Notepad++
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Notepad++ does
Notepad++ is a free, open-source source code editor and Notepad replacement for Microsoft Windows, created and maintained by a single developer, Don Ho, from France. The software is written in C++ using pure Win32 API and STL, and is built on the Scintilla editing component, providing syntax highlighting, tabbed document handling, plugin extensibility, and a User Defined Language system across multiple programming languages. Distribution is purely digital — installer, portable zip, portable 7z, and mini-portable formats are served directly from notepad-plus-plus.org and GitHub releases for x64, x86, and ARM64 architectures, with no app store intermediaries.
The business model is non-commercial at its core: Notepad++ is distributed under GPL v3 with no pricing tiers, feature gating, or licensing fees for any environment including commercial and government use. Revenue mechanics consist entirely of voluntary donations (preset tiers of $5 to $500, plus Bitcoin), low-margin merchandise sales through CafePress, and the redirection of donations to humanitarian NGOs such as ATD Fourth World and Ukraine relief efforts. The project has no disclosed funding rounds, no investors, no enterprise sales motion, and operates with 1–10 employees. The customer base is a global long tail of millions of individual developers and general text-editor users, served through community-driven organic adoption via the official website, GitHub, and an active NodeBB community forum.
Following a 2025 supply chain compromise attributed to Chinese state-sponsored actors (Lotus Blossom), the project undertook significant security restructuring: creating a nonprofit entity to obtain a legitimate GlobalSign code signing certificate, implementing XMLDSig-verified update responses, GPG release key signing, and a sequence of CVE remediation releases through mid-2026. Notepad++ also enforced its trademark against an unauthorized macOS port in 2026, establishing brand protection ahead of potential platform expansion.
Notepad++ firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Notepad++
- Legal name
- Notepad++
- Website
- https://notepad-plus-plus.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Notepad++ is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Notepad++ business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Donations: Users can make donations to support the project. The donation page humorously explains that more donations allow the developer to buy more coffee to write more code. Donation tiers range from $5 to $500.
- Merchandise sales: Sale of Notepad++ branded merchandise including thongs, t-shirts, and mugs through CafePress online shops
- Redirected donations to humanitarian causes: Rather than distributing donations among contributors, the project redirects donations to humanitarian NGOs such as ATD Fourth World and Ukraine relief efforts
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free download and use |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Notepad++ product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Notepad++ is a free, open-source source code editor and Notepad replacement for Windows, distributed under the GNU General Public License. Built on the Scintilla editing component and written in C++ with pure Win32 API and STL, it provides syntax highlighting for numerous programming languages, tab-based document editing, plugin extensibility, and a customizable User Defined Language system, with auto-update delivery secured through XMLDSig, GlobalSign, and GPG signing.
Product overview
Notepad++ is a single unified product: a free, open-source Windows text and source code editor built on the Scintilla editing component, written in C++ using Win32 API. The core offering is the Notepad++ editor itself, extended through a plugin ecosystem managed via Plugin Admin. Supporting components include the WinGUp auto-updater (hardened with signed verification post-2025), the User Defined Language system for custom syntax highlighting, binary translations for localization, and an online user manual. The product has no tiered platform architecture—it is one editor with optional plugin extensions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Notepad++ Source Code Editor A free, open-source source code editor and Notepad replacement for Windows, written in C++ using pure Win32 API and STL and built on the Scintilla editing component. Supports multiple programming languages with syntax highlighting, tab-based document interface, plugin extensibility, customizable themes, User Defined Language system, split-window editing, macro support, and FTP support, distributed under the GNU General Public License.
- Notepad++ Branded Merchandise Notepad++ branded merchandise including thongs, t-shirts, and mugs sold through CafePress online shops to support the project.
Quantifiable outcome
- Higher execution speed and smaller program size through Win32 API and STL optimization
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Notepad++
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Notepad++ technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Notepad++ partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Notepad++ competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Visual Studio Code: Microsoft's free, cross-platform source code editor built on Electron. Most direct competitor to Notepad++ in the general-purpose code editor category; vastly more feature-rich and AI-augmented, but heavier than Notepad++'s native Win32 implementation.
- Sublime Text: Lightweight, fast, cross-platform commercial code editor positioned as a premium Notepad++ alternative. Directly comparable on speed and developer ergonomics; differs in paid licensing and richer language-server integration.
- Vim: Long-standing free, open-source terminal-first editor with massive plugin ecosystem. Competes with Notepad++ for the same power-user developer audience that values speed, customizability, and keyboard-driven workflows.
- Emacs: Highly extensible free, open-source editor with a 40+ year track record and Lisp-based extensibility. Targets the same developer persona Notepad++ does — users who want to fully customize their editing environment — but with a steeper learning curve.
- Geany: Lightweight open-source IDE/editor using Scintilla (the same component that powers Notepad++) with GTK-based cross-platform support. Closest functional analog on Linux and macOS for users who like Notepad++'s approach.
- Kate: KDE's advanced text editor built on KDE Frameworks, offering syntax highlighting, plugins, and split editing. Comparable feature set to Notepad++ with first-party Linux/macOS support via KDE's portability work.
- Brackets: Adobe's now-archived open-source code editor for web developers (community fork continues). Historically positioned as a lightweight, web-focused peer to Notepad++ on Windows; useful as a comparable lifecycle case study.
Broad incumbents
- UltraEdit: Long-established commercial text/hex editor with Windows, macOS, and Linux builds. Targets a similar developer/sysadmin audience but with a paid license and a broader enterprise positioning than Notepad++'s free model.
- JetBrains Fleet: JetBrains' lightweight, polyglot IDE/editor positioned as a faster alternative to their flagship IDEs. Comparable as a 'fast, smart code editor' for developers but backed by JetBrains' deep language tooling and AI Assistant integration.
Emerging players
- TextMate: macOS-native code editor popular with the Apple developer community. Indirectly competitive: Notepad++ lacks a first-party macOS build, so TextMate serves the same 'power-user text editor' niche on a platform Notepad++ cannot address.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Notepad++ social profiles
Digital presenceNotepad++ compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Notepad++ financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Notepad++ leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Notepad++ funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Notepad++ M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Notepad++
What does Notepad++ do?
Notepad++ is a free, open-source source code editor and Notepad replacement for Windows, distributed under the GNU General Public License. Built on the Scintilla editing component and written in C++ with pure Win32 API and STL, it provides syntax highlighting for numerous programming languages, tab-based document editing, plugin extensibility, and a customizable User Defined Language system, with auto-update delivery secured through XMLDSig, GlobalSign, and GPG signing.
Is Notepad++ a public or private company?
Notepad++ is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Notepad++ founded?
Notepad++ was founded in 2003. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Notepad++ based?
Notepad++ is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Notepad++ make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are merchandise sales and redirected donations to humanitarian causes.
Who are Notepad++'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text, Vim, Emacs, Geany, Kate and Brackets. Broad incumbents are UltraEdit and JetBrains Fleet. TextMate is listed as an emerging player.
Does Notepad++ have an API?
No public API is recorded for Notepad++.