{"slug": "notepadplusplus", "name": "Notepad++", "category": "editors", "category_name": "Editors and IDEs", "description": "Free, open-source text and source code editor for Windows with tabs and plugins.", "recommenders": 6, "commenters": 14, "warners": 3, "score": 3.872, "rising": -0.64, "first": "2025-11-08", "latest": "2026-10-19", "why": "HN commenters like it as an instant-opening Notepad replacement and an everyday Windows text editor with plugins for code editing.", "why_is_quote": false, "has_verdict": true, "sentiment": {"recommend": 6, "neutral": 5, "compare": 1, "warn": 3}, "spark": [1, 0, 0, 2, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0], "listed": true, "loved": ["Everyday editor", "Code and plugins"], "caveat": "Updater compromise", "short_quote": "Instead I use Notepad2 and Notepad++ which are instant on the same hardware", "icon": true, "domain": null, "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://notepad-plus-plus.org/", "pricing": "open source", "aliases": ["Notepad++"], "verdict": [{"text": "HN commenters like it as an instant-opening Notepad replacement", "cites": [{"id": 793628658, "item_id": 49601791, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49601791", "by": "accrual", "date": "2026-09-07", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Instead I use Notepad2 and Notepad++ which are instant on the same hardware", "excerpt": "It's slow, too. On corporate hardware it can take several seconds for the \"new\" Notepad to open and actually start rendering keypresses. Instead I use Notepad2 and Notepad++ which are instant on the same hardware, like Notepad used to be.", "context": "", "use_case": "text editing", "switched_from": "Notepad", "story": "Bing Wallpaper showing Ad for Harry Potter and Fantastic beasts box set"}, {"id": 750131168, "item_id": 46883198, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46883198", "by": "benterix", "date": "2026-02-04", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I currently have a version from 2020 I'm very happy with.", "excerpt": "I use Notepad++ as a Notepad replacement. I never understood why the network connectivity is enabled by default at all. The first thing I did was to disable it as the constant nagging interrupted my flow (VS Code would do the same thing BTW). I currently have a version from 2020 I'm very happy with. If one day, maybe in 10 or 20 years time, I feel Notepad++ lacks something and I decide to upgrade, I will do it myself", "context": "", "use_case": "Notepad replacement", "switched_from": "", "story": "Notepad++ supply chain attack breakdown"}]}, {"text": " and an everyday Windows text editor with plugins for code editing.", "cites": [{"id": 779765441, "item_id": 48735340, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48735340", "by": "movetheworld", "date": "2026-06-30", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "\"notepad++\" for everything text-related", "excerpt": "YES! I mean a man can dream... I love windows software like \"xyplorer\", an ideal explorer replacement, \"notepad++\" for everything text-related and \"FSViewer\" for displaying all pictures, all portable, all heavily customizable. But personally, I think microsoft is not interested in it's users. It all about control of it's users and making money off them. MS has no intention of changing that. Please, make the switch to", "context": "Windows user", "use_case": "text editing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft Needs Windows Lite"}, {"id": 766766064, "item_id": 47922879, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47922879", "by": "elheffe80", "date": "2026-04-27", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use notepad++ every single day.", "excerpt": "At home I have a MacBook, but everything else I use is Linux. At work, I am stuck on windows 99% of the time for most work. I manage Linux systems, but mostly through the windows desktop. I use notepad++ every single day. I lamented not having it on my Mac, but every replacement is not... right? comfortable? implemented right? I don't know. Still haven't found something that does what little I use in notepad++ and I ", "context": "manages Linux systems from a Windows desktop", "use_case": "text editing at work", "switched_from": "", "story": "Notepad++ for Mac"}, {"id": 749651008, "item_id": 46853188, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46853188", "by": "shevy-java", "date": "2026-02-01", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "on Windows I like notepad++ a lot", "excerpt": "That's sad. China should be more helpful with regards to open source. Notepad++ is a great editor. I don't use it on Linux, because I have an older editor I am very used to, but on Windows I like notepad++ a lot (though lately I have been using geany on Windows, mostly for convenience - I think notepad++ is better but I sort of like the github-based development of geany; either way notepad++ is really excellent as we", "context": "", "use_case": "text editing on Windows", "switched_from": "", "story": "Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors"}, {"id": 754671457, "item_id": 