A new open‑source Notepad clone brings back the fast, minimal editor we loved — while Microsoft's Windows 11 version keeps getting more bloated

For decades, Notepad has been a staple in the Windows ecosystem. From its origins as a simple text editor, it has lately been picking up a lot of new features, including Copilot integration.

Considering the current climate around Microsoft's forced AI integration into Windows 11, it's understandable that not all of these Notepad features are appreciated by Windows fans.

I'm always on the lookout for alternative apps to try out, and my latest search led me to an open-source and free Legacy Notepad project on GitHub. Created by user ForLoopCodes, it promises a classic Notepad experience that's less demanding than the standard Windows 11 version. The creator says it was made "because Microsoft won't stop adding AI bloatware to notepad.exe."

The creator shares a screenshot of two Task Manager instances, one with their Legacy Notepad creation running at 2.1MB of memory usage and 0% CPU usage, and the other with Windows 11's Notepad.exe running at 52.3MB of memory usage and 0.5% CPU usage.

Here's a list of the features available in Legacy Notepad, pulled from the project page.

• Multi-encoding text: UTF-8, UTF-8 BOM, UTF-16 LE/BE, ANSI with line-ending selection.
• Rich editing: word wrap toggle, font selection, zoom, time/date stamp, find/replace/goto.
• Backgrounds: optional image with tile/stretch/fit/fill/anchor modes and opacity control. (known issues)
• Printing: print and page setup dialogs.

The creator shared an update on X on January 29, noting that it was their first project to cross 150 stars. At the time of my writing, it has now hit 249 stars on GitHub, signaling that it's definitely gaining some traction among users.

Why is Microsoft's Notepad falling out of favor among Windows users?

In February 2024, Microsoft announced it was integrating Copilot AI with Notepad. Its initial integration was an "Explain with Copilot" tool, but it has picked up additional features over time, including text rewriting and content generation, tables, and Markdown support.

Microsoft wants Notepad to be more user-friendly with these tools, but many users prefer the classic, clean, distraction-free experience. While you can sort of get the classic Notepad experience back by disabling some AI features, it's still not what it used to be.

The backlash from Windows users has been severe enough that Microsoft is reportedly reevaluating its AI push in Windows 11. As our Senior Editor Zac Bowden explains, "sources say sources say Copilot integrations like those found in Notepad and Paint are under review."

I know that a lot of users have made the switch to Notepad++, but it too can be a bit overwhelming if you're just looking for basic text editing tasks. If that's your scenario, Legacy Notepad might be just what you need.

Are you happy with the current state of the Notepad app in Windows 11? Why or why not? Let me know in the comments section!

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