The difference between Windows Notepad and WordPad, and when to use each

Although Microsoft Word is the app of selection when information technology comes to viewing and writing documents, Windows 10 ships with Notepad and WordPad, which while non as powerful every bit the Office app, but they can exist useful in many scenarios.

Yet, they can only exist useful in their ain category considering fifty-fifty though their names are similar, they both take dissimilar purposes. For example, WordPad is a word processing application that supports formatting and several other rich-text features, while Notepad is a text editor meant only to write manifestly text.

In this Windows 10 guide, nosotros'll become in more than detail and compare Notepad and WordPad, and we'll tell you lot when you should use them.

Defining Notepad

Notepad has been around for more than than 30 years, and it'south a simple text editor that provides a bones canvas to write plain text.

Although you can utilise the app to write any kind of text, split up paragraphs, and modify the font settings, information technology doesn't provide whatsoever sort of rich-text formatting tools or change visual elements. For example, you won't find options to customize text, insert pictures, and paragraph settings that you come to expect from word processing applications.

All the same, even with the lack of word processing functionalities, information technology's however a powerful tool. When you create a plain text file, Notepad will usually save the content using a ".txt" extension, which is a container that doesn't include any style, tags, links, or special characters making it one of the best options to view and write code, such as HTML, batch files, and modest programs.

Notepad Source: Windows Cardinal

Information technology's also an excellent choice to change configuration files required for the performance of Windows 10 or applications, as using a word processor can break the content structure and insert unwanted formatting that could potentially render the system or app unusable.

In improver, since Notepad became an open-source project and available through the Microsoft Shop, the company has been adding a bunch of new features to brand the app more suited for developers and anyone who likes the simplicity of a text editor. Some of which include the ability to save files in UTF-8 without a Byte Order Mark, marker in the title bar to indicate unsaved content, back up for Unix/Linux line endings (LF) and Macintosh line endings (CR), and it now ships with improved search and supplant feature, additional keyboard shortcuts, and more than.

When to use Notepad?

Commonly, because of its simplicity and text-only nature, Notepad is a well-suited application to write scripts. For instance, batch files that you can run in Command Prompt, or more complex scripts that you tin run on PowerShell.

Besides, it's a great tool to view and write programming code as well as create HTML files, edit configuration files, and reviewing log files. And information technology's a expert solution for anyone who needs a simple canvass to write text.

Of grade, there are many tools designed to brand programming more straightforward, only Notepad works well also.

Defining WordPad

WordPad has also been around for many years (since Windows 95), but unlike Notepad, this is a discussion processing application that is more capable than a text editor similar NotePad.

You can think of WordPad is a very stripped downwardly version of Microsoft Word. Using this app, you tin view and create files using the Rich Text Format (.rtf), and you get some rich-text editing tools, such as font options (similar bold, italic, color, etc.), paragraph settings (such as indent, bullets, text alignment, etc.), and the ability to insert pictures and objects. Withal, you won't get more than advanced features, such as the ability to create tables, complex formatting, design, spell checking, and the many other features you come up to expect from Microsoft Word and other applications.

WordPad Source: Windows Central

You can also view and edit Microsoft Discussion documents using the ".docx" extension. Nonetheless, it'south not recommended, as if you attempt to open a document, many of the features will exist missing or won't display correctly. But, you lot can create a document and save information technology using a ".docx" extension, or equally ".rtf," ".odt," and even ".txt" text file.

When to use WordPad?

WordPad is a practiced choice to create documents with basic content with paragraphs, listings, and images, or print documents with specific formats when yous don't have another word processor installed on your estimator. Besides, you tin use it to open unformatted text documents or ".rtf" files.

However, in that location are far more advanced alternatives when you lot don't have the suite of Part applications to open documents, such as the spider web version of Microsoft Word and Google Docs — just to name a few.

The app works well to render and edit elementary text files, just you lot'll find that Notepad works best for these types of files, because WordPad, also every bit other word processing apps, can save unwanted formats.

As well, consider that even though WordPad is still available on Windows x, starting with version 2004, the app becomes an optional feature that you can remove from your installation using the Settings app, suggesting that the tool could eventually be deprecated every bit there are far better alternatives that don't even require installation.

If you're looking for the best word processing application, nosotros recommend Microsoft Discussion that comes bundled with an Office 365 subscription. In addition, with the subscription, you'll get access the other popular apps similar Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and many other benefits, such every bit sharing the apps with up to vi people and 1TB of OneDrive storage.

More than Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions virtually Windows 10, visit the post-obit resources:

Windows x on Windows Central – All y'all need to know
Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
Windows 10 forums on Windows Primal

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