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Notepad Next alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 29, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Notepad Next: the developer warns it has bugs and unfinished features, and doesn't run Notepad++ plugins. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Notepad Next, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Sublime Text currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Visual Studio Code logoVisual Studio CodeFreeYesWindows, macOS, Linux +13 of 365.0
2Kate logoKateOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 452.6
3Geany logoGeanyOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 451.2
  1. Visual Studio Code logo

    1. Visual Studio CodeTop pick

    Best for: Developers who want a free, extensible editor for any language

    FreeOpen sourceWindows, macOS, Linux, Web

    65.0

    score / 100

    Why switch from Notepad Next

    Free, heavily extensible editor if you're ready to move up to a full coding setup.

    Pros

    • Free with a huge extension marketplace
    • Excellent remote development
    • Fast and lightweight for an IDE

    Cons

    • Microsoft builds include telemetry
    • Heavy extension use can slow it down
    Visit Visual Studio Code Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.338
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.15100
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Visual Studio Code a good Notepad Next alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Price
    Free
    Checked Oct 24, 2026code.visualstudio.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Open source core
    Yes (Code - OSS, MIT)
    Checked Oct 29, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Windows, macOS, Linux, web
    Checked Oct 24, 2026code.visualstudio.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Kate logo

    2. Kate

    Best for: Linux users who want a capable, native editor with LSP support and no Electron

    Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux

    52.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Notepad Next

    Free KDE editor for Linux, Windows and macOS with more features and steadier releases.

    Pros

    • Free and open source from KDE
    • Syntax highlighting for 400+ languages and LSP support
    • Built-in terminal, Git and Vi mode

    Cons

    • Feels less at home outside KDE Plasma
    • Much smaller plugin ecosystem than VS Code
    • No built-in AI features of note
    Visit Kate Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.346
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Kate a good Notepad Next alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Platforms
    Linux, Windows, macOS
    Checked Oct 29, 2026kate-editor.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Syntax highlighting
    400+ languages
    Checked Oct 29, 2026kate-editor.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Multi-cursor
    Yes
    Checked Oct 29, 2026kate-editor.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Built-in terminal
    Yes (plugin)
    Checked Oct 29, 2026kate-editor.org(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Geany logo

    3. Geany

    Best for: Students and developers on modest hardware who want a fast, simple IDE

    Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux

    51.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Notepad Next

    Lightweight open-source editor with IDE touches, stable on Linux, Windows and macOS.

    Pros

    • Very light and quick to start
    • Build and run commands built in
    • Free software under GPL v2

    Cons

    • No language server support out of the box
    • Dated GTK interface
    • Windows builds currently need a maintainer
    Visit Geany Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.341
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Geany a good Notepad Next alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    GPL-2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Linux, Windows, macOS
    Checked Oct 29, 2026geany.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Languages
    50+ programming languages
    Checked Oct 29, 2026geany.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Latest version
    2.1 (July 2025)
    Checked Oct 29, 2026geany.org(opens source in a new tab)

The best Notepad Next alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Sublime Text logo

Best Notepad Next alternative for most people

Sublime Text

Fast, mature cross-platform editor with multiple cursors and a large package ecosystem.

Visual Studio Code logo

Best Notepad Next alternative for a free option

Visual Studio Code

Free, heavily extensible editor if you're ready to move up to a full coding setup.

Notepad++ logo

Best Notepad Next alternative for open source

Notepad++

The original, more complete and with a big plugin library, if you're on Windows.

Kate logo

Best Notepad Next alternative for Mac

Kate

Free KDE editor for Linux, Windows and macOS with more features and steadier releases.

Geany logo

Best Notepad Next alternative for Windows

Geany

Lightweight open-source editor with IDE touches, stable on Linux, Windows and macOS.

Sublime Text logo

Best Notepad Next alternative for Linux

Sublime Text

Fast, mature cross-platform editor with multiple cursors and a large package ecosystem.

Visual Studio Code logo

Best Notepad Next alternative for working in the browser

Visual Studio Code

Free, heavily extensible editor if you're ready to move up to a full coding setup.

Notepad Next alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Notepad Next?

Sublime Text ranks first right now. Fast, mature cross-platform editor with multiple cursors and a large package ecosystem. Visual Studio Code and Notepad++ follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Notepad Next?

Yes. Visual Studio Code (free), Notepad++ (open source), Kate (open source) and Geany (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Notepad Next?

Yes: Visual Studio Code, Notepad++, Kate and Geany.

Which Notepad Next alternatives work on Linux?

Sublime Text, Visual Studio Code, Kate and Geany run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Notepad Next?

The complaints we hear most: the developer warns it has bugs and unfinished features; doesn't run Notepad++ plugins; macOS builds aren't notarised, so Gatekeeper warnings need a workaround.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Notepad Next, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.