47166966, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47166966", "by": "catapart", "date": "2026-02-26", "stance": "compare", "quote": "Where Notepad++ is great for code editing and extensible functionality via plugins", "excerpt": "For anyone still using Windows' notepad app, I strongly recommend Notepad2[0]. It's a drop-in replacement for Notepad that does add a few extra features, but does not have even the minimal suite of features that something like Notepad++ has. Where Notepad++ is great for code editing and extensible functionality via plugins, Notepad2 is more suited for people who just want Notepad, without the Windows/Microsoft. It ha", "context": "", "use_case": "code editing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Windows 11 Notepad to support Markdown"}]}, {"text": " The main caveats are an updater that was compromised in 2025", "cites": [{"id": 750065472, "item_id": 46879092, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46879092", "by": "tonymet", "date": "2026-02-03", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I recommend removing notepad++ and installing via winget which installs the EXE directly without the winGUP updater service.", "excerpt": "I noticed I had version 8.9 on Dec 28, 2025 and it seems clean according to https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/02/notepad-updater-was-compromised-for-6-months-in-supply-chain-attack/ I recommend removing notepad++ and installing via winget which installs the EXE directly without the winGUP updater service. Here's an AI summary explaining who is affected. Affected Versions: All versions of Notepad++ released prior ", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Notepad++ supply chain attack breakdown"}, {"id": 770104066, "item_id": 48131504, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48131504", "by": "crossroadsguy", "date": "2026-05-13", "stance": "warn", "quote": "with this drama (read: shady, suspicious etc) one would be better served to stay away from it", "excerpt": "this coming to Mac is a little too little and a little too late. Notepad++ void has been successfully filled with many lightweight native editors, some are FOSS, which are quite mature. And with this drama (read: shady, suspicious etc) one would be better served to stay away from it, at least for a while. BBEdit, Sublime, TextMate, TextEdit (yes, it's actually useful in plain-text mode :P), CodeEdit etc. My fav is Su", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Notepad++ Mac Port Renamed Nextpad++ After Trademark Row"}]}, {"text": " and a long-awaited Mac version whose non-native UI Mac users dislike.", "cites": [{"id": 767175698, "item_id": 47948481, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47948481", "by": "alsetmusic", "date": "2026-04-29", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Non-native UI in an app that no Mac plain-text user asked for.", "excerpt": "Yeah, that's not gonna hit. Non-native UI in an app that no Mac plain-text user asked for. I love Sublime, but TextMate was once king. There are already plenty of good options. I also love VIM for saving test to specific locations while I'm on the command line (I have an `sb` alias for Sublime but I don't want to switch away from my terminal window unless the corpus is large or complex).", "context": "Mac user", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Notepad++ Code Editor Comes to Mac After 20-Year Wait"}, {"id": 766766064, "item_id": 47922879, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47922879", "by": "elheffe80", "date": "2026-04-27", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use notepad++ every single day.", "excerpt": "At home I have a MacBook, but everything else I use is Linux. At work, I am stuck on windows 99% of the time for most work. I manage Linux systems, but mostly through the windows desktop. I use notepad++ every single day. I lamented not having it on my Mac, but every replacement is not... right? comfortable? implemented right? I don't know. Still haven't found something that does what little I use in notepad++ and I ", "context": "manages Linux systems from a Windows desktop", "use_case": "text editing at work", "switched_from": "", "story": "Notepad++ for Mac"}, {"id": 733794816, "item_id": 45862176, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45862176", "by": "dasefx", "date": "2025-11-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Notepad++, I really want that software on my Mac.", "excerpt": "Notepad++, I really want that software on my Mac.", "context": "Mac user", "use_case": "text editing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: Windows/Linux software that has no real equivalent on macOS?"