What are the key differences between Notepad++ and IntelliJ IDEA?

Compare Notepad++ and IntelliJ IDEA side by side on Lunoo to see detailed feature differences, AI scores, and expert analysis.

How are Notepad++ and IntelliJ IDEA scored?

Notepad++ has an AI score of 7.59/10 and IntelliJ IDEA has an AI score of 9.10/10. Scores are based on category fit, feature coverage, pricing signals, public reception, and recency.

Notepad++ vs IntelliJ IDEA 2026 - Compared

Notepad++

IntelliJ IDEA

WINNER IntelliJ IDEA

IntelliJ IDEA edges ahead with a score of 9.1/10 compared to 7.6/10 for Notepad++. While both are highly rated in their...

Notepad++

7.59 Good

Code Editor Get Notepad++ open_in_new

emoji_events WINNER

IntelliJ IDEA

9.10 Excellent

Code Editor Get IntelliJ IDEA open_in_new

Notepad++ Free plan available

payments

IntelliJ IDEA From $149/mo for the professional edition or free community edition with limited features Free plan available

psychology AI Verdict

IntelliJ IDEA edges ahead with a score of 9.1/10 compared to 7.6/10 for Notepad++. While both are highly rated in their respective fields, IntelliJ IDEA demonstrates a slight advantage in our AI ranking criteria. A detailed AI-powered analysis is being prepared for this comparison.

emoji_events Winner: IntelliJ IDEA

verified Confidence: Low

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description Overview

Notepad++

Notepad++ remains a top choice for basic text editing, particularly on Windows. Its lightweight design and speed are unmatched, while its extensive plugin ecosystem allows for customization. It supports a wide range of programming languages with syntax highlighting and offers features like tabbed editing and line numbering. The active community ensures continuous development and support. While pri...

IntelliJ IDEA

Java and Kotlin development are central to IntelliJ IDEA, a full integrated development environment from JetBrains. Its code completion and inspections use information about the project to suggest relevant changes and highlight potential problems. Navigation helps developers follow declarations and usages across a codebase, while refactoring tools support structural changes that would be harder to...