Nextpad++ for Mac

Nextpad++ for macOS

The full native port of Notepad++ to macOS. A full port of the original Notepad++ codebase — not a rewrite, not an alternative, not Wine.

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What this is

Nextpad++ for macOS brings the beloved Notepad++ Windows code editor to Apple's desktop platform as a fully native Mac application. This is the actual Notepad++ codebase fully ported to run natively on macOS — built from source in Objective-C++, using platform-native APIs, with no compatibility layer in between. ✅ Native macOS app — no Wine, Porting Kit, CrossOver, or emulation ✅ Universal Binary — runs natively on Apple Silicon (M1–M5) and Intel ✅ Apple-notarized — ships signed and approved for macOS Gatekeeper ✅ Free and open source — GPL-3.0, no ads, no subscriptions, no telemetry ✅ Full feature parity — syntax highlighting, plugins, macros, find-in-files, regex, split view, document map, and more

The goal is not just to make Notepad++ "run" on Mac — it's to make it feel like it belongs there, with native menus, shortcuts, file dialogs, dark mode, Tahoe look, full plugin ecosystem and system integration.

Screenshots

Nextpad++ for macOS in Light mode

Nextpad++ for macOS in Light mode, Classic Look

Nextpad++ for macOS in Light mode and Classic Look

Installation Download

Get the latest build from nextpad.org/download or directly from GitHub Releases.

The download is a signed, notarized .dmg: Open the downloaded .dmg Drag Nextpad++ to your Applications folder Launch from Applications or Spotlight

Homebrew

You can install Nextpad++ via Official Homebrew:

System Requirements

Features Syntax highlighting for 80+ programming languages, with customizable color themes and user-defined languages Plugin system with a native Plugin Admin — ~50 plugins already ported, with all ~140 expected by end of April 2026 Scintilla-based editing component with code folding Multi-document tabbed editing Split view — view and edit two documents side by side or two parts of the same document Powerful search: regular expressions, find-in-files, bookmark lines, incremental search Macro recording to automate repetitive editing tasks Native macOS UI: menus, dialogs, keyboard shortcuts, dark mode following system preferences 137-language UI out of the box Document map, character panel, clipboard history, column editor, command palette Scintilla as the editing engine — battle-tested, high-performance, the same component powering the Windows version

FAQ

Is this the "real" Notepad++ for Mac?

Nextpad++ for macOS is a native port of the actual Notepad++ codebase, running directly on macOS as a first-class native application. It is not a knockoff, a Wine wrapper, or a new editor that imitates Notepad++.

Do I need Wine, Porting Kit, or CrossOver?

No. None of those. Nextpad++ for macOS is a full native port of the original Windows codebase. It runs as a first-class native macOS application using platform APIs directly.