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Business Intelligence · head to head

Amazon QuickSight vs Notepad++

Amazon QuickSight logo

Amazon QuickSight

Business Intelligence

Scalable, serverless BI by AWS

From
$3/month
Free plan
No
Visit Amazon QuickSightFull review
Notepad++ logo

Notepad++

Developer Tools

Free, lightweight source code and text editor for Windows

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit Notepad++Full review

The short version

  • Notepad++ is a free, open-source text and source code editor for Windows.
  • Notepad++ is free; Amazon QuickSight starts at $3/mo.
  • Only Amazon QuickSight lists SPICE In-memory Engine; only Notepad++ lists syntax Highlighting.
  • Where Amazon QuickSight falls short: reader and Reader Pro roles charged separately at $3 and $20/month.
  • Where Notepad++ falls short: windows-only, with no official native macOS or Linux build.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amazon QuickSight and Notepad++ actually diverge.

Attributes where Amazon QuickSight and Notepad++ differ
AttributeAmazon QuickSightNotepad++
Starting price$3/monthFree
Pricing modelPer-userOpen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsAWSWindows
CategoryBusiness IntelligenceDeveloper Tools
Founded20062003

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Amazon QuickSight

  • SPICE In-memory Engine
  • ML Insights
  • Natural Language Queries
  • Embedded Analytics
  • Pay-per-session
  • Redshift
  • S3
  • Athena

Only in Notepad++

  • Syntax Highlighting
  • Tabbed Editing
  • Plugin System
  • Regular Expression Search
  • Function List

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Amazon QuickSight

  • Business intelligencenot Notepad++
  • Dashboard creationnot Notepad++
  • Data visualizationnot Notepad++

Notepad++

  • Quick editing of code and config files on Windowsnot Amazon QuickSight
  • Batch find-and-replace across multiple files with regexnot Amazon QuickSight
  • Lightweight alternative to a full IDE for scriptingnot Amazon QuickSight
  • Viewing and editing logs or large text filesnot Amazon QuickSight

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Amazon QuickSight

  • Reader and Reader Pro roles charged separately at $3 and $20/month
  • Author and Author Pro roles charged at $24 and $40/month
  • $250/month infrastructure fee required if Pro users or Q&A enabled
  • SPICE storage charged at $0.38/GB monthly (10 GB included)
  • Pixel-perfect reports start at $500/month for 500 monthly units
  • Alerts charged at $0.05-$0.50 per 1,000 metrics evaluated

Notepad++

  • Windows-only, with no official native macOS or Linux build
  • Lacks built-in debugging or project/build management found in full IDEs
  • Plugin quality and maintenance varies since they are community-contributed
  • No built-in version control integration beyond what plugins provide

Pricing, plan by plan

Amazon QuickSight

$3/month
  • Reader$3/mo
    • Dashboard viewing only
  • Reader Pro$20/mo
    • Enhanced reader capabilities
  • Author$24/mo
    • Dashboard creation and editing
  • Author Pro$40/mo
    • Advanced authoring features

Notepad++

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full editor and plugin ecosystem, no paid tiers

Which should you pick?

Choose Amazon QuickSight if

  • You need spice in-memory engine.
  • You work on AWS.
  • You also want ml insights.
Amazon QuickSight review

Choose Notepad++ if

  • You need syntax highlighting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want tabbed editing.
Notepad++ review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon QuickSight or Notepad++ better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon QuickSight starts at $3/month and Notepad++ at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amazon QuickSight or Notepad++?
Notepad++ has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $3/month for Amazon QuickSight and Free for Notepad++.
Does Amazon QuickSight or Notepad++ run on more platforms?
Amazon QuickSight runs on AWS. Notepad++ runs on Windows.
Can I use Notepad++ for free?
Yes. Notepad++ has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Amazon QuickSight starts at $3/month.
What is Amazon QuickSight best used for?
Amazon QuickSight is most often used for business intelligence, dashboard creation, data visualization. Of those, business intelligence and dashboard creation are not what Notepad++ is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon QuickSight do that Notepad++ cannot?
Amazon QuickSight covers SPICE In-memory Engine, ML Insights, Natural Language Queries, Embedded Analytics. Notepad++ covers Syntax Highlighting, Tabbed Editing, Plugin System, Regular Expression Search.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Amazon QuickSight: What does Amazon QuickSight cost per user?

QuickSight pricing varies by user role. Readers start at $3/month, Reader Pro at $20/month, Authors at $24/month, and Author Pro at $40/month. All prices are per user per month.

Source
Notepad++: Is Notepad++ free?

Yes, Notepad++ is free and open-source software distributed under the GNU General Public License, with no paid tiers.

Source
Amazon QuickSight: Does QuickSight charge an infrastructure fee?

Yes, QuickSight charges an infrastructure fee of $250/month per account if the account has at least one Pro user, has Q&A enabled via topics, or has dashboard Q&A enabled.

Source
Notepad++: What license does Notepad++ use?

Notepad++ is licensed under the GNU General Public License v2.0 (GPLv2), meaning its source code is freely available and modifiable under GPL terms.

Source
Amazon QuickSight: What are QuickSight's session capacity pricing options?

Session capacity pricing starts at $250/month for 500 sessions. Annual plans range from $20,000/year for 50,000 sessions to $258,000/year for 1,600,000 sessions, with volume discounts reducing unit costs from $0.50 to $0.16 per additional session.

Source
Notepad++: Which operating systems does Notepad++ support?

Notepad++ runs exclusively on Microsoft Windows; there is no official native build for macOS or Linux.

Source
Amazon QuickSight: How much does additional SPICE storage cost?

Additional SPICE storage beyond the included 10 GB costs $0.38 per GB per month. Authors receive 10 GB included, but Readers do not.

Source
Notepad++: How do I install plugins in Notepad++?

Plugins are installed and managed through the built-in Plugins Admin (plugin manager), which lists community plugins available for download and update.

Source
Notepad++: Where can I get help or documentation for Notepad++?

Official documentation is at the User Manual site, and community support is available through the Notepad++ community forum and GitHub issue tracker.

Source
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