BowPad is a small and fast text editor with a ribbon user interface and syntax highlighting.
Publisher’s description
What is BowPad?
BowPad by Stefans Tools is open-source Windows software in the text editors category. It ranks 36th by popularity among text editors in this catalogue. It is written in C++.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides MSI installers for 64-bit and 32-bit Windows. It can be installed for the current user only, without administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches. An MSI package is available for deployment with Group Policy, Intune or Configuration Manager.
Updates and version history
The current version is 2.9.6, released on September 24, 2025. The version history goes back to February 25, 2022: 7 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 1.7 releases a year. The last update is more than a year old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 29,664 times. The source code on GitHub (stefankueng/BowPad) has 754 stars. On Windows it registers 9 file types, including .txt, .json, .yaml, .yml and .ps1. Similar programs include Notepad++, Atom and Neovim.
Project description on GitHub: “A simple and fast text editor with a ribbon UI”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- MSI package for managed deployment
- Documented silent install
- Installs without administrator rights
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- No update for more than a year
In short: BowPad is an open-source text editor tool for 64-bit and 32-bit PCs. Updates have slowed down. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is BowPad safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
1CCE569A0EDA6552B7B8F49251BE2CEECC2ED3AE44FD5A0397757976F6EC46C3· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 7 versions ›7 versions over 4 years · about 1.7 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.9.6Latest | September 24, 2025 | — | 32-bit MSI64-bit MSI |
| 2.9.5 | July 12, 2025 | — | 32-bit MSI64-bit MSI |
| 2.9.4 | February 20, 2025 | — | 64-bit MSI32-bit MSI |
| 2.8.2882 | May 30, 2022 | — | 64-bit MSI32-bit MSI |
| 2.8.2809 | November 20, 2021 | — | 32-bit MSI64-bit MSI |
| 2.8.2744 | July 25, 2021 | — | 64-bit MSI32-bit MSI |
| 2.8.2 | February 25, 2022 | — | 32-bit MSI64-bit MSI |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id StefansTools.BowPad -echoco install bowpad -ymsiexec /i BowPad64-2.9.6.msi /qn /norestartmsiexec /x {3C4C73EE-D51E-45D3-9821-249E0699D0DB} /qn /norestartRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- Stefans Tools
- Category
- Text editors
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/stefankueng/BowPad
- Written in
- C++
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, 32-bit
- Installer
- MSI
- Version
- 2.9.6
- Released
- September 24, 2025
- Added to the catalogue
- August 15, 2021
- Versions listed
- 7
- Updates / year
- 1.7
- Chocolatey downloads
- 29,664
- GitHub stars
- 754
- GitHub forks
- 97
- Website
- tools.stefankueng.com
- winget ID
- StefansTools.BowPad
- Chocolatey package
- bowpad
- MSI product code
- {3C4C73EE-D51E-45D3-9821-249E0699D0DB}
File types it opens (9)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is BowPad free?
Yes. BowPad is open-source software under the GPL-3.0 licence.
Is BowPad safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install BowPad with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can BowPad be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer, including msiexec for the MSI package.
Does BowPad run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit and 32-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of BowPad?
The versions page lists all 7 versions with links to their official installer files, back to February 25, 2022.
Can I use BowPad without administrator rights?
Yes, there is a per-user installer that does not need administrator rights.
What are alternatives to BowPad?
Notepad++, Atom, Neovim, Geany and WordPress.com. The alternatives page compares them.
