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Notepad++ vs Notepad3: catalog facts
Notepad++	Notepad3
Free Free as in speech and free as in beer, in the author’s own words, under the GNU General…	Free Free to download and use, with source code published on GitHub.
Windows	Windows
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	Small memory footprint and fast start Syntax highlighting and code folding
Windows only; there is no official macOS or Linux build The plugin ecosystem is older and less active than that of modern editors	Windows only Far fewer features and plugins than a full IDE
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-3.0	License not stated
No account needed	No account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 20, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

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