}]}], "praise": [{"label": "Everyday editor", "summary": "Windows users rely on it daily for all kinds of text work.", "quotes": [{"id": 766766064, "item_id": 47922879, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47922879", "by": "elheffe80", "date": "2026-04-27", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use notepad++ every single day.", "excerpt": "At home I have a MacBook, but everything else I use is Linux. At work, I am stuck on windows 99% of the time for most work. I manage Linux systems, but mostly through the windows desktop. I use notepad++ every single day. I lamented not having it on my Mac, but every replacement is not... right? comfortable? implemented right? I don't know. Still haven't found something that does what little I use in notepad++ and I ", "context": "manages Linux systems from a Windows desktop", "use_case": "text editing at work", "switched_from": "", "story": "Notepad++ for Mac"}, {"id": 779765441, "item_id": 48735340, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48735340", "by": "movetheworld", "date": "2026-06-30", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "\"notepad++\" for everything text-related", "excerpt": "YES! I mean a man can dream... I love windows software like \"xyplorer\", an ideal explorer replacement, \"notepad++\" for everything text-related and \"FSViewer\" for displaying all pictures, all portable, all heavily customizable. But personally, I think microsoft is not interested in it's users. It all about control of it's users and making money off them. MS has no intention of changing that. Please, make the switch to", "context": "Windows user", "use_case": "text editing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft Needs Windows Lite"}, {"id": 749651008, "item_id": 46853188, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46853188", "by": "shevy-java", "date": "2026-02-01", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "on Windows I like notepad++ a lot", "excerpt": "That's sad. China should be more helpful with regards to open source. Notepad++ is a great editor. I don't use it on Linux, because I have an older editor I am very used to, but on Windows I like notepad++ a lot (though lately I have been using geany on Windows, mostly for convenience - I think notepad++ is better but I sort of like the github-based development of geany; either way notepad++ is really excellent as we", "context": "", "use_case": "text editing on Windows", "switched_from": "", "story": "Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors"}]}, {"label": "Code and plugins", "summary": "Good for code editing and extensible through plugins.", "quotes": [{"id": 754671457, "item_id": 47166966, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47166966", "by": "catapart", "date": "2026-02-26", "stance": "compare", "quote": "Where Notepad++ is great for code editing and extensible functionality via plugins", "excerpt": "For anyone still using Windows' notepad app, I strongly recommend Notepad2[0]. It's a drop-in replacement for Notepad that does add a few extra features, but does not have even the minimal suite of features that something like Notepad++ has. Where Notepad++ is great for code editing and extensible functionality via plugins, Notepad2 is more suited for people who just want Notepad, without the Windows/Microsoft. It ha", "context": "", "use_case": "code editing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Windows 11 Notepad to support Markdown"}, {"id": 767300624, "item_id": 47956289, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47956289", "by": "Olumde", "date": "2026-04-29", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "plus I code in notepad++", "excerpt": "I don't (yet) use AI in the way I am expected to. I have not integrated it into my IDE -- can't be bothered, plus I code in notepad++. Rather I use in a browser and have raging arguments with it over the course of three days about a design. After we come to an agreement I write the code.", "context": "", "use_case": "coding", "switched_from": "", "story": "\"People who don't use AI will be left behind\""}]}, {"label": "Quick edits", "summary": "A go-to tool for simple editing alongside heavier IDEs.", "quotes": [{"id": 743074825, "item_id": 46442176, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46442176", "by": "gethly", "date": "2025-12-30", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "notepad++/vs codium/zed for simple editing", "excerpt": "bitbucket for git hosting trello for ideas and tasks jetbrains ide(i hate the company and their pricing model but I like the tool) filezilla for sftp 1remote for multi-window ssh keepass for secrets Go for programming Quasar for web front-end git bash for windows shell heidisql for db ui notepad++/vs codium/zed for simple editing", "context": "", "use_case": "simple editing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What do you use to manage your coding projects?"}, {"id": 761988438, "item_id": 47624277, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47624277", "by": "gethly", "date": "2026-04-03", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "Occasionally I use Notepad++, VS Codium or Zed when I need to.", "excerpt": "Stuck with GoLand. I hate the company, use maybe 5% of the features, but there is nothing better out there. FileZilla for FTP. HeidiSQL and MariaDB for SQL. 1Remote for multi-session SSH. KeePass for passwords, keys, configuration files or any sensitive data. Occasionally I use Notepad++, VS Codium or Zed when I need to.", "context": "", "use_case": "occasional editing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What is your dev set up like?"