Windows Notepad AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Note-taking Tools

The best Note-taking alternative to Windows Notepad is Kate, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Windows Notepad and 17 are Note-taking Tools so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Note-taking Tool alternatives to Windows Notepad are Notepad3, Antinote, Notepad.js and WriteRoom.

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Windows Notepad alternatives are mainly Note-taking Tools, but if you're looking for Text Editors or Todo List Managers you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Open Source, Windows + Free, Text Editors, Windows, Linux and Windows + Lightweight. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Windows Notepad.
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Alternatives list

  1. Kate icon
     312 likes

    The Kate project develops two main products: KatePart, the advanced editor component which is used in numerous KDE applications requiring a text editing component, and Kate, a MDI text editor application.

    145 Kate alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • KDE Plasma
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    • Snapcraft
     
  2. Notepad3 icon
     63 likes

    Notepad3 is a fast and light-weight text editor with syntax highlighting for programming jobs. Auto-completion, Multi-language, Dark mode more.

    211 Notepad3 alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
     
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    3
    Comments about Notepad3 as an Alternative to Windows Notepad
    Noah Sean
    Positive
    2

    Lightweight, easy to use, and offers syntax highlighting.

    Xahkyen
    Positive
    4

    It's the best alternative that I was looking for: more powerful, while being lightweight, simply to use and full with useful features.

    jmNY68
    Positive
    0

    I tried Notepads and several other alternatives, looking for simple, lightweight app that had more features than Notepad and was less cluttered than Notepad++, as I am just using it to edit .txt files, not programming, markup, HTML or otherwise. This fits fairly well. Thanks, developers.

    Notepad3 icon
    Notepad3 icon
    • Notepad3 is Free and Open SourceWindows Notepad is Free and Proprietary
    • Notepad3 is Privacy focusedWindows Notepad is not according to our users
  3. Antinote icon
     3 likes

    Antinote provides beautiful temporary notes, calculations, and custom calculators with lifetime updates. Features swipe navigation, plain text support, instant conversions including crypto, and one-click export functionality. Includes screenshot-to-text conversion, global hotkey access, and more.

    35 Antinote alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
     
  4. Notepad.js icon
     11 likes

    An offline capable notepad powered by ServiceWorker. It's quick, distraction-free, dark mode enabled, mobile compatible (Android, iOS) and minimalist in nature.

    35 Notepad.js alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
     
  5. WriteRoom icon
     51 likes

    For Mac users to write without distractions. WriteRoom is a full screen writing environment. Unlike the cluttered word processors you're used to, WriteRoom lets you focus on writing. Requires Mac OS X 10.

    103 WriteRoom alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
     
  6. Notes (PFA) icon
     3 likes

    Privacy Friendly Notes allows you to take and manage notes on Android devices. It belongs to the Privacy Friendly Apps group developed by the research group SECUSO at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. More information can be found an secuso.org/pfa

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • F-Droid
    • Android
     
  7. QuickNote icon
     7 likes

    Virtual scrapbook for Desktop with a plain text editor. With Quicknote, in its resizable window you can jot down your notes and organize them in categories. Beneath the normal text functions, it can let you directly access frequently run programs, manage windows tasks, and even...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
     
  8. Plain Text icon
     2 likes

    Simple text editor, and text utils (powered by AI).

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Web Browser
    • WebApps
     
  9. A lightweight, distraction-free notepad with instant access, no registration or ads, auto-saves notes locally, supports manual export, and works seamlessly on modern browsers and mobile devices while prioritizing privacy with a clean interface and dark mode.

    82 Online Notepad alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
     
  10. Temporary Note is a simple website you can open on any device to temporarily jot something down. It's an easy way to put simple, temporary notes into your browser tabs.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
     
12 of 17 Windows Notepad alternatives