Software Alternatives & Startups

EditorConfig VS Notepad++

Compare EditorConfig VS Notepad++ and see what are their differences

EditorConfig logo EditorConfig

EditorConfig is a file format and collection of text editor plugins for maintaining consistent coding styles between different editors and IDEs.

Notepad++ logo Notepad++

A free source code editor which supports several programming languages running under the MS Windows environment.
  • EditorConfig Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-08-25
  • Notepad++ Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-07

EditorConfig features and specs

  • Consistency Across Editors
    EditorConfig helps maintain consistent coding styles for multiple developers working on the same project across various editors and IDEs. This ensures that all developers adhere to the same coding standards, minimizing discrepancies in code formatting.
  • Ease of Use
    EditorConfig files are simple to set up and use. Once the configuration file is in place, any supported editor with the EditorConfig plugin installed will automatically enforce the styles, requiring minimal ongoing maintenance from developers.
  • Compatibility
    EditorConfig is compatible with a wide range of editors and IDEs through plugins, allowing developers to use their preferred development environment while still adhering to project-wide formatting rules.
  • Source Control Friendliness
    By enforcing consistent styles, EditorConfig reduces the likelihood of unnecessary code diffs caused by differing formatting preferences, making version control diffs cleaner and easier to understand.

Possible disadvantages of EditorConfig

  • Limited Scope
    EditorConfig focuses primarily on basic whitespace and file-ending settings. It does not provide comprehensive style enforcement, such as linting for programming language-specific syntax rules or convention enforcement beyond formatting.
  • Requires Editor Support
    EditorConfig requires either native support or plugins to be installed in the editor or IDE. If a developer is using an unsupported editor or does not have the plugin installed, they may not benefit from the configuration.
  • Potential for Inconsistencies
    Depending on the implementation of the EditorConfig plugin in specific editors, there can be slight differences in how rules are applied. This can potentially lead to inconsistencies if not all team members use the same tools or versions.
  • Basic Feature Set
    EditorConfig’s feature set is relatively basic compared to other tools that offer more robust configurations and checks, such as full-featured code linters and formatters that enforce a wider array of coding conventions and rules.

Notepad++ features and specs

  • Free and Open Source
    Notepad++ is completely free to download and use, and its source code is open for anyone to review, modify, and contribute to.
  • Lightweight and Fast
    Notepad++ is lightweight, meaning it uses fewer system resources compared to more complex IDEs, allowing for quick loading times and responsiveness.
  • Syntax Highlighting
    Supports syntax highlighting for over 80 programming languages, making it easier to read and write code.
  • Plugin Support
    Offers a wide range of plugins to extend its functionality, including customization options, code analyzers, and more.
  • Tabbed Interface
    Allows multiple documents to be opened in the same window through a tabbed interface, which greatly improves productivity.
  • Regular Updates
    Frequently receives updates and patches, improving its features and fixing bugs.

Possible disadvantages of Notepad++

  • Limited Advanced Features
    Lacks some of the advanced features and integrations of full-fledged IDEs, which might be necessary for professional software development.
  • Windows Only
    Natively available only on Windows, although it can be run on other systems using compatibility layers like Wine, which might affect performance.
  • Manual Plugin Management
    Managing plugins can be cumbersome, as users often need to download and install them manually.
  • Occasional Stability Issues
    Although generally stable, users sometimes encounter crashes or bugs, particularly when using many plugins.

Analysis of Notepad++

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Notepad++ is considered a good editor for both programmers and general users who need a reliable and feature-rich text editing tool.

Why this product is good

  • Notepad++ is a popular text and code editor due to its lightweight design, wide array of features, and support for numerous programming languages. It offers syntax highlighting, macro recording, customizable interfaces, and plugin support, making it highly versatile for various coding and text editing tasks. Its open-source nature allows for community-driven improvements, and it runs efficiently on Windows systems without consuming significant resources.

Recommended for

    Notepad++ is recommended for programmers, developers, and writers who need a robust text editor with advanced features. It's ideal for anyone using Windows who wants a free, efficient, and customizable editing solution capable of handling a wide range of file types and coding languages.

EditorConfig videos

EditorConfig, A tool I include in all my projects

More videos:

  • Review - Detecting missing ConfigureAwait with FxCop and EditorConfig - Dotnetos 5-minute Code Reviews
  • Review - 15 Visual Studio Editor Tips including Intellicode and EditorConfig

Notepad++ videos

Notepad++ Review

More videos:

  • Review - Notepad++ Review
  • Review - Notepad++ Text Editor: Intro for Beginners

Category Popularity

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Code Coverage
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100% 100
Code Analysis
100 100%
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IDE
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User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare EditorConfig and Notepad++

EditorConfig Reviews

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Notepad++ Reviews

  1. Simple and Fast

    Fast, lightweight, and incredibly useful. A great free editor that gets the job done without unnecessary complexity.

  2. the best assistant at work

    I've been using it for a long time, I can say that it has become my main tool in my work. First, you need to get used to using it and look at all the functionality. Overall, it's useful for me!


