Notepad++ is a free source code editor and Notepad replacement for Microsoft Windows. Its home page says its use is governed by the GNU General Public License.[3] The project was first published on SourceForge on 25 November 2003.[14] Since release 7.9.3, the licence file has named version 3 of the GPL. The per-file notices grant version 3 “or at your option any later version”.[1][4][5] The project states that no individual, company or government needs any authorization to install Notepad++ on any number of PCs, and that the software is free to use in all environments, including commercial ones.[2] For a software asset manager, internal use therefore has no licence count to reconcile. The work that remains is tracking versions, security updates and plugins, and meeting GPL obligations whenever the organization passes copies to someone else. For the general concept of a licence, see software license.
Editions
Notepad++ has no commercial editions. Every release is published as an installer, a portable package in zip and 7z formats, a mini-portable 7z package and, for x64, an MSI package. Builds exist for x64, 32-bit x86 and ARM64, each with a GPG signature.[13] All packages carry the same licence.[1] The current release at retrieval was 8.9.8.1, released on 2026-09-24.[13]
| Licence era | Releases | Licence | SPDX expression |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPL version 2 | Up to 7.9.2 | GNU GPL version 2 | GPL-2.0 (see the notices of the release concerned) |
| GPL version 3 | 7.9.3 (2021-02-15) onward | GNU GPL version 3 or any later version | GPL-3.0-or-later |
The 7.9.3 change list records the upgrade: “update GPL version from v2 to v3”.[5] SPDX distinguishes GPL-3.0-only from GPL-3.0-or-later and says the licence notice in each file decides which applies.[6] The OSI approved GPL version 3 on 5 September 2007.[7] Catalog proof: Licensed under GNU GPL version 3 or any later version; Releases before 7.9.3 licensed under GPL version 2.
The LICENSE header says the GPL applies “with the clarifications and exceptions described below”. The file as retrieved contains no such additional terms after the header, only the unmodified GPL text.[1] The official home page links its GPL reference to the version 2 text on gnu.org.[3] The licence file and source notices, which name version 3, are the operative documents.[1][4]
Metrics
Notepad++ has no licence metric. No per-user, per-device or per-core fee is charged, and there are no licence keys or activation.[2] The GPL gives the licensee “unlimited permission to run the unmodified Program” and says no one has to accept the licence merely to receive or run a copy.[1] Catalog proof: No authorization needed for any number of installations, including commercial use; Unlimited permission to run the unmodified program.
Counting / floors
There is nothing to count for internal use. Section 2 of GPL version 3 lets a licensee make, run and propagate covered works that it does not convey, without conditions.[1] The Free Software Foundation (FSF) says that copies made and used within one organization are not distribution. Providing copies to contractors for off-site use is distribution.[8] An organization may also modify Notepad++ and use the modified version internally without ever releasing it.[8] Catalog proof: Internal copies and deployment are not conveying and carry no conditions; Modified versions may be used internally without release.
Redistribution and modification
Obligations start when Notepad++ is conveyed, meaning copies are given to other parties. This includes pre-installing it on devices sold or handed to customers and shipping it inside a product. The main conditions of GPL version 3 are summarised below. They are detailed in Notepad++ redistribution and bundled components.
- Notices and licence copy. Verbatim copies must keep the copyright, licence and warranty-disclaimer notices intact, and every recipient must be given a copy of the licence (section 4).[1] Catalog proof: Verbatim redistribution must keep notices and include the licence.
- Source code. Object code may be conveyed only together with the machine-readable Corresponding Source, using one of the methods listed in section 6.[1] Catalog proof: Binaries must be conveyed with Corresponding Source (GPL-3.0 section 6).
- Modified versions and copyleft. A modified version must carry notices that it was changed, with a date, and the whole work must be licensed under the GPL (section 5).[1] Catalog proof: Modified versions must be marked and licensed as a whole under the GPL.
- Aggregation. Distributing Notepad++ next to separate, independent programs does not extend the GPL to those programs.[1][8] Catalog proof: Shipping alongside independent programs does not extend the GPL to them.
- Fees and restrictions. A redistributor may charge any price for copies and may sell support or warranty protection (section 4). It may not charge a royalty for the licence rights or add further restrictions (section 10).[1] Catalog proof: Fees for copies and support allowed; no royalty for licence rights; No further restrictions or sublicensing on redistribution.
