Git vs Notepad++
Both are free developer tools tools. Here is how they actually differ.
Git and Notepad++ at a glance
| Feature | Git | Notepad++ |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | Git project | Don Ho |
| Licence | Open Source | Open Source |
| Cost | Free | Free |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | No |
| Linux | Yes | No |
| Mobile | No | No |
| Source code | Public | Public |
Git: what it's good at
Git is the distributed version control system behind GitHub, GitLab and virtually all modern software development. It tracks every change, enables branching and merging, and is a prerequisite for most development workflows.
- Distributed version control
- Fast branching and merging
- Complete offline history
- Universal industry standard
Notepad++: what it's good at
Notepad++ is the long-standing Windows replacement for Notepad, adding syntax highlighting for dozens of languages, multi-document tabs, powerful find-and-replace across files, and macro recording — while staying very fast.
- Syntax highlighting for many languages
- Find and replace across whole folders
- Macro recording and playback
- Extremely fast, small footprint
Which should you choose?
Both are free, so the honest answer is that you can install either and decide for yourself — that is the advantage of free software over a paid trial.
Both run on Windows. Only Git supports macOS, Linux. Both are open source, so neither locks you in.
We deliberately do not publish a star rating for either. We have no way to verify a rating that would be honest at scale, and an invented one would be worse than none — so we give you the facts and let you decide.
Frequently asked questions
Is Git better than Notepad++?
Neither is universally better. Git the version control system the software industry runs on, while Notepad++ fast, lightweight text and code editor for Windows. The right pick depends on your platform and workflow.
Are both really free?
Git is open source and Notepad++ is open source. Both can be downloaded without paying.
Can I install both?
Yes. Since neither costs anything, installing both and comparing them on your own files is usually the fastest way to decide.