Best Free Windows Notepad Alternative For Web Developers

Windows Notepad has been part of every Windows version from inception. Notepad is a simple text and source code editor for Microsoft Windows operating systems. Notepad can be used for taking quick notes, recording error messages as well as storing code in them. You can download Notepad++ to a remote storage like a USB without ever saving it on your system. This freeware is being used by programmers the world over in writing complex lines of code.

Notepad has been in the market for over 30 years, but its age does not necessarily mean it is the best text editor you can find. There are so many similar apps on the market that even come with more features than Notepad. Let us take a look at some of the best alternatives for Microsoft Windows Notepad for web developers.

• Notepad++

Notepad++ is an open source freeware that is based on the Scintilla editor component. It is written in C++ with only Win32 API calls which uses just the STL to increase performance and reduction of program size. This highly productive source code and text editor is very easy to use. If you want a simple, lightweight, and extensible programming plain-text editor, then go for this free, open source tool-Notepad++. You can also Download Notepad++ 64 bit for those that have 64 bit systems.

This software was developed by Don Ho for Microsoft Windows 10 users. Notepad++ has been downloaded over 28 million times on SourceForge.net, and also won the websites community choice for Best Developer tool twice. Notepad++ does not have the most pleasant interface, but will allow you to personalize the look of the software to suit your taste. Where it fails with aesthetics, it makes up with its functionality.

Notepad++ is sure to offer you more than just simple text editing, as it offers support for different programming languages like HTML, XML, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript and so much more. It is unarguably the best alternative to Notepad.

• Sublime Text

This is a cross-platform application that comes packed with many good features. With Sublime text, you can download plugins for various programming languages, as well as a number of add-ons that offers you even more extended features. It is a good alternative to Notepad, and is being used by a lot of developers because of its advanced feature set.

With Sublime Text, you can open more than one document at a time, and keep track of every file that has been opened by simply looking to the right. Sublime Text offers easy keyboard shortcuts which lets you work easily without your hands leaving the keyboard. You can personalize the shortcuts to suit your needs and also chain them together to enable you quickly perform complex operations.

This web development software will also allow users to select multiple rows and simultaneously make changes to them. Sublime Text is compatible with Windows, OS X, and Linux. You can download the trial version of the software, as an alternative for Notepad, for free. However, you will have to pay for a full license to get all of its functionality, while Notepad++ is completely free to download

• EditPad Lite

It is quite similar with Notepad++ as regards its feature set, but stands out with its search and place feature that is better than any other editor. EditPad Lite has a simple interface and tabbed access for multiple files which allows users to open as much files as they want.

EditPad Lite is a good alternative to Notepad for other reasons than its better search and place engine. With this software, you can also autosave and backup your work so you do not lose them due to any glitch. There are unlimited undo and redo options available for editing your work, even after you have saved them.

EditPad Lite is a strong text editor that is awesome for coding. The developers of the software are constantly updating its features to make it even much better than it is already. The best feature of this app is the fact that you can create a portable version of the program seamlessly with just a couple of clicks.

• Vim

It resonates simplicity from the moment you launch the app. Vim is developed for developers but can also be used by users who do not have a lot of experience handling this type of software. There are tutorials on the application that will help you seamlessly get your work done.

Vim is highly configurable, so you can tweak anything about the app that you do not find convenient to your taste. There are also keyboard shortcuts and commands that will allow you to easily streamline your work. You can also apply several scripts to your work as well. The moment you get more familiar with the program's feature set, then you will realise how powerful Vim is for editing texts and source code.

You can also track all of your actions with Vim, and it fully supports macro recording. Vim is a charity ware that can be used on various operating systems. Downloading Vim as an alternative to Notepad will help out the children of Uganda, as the developers will suggest that you make donations to them.

• FluentNotepad

It has a similar interface with Microsoft Office, so if you find the Ribbon interface of Office appealing, then FluentNotepad will look appealing to you. Although FluentNotepad does not come with a lot of different functions we have come to expect from text and source code editors, its appealing interface is perhaps its best feature.

You can highlight syntax for several coding languages, and as well open multiple tabs just like any other editor. FluentNotepad serves only as a noteworthy alternative to Notepad because of its interface, but falls short of Notepad++ feature set. Everything else about FluentNotepad is a simple as it gets and only makes this list because it is best to choose a program that suits your needs (for office interface lovers).

• PSPad

This coding utility is geared towards coders and thus includes features like a built-in FTP client, a macro reader, user-defined highlighting, syntax highlighting and much more. PSPad has a spell checker, auto correction, text difference, search and replace, as well as multiple tabs to make your text editing much easier.

The developers of PSPad ensure it is regularly updated so it can serve its users better than any other editor app on the market. One thing that is a bit annoying about this software is that during installation, you will be asked to install more programs that you will have to decline one after the other.

It is not better than Notepad++ but has more features than the three decade old Notepad.

In Conclusion

If you need a text and source code editor for coding purposes, there are many programs that will offer you more functionality than Windows Notepad. Above are just a few of the best alternatives you can use to edit your texts and source codes. One of the above listed programs cannot be tagged as simply "the best" because users are inclined to make use of programs that bests suits their needs. However, if we are to recommend just one, we would recommend Notepad++.