- Termination. Violations terminate the licence automatically. Section 8 provides for reinstatement, including a 30-day cure after a first notice from a copyright holder.[1] Catalog proof: Automatic termination on violation, with reinstatement and 30-day cure.
The GPL also grants a royalty-free patent licence from each contributor (section 11) and disclaims all warranty (section 15).[1] Catalog proof: Royalty-free patent licence from each contributor; Provided without warranty.
Bundled third-party components
The Notepad++ source tree includes libraries under other licences. The Scintilla editing component and the Lexilla lexers carry a short permissive notice. Boost.Regex is under the Boost Software License 1.0. pugixml and JSON for Modern C++ are MIT-licensed. The uchardet encoding detector is offered under MPL 1.1, GPL 2.0 or LGPL 2.1. The WinGUp updater installed with Notepad++ is under the LGPL version 3. All of these licences permit redistribution as part of Notepad++, but each adds its own notice requirements. See Notepad++ redistribution and bundled components for sources and catalog rows.
Trademark
The GPL licenses the code, not the name. Section 7(e) of GPL version 3 lets licensors decline to grant rights under trademark law.[1] In May 2026 the project reported a third-party website that offered an unofficial macOS version under the Notepad++ name. The project said the site owner was using “the Notepad++ trademark (the name) without permission”.[9] After the name was removed, the project clarified that ports and forks are welcome because the code is GPL-licensed, but that endorsing a project by authorizing the use of the “Notepad++” name is a separate matter it does not grant.[10] No written trademark policy or licensing programme for the name was found on the official site. Catalog proof: Notepad++ name not licensed to forks and ports.
Programs
Notepad++ has no paid edition, enterprise agreement, subscription or support contract. The official site asks only for voluntary donations.[11] Section 4 of the GPL lets third parties sell support or warranty protection for their own copies.[1] The user manual records that, by release 8.8.7, a Notepad++ association had been registered with the appropriate government body so that a code-signing certificate could be issued in the project’s name.[16] The retrieved documents describe no commercial offering from that association.
SAM practice
Notepad++ affects software asset management in several ways, even though it has no licence cost.
- Discovery and normalization. Record the publisher as Notepad++ and the licence as GPL-3.0-or-later for 7.9.3 and later. Earlier releases were under GPL version 2.[5] Portable packages are simply unzipped into a directory and run from there, so file-based discovery is needed alongside installed-software inventories.[14][13]
- Version and lifecycle tracking. The project publishes no fixed support lifecycle or end-of-life dates for its own releases. Its supported-systems table limits team support to Windows 8.1, 10 and 11, and bugs seen only on unsupported systems are not handled.[12] Security fixes arrive in ordinary releases. For example, 8.9.8.1 fixed five vulnerabilities.[13] Keeping to the current release is the practical baseline. See Notepad++ plugins and enterprise deployment. Catalog proof: Supported only on Windows 8.1, 10 and 11.
- Internal use against redistribution. Installing Notepad++ on employee machines, including through software distribution tools, creates no GPL obligations.[1][8] Shipping it to customers, embedding it in products or images supplied to third parties, or giving copies to off-site contractors is conveying. Those cases should be recorded in an open-source compliance register with the source-offer method used.[8] For the discipline, see license compliance.
- Plugins. Plugins Admin installs third-party plugins from a list maintained by the Notepad++ team, and any publicly downloadable plugin may be submitted to that list.[17] Plugins are therefore separate software with their own licences and need their own inventory. Catalog proof: Plugins Admin plugins are third-party software with their own licences.
- Export and procurement records. The project gives Notepad++ the export classification EAR99 for those who need an ECCN under US law.[2] Catalog proof: Export classification EAR99.
Out of scope
- The Notepad++ User Manual, which is licensed separately under the GNU Free Documentation License version 1.3 or later.[15] Catalog proof: User manual licensed under GFDL 1.3 or later.
- Individual third-party plugins, user-defined language files and themes, whose licences are set by their authors.
- Unofficial ports, forks and download sites, which the project does not endorse.[10]
- The full text of GPL version 2 as it applied to releases before 7.9.3, which was not reviewed for this page.