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Code editors · 12 alternatives

Instead of Notepad++, try one of these 12.

Every alternative is lined up against Notepad++ on what people actually switch for: price, open source, self-hosting, offline use and platforms. Notepad++ sits in the first row, so you can see what you give up.

Show onlySorted by likes · 12 of 12
Alternative
Price
Open source
Self-host
Offline
Platforms
Notepad++What you have now
Lightweight Windows text editor with plugins.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win
Visual Studio Code#1
The most popular code editor, with a huge extension marketplace.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux
Sublime Text#2
Blazingly fast, minimalist text editor for code.
PricePaid
$99 license
Open sourceNo
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux
Vim#3
Modal text editor that never leaves your terminal.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux
Neovim#4
Modern, extensible rewrite of Vim.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux
VSCodium#5
VS Code without Microsoft telemetry or branding.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux
Zed#6
GPU-accelerated collaborative code editor in Rust.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Mac · Linux · Win
gedit#7
GNOME's simple editor with plugins, syntax highlighting, and remote file editing.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux
Geany#8
Lightweight IDE bundling a terminal, build tools, and language support.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux
GNU Emacs#9
Extensible self-documenting editor with a Lisp-based plugin system.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux · Android
Kate#10
KDE's feature-rich editor with split views and sessions.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux
GNU nano#11
Small terminal editor with on-screen shortcuts, easy for newcomers.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux
Gram#12
Zed-based editor stripped of AI, telemetry, and required setup.
PriceFree
Open sourceYes
Self-hostNo
OfflineYes
Platforms
Win · Mac · Linux

How to read this. “Yes” means fully supported by the maker. “Partial” means it works with caveats. Likes reflect community popularity; vendors can’t pay for them or for placement. How we compare.

Notepad++ alternatives at a glance

Notepad++ is a free code editors app. We compared 12 alternatives: 11 are open source, 11 are completely free, 0 can be self-hosted and 12 work fully offline. The most popular is Visual Studio Code, with 4.1k likes.

Most liked overallVisual Studio Code

The most popular code editor, with a huge extension marketplace.

Free · Open source · Works offline
Best free optionVim

Modal text editor that never leaves your terminal.

Free · Open source · Works offline
Best open-source optionNeovim

Modern, extensible rewrite of Vim.

Free · Open source · Works offline
Best for offline useSublime Text

Blazingly fast, minimalist text editor for code.

Paid · Works offline

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