--- title: "Notepad++: search popularity worldwide" description: "A free source code editor for Windows. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/brands/notepad-plus-plus" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Notepad++: search popularity worldwide A free source code editor for Windows. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Brand**: Notepad++ - **Market**: Global - **Measured month**: Sep 2026 - **Share of Search among code editors**: 12.6% ## Where the brand sits | Competitive set | Rank | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Code editors | 2 | 12.6% | 673K | - [Code editors](/demand/global-en/categories/code-editors) ## Top code editors in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Notepad++ was mentioned in two out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in both Google AI Overviews. Notepad++ is the seventh most recommended of the seven. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Visual Studio Code | 1st | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Cursor | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Zed | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Sublime Text | 4th | 1 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 3 of 5 | | JetBrains | 5th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | Neovim | 6th | 1 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 3 of 5 | | Notepad++ | 7th | 0 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 2 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about code editors - Asked ChatGPT "Which code editor should I use?": 1. Visual Studio Code, 2. Cursor, 3. Zed - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best code editors?": 1. Visual Studio Code, 2. Cursor, 3. Zed, 4. JetBrains, 5. Sublime Text, 6. Neovim - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best code editor for daily programming work?": 1. Visual Studio Code, 2. Cursor, 3. JetBrains, 4. Zed - Searched Google, AI Overview "code editor": 1. Visual Studio Code, 2. Cursor, 3. Zed, 4. Sublime Text, 5. Neovim, 6. Notepad++ - Searched Google, AI Overview "programming editor": 1. Visual Studio Code, 2. Cursor, 3. Zed, 4. Sublime Text, 5. Notepad++, 6. Neovim Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in the United States on October 20, 2026. ## How has branded search demand for Notepad++ changed worldwide over the last 12 months? - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Notepad++ worldwide fell from 823K to 673K. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Notepad++’s share of searches among code editors worldwide decreased from 14.5% to 12.6%. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Notepad++’s share of searches among code editors worldwide peaked at 21% in February 2026 and was lowest at 12.3% in May 2026. ## How did search popularity change for code editors worldwide in September 2026? - In September 2026, JetBrains gained share of searches among code editors worldwide, from 4% to 4.6%. - In September 2026, Notepad++ lost share of searches among code editors worldwide, from 13.3% to 12.6%. - Sublime Text’s share of searches among code editors worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 3.1% to 3.8% in September 2026. - Cursor’s share of searches among code editors worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 3.5% to 2.7% in September 2026. - Estimated monthly branded searches for Zed worldwide fell 33.1% over 12 measured months, from 60.5K to 40.5K in September 2026. - Estimated monthly branded searches for Neovim worldwide fell 33% over 12 measured months, from 135K to 90.5K in September 2026. ## Historical estimated branded-search demand | Month | Competitive set | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | Code editors | 823K | 14.5% | 2 | | Nov 2025 | Code editors | 823K | 15.3% | 2 | | Dec 2025 | Code editors | 823K | 17.1% | 2 | | Jan 2026 | Code editors | 823K | 14.6% | 2 | | Feb 2026 | Code editors | 1.2M | 21% | 2 | | Mar 2026 | Code editors | 823K | 14.4% | 2 | | Apr 2026 | Code editors | 673K | 12.4% | 2 | | May 2026 | Code editors | 673K | 12.3% | 2 | | Jun 2026 | Code editors | 673K | 12.6% | 2 | | Jul 2026 | Code editors | 673K | 13.3% | 2 | | Aug 2026 | Code editors | 673K | 13.3% | 2 | | Sep 2026 | Code editors | 673K | 12.6% | 2 | ## How are Notepad++’s branded searches counted? Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Notepad++’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading. - “notepad++” ## Which code editors compete with Notepad++? - [Visual Studio Code](/demand/global-en/brands/vs-code): Head-to-head: /demand/global-en/compare/notepad-plus-plus-vs-vs-code - [JetBrains](/demand/global-en/brands/jetbrains): Head-to-head: /demand/global-en/compare/jetbrains-vs-notepad-plus-plus - [Sublime Text](/demand/global-en/brands/sublime-text): Head-to-head: /demand/global-en/compare/notepad-plus-plus-vs-sublime-text - [Cursor](/demand/global-en/brands/cursor): Head-to-head: /demand/global-en/compare/cursor-vs-notepad-plus-plus - [Neovim](/demand/global-en/brands/neovim): Head-to-head: /demand/global-en/compare/neovim-vs-notepad-plus-plus - [Zed](/demand/global-en/brands/zed-editor) ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Notepad++: search popularity worldwide". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/brands/notepad-plus-plus This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/brands/notepad-plus-plus. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.