Boost Your Productivity with These Top Text Editors and IDEs
Notepad++ provides a tabbed interface, allowing you to work on multiple files simultaneously. Its intuitive user interface makes it easy to navigate and edit your code efficiently. With features like syntax highlighting, code folding, and auto-completion, Notepad++ helps you write clean and error-free code.
Source: convesio.com
13 Best Text Editors to Speed up Your Workflow
If you’re a beginner who needs a text editor, Notepad++ is far easier to understand than some of the other options on this list. Not only that, but you’ll enjoy the ability to locate words and replace them all, while also revealing certain bits of code with highlighting. As for advanced users, Notepad++ also does the trick, with its syntax highlighting for HTML, PHP, and...
Source: kinsta.com
Top 10 Free CSV Readers in 2023!
Notepad++: A popular text editor for Windows that has a CSV plugin for viewing and editing CSV files.
Source: www.retable.io
Top 10 Notepad++ Alternatives for Mac in 2022
First, you can get a better version of Notepad++ Mac. For instance, Setapp caters to your own Notepad++ Mac. You can also Notepad++ Mac using an emulator. Typically, the emulator is a form of creating a layer of compatibility where you can run the Notepad++ Mac on your operating system. Another thing you can do t enjoy Notepad++ Mac is by using Wine. This can help you have e...
Source: www.imymac.com
The Top 7 Notepad++ Alternatives for You
I have provided you with mainly free Notepad++ alternatives here. This is not that surprising because Notepad++ is free also. When choosing a Notepad++ alternative you need to consider what you are going to use it for and your level of programming experience.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Notepad++ should be more popular than EditorConfig. It has been mentiond 176 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

EditorConfig mentions (87)

  • Coding in Style
    I can update the indentation configuration in neovim, but I think a much nicer option and better convention would be to set up .editorconfig. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Writing a Good Claude.md
    - tokens are relatively cheap but they're not free on a paid plan; why spend tokens on something linters and formatters can do deterministically and for free? If you wanted Claude Code to handle linting automatically, you're better off taking that out of CLAUDE.md and creating a Skill [2]. > What? Why would that be a reasonable assumption/prediction for even near-term agent capabilities? Providing it with some... - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Tabs vs. Spaces: The War Is Over
    I’ve also been tinkering around with AI-Coding assistants, having fun and learning many of the missing steps from my career. As someone who loved to write codes that are well formatted, well named, and well organized, the one thing I hate about AI-Coding is mess. So, the first thing I do now is to set `.editorconfig`[1] and add an instruction as part of the process to respect it. btw, it still ignores it at times.... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Converting a Git repo from tabs to spaces (2016)
    FWIW: EditorConfig isn't a ".net ecosystem" thing but works across a ton of languages, editors and IDEs: https://editorconfig.org/ Also, rather than using GitHub Actions to validate if it was followed (after branch was pushed/PR was opened), add it as a Git hook (https://git-scm.com/docs/githooks) to run right before commit, so every commit will be valid and the iteration<>feedback loop gets like 400% faster as... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Config-file-validator v1.7.0 released!
    Added support for EditorConfig, .env, and HOCON validation. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
View more

Notepad++ mentions (176)

  • Microsoft dumps AI into Notepad as 'Copilot all the things' mania takes hold
    I would like to recommend notepad++. It does the job and I especially like it for multi-document and the other feautures like regex replace and plugins, etc... https://notepad-plus-plus.org. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • How to Run Windows Applications on Linux Using Bottles: A Step-by-Step Guide
    Are you transitioning from Windows to Linux but struggling to replace tools like Notepad++ or WinMerge? Thanks to Wine and Bottles, you can now run Windows-only applications natively on Linux. This guide will show you how to install Windows apps on Linux effortlessly, perfect for .NET developers or anyone needing Windows tools in a Linux environment. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Currency converter in Rust + WebAssembly
    Then we need to modify Cargo.toml file located in your folder that you created with the above command, right click and edit I use notepad++ (to download notepad++ use this link (https://notepad-plus-plus.org/) so you will get the option to edit file directly. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • What I learned from my NodeJS course (part 1)
    Always working in the js-fundamentals.js file Open the file with any text editor. For now, use Notepad++. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • 6 free Markdown (.md) WYSIWYG desktop Editors – Part3
    Where to get it: Https://notepad-plus-plus.org/ Plugin: inside Plugin Admin. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing EditorConfig and Notepad++, you can also consider the following products

Prettier - An opinionated code formatter

VS Code - Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

ESLint - The fully pluggable JavaScript code quality tool

Sublime Text - Sublime Text is a sophisticated text editor for code, html and prose - any kind of text file. You'll love the slick user interface and extraordinary features. Fully customizable with macros, and syntax highlighting for most major languages.

pre-commit by Yelp - A framework for managing and maintaining multi-language pre-commit hooks

GNOME - An easy and elegant way to use your computer, GNOME is designed to put you in control and get things done.