Notepad++ vs Kate

Notepad++9.1Visit Kate9.0Visit

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

vs

Kate #5 in Text Editors 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit KDE

• Notepad++ fits best

  Windows users wanting a capable free editor

• Kate fits best

  Free cross-platform coding and text editing

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Side by side

Feature	Notepad++ 9.1/10 Visit ↗	Kate 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.1	9.0
Ranking	#4 in Text Editors	#5 in Text Editors
Best for	Windows users wanting a capable free editor	Free cross-platform coding and text editing
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Community, Docs	Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Notepad++ 5/5 · Kate 4/5
Multi-cursor editing	✓	✓
Macro recording	✓	✓
Column editing	✓	✓
Large-file handling	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Extension support	✓	✓
Specs
Supported platforms	Windows	Linux, BSD, 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	Supports syntax highlighting for more than 300 languages Combines multi-cursor editing, macros, projects, and split views Includes terminal, Git, LSP, DAP, plugins, and scripting
Cons	Windows-only availability Designed for local desktop use rather than browser editing Large-file restrictions may affect very large documents	Its documented integration surface is narrower than broader editor ecosystems Its programming features may exceed the needs of basic text editing Language and debugging workflows center on LSP and DAP support
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 →	Kate is a free, open-source, multi-document text editor developed by KDE for programmers and others working with text files. It runs on Linux, Windows, and macOS, and supports tabs, horizontal or vertical split views, syntax highlighting… 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

• Kate — where it wins

  • Supports syntax highlighting for more than 300 languages
  • Combines multi-cursor editing, macros, projects, and split views
  • Includes terminal, Git, LSP, DAP, plugins, and scripting

  Where it doesn't

  • Its documented integration surface is narrower than broader editor ecosystems
  • Its programming features may exceed the needs of basic text editing
  • Language and debugging workflows center on LSP and DAP support

• 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 →
• Kate9.0/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source editor with broad coding features across Linux, Windows, and macOS.

  Visit KDEFull verdict →