Notepad++ vs BBEdit

Notepad++9.1Visit BBEdit8.7Visit

Higher score Notepad++ #4 in Text Editors 9.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Notepad++

vs

BBEdit #8 in Text Editors 8.7/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 3 of 5 features Visit BBEdit

• Notepad++ fits best

  Windows users wanting a capable free editor

• BBEdit fits best

  Mac users writing and deploying web content

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Side by side

Feature	Notepad++ 9.1/10 Visit ↗	BBEdit 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.1	8.7
Ranking	#4 in Text Editors	#8 in Text Editors
Best for	Windows users wanting a capable free editor	Mac users writing and deploying web content
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Free plan	$59.99 one-time
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	30 days
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows	macOS
Support	Community, Docs	Email, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features Notepad++ 5/5 · BBEdit 3/5
Multi-cursor editing	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Macro recording	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Column editing	✓	✓
Large-file handling	✓	✓
Extension support	✓	✓
Specs
Supported platforms	Windows	macOS
Our review
Pros	Multi-cursor, multi-selection, and column editing support Macros, regex search, workspaces, and project panels Free, open-source software under the GNU GPL license	Free Mode continues after the 30-day evaluation period Strong multi-file search, regex replacement, HTML, and Markdown tools FTP/SFTP, Git, Subversion, scripting, and LSP support
Cons	Windows-only availability Designed for local desktop use rather than browser editing Large-file restrictions may affect very large documents	Available only on macOS Advanced features require a subscription or license New major releases require an active subscription
Our verdict	Notepad++ is a free, open-source text and source-code editor for Microsoft Windows. It supports syntax highlighting for programming and natural languages, making it suitable for developers, technical users, and anyone who wants more… Read the review →	BBEdit is a macOS text and code editor for writers, web authors, software developers, and others working with textual data. Its feature set covers core editing, syntax coloring, function navigation, code folding, Markdown, HTML authoring,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Notepad++ — where it wins

  • Multi-cursor, multi-selection, and column editing support
  • Macros, regex search, workspaces, and project panels
  • Free, open-source software under the GNU GPL license

  Where it doesn't

  • Windows-only availability
  • Designed for local desktop use rather than browser editing
  • Large-file restrictions may affect very large documents

• BBEdit — where it wins

  • Free Mode continues after the 30-day evaluation period
  • Strong multi-file search, regex replacement, HTML, and Markdown tools
  • FTP/SFTP, Git, Subversion, scripting, and LSP support

  Where it doesn't

  • Available only on macOS
  • Advanced features require a subscription or license
  • New major releases require an active subscription

• Notepad++9.1/10 · Free plan

  A capable free editor with advanced editing tools, but Windows-only coverage narrows its fit.

  Visit Notepad++Full verdict →
• BBEdit8.7/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  A capable Mac editor for web content, code, search-heavy work, and deployment.

  Visit BBEditFull verdict →