Developer Tools · head to head
Notepad++ vs Semperis
Notepad++
Developer Tools
Free, lightweight source code and text editor for Windows
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
Semperis
Cybersecurity
Identity threat detection and Active Directory forest recovery for AD, Entra ID and Okta, from a privately held US vendor.
- From
- On request
- Free plan
- No
The short version
- Only Notepad++ has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Notepad++ windows-only, with no official native macOS or Linux build.; Semperis scope is limited to Active Directory, Entra ID and Okta, so an organisation whose critical identity lives elsewhere gets little from it, and the recovery value declines in direct proportion to how much has already moved off on-premises AD.
- They diverge on capability: Notepad++ covers Syntax Highlighting, Semperis covers Active Directory Forest Recovery.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Notepad++ and Semperis actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).
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 Notepad++
- Syntax Highlighting
- Tabbed Editing
- Plugin System
- Regular Expression Search
- Function List
Only in Semperis
- Active Directory Forest Recovery
- Malware-free restore
- Replication-stream monitoring
- Automated rollback
- Attack indicator scoring
- Entra ID and Okta coverage
- Purple Knight
- Forest Druid
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Notepad++
- Quick editing of code and config files on Windowsnot Semperis
- Batch find-and-replace across multiple files with regexnot Semperis
- Lightweight alternative to a full IDE for scriptingnot Semperis
- Viewing and editing logs or large text filesnot Semperis
Semperis
- An organisation that cannot answer an auditor or insurer asking how long it would take to rebuild Active Directory after a destructive attacknot Notepad++
- Post-incident recovery where domain controllers are compromised and restoring from system-state backup would reintroduce the attacker's footholdnot Notepad++
- Continuous detection of privileged group changes and directory-level tampering that domain controller security logs missnot Notepad++
- Hybrid estates where AD, Entra ID and Okta all matter and no single tool currently shows changes across the threenot Notepad++
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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.
Semperis
- Scope is limited to Active Directory, Entra ID and Okta, so an organisation whose critical identity lives elsewhere gets little from it, and the recovery value declines in direct proportion to how much has already moved off on-premises AD.
- The licence buys tooling, not a proven runbook: forest recovery is only worth what your last rehearsal demonstrated, and a plan that has never been executed end to end in a lab is an untested assumption regardless of what was purchased.
- It overlaps with backup and directory management products from Quest, Veeam, Commvault and others, so the buyer must argue internally why a dedicated product is needed alongside a backup contract that already claims to protect Active Directory.
- Running Directory Services Protector well requires someone who understands AD internals, replication metadata and Tier 0 attack paths, and without that person the alerts on privileged changes are either ignored or auto-reverted in ways that break legitimate administration.
- Licensing is driven by identity object counts, so directories carrying years of stale user accounts and service principals pay for objects that should have been deleted, and the cleanup project that would reduce the bill is the one nobody has time for.
Pricