Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Windows Notepad VS Xcode

Compare Windows Notepad VS Xcode and see what are their differences

Windows Notepad logo Windows Notepad

Most simple text editor. Just plain text, saves in .txt format.

Xcode logo Xcode

Xcode is Apple’s powerful integrated development environment for creating great apps for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Xcode 4 includes the Xcode IDE, instruments, iOS Simulator, and the latest Mac OS X and iOS SDKs.
  • Windows Notepad Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-08-21
  • Xcode Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-07-04

Windows Notepad features and specs

  • Simplicity
    Windows Notepad offers a simple, no-frills interface that is easy to use for quick text editing tasks. Its minimalist design helps users focus purely on text without any distractions from additional features or complex menus.
  • Fast Load Time
    Notepad is lightweight and loads almost instantly, making it a great tool for quickly jotting down notes or reviewing text files without any delay.
  • Low Resource Usage
    Notepad consumes minimal system resources, ensuring that it runs smoothly even on older or less powerful machines. This makes it an ideal choice for basic editing needs without heavy resource consumption.
  • Built-in Availability
    Notepad comes pre-installed on all Windows operating systems, providing immediate access to a text editor without the need to download or install additional software.

Possible disadvantages of Windows Notepad

  • Limited Functionality
    Notepad lacks advanced features found in more comprehensive text editors, such as syntax highlighting, auto-completion, and integrated development tools, which can limit its usefulness for programming or more complex text editing tasks.
  • Basic Formatting
    Notepad supports only fundamental text formatting options and does not allow for rich text formatting (such as bold, italics, or different fonts), which can be a limitation when trying to create more visually appealing documents.
  • No Tabbed Editing
    Unlike some other text editors, Notepad does not support tabbed document editing, which means multiple open files will each occupy a separate window, potentially cluttering the workspace and making it harder to manage multiple documents at once.
  • Lack of Autosave
    Notepad does not have an autosave feature, which means users must remember to manually save their work frequently to avoid data loss in case of unexpected shutdowns or crashes.

Xcode features and specs

  • Integrated Development Environment
    Xcode offers a fully integrated development environment for macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS. This integration includes code editing, project management, compilers, and debugging tools all in one application.
  • Interface Builder
    Interface Builder is a graphical tool included with Xcode that allows developers to design user interfaces visually. This can speed up the development process and allow for easier customization of user interfaces.
  • Swift and Objective-C Support
    Xcode provides robust support for both the Swift and Objective-C programming languages, which are essential for Apple's ecosystem.
  • Simulator
    Xcode includes simulators for all Apple devices, allowing for rapid testing and debugging of applications without the need for physical hardware.
  • In-depth Debugging Tools
    Xcode provides a comprehensive suite of debugging tools like breakpoints, stack trace analysis, and memory management tools, helping developers identify and resolve issues efficiently.
  • Performance and Profiling Tools
    Xcode includes Instruments, a powerful performance analysis and profiling toolset. This helps developers optimize the performance and memory usage of their applications.
  • Documentation and Resources
    Xcode has built-in access to extensive Apple Developer Documentation and resources, making it easier to find information and solutions related to Apple's APIs and frameworks.

Possible disadvantages of Xcode

  • macOS Exclusive
    Xcode is only available for macOS, meaning that developers must use an Apple computer to build applications for Apple's platforms.
  • Resource Intensive
    Xcode can be demanding on system resources, particularly RAM and CPU, which can affect performance on older or less powerful machines.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    For new developers, Xcode can be overwhelming due to its complexity and the vast array of features and options available.
  • Update Frequency
    Frequent updates to Xcode can sometimes introduce new bugs or require developers to update their project settings and code to maintain compatibility.
  • Limited Cross-Platform Capabilities
    Xcode is designed specifically for Apple's ecosystems and provides limited support for cross-platform development, restricting its use for developers targeting multiple platforms.
  • Build Times
    Build times for larger projects can become lengthy, potentially slowing down the development cycle and time to market.

