Visual Studio Code vs Notepad++

Visual Studio Code9.4Visit Notepad++9.1Visit

Higher score Visual Studio Code #1 in Text Editors 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit site

vs

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

• Visual Studio Code fits best

  Developers wanting the broadest free editor

• Notepad++ fits best

  Windows users wanting a capable free editor

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Side by side

Feature	Visual Studio Code 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Notepad++ 9.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	9.1
Ranking	#1 in Text Editors	#4 in Text Editors
Best for	Developers wanting the broadest free editor	Windows users wanting a capable free editor
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows
Support	Docs	Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business
Features Visual Studio Code 4/5 · Notepad++ 5/5
Multi-cursor editing	✓	✓
Macro recording	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Column editing	✓	✓
Large-file handling	✓	✓
Extension support	✓	✓
Specs
Supported platforms	web, windows, macos, linux	Windows
Our review
Pros	Free, open-source access on desktop and in the browser Multi-cursor editing, IntelliSense, navigation, debugging, and testing Git, terminal, extensions, SSH, Dev Containers, and Codespaces support	Multi-cursor, multi-selection, and column editing support Macros, regex search, workspaces, and project panels Free, open-source software under the GNU GPL license
Cons	Focused on source-code work rather than general-purpose text editing Optional AI features and agent workflows are not the core editor experience Large files require confirmation and optimized handling	Windows-only availability Designed for local desktop use rather than browser editing Large-file restrictions may affect very large documents
Our verdict	Visual Studio Code is a free, open-source source-code editor for developers working with individual files or complete projects. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and the web, making it suitable for people who move between desktop and… Read the review →	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 →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Visual Studio Code — where it wins

  • Free, open-source access on desktop and in the browser
  • Multi-cursor editing, IntelliSense, navigation, debugging, and testing
  • Git, terminal, extensions, SSH, Dev Containers, and Codespaces support

  Where it doesn't

  • Focused on source-code work rather than general-purpose text editing
  • Optional AI features and agent workflows are not the core editor experience
  • Large files require confirmation and optimized handling

• 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

• Visual Studio Code9.4/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source editor with broad development features across desktop and web.

  Visit siteFull verdict →
• 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 →