XML Notepad is the result of a promise Chris Lovett made to a friend at Microsoft. The original XML Notepad shipped in back in 1998, written by Murray Low in C++. Later on it fell behind in support for XML standards and, because we didn't have time to fix it, we pulled the downloader. But Murray apparently did such a nice job that MSDN was inundated with requests to put the notepad back up, so they asked for a replacement.
Publisher’s description
What is XmlNotepad?
XmlNotepad by Chris Lovett is open-source Windows software in the text editors category. It ranks 35th by popularity among text editors in this catalogue. It is written in C#.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides MSIX and MSI installers for Any CPU Windows. It needs Windows 10 1809 or newer. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 2.9.0.22, released on June 8, 2026. The version history goes back to March 22, 2024: 9 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 4.1 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 20,662 times. The source code on GitHub (microsoft/XmlNotepad) has 1,197 stars. On Windows it registers 1 file type, including .xml. Similar programs include Notepad++, Atom and Neovim.
Project description on GitHub: “XML Notepad provides a simple intuitive User Interface for browsing and editing XML documents.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
In short: XmlNotepad is an open-source text editor tool for Any CPU PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is XmlNotepad 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:
9CBAFE9E930C23BC8AD0D77F7A7DF2FA2A21F08FC79F24B6BC12943C1282587A· 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 9 versions ›9 versions over 2 years · about 4.1 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.9.0.22Latest | June 8, 2026 | — | Any CPU ZIPAny CPU MSIX |
| 2.9.0.21 | March 28, 2026 | — | Any CPU MSIXAny CPU ZIP |
| 2.9.0.20 | March 27, 2026 | — | Any CPU ZIPAny CPU MSIX |
| 2.9.0.19 | March 27, 2026 | — | Any CPU MSIXAny CPU ZIP |
| 2.9.0.18 | January 9, 2026 | — | Any CPU MSIXAny CPU ZIP |
| 2.9.0.17 | November 16, 2025 | — | Any CPU ZIP |
| 2.9.0.16 | December 10, 2024 | — | Any CPU ZIPAny CPU MSIX |
| 2.9.0.9 | April 19, 2024 | — | Any CPU MSIX |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Microsoft.XMLNotepad -echoco install xml-notepad -yscoop install extras/xmlnotepadAdd-AppxPackage -Path XmlNotepadPackage_2.9.0.22_AnyCPU.msixbundleGet-AppxPackage -Name 43906ChrisLovett.XmlNotepad | Remove-AppxPackageRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- Chris Lovett
- Category
- Text editors
- Licence
- MIT
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/microsoft/XmlNotepad
- Written in
- C#
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10 (Windows 10 1809+)
- Architecture
- Any CPU
- Installer
- MSIX, MSI
- Version
- 2.9.0.22
- Released
- June 8, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- March 22, 2024
- Versions listed
- 9
- Updates / year
- 4.1
- Chocolatey downloads
- 20,662
- GitHub stars
- 1,197
- GitHub forks
- 240
- Website
- microsoft.github.io
- winget ID
- Microsoft.XMLNotepad
- Chocolatey package
- xml-notepad
- Scoop package
- extras/xmlnotepad
- MSI product code
- {28D9664A-4963-4FDC-A2E2-00925C4A0AE7}
File types it opens (1)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is XmlNotepad free?
Yes. XmlNotepad is open-source software under the MIT licence.
Is XmlNotepad 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 XmlNotepad 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 XmlNotepad be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Which Windows versions does XmlNotepad support?
The installer requires Windows 10 1809 or newer and is available for Any CPU.
Does XmlNotepad run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
The installer is architecture-neutral.
Where can I download an older version of XmlNotepad?
The versions page lists all 9 versions with links to their official installer files, back to March 22, 2024.
What are alternatives to XmlNotepad?
Notepad++, Atom, Neovim, Geany and FontForge. The alternatives page compares them.
