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BowPad vs TextPad: catalog facts
BowPad	TextPad
Free Free and open source.	Paid Paid licence with a free trial download.
Windows	Windows
Syntax highlighting for over 100 languages Handles UTF-8, UTF-16 and UTF-32	Familiar Windows-style interface with little to learn No adverts and no usage statistics collected
Windows only, requiring Windows 10 22H2 or later Ribbon interface may not suit everyone	Windows only Requires a paid licence after the trial
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Closed source
License not stated	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.