Notepad++ VS i3

Compare Notepad++ VS i3 and see what are their differences

Rating: 5.0 · 2 reviews
Pricing: Open source

Rating: 0 reviews
Pricing: Open source

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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, Notepad++ should be more popular than i3. It has been mentioned 176 times since March 2021.

social mentions: 176 vs 93
Text Editors popularity: 100% vs 0%
alternatives listed: 240+ vs 112

Base details

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

	Notepad++	i3
Website	notepad-plus-plus.org	i3wm.org
Pricing	Open source	Open source
Listed in	IDEs And Text Editors Text Editors IDE Software Development Coding +2	Window Manager Linux Open Source Utilities +1

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Notepad++ 6 features

i3 6 features

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

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.

Efficient Window Management
i3 allows for highly efficient window management using a tree data structure, making it easy to snap windows into grids and manage multiple applications simultaneously.
Lightweight
i3 is deliberately simplistic and lightweight, which allows it to run efficiently on older hardware or systems with limited resources.
Customizability
Users can extensively customize keybindings and behavior through a plain text configuration file. This allows for a personalized workflow.
Keyboard-Centric
i3 is designed to be used primarily through keyboard shortcuts, which can lead to increased productivity for advanced users.
Scriptability
i3 supports various scripting languages through its IPC (Inter-process Communication) interface, enabling automation of complex workflows.
Community and Documentation
i3 has strong community support and extensive documentation, making it easier for new users to learn and troubleshoot issues.

Possible disadvantages

Steep Learning Curve
New users may find i3 difficult to learn and configure, especially if they are accustomed to traditional desktop environments.
Lack of GUI Configuration Tools
i3 relies heavily on manual edits to text files for configuration, lacking user-friendly graphical interfaces for setup and customization.
Limited Out-of-the-Box Features
i3 does not come with many built-in features available in more comprehensive desktop environments, such as app launchers or system tray support, requiring additional setups.
Compatibility Issues
Some applications may not play well with tiling window managers like i3, requiring workarounds or alternative software choices.
Minimal Default Appearance
Without customization, i3 offers a very minimalistic and barebones visual experience, which may not be appealing to all users.

Analysis

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

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.

Overall verdict

Yes, i3 is considered a very good window manager for users who appreciate its minimalist and efficient approach. Its lightweight design keeps resource usage low, which can improve performance on less powerful machines.

Why this product is good

i3wm is known for its simplicity, speed, and efficient use of screen space, making it a popular choice among power users and developers who prefer a keyboard-driven workspace. Its tiling feature allows for the seamless organization of multiple windows, enhancing productivity and multitasking. Furthermore, it is highly customizable, allowing users to tailor their workspace to their specific needs.

Recommended for

i3wm is recommended for advanced users, developers, and anyone who prefers a keyboard-centric interface. It is ideal for users who like to customize their environment extensively and are comfortable with configuring software via text files. New users with a willingness to learn may also find it rewarding.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Notepad++ 3 videos + Add

i3 5 videos + Add

Notepad++ Review

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

Notepad++

100% 100%

Text Editors

0% 0%

Window Manager

100% 100%

IDE

0% 0%

Linux

100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using Notepad++ and i3. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

Notepad++ 5.0 · 2 reviews

i3 no reviews yet

Simple and Fast
SaaSHub review

· Aug 2026

Fast, lightweight, and incredibly useful. A great free editor that gets the job done without unnecessary complexity.
the best assistant at work
SaaSHub review

· Sep 2024

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
convesio.com · Nov 2023

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...

Top 13 Best Tiling Window Managers For Linux In 2022
www.hubtech.org · May 2022

Sway is a tiling Wayland i3-compatible window manager that dynamically arranges app windows to rationally maximise desktop space. It is free, open-source, and lightweight. By default, it arranges windows in a grid and...
Top 10 Best Desktop Environments in 2020
www.journaldev.com · Jan 2021

i3-wm is one of my most loved standalone window managers, qualifying it to easily fit under the desktop environment list! The configuration is just very easy, and you can change everything that you see on screen. This...
13 Best Tiling Window Managers for Linux
www.tecmint.com · Jun 2020

Sway is a free, open-source, and lightweight tiling Wayland i3-compatible window manager that automatically arranges app windows to logically maximize desktop space. It arranges windows into a grid by default and...

Social recommendations and mentions

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

Notepad++ 176 mentions

i3 93 mentions

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... - 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... - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago

My journey to "I use arch btw"
In my case, I decided to go with a compositor instead of desktop environment. I have already used others windows tilling managers such as i3wm. This time, I want something that has more features out-of-the-box. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
Why I traded my custom "Opinionated Linux" for Omarchy
I've been using Omarchy as my main setup since June 26, 2025, the day DHH released the first version. Before that I had my own custom Opinionated Linux, mclovin-ARCHived: an Arch + i3wm installer set up exactly the way I liked. It was... - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
Omarcacca
Then few years back, in 2015, I got shown i3wm and used it on my ubuntu-netinstall until 2020, then I switched to Budgie and my personal laptop has been using that ever since. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago

Alternatives to Notepad++ and i3

When comparing Notepad++ and i3, you can also consider the following products.

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

Compare VS Code to Notepad++ or i3:

VS Code vs Notepad++ VS Code vs i3
Sway
Sway is a drop-in replacement for the i3 window manager, but for Wayland instead of X11.

Compare Sway to Notepad++ or i3:

Sway vs Notepad++ Sway vs i3
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.

Compare Sublime Text to Notepad++ or i3:

Sublime Text vs Notepad++ Sublime Text vs i3
dwm
dwm is a dynamic window manager for X. It manages windows in tiled, monocle and floating layouts. All of the layouts can be applied dynamically, optimising the environment for the application in use and the task performed.

Compare dwm to Notepad++ or i3:

dwm vs Notepad++ dwm vs i3
GNOME
An easy and elegant way to use your computer, GNOME is designed to put you in control and get things done.

Compare GNOME to Notepad++ or i3:

GNOME vs Notepad++ GNOME vs i3
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Openbox
Openbox is a highly configurable, next generation window manager with extensive standards support.

Compare Openbox to Notepad++ or i3:

Openbox vs Notepad++ Openbox vs i3