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Notepad++Bluefish
Free

Free as in speech and free as in beer, in the author’s own words, under the GNU General…

 Free

Free and open source under the GNU GPL.

Windows Windows, macOS, Linux
  • Opens instantly and uses little memory, thanks to pure Win32 and the Scintilla component
  • Syntax highlighting for many programming and natural languages, with tabs and split view
  • Light on resources, handles 100+ open files
  • Web development extras built in
  • Windows only; there is no official macOS or Linux build
  • The plugin ecosystem is older and less active than that of modern editors
  • Traditional desktop interface rather than a modern IDE layout
  • Fewer extensions than larger editors
Downloadable app Downloadable app
Open source Open source
License: GPL-3.0 License: GPL
No account needed No account needed
Works offline Works offline

Checked September 20, 2026

Checked September 24, 2026

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