Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Best Notepad++ Alternatives in 2026

Free#4 of 82 in Text EditorsEditor SoftwareCode Editors

The top Notepad++ alternatives are Visual Studio Code, Neovim and GNU Emacs: 15 text editors our editors would look at instead of Notepad++, in our ranking order.

9.1/10Editor score
Visit Notepad++
Notepad++9.1 Visit Notepad++

Notepad++: A capable free editor with advanced editing tools, but Windows-only coverage narrows its fit. Where it falls short: windows-only availability.

Switching from Notepad++? For most text editors buyers the best Notepad++ alternative is Visual Studio Code, built for developers wanting the broadest free editor. On a budget, EmEditor starts at $5/device/mo.

Why People Look for a Notepad++ Alternative

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

Quick Picks by What You Need

All 15 Notepad++ Alternatives, Ranked

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

  1. Visual Studio Code

    Best forDevelopers wanting the broadest free editor

    • Better than Notepad++:
    • Editor score 9.4 vs 9.1

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

    • Multi-cursor editing
    • Large-file handling
    • Column editing
    Free plan Our Visual Studio Code verdict → Visit site
    9.4/10★★★★★
    Visit site
  2. Neovim

    Best forPower users wanting maximum free customization

    • Better than Notepad++:
    • Editor score 9.3 vs 9.1

    A free, open-source editor for keyboard-driven workflows and deep customization.

    • Multi-cursor editing
    • Macro recording
    • Large-file handling
    Free plan Our Neovim verdict → Visit Neovim
    9.3/10★★★★★
    Visit Neovim
  3. GNU Emacs

    Best forMature customization-focused editor users

    • Better than Notepad++:
    • Editor score 9.2 vs 9.1

    A mature, highly customizable editor for users who value breadth and control.

    • Multi-cursor editing
    • Macro recording
    • Large-file handling
    Free plan Our GNU Emacs verdict → Visit GNU Emacs
    9.2/10★★★★★
    Visit GNU Emacs
  4. Kate

    Best forFree cross-platform coding and text editing

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

    • Multi-cursor editing
    • Macro recording
    • Column editing
    Free plan Our Kate verdict → Visit KDE
    9.0/10★★★★☆
    Visit KDE
  5. Vim

    Best forVim users wanting a mature free editor

    A mature, free, open-source editor for users who prefer modal workflows.

    • Macro recording
    • Column editing
    • Extension support
    Free plan Our Vim verdict → Visit Vim
    8.9/10★★★★☆
    Visit Vim
  6. Zed

    Best forModern teams wanting collaborative editing

    A capable free editor for collaborative teams, with paid AI tiers that cost more.

    • Multi-cursor editing
    • Macro recording
    • Column editing
    Free plan · 14-day trial Our Zed verdict → Visit Zed
    8.8/10★★★★☆
    Visit Zed
  7. BBEdit

    Best forMac users writing and deploying web content

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

    • Large-file handling
    • Column editing
    • Extension support
    Free plan · 30-day trial Our BBEdit verdict → Visit BBEdit
    8.7/10★★★★☆
    Visit BBEdit
  8. Sublime Text

    Best forCross-platform users who value multiple selections

    A cross-platform desktop editor built around multiple selections and flexible editing.

    • Multi-cursor editing
    • Macro recording
    • Large-file handling
    Our Sublime Text verdict → Visit Sublime Text
    8.6/10★★★★☆
    Visit Sublime Text
  9. EmEditor

    Best forWindows users working with extreme file sizes

    A capable Windows editor for extreme file sizes, with useful free features and costly paid tiers.

    • Multi-cursor editing
    • Macro recording
    • Large-file handling
    Free plan · 7-day trial Our EmEditor verdict → Visit EmEditor
    8.5/10★★★★☆
    Visit EmEditor
  10. UltraEdit

    Best forProfessionals handling very large files

    A deep, large-file editor for professionals who need automation and remote connectivity.

    • Multi-cursor editing
    • Macro recording
    • Large-file handling
    7-day trial Our UltraEdit verdict → Visit UltraEdit
    8.4/10★★★★☆
    Visit UltraEdit
  11. jEdit

    Best forFree users wanting broad language and plugin support

    A capable free editor for developers who value language coverage, macros, and plugins.

