Notepad++ for Mac

Notepad++ — the Windows text editor people swear by — just crash-landed on macOS as a fully native app: no emulators (software that pretends to be another system), no workarounds. It’s free, open source, Apple‑notarized, runs on Intel and Apple Silicon chips, and ships with plugin support. The code is on GitHub.

But the comments? Pure chaos. Mac purists rolled their eyes: “Why? It’s so incredibly Windows‑y,” sighed one, name‑dropping old-guard favorites BBEdit and Nova. Another roasted the vibe even harder: it “looks 0% like a Mac app,” with complaints about ant‑sized icons and tiny, tiny fonts. Fans of Notepad++ fired back, thrilled to have their familiar workhorse on Mac with no ads, no telemetry (tracking), no data collection, and speed to spare.

There’s side drama too: a Linux user wandered in to ask, “Where’s our port?”, because of course they did. Someone else waved a flag that this is an independent community effort — not the official Windows team — so manage your expectations. And yes, the site got so hammered with traffic it looked “slashdotted,” proving editor wars still pull a crowd.

Bottom line: this launch isn’t just software — it’s identity. Is Notepad++ a welcome guest at the Mac party, or a Windows cousin who refused to change shoes at the door?