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Notepad++ VS Geany

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

Notepad++ logo Notepad++

A free source code editor which supports several programming languages running under the MS Windows environment.

Geany logo Geany

Lightweight IDE for Linux and Windows
  • Notepad++ Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-07
  • Geany Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-14

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.

Geany features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Geany is designed to be a small and fast IDE, making it ideal for users who prefer a quick and responsive environment without the bulk of larger IDEs.
  • Cross-Platform
    Geany is available on multiple operating systems including Windows, Linux, and macOS, allowing for consistent development experience across different platforms.
  • Extensible
    Geany supports a wide variety of plugins that can expand its functionality, allowing users to tailor the editor to their specific needs.
  • Supports Multiple Languages
    Geany provides support for several programming languages out of the box, making it a versatile choice for developers working in different languages.
  • Fast Load Time
    Due to its minimalist design, Geany has a very fast load time compared to more complex IDEs, which can enhance productivity.
  • Integrated Build System
    Geany includes a basic integrated build system, which allows you to compile and run code directly from the editor.

Possible disadvantages of Geany

  • Limited Features Compared to Full-Fledged IDEs
    While Geany is lightweight and fast, it may lack some of the advanced features offered by more comprehensive IDEs like IntelliJ IDEA or Visual Studio.
  • Basic Debugging Tools
    Geany's built-in debugging tools are quite rudimentary, which might not meet the needs of developers working on complex projects that require advanced debugging features.
  • User Interface
    The user interface of Geany, while functional, can feel outdated compared to more modern editors and might not have the same level of polish or aesthetic appeal.
  • Plugin Ecosystem
    Geany has fewer plugins available compared to more popular IDEs like Visual Studio Code, which can limit its extendability and customization options.
  • Community and Support
    Being a smaller project, Geany may not have as large a community or as comprehensive support resources as larger IDEs, which can be a disadvantage for troubleshooting and learning.

Notepad++ videos

Notepad++ Review

More videos:

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

Geany videos

Geany 1.32 Lightweight IDE - Linux Mint Installation, Features, Plugins and Themes

More videos:

  • Review - Geany for C and Python Programming
  • Review - LinuxDays 2015 - Geany - a lightwight IDE - Frank Lanitz

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Notepad++ and Geany)
Text Editors
78 78%
22% 22
IDE
75 75%
25% 25
Software Development
77 77%
23% 23
IDEs And Text Editors
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

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

Notepad++ Reviews

  1. 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.

Geany Reviews

10 Best Notepad++ Alternatives in 2020
Geany is a text editor which uses GTK+ toolkit. It also has certain basic features of an integrated development environment. The tool supports many filetypes and has some nice features.
Source: www.guru99.com
10 Best Sublime Text Alternatives in 2019
Geany is a text editor which uses GTK+ toolkit. It also has certain basic features of an integrated development environment. The tool supports many filetypes and has some nice features.
Source: www.guru99.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Notepad++ seems to be a lot more popular than Geany. While we know about 175 links to Notepad++, we've tracked only 6 mentions of Geany. 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.

Notepad++ mentions (175)

  • 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 / about 1 month 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 / 5 months 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 / 5 months 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 / 6 months ago
  • Hack WKHTMLTOPDF PDF to enable Adobe Acrobat Field Editing
    This issue was a difficult to research, but I did find a complaint on GitHub. The problem is due to the fact that an "interactive" flag is missing, but I don't believe that this is even a feature within WKHTMLTOPDF (apart from the --enable-forms option). WK also generates a 1.4 versioned PDF. Is the interactive option even available in v1.4 PDFs? The hack to make PDFs compatible with Adobe Acrobat required... - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
View more

Geany mentions (6)

  • Zed on Linux Is Here
    If you want a fast C++ editor with no spurious network connectivity and a conventional desktop UI, check out Geany: https://geany.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Finding the Last Editor
    > One that isn't tied to a specific platform, or preferably even a specific company, and that I trust will still be around until I'm done programming. That is Geany[0]: no opinions, no company affiliations, no editor wars. It has been around forever, works on everything, and is open-source. [0] https://geany.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Best lua ide?
    I just use Geany for everything, it has a long history and has proven itself to be reliable. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Geany is a fantastic, fast, powerful GUI text editor for many purposes & has a low barrier to entry
    After trying a bunch of GUI text editors in Linux and on the Mac I gotta say that to me, Geany is the best. Source: about 3 years ago
  • I know, not exactly Linux.
    Have you tried Geany? It's based on Scintilla, just like Notepad++ is (although that's an implementation detail that you don't really need to know to use either of them), which helps it to feel very similar. Source: about 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

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.

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

Vim - Highly configurable text editor built to enable efficient text editing

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

UltraEdit - UltraCompare is the name of an advanced level of file and folder comparison platform that is loaded with an advanced level of features and functions.

GNU Emacs - GNU Emacs is an extensible, customizable text editor—and more.