}]}, {"label": "Speed", "summary": "Opens instantly even on slow corporate hardware where the new Notepad lags.", "quotes": [{"id": 793628658, "item_id": 49601791, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49601791", "by": "accrual", "date": "2026-09-07", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Instead I use Notepad2 and Notepad++ which are instant on the same hardware", "excerpt": "It's slow, too. On corporate hardware it can take several seconds for the \"new\" Notepad to open and actually start rendering keypresses. Instead I use Notepad2 and Notepad++ which are instant on the same hardware, like Notepad used to be.", "context": "", "use_case": "text editing", "switched_from": "Notepad", "story": "Bing Wallpaper showing Ad for Harry Potter and Fantastic beasts box set"}]}, {"label": "Dark mode", "summary": "Supports dark mode on Windows.", "quotes": [{"id": 734618976, "item_id": 45913686, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45913686", "by": "jack_tripper", "date": "2025-11-13", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "Most the apps I use support dark mode: Chrome, FF, Notepad++, Jellyfin, Qbittorrent, SumatraPDF, Signal, Wiztree, WinSCP", "excerpt": ">It's not wrong nor misleading at all. Yeah it totally is and I explained why. >Who cares if they keep working A lot of people. >if the only way to get dark mode is to custom render the whole UI yourself Most the apps I use support dark mode: Chrome, FF, Notepad++, Jellyfin, Qbittorrent, SumatraPDF, Signal, Wiztree, WinSCP, and others I'm forgetting. Seems like it's not an impossible task for the developers. And on G", "context": "Windows user", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Meta replaces WhatsApp for Windows with web wrapper"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "Updater compromise", "summary": "The update mechanism was compromised in a 2025 supply-chain attack, so some suggest installing via winget or avoiding it for now.", "quotes": [{"id": 750065472, "item_id": 46879092, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46879092", "by": "tonymet", "date": "2026-02-03", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I recommend removing notepad++ and installing via winget which installs the EXE directly without the winGUP updater service.", "excerpt": "I noticed I had version 8.9 on Dec 28, 2025 and it seems clean according to https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/02/notepad-updater-was-compromised-for-6-months-in-supply-chain-attack/ I recommend removing notepad++ and installing via winget which installs the EXE directly without the winGUP updater service. Here's an AI summary explaining who is affected. Affected Versions: All versions of Notepad++ released prior ", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Notepad++ supply chain attack breakdown"}, {"id": 770104066, "item_id": 48131504, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48131504", "by": "crossroadsguy", "date": "2026-05-13", "stance": "warn", "quote": "with this drama (read: shady, suspicious etc) one would be better served to stay away from it", "excerpt": "this coming to Mac is a little too little and a little too late. Notepad++ void has been successfully filled with many lightweight native editors, some are FOSS, which are quite mature. And with this drama (read: shady, suspicious etc) one would be better served to stay away from it, at least for a while. BBEdit, Sublime, TextMate, TextEdit (yes, it's actually useful in plain-text mode :P), CodeEdit etc. My fav is Su", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Notepad++ Mac Port Renamed Nextpad++ After Trademark Row"}]}, {"label": "Mac version", "summary": "Mac users wanted it for years, but say the new Mac app's non-native UI misses the mark.", "quotes": [{"id": 767175698, "item_id": 47948481, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47948481", "by": "alsetmusic", "date": "2026-04-29", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Non-native UI in an app that no Mac plain-text user asked for.", "excerpt": "Yeah, that's not gonna hit. Non-native UI in an app that no Mac plain-text user asked for. I love Sublime, but TextMate was once king. There are already plenty of good options. I also love VIM for saving test to specific locations while I'm on the command line (I have an `sb` alias for Sublime but I don't want to switch away from my terminal window unless the corpus is large or complex).", "context": "Mac user", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Notepad++ Code Editor Comes to Mac After 20-Year Wait"}, {"id": 766766064, "item_id": 47922879, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47922879", "by": "elheffe80", "date": "2026-04-27", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use notepad++ every single day.", "excerpt": "At home I have a MacBook, but everything else I use is Linux. At work, I am stuck on windows 99% of the time for most work. I manage Linux systems, but mostly through the windows desktop. I use notepad++ every single day. I lamented not having it on my Mac, but every replacement is not... right? comfortable? implemented right? I don't know. Still haven't found something that does what little I use in notepad++ and I ", "context": "manages Linux systems from a Windows desktop", "use_case": "text editing at work", "switched_from": "", "story": "Notepad++ for Mac"}, {"id": 733794816, "item_id": 45862176, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45862176", "by": "dasefx", "date": "2025-11-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Notepad++, I really want that software on my Mac.", "excerpt": "Notepad++, I really want that software on my Mac.", "context": "Mac user", "use_case": "text editing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: Windows/Linux software that has no real equivalent on macOS?"