Windows Notepad videos

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 review: Good notepad, bad notebook

More videos:

Xcode videos

Getting Started: An Overview of Xcode

More videos:

  • Review - Xcode 15 - What's New

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Windows Notepad and Xcode)
Text Editors
38 38%
62% 62
IDE
29 29%
71% 71
IDEs And Text Editors
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

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

Windows Notepad Reviews

10 Best Notepad Alternatives With a Better UI and Features
As far as features go, Notepad has exactly none. It was designed back in the days of MS-DOS, and as a result was intended to be used in writing programs that would be easy to compile and execute. Notepad has undergone very few, if any, changes since its inception, and there has been no need for change either. Microsoft has its word processing software, Microsoft Word, for...
Top 8 Sublime Text Alternatives You Can Use in 2019
Notepad++ is a free source code editor which supports several programming languages under the MS Windows environment. It uses the Scintilla editor component and is written in C++ with “Win32 API calls using only STL to increase performance and reduce program size”. While the software has support for macros and plugins, it isn’t as feature-rich as many of the other editors on...
Source: beebom.com

Xcode Reviews

Explore 9 Top Eclipse Alternatives for 2024
While Xcode is primarily free, a subscription to the Apple Developer Program is required for iOS app development at $99 per year.
Source: aircada.com
What's The Best C++ IDE? Our Top C++ IDEs & Editors In 2024
Occupying the sixth spot on my list is Xcode, Apple's flagship IDE. And yes, it's probably most well-known for macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS development, but Xcode is also an excellent choice for C++ developers working on the macOS platform.
Source: hackr.io
Android Studio Alternative
Apple’s integrated development environment (IDE) for macOS is Xcode, which can be used to create software for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS. In addition, it provides Command Line Tools (CLT), which enable UNIX-style development via the Terminal app in macOS. Xcode also has built-in support for source code management via the Git version control system and protocol,...
Source: www.educba.com
Top 10 Visual Studio Alternatives
The XCode cloud is a constant integration and a type of delivery service. It is a type of cloud that is ideally designed for apple users. It is only made for MAC OS X; hence, you need to try other ways if you have a Windows PC. The main goal of Xcode is to develop the software system for various IOS systems.
Best Eclipse Alternatives to Use
Xcode includes a code editor supporting syntax highlighting, intelligent code completion, and code snippets, as well as an interface builder, which is designed for developing graphical user interfaces. Xcode supports the entire lifecycle of an application, including code editing, compilation, debugging, testing, and deployment.
Source: eclipsewin.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Xcode seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 145 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.

Windows Notepad mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Windows Notepad yet. Tracking of Windows Notepad recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Xcode mentions (145)

  • An Animated Introduction to Programming in C++ [Full Course]
    There are practice problems in each section so that you can practice while learning from the content. These are in the 'Hands-On Practice' section in each section. Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) are tools that allow you to write your own programs. There are some great, free C++ IDEs out there like Visual Studio, Xcode, and CLion. The simplest way to get started is to use a web-based IDE. Replit works... - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Which App Debugging Tools are the Best?
    2. Xcode Debugger Xcode remains the standard iOS app debugging tool. Its debugger is exceptional at identifying memory leaks, helping to discover thread races, and even focusing on the cause of crashes. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Must-Use Mobile Accessibility Testing Tools in 2025
    XCode inspector offers VoiceOver Simulation to read out app elements for identifying if descriptions mentioned for the UI are meaningful and informative. It helps to make your app accessible to users with disabilities. Apart from that the Accessibility Inspector offers a complete audit of the app’s UI elements. Also as you make changes to your app the tool offers immediate feedback on accessibility issues. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • From React to React Native – A Beginner-Friendly Guide🚀
    Set Up Android Studio and Xcode: To develop for Android, you need Android Studio installed. For iOS development, Xcode is required (macOS only). - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • How To Build a TikTok Clone With SwiftUI
    To follow along with this tutorial, you will need an Xcode installation. It is recommended to download Xcode 15 or a later version. Also, to provide access to the user's camera feed in this app, we will use the Stream Video SDK. The Video SDK allows developers to build FaceTime-style video calling](https://getstream.io/blog/facetime-clone/), Twitch-like content... - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Windows Notepad and Xcode, 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.

Microsoft Visual Studio - Microsoft Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft.

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

IntelliJ IDEA - Capable and Ergonomic IDE for JVM

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

Android Studio - Android development environment based on IntelliJ IDEA