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Notepad++ vs Notepads: catalog facts
Notepad++	Notepads
Free Free as in speech and free as in beer, in the author’s own words, under the GNU General…	Free The open-source application is available without a license fee.
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	Tabs, Markdown preview and change previews
Windows only; there is no official macOS or Linux build The plugin ecosystem is older and less active than that of modern editors	Available for Windows only.
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-3.0	License: MIT
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 20, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

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