Notepad++
Free, open-source text and source code editor for Windows with tabs and plugins.
HN commenters like it as an instant-opening Notepad replacement12 and an everyday Windows text editor with plugins for code editing.3456 The main caveats are an updater that was compromised in 202578 and a long-awaited Mac version whose non-native UI Mac users dislike.91011
Why people recommend it
Everyday editor · 3
Windows users rely on it daily for all kinds of text work.
“I use notepad++ every single day.”
“"notepad++" for everything text-related”
Show 1 more
“on Windows I like notepad++ a lot”
Code and plugins · 2
Good for code editing and extensible through plugins.
“Where Notepad++ is great for code editing and extensible functionality via plugins”
“plus I code in notepad++”
Quick edits · 2
A go-to tool for simple editing alongside heavier IDEs.
“notepad++/vs codium/zed for simple editing”
“Occasionally I use Notepad++, VS Codium or Zed when I need to.”
Speed · 1
Opens instantly even on slow corporate hardware where the new Notepad lags.
“Instead I use Notepad2 and Notepad++ which are instant on the same hardware”
Dark mode · 1
Supports dark mode on Windows.
“Most the apps I use support dark mode: Chrome, FF, Notepad++, Jellyfin, Qbittorrent, SumatraPDF, Signal, Wiztree, WinSCP”
Caveats and dissent
Updater compromise · 2
The update mechanism was compromised in a 2025 supply-chain attack, so some suggest installing via winget or avoiding it for now.
“I recommend removing notepad++ and installing via winget which installs the EXE directly without the winGUP updater service.”
“with this drama (read: shady, suspicious etc) one would be better served to stay away from it”
Mac version · 3
Mac users wanted it for years, but say the new Mac app's non-native UI misses the mark.
“Non-native UI in an app that no Mac plain-text user asked for.”
“I use notepad++ every single day.”
Show 1 more
“Notepad++, I really want that software on my Mac.”
Update nagging · 1
Network connectivity is on by default and update prompts can interrupt work.
“I currently have a version from 2020 I'm very happy with.”
Often compared with
1 moved from Windows Notepad to Notepad++
1 moved from Notepad++ to Geany
Who recommends it in their own words
Threads where it came up
- Notepad++ supply chain attack breakdown 2 mentions
- item 50153811 1 mention
- Bing Wallpaper showing Ad for Harry Potter and Fantastic beasts box set 1 mention
- Microsoft Needs Windows Lite 1 mention
- Notepad++ Mac Port Renamed Nextpad++ After Trademark Row 1 mention
- "People who don't use AI will be left behind" 1 mention
Data: notepadplusplus.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 15
“the good ole’ days when I had nothing in front of me except Notepad++, a terminal, and a problem to solve”
“Instead I use Notepad2 and Notepad++ which are instant on the same hardware”
“"notepad++" for everything text-related”
“with this drama (read: shady, suspicious etc) one would be better served to stay away from it”
“plus I code in notepad++”
“Non-native UI in an app that no Mac plain-text user asked for.”
“I use notepad++ every single day.”
“Occasionally I use Notepad++, VS Codium or Zed when I need to.”
“Where Notepad++ is great for code editing and extensible functionality via plugins”
“I currently have a version from 2020 I'm very happy with.”
“I recommend removing notepad++ and installing via winget which installs the EXE directly without the winGUP updater service.”
“on Windows I like notepad++ a lot”
“notepad++/vs codium/zed for simple editing”
“Most the apps I use support dark mode: Chrome, FF, Notepad++, Jellyfin, Qbittorrent, SumatraPDF, Signal, Wiztree, WinSCP”
“Notepad++, I really want that software on my Mac.”