Software Alternatives & Startups

metapad VS ShellNewHandler

Compare metapad VS ShellNewHandler and see what are their differences

metapad

Metapad is a small, fast (and completely free) text editor for Windows 9x/NT/XP/Vista with similar...

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
ShellNewHandler

SourceForge.net: ShellNewHandler details page

Rating
0 reviews
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, metapad should be more popular than ShellNewHandler. It has been mentioned 7 times since March 2021.

social mentions
7 vs 2
Text Editors popularity
100% vs 0%

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

metapad
ShellNewHandler
Website liquidninja.com sourceforge.net
Pricing
Open source
—
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

metapad 5 features
ShellNewHandler 0 features
  • Lightweight
    Metapad is a lightweight text editor with a small footprint, making it fast and efficient to use without consuming significant system resources.
  • Ease of Use
    It offers a simple and intuitive user interface, which makes it straightforward and easy to use for users familiar with basic text editing software.
  • Freeware
    Metapad is free to use, eliminating any cost barriers for individuals or organizations looking for a cost-effective text editing solution.
  • Portable
    The program can run from a USB drive without the need for installation, making it convenient for users who need to carry their tools on the go.
  • Customization
    Offers customization options such as configurable font, word wrap settings, and a variety of interface options.

Possible disadvantages

  • Limited Features
    Metapad lacks advanced text editor features such as syntax highlighting, code folding, and plugin support, which are available in other editors.
  • Windows Only
    It is available only for the Windows operating system, limiting its accessibility for users on other platforms like macOS and Linux.
  • No Regular Updates
    The software does not receive frequent updates, which can result in bugs or compatibility issues not being addressed promptly.
  • Simple UI
    The basic user interface, while easy to use, may not appeal to users seeking modern or aesthetically pleasing design.

No features have been listed yet.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

metapad
ShellNewHandler

No analysis of metapad yet.

Overall verdict

  • ShellNewHandler is a niche, lightweight utility hosted on SourceForge designed to give users more control over the Windows 'New' context menu (the ShellNew menu). It can be considered good for its specific narrow use case, but it is an older, minimally maintained tool that may not suit all users, especially those on modern Windows versions.

Why this product is good

  • Provides direct control over customizing the Windows right-click 'New' menu, allowing users to add or remove file type entries
  • Lightweight and free, without bundled bloatware typical of some other free utilities
  • Simple and focused in scope, making it easy to understand for its specific purpose
  • Open distribution via SourceForge allows transparency and no-cost access

Recommended for

  • Power users who want to declutter or customize the Windows New context menu
  • IT administrators managing standardized desktop environments across multiple machines
  • Users comfortable with older utility-style tools and Windows registry-related tweaks
  • Not recommended for casual users seeking modern, actively supported software with regular updates

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
metapad
ShellNewHandler
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
IDE
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using metapad and ShellNewHandler. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

metapad 7 mentions
ShellNewHandler 2 mentions
  • Windows Notepad App Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
    This was already better when the latest from MS was still called "* XP": https://liquidninja.com/metapad/. - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Edit is now open source
    There are already: Notepad3 (https://sourceforge.net/projects/notepad3/) or metapad (https://liquidninja.com/metapad/). - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • NotepadNext – a cross-platform, reimplementation of Notepad++
    I used to use Metapad at times, apart from (mainly) gVim, on Windows. https://liquidninja.com/metapad/ Development on it has stopped, IIRC, but it is still available for download. I had used many other text editors earlier, such as... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago

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  • I recently got libreoffice, but now the new option in right click looks like a mess. Can someone help me get rid of them please?
    Use Shell New Handler. Run the portable app and simply untick the items you don't want to appear in your new context menu. Source: about 4 years ago
  • This menu should be easy to add/remove programs to... Who is really creating Access Databases from this menu often enough to keep it here? (Not me!) Is there an easy way to edit this?
    I've always used ShellNewHandler for this. It's a really simple portable utility that allows you to remove most of the items from that menu. Tested it out on Windows 11 and it's still compatible. Source: over 5 years ago

Alternatives to metapad and ShellNewHandler

When comparing metapad and ShellNewHandler, you can also consider the following products.