    • Multi-cursor editing
    • Macro recording
    • Column editing
    Free plan Our jEdit verdict → Visit jEdit
    8.3/10★★★★☆
    Visit jEdit
  12. Helix

    Best forModal-editing users wanting built-in developer tools

    A focused, open-source terminal editor for modal workflows and built-in code intelligence.

    • Multi-cursor editing
    • Macro recording
    Free plan Our Helix verdict → Visit Helix
    8.2/10★★★★☆
    Visit Helix
  13. Geany

    Best forDevelopers wanting a simple free IDE-like editor

    An open-source, cross-platform editor with practical IDE features for everyday code work.

    • Macro recording
    • Column editing
    • Extension support
    Free plan Our Geany verdict → Visit Geany
    8.1/10★★★★☆
    Visit Geany
  14. SciTE

    Best forLightweight free cross-platform editing

    A free, open-source editor with capable coding tools and a modest ecosystem.

    • Multi-cursor editing
    • Macro recording
    • Large-file handling
    Free plan Our SciTE verdict → Visit SciTE
    8.0/10★★★★☆
    Visit SciTE
  15. KWrite

    Best forUsers wanting a simple free multi-platform editor

    A free, flexible editor for plain text and source files across three platforms.

    • Multi-cursor editing
    • Column editing
    • Extension support
    Free plan Our KWrite verdict → Visit KDE
    7.9/10★★★★☆
    Visit KDE

Notepad++ Alternatives: Common Questions

What is the best alternative to Notepad++?

Visual Studio Code: #1 in our Text Editors ranking, with an editor score of 9.4 out of 10. A free, open-source editor with broad development features across desktop and web.

Is there a free alternative to Notepad++?

Yes. Visual Studio Code, Neovim, GNU Emacs, Kate and Vim have a free plan or a free tier (13 of the 15 alternatives on this page).

What is the cheapest paid alternative to Notepad++?

Of the alternatives here that publish a price, EmEditor starts lowest, at $5/device/mo.

Why do people look for Notepad++ alternatives?

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

How do I switch from Notepad++?

Export your data from Notepad++ (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Notepad++.

How to Switch from Notepad++

  1. Export your data from Notepad++ (most tools have an export in their settings).
  2. Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
  3. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
  4. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Notepad++.

Notepad++ vs Each Alternative

#ToolFree planPaid fromSupported platformsMulti-cursor editingMacro recordingColumn editingLarge-file handlingExtension supportScore
4Notepad++YesFreeWindowsYesYesYesYesYes9.1
1Visual Studio CodeYesFreeweb, windows, macos, linuxYesYesYesYes9.4
2NeovimYesFreeLinux, macOS, Windows, AndroidYesYesYesYesYes9.3
3GNU EmacsYesFreeGNU/Linux, Windows, macOS, Android, BSD, Haiku, Solaris, MS-DOS/FreeDOSYesYesYesYesYes9.2
4KateYesFreeLinux, BSD, Windows, macOSYesYesYesYes9.0
5VimYesFreeWindows, macOS, LinuxYesYesYes8.9
6ZedYes$10/momacOS, Windows, LinuxYesYesYesYes8.8
7BBEditYes$59.99 one-timemacOSYesYesYes8.7
8Sublime TextNoWindows, macOS, LinuxYesYesYesYesYes8.6
9EmEditorYes$5/device/moWindows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2019 or later; legacy support includes Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2YesYesYesYesYes8.5
10UltraEditNo$94.96/user/yrWindows, macOS, LinuxYesYesYesYesYes8.4
11jEditYesFreeWindows, Unix/Linux, Mac OS X, VMS, OS/2YesYesYesYes8.3
12HelixYesFreeLinux, macOS, WindowsYesYesNo8.2
13GeanyYesFreeWindows, macOS, LinuxNoYesYesYes8.1
14SciTEYesFreeWindows, macOS, LinuxYesYesYesYesYes8.0
15KWriteYesFreeLinux, Windows, macOSYesYesYes7.9

Head-to-Head

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update