Notepad++ (sometimes npp or NPP) is a text and source-code editor for use with Microsoft Windows. It supports tabbed editing, which allows working with multiple open files in one window. The program's name comes from the C postfix increment operator.
Notepad++ is released as free and open-source software under a GNU General Public License (GPL) 3.0 or later. The project was originally hosted on the SourceForge software repository (2003–2010), from where it was downloaded over 28 million times, and twice won the SourceForge Community Choice Award for Best Developer Tool. The project moved to TuxFamily (2010–2015), and then to GitHub (2015–present). Notepad++ uses the Scintilla editor component. It supports Windows DirectWrite and all major Windows color font formats (COLRv0, COLRv1, and OpenType SVG).
Notepad++ development began in September 2003 by Don Ho, a former computer science student of Paris Diderot University. Ho first used JEXT (a Java-based text editor) at his company but, dissatisfied with its poor performance, he began to develop a text editor written in C++ with Scintilla. He developed it in his spare time since the idea was rejected by his company. Notepad++ was built as a Microsoft Windows application; the developer considered, but rejected, the idea of using wxWidgets to port it to the Mac OS X and Unix platforms.
What is Notepad++?
Notepad++ by Notepad++ Team (developed by Don Ho) is open-source Windows software in the text editors category. It ranks 1st by popularity among text editors in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 2003. It is written in C++ and C. Its interface is available in 4 languages.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (NSIS), MSI and Portable installers for 64-bit, ARM64 and 32-bit Windows. Installation asks for 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 8.9.8.1, released on September 24, 2026. The version history goes back to December 9, 2025: 14 releases, all linked to the official files.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 21,977,669 times. The source code on GitHub (notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus) has 29,640 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 38 of our languages. Similar programs include Atom, Neovim and Geany.
Project description on GitHub: “Notepad++ official repository”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Native ARM64 build for Windows on Arm
- MSI package for managed deployment
- Documented silent install
- Updated in the last two months
- Large user base
- Mature project (since 2003)
Cons
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: Notepad++ is an open-source text editor tool for 64-bit, ARM64 and 32-bit PCs. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is Notepad++ 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:
26F3BCCED788FADBAC4E7E577B430EA2CE6060CF3BCAD993EF4612ECD7D743DA· 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
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Actively maintained10
- No dangerous workflows10
- Licence declared9
- No binaries in the repository8
- Signed releases8
- Code review0
- Restricted token permissions0
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Static code analysis0
- Pinned dependencies0
- Fuzzing0
- Security policy0
- Branch protection0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 14 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.9.8.1Latest | September 24, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 ZIP64-bit MSIARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
| 8.9.8 | August 23, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIP32-bit ZIP32-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 8.9.7 | July 14, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit ZIP |
| 8.9.6.4 | June 3, 2026 | — | 32-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 ZIP32-bit ZIP64-bit MSI |
| 8.9.6.2 | May 31, 2026 | — | 32-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit ZIPARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
| 8.9.6.1 | May 26, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSIARM64 EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit ZIP |
| 8.9.6 | May 20, 2026 | — | 32-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 ZIP32-bit ZIP64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 8.9.5 | May 11, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit ZIP64-bit MSIARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
Release cycle and support
Version 8.9.8.1 belongs to the 8.9 release line, still supported, with no end date announced.
| Release line | Released | Support ends | Latest version | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.9 | December 27, 2025 | not announced | 8.9.8.1 | Supported |
| 8.8 | April 28, 2025 | December 27, 2025 | 8.8.9 | End of life |
| 8.7 | September 17, 2024 | April 28, 2025 | 8.7.9 | End of life |
| 8.6 | November 23, 2023 | September 17, 2024 | 8.6.9 | End of life |
| 8.5 | March 6, 2023 | November 23, 2023 | 8.5.8 | End of life |
| 8.4 | April 26, 2022 | March 6, 2023 | 8.4.9 | End of life |
| 8.3 | February 3, 2022 | April 26, 2022 | 8.3.3 | End of life |
| 8.2 | January 1, 2022 | February 3, 2022 | 8.2.1 | End of life |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Notepad++.Notepad++ -echoco install notepadplusplus -ynpp.8.9.8.1.Installer.x64.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- Notepad++ Team
- Developer
- Don Ho
- Category
- Text editors
- Licence
- GPL-3.0-or-later
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus
- Written in
- C++ and C
- Interface languages
- multiple languages, English, French, and Greek
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64, 32-bit
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS), MSI, Portable
- Version
- 8.9.8.1
- Released
- September 24, 2026
- First release
- 2003
- Added to the catalogue
- December 12, 2025
- Versions listed
- 14
- Chocolatey downloads
- 21,977,669
- GitHub stars
- 29,640
- GitHub forks
- 5,398
- Website
- notepad-plus-plus.org
- winget ID
- Notepad++.Notepad++
- Chocolatey package
- notepadplusplus
- MSI product code
- {5C6F8543-7EA8-40B9-B78F-04C78300DE7F}
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Notepad++ free?
Yes. Notepad++ is open-source software under the GPL-3.0-or-later licence.
Is Notepad++ 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 Notepad++ 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 Notepad++ be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer, including msiexec for the MSI package.
Does Notepad++ run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of Notepad++?
The versions page lists all 14 versions with links to their official installer files, back to December 9, 2025.
What are alternatives to Notepad++?
Atom, Neovim, Geany, Brackets and Avidemux. The alternatives page compares them.
