nextpad-plus-plus-macos

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.

Website · Download · Plugins · Help · Releases

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

Nextpad++ for macOS in Dark mode and Tahoe Look

Installation

Download

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

The download is a signed, notarized .dmg:

1. Open the downloaded .dmg
2. Drag Nextpad++ to your Applications folder
3. Launch from Applications or Spotlight

Homebrew

You can install Nextpad++ via Homebrew:

brew install --cask nextpad-plus-plus/homebrew-nextpad/nextpad

Or install the tap first, step by step:

brew tap nextpad-plus-plus/nextpad
brew install --cask nextpad

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?

Yes — 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.

Does it work on Apple Silicon?

Yes. Nextpad++ for macOS is built as a Universal Binary with native ARM64 support. It runs at full speed on all Apple Silicon Macs without Rosetta translation.

Is it free?

Yes. Completely free and open source under the GPL-3.0 license. No ads, no subscriptions, no in-app purchases, no telemetry.

Does it support plugins from the Windows version?

Plugins are being incrementally ported from Windows. About 50 plugins are already ported and working on macOS, with the full set (~140) expected by the end of April 2026. See the plugin compatibility page for current status.

Building from Source

This project is written in C++ and Objective-C++ and uses CMake as its build system. Source code lives in src/, and platform-native UI code uses .mm files (Objective-C++).

Build instructions will be published as the macOS build pipeline matures. For now, the easiest way to use Nextpad++ on macOS is to download the signed .dmg release.

Contributing

Bug reports, feedback, and contributions are welcome. For:

• Bug reports and feature requests — please open an issue
• Code contributions — submit a pull request against main
• Plugin porting — see the plugin registry

License

Nextpad++ for macOS is distributed under the GNU General Public License v3.0, matching the license of the original Notepad++ project.

Credits

• Don Ho — original author and principal developer of Notepad++. For over two decades, Don has maintained Notepad++ as a free, open-source project loved by millions of developers. This macOS port is built directly upon his extraordinary work and the Notepad++ codebase, and would not exist without him.
• Andrey Letov — developer of the macOS port (aletik.me, GitHub).
• Scintilla — the editing component that powers both Windows and macOS versions.

Links

• Website: https://nextpad.org
• Download: https://nextpad.org/download/
• Plugins: https://nextpad.org/plugins/
• Documentation: https://nextpad.org/online-help/
• Issues: https://github.com/nextpad-plus-plus/nextpad-plus-plus-macos/issues
• Original Notepad++ Community: https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/
• Donate: https://nextpad.org/donate/

Made with care for Mac users who have waited 20 years for this.