}]}, {"label": "Update nagging", "summary": "Network connectivity is on by default and update prompts can interrupt work.", "quotes": [{"id": 750131168, "item_id": 46883198, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46883198", "by": "benterix", "date": "2026-02-04", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I currently have a version from 2020 I'm very happy with.", "excerpt": "I use Notepad++ as a Notepad replacement. I never understood why the network connectivity is enabled by default at all. The first thing I did was to disable it as the constant nagging interrupted my flow (VS Code would do the same thing BTW). I currently have a version from 2020 I'm very happy with. If one day, maybe in 10 or 20 years time, I feel Notepad++ lacks something and I decide to upgrade, I will do it myself", "context": "", "use_case": "Notepad replacement", "switched_from": "", "story": "Notepad++ supply chain attack breakdown"}]}], "who": [{"by": "movetheworld", "context": "Windows user", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48735340", "date": "2026-06-30"}, {"by": "elheffe80", "context": "manages Linux systems from a Windows desktop", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47922879", "date": "2026-04-27"}, {"by": "jack_tripper", "context": "Windows user", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45913686", "date": "2025-11-13"}, {"by": "dasefx", "context": "Mac user", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45862176", "date": "2025-11-08"}], "tags": ["for Windows users", "Notepad replacement", "for quick edits", "for sysadmins"], "use_cases": ["text editing", "past coding", "coding", "text editing at work", "occasional editing", "code editing"], "compared": [{"slug": "windows-notepad", "name": "Windows Notepad", "co": 2, "switched_from": 1, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "textmate", "name": "TextMate", "co": 3, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "geany", "name": "Geany", "co": 1, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 1}, {"slug": "sublime-text", "name": "Sublime Text", "co": 3, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "vim", "name": "Vim", "co": 3, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "visual-studio-code", "name": "Visual Studio Code", "co": 3, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "notepad2", "name": "Notepad2", "co": 3, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "vscodium", "name": "VSCodium", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46878338", "title": "Notepad++ supply chain attack breakdown", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50153811", "title": "item 50153811", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49599719", "title": "Bing Wallpaper showing Ad for Harry Potter and Fantastic beasts box set", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48720591", "title": "Microsoft Needs Windows Lite", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48125727", "title": "Notepad++ Mac Port Renamed Nextpad++ After Trademark Row", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47953011", "title": "\"People who don't use AI will be left behind\"", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {"recommend": 1, "neutral": 1}, "2025-12": {"neutral": 1}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {"recommend": 2, "warn": 1, "compare": 1}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {"neutral": 2, "recommend": 1, "warn": 1}, "2026-05": {"warn": 1}, "2026-06": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-10": {"neutral": 1}}, "quotes": [{"id": 802460992, "item_id": 50153812, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50153812", "by": "dancrystalbeach", "date": "2026-10-19", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "the good ole\u2019 days when I had nothing in front of me except Notepad++, a terminal, and a problem to solve", "excerpt": "As the days and weeks trickle by and fall to the ground like the autumn leaves on the maple tree behind the house, my mind wanders back to the good ole\u2019 days when I had nothing in front of me except Notepad++, a terminal, and a problem to solve by myself. Those days are long gone, and Sir Claudius is threatening to turn me into a milquetoast programmer. Some days I feel like screaming (in all caps) at Claudius\u2026 \u201cDon\u2019", "context": "", "use_case": "past coding", "switched_from": "", "story": null}, {"id": 793628658, "item_id": 49601791, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49601791", "by": "accrual", "date": "2026-09-07", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Instead I use Notepad2 