, 2024 5.0 Highly recommended for creating and scripting task. You can use multiple Notepad++ in your window for file compares. Many developers used this apps because it supports 80 programming languages and it's free to donwload. Pros It's easy to use for a beginner and user-friendly. Cons Doesn't have debugging capabilities and when processing huge files there is a performance issue in Notepad++. Review Source SA Setareh A. Electrical Engineer Research Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Notepad++ is a must-have text editing tool" April 20, 2023 5.0 Overall, Notepad++ is an extremely reliable tool that is perfect for anyone who needs a powerful text editor. Its intuitive interface, extensive feature set, and support for multiple programming languages make it a wonderfl choice among program developers. Pros I use Notepad++ everyday at work. I use it mainly for writing programs and codes. Notepad++ is a powerful text editor that I recommed it to whoever spends a significant amount of time on text editing and coding. Notepad++ makes your life easier. It is completely free to download and use. It is also open-source, which means that users can customize and modify the source code as per their specific needs.Furthermore, Notepad++ is a lightweight application that doesn't take up too much space on your computer. One of the standout features of Notepad++ is its robust syntax highlighting, which supports over 50 programming and markup languages. This feature allows me to quickly and easily identify different parts of my code, and therefore making editing and debugging much easier.Another important feature is the ability to use multiple tabs, allowing users to work on multiple files without having to switch between them manually. Cons There are no specific cons for Notepad++. The only thing I can mention is that compared to an Integrated Development Environment (IDE), Notepad++ comes with limited features. I do not consider this as a disadvantage, since it is free and naturally it is not developed as an IDE. I enjoy using Notepad++ at work. It totally worth it, I recommend it to everyone who needs a text editing tool. 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 Géovanny N. graphic designer Graphic Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Notepad++ an essential text editor" February 14, 2023 4.0 Pros I find Notepad++ very convenient for several reasons:It is free, so I can use it without spending money.It is versatile and supports many programming languages, so I can use it for different projects.It's lightweight and runs fast, even on my old computer.The user interface is customizable, so I can adjust it to my preferences.It offers handy features such as text search and replace, syntax highlighting, etc.It supports plugins, which means I can add additional features if needed.There is also a portable version that I can use from a USB stick, which is very handy when I am working on different computers.For all these reasons, Notepad++ is my favorite text editor and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a reliable and convenient text editor. Cons I find Notepad++ to be a very useful text editor, but it also has some drawbacks. Here are the ones I've noticed:It can crash from time to time, especially if I'm working on large files.It lacks some advanced features, like built-in debugging for more advanced programming languages.The user interface can seem a bit dated and less intuitive than some other text editors.Even though the user interface is customizable, it can take some time to configure it to my preferences.However, the advantages of Notepad++ are numerous and the disadvantages minor. All in all, I find it an excellent tool for editing text and code, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a simple and reliable text editor. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer ceo Consumer Electronics Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Lightweight Powerhouse for Text and Code" February 6, 2024 5.0 Pros What's to love: Free and open-source: Save your budget and join a vibrant community for support and plugins. Lightweight and fast: Blazing performance, even on older machines, means smooth sailing for your edits. Cons debugging tools: For complex projects requiring in-depth debugging, Notepad++ might fall short compared to full-fledged IDEs with integrated debuggers and breakpoints. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Data Scientist Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Notepad ++ (As name suggests better than Notepad)" August 5, 2022 5.0 Pros The most important feature I like in this software is find and replace in all opened documents which reduces our job. And based on the extension given for the file name while saving, it colours the keywords and gives proper indentation whenever we switch to next line. An last thing is the suggestion system it has. It makes our job very easy. Cons It does not highlight keywords for all the language files. Still more features need to be added like advanced languages compilers and also the feature to add external extensions. These are still yet to come and hope Notepad++ get these features ASAP. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Senior Software Engineer/ Lead Engineer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Its old school, but simple and I love it" June 4, 2021 4.0 I just love it. As I said whenever I have a small code file that needs to be opened, this is what comes to my mind. I do use other code editors, but this will always be my emergency code editor and emergency code, reader. Pros The simplicity of Notepad++ makes me want to use it more and more. it will always be the first thing that comes to my mind when I need to edit some code or open a code file for emergencies. I like the vertical selection feature and search in folders feature. Cons The main thing missing is integration with the latest frameworks and programming languages. To work according to the syntaxes of the latest languages, I think it is better to be integrated with them properly. I am not suggesting to make it more complicated by adding all the plugins like version controls, emulator connection, and all. Please keep the simplicity but please make this up to date. 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 Similar Products Featured ## Related categories [Application Development](https://www.capterra.com/application-development-software/)[Source Code Management](https://www.capterra.com/source-code-management-software/)