Visual Studio Code vs Notepad++: catalog facts
 Visual Studio Code |  Notepad++ |
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Free Free to download and use. GitHub Copilot and other AI features are separate paid… |
Free Free as in speech and free as in beer, in the author’s own words, under the GNU General… |
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Windows, macOS, Linux |
Windows |
- Extensions for essentially every language and framework
- Remote development over SSH, in containers and in WSL
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- 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
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- The shipped build is not open source and collects telemetry by default
- Its extension marketplace is licensed for Microsoft builds only
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- Windows only; there is no official macOS or Linux build
- The plugin ecosystem is older and less active than that of modern editors
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Downloadable app |
Downloadable app |
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Closed source |
Open source |
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License: Microsoft product licence |
License: GPL-3.0 |
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No account needed |
No account needed |
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Works offline |
Works offline |
Checked September 21, 2026 | Checked September 20, 2026 |
Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.
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