and Notepad++ which are instant on the same hardware", "excerpt": "It's slow, too. On corporate hardware it can take several seconds for the \"new\" Notepad to open and actually start rendering keypresses. Instead I use Notepad2 and Notepad++ which are instant on the same hardware, like Notepad used to be.", "context": "", "use_case": "text editing", "switched_from": "Notepad", "story": "Bing Wallpaper showing Ad for Harry Potter and Fantastic beasts box set"}, {"id": 779765441, "item_id": 48735340, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48735340", "by": "movetheworld", "date": "2026-06-30", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "\"notepad++\" for everything text-related", "excerpt": "YES! I mean a man can dream... I love windows software like \"xyplorer\", an ideal explorer replacement, \"notepad++\" for everything text-related and \"FSViewer\" for displaying all pictures, all portable, all heavily customizable. But personally, I think microsoft is not interested in it's users. It all about control of it's users and making money off them. MS has no intention of changing that. Please, make the switch to", "context": "Windows user", "use_case": "text editing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft Needs Windows Lite"}, {"id": 770104066, "item_id": 48131504, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48131504", "by": "crossroadsguy", "date": "2026-05-13", "stance": "warn", "quote": "with this drama (read: shady, suspicious etc) one would be better served to stay away from it", "excerpt": "this coming to Mac is a little too little and a little too late. Notepad++ void has been successfully filled with many lightweight native editors, some are FOSS, which are quite mature. And with this drama (read: shady, suspicious etc) one would be better served to stay away from it, at least for a while. BBEdit, Sublime, TextMate, TextEdit (yes, it's actually useful in plain-text mode :P), CodeEdit etc. My fav is Su", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Notepad++ Mac Port Renamed Nextpad++ After Trademark Row"}, {"id": 767300624, "item_id": 47956289, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47956289", "by": "Olumde", "date": "2026-04-29", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "plus I code in notepad++", "excerpt": "I don't (yet) use AI in the way I am expected to. I have not integrated it into my IDE -- can't be bothered, plus I code in notepad++. Rather I use in a browser and have raging arguments with it over the course of three days about a design. After we come to an agreement I write the code.", "context": "", "use_case": "coding", "switched_from": "", "story": "\"People who don't use AI will be left behind\""}, {"id": 767175698, "item_id": 47948481, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47948481", "by": "alsetmusic", "date": "2026-04-29", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Non-native UI in an app that no Mac plain-text user asked for.", "excerpt": "Yeah, that's not gonna hit. Non-native UI in an app that no Mac plain-text user asked for. I love Sublime, but TextMate was once king. There are already plenty of good options. I also love VIM for saving test to specific locations while I'm on the command line (I have an `sb` alias for Sublime but I don't want to switch away from my terminal window unless the corpus is large or complex).", "context": "Mac user", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Notepad++ Code Editor Comes to Mac After 20-Year Wait"}, {"id": 766766064, "item_id": 47922879, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47922879", "by": "elheffe80", "date": "2026-04-27", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use notepad++ every single day.", "excerpt": "At home I have a MacBook, but everything else I use is Linux. At work, I am stuck on windows 99% of the time for most work. I manage Linux systems, but mostly through the windows desktop. I use notepad++ every single day. I lamented not having it on my Mac, but every replacement is not... right? comfortable? implemented right? I don't know. Still haven't found something that does what little I use in notepad++ and I ", "context": "manages Linux systems from a Windows desktop", "use_case": "text editing at work", "switched_from": "", "story": "Notepad++ for Mac"}, {"id": 761988438, "item_id": 47624277, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47624277", "by": "gethly", "date": "2026-04-03", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "Occasionally I use Notepad++, VS Codium or Zed when I need to.", "excerpt": "Stuck with GoLand. I hate the company, use maybe 5% of the features, but there is nothing better out there. FileZilla for FTP. HeidiSQL and MariaDB for SQL. 1Remote for multi-session SSH. KeePass for passwords, keys, configuration files or any sensitive data. Occasionally I use Notepad++, VS Codium or Zed when I need to.", "context": "", "use_case": "occasional editing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What is your dev set up like?"}, {"id": 754671457, "item_id": 47166966, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47166966", "by": "catapart", "date": "2026-02-26", "stance": "compare", "quote": "Where Notepad++ is great for code editing and extensible functionality via plugins", "excerpt": "For anyone still using Windows' notepad app, I strongly recommend Notepad2[0]. It's a drop-in replacement for Notepad that does add a few extra features, but does not have even the minimal suite of features that something like Notepad++ has. Where Notepad++ is great for code editing and extensible functionality via plugins, Notepad2 is more suited for people who just want Notepad, without the Windows/Microsoft. It ha", "context": "", "use_case": "code editing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Windows 11 Notepad to support Markdown"}, {"id": 750131168, "item_id": 46883198, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46883198", "by": "benterix", "date": "2026-02-04", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I currently have a version from 2020 I'm very happy with.", "excerpt": "I use Notepad++ as a Notepad replacement. I never understood why the network connectivity is enabled by default at all. The first thing I did was to disable it as the constant nagging interrupted my flow (VS Code would do the same thing BTW). I currently have a version from 2020 I'm very happy with. If one day, maybe in 10 or 20 years time, I feel Notepad++ lacks something and I decide to upgrade, I will do it myself", "context": "", "use_case": "Notepad replacement", "switched_from": "", "story": "Notepad++ supply chain attack breakdown"}, {"id": 750065472, "item_id": 46879092, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46879092", "by": "tonymet", "date": "2026-02-03", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I recommend removing notepad++ and installing via winget which installs the EXE directly without the winGUP updater service.", "excerpt": "I noticed I had version 8.9 on Dec 28, 2025 and it seems clean according to https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/02/notepad-updater-was-compromised-for-6-months-in-supply-chain-attack/ I recommend removing notepad++ and installing via winget which installs the EXE directly without the winGUP updater service. Here's an AI summary explaining who is affected. Affected Versions: All versions of Notepad++ released prior ", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Notepad++ supply chain attack breakdown"}, {"id": 749651008, "item_id": 46853188, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46853188", "by": "shevy-java", "date": "2026-02-01", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "on Windows I like notepad++ a lot", "excerpt": "That's sad. China should be more helpful with regards to open source. Notepad++ is a great editor. I don't use it on Linux, because I have an older editor I am very used to, but on Windows I like notepad++ a lot (though lately I have been using geany on Windows, mostly for convenience - I think notepad++ is better but I sort of like the github-based development of geany; either way notepad++ is really excellent as we", "context": "", "use_case": "text editing on Windows", "switched_from": "", "story": "Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors"}, {"id": 743074825, "item_id": 46442176, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46442176", "by": "gethly", "date": "2025-12-30", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "notepad++/vs codium/zed for simple editing", "excerpt": "bitbucket for git hosting trello for ideas and tasks jetbrains ide(i hate the company and their pricing model but I like the tool) filezilla for sftp 1remote for multi-window ssh keepass for secrets Go for programming Quasar for web front-end git bash for windows shell heidisql for db ui notepad++/vs codium/zed for simple editing", "context": "", "use_case": "simple editing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What do you use to manage your coding projects?"}, {"id": 734618976, "item_id": 45913686, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45913686", "by": "jack_tripper", "date": "2025-11-13", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "Most the apps I use support dark mode: Chrome, FF, Notepad++, Jellyfin, Qbittorrent, SumatraPDF, Signal, Wiztree, WinSCP", "excerpt": ">It's not wrong nor misleading at all. Yeah it totally is and I explained why. >Who cares if they keep working A lot of people. >if the only way to get dark mode is to custom render the whole UI yourself Most the apps I use support dark mode: Chrome, FF, Notepad++, Jellyfin, Qbittorrent, SumatraPDF, Signal, Wiztree, WinSCP, and others I'm forgetting. Seems like it's not an impossible task for the developers. And on G", "context": "Windows user", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Meta replaces WhatsApp for Windows with web wrapper"}, {"id": 733794816, "item_id": 45862176, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45862176", "by": "dasefx", "date": "2025-11-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Notepad++, I really want that software on my Mac.", "excerpt": "Notepad++, I really want that software on my Mac.", "context": "Mac user", "use_case": "text editing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: Windows/Linux software that has no real equivalent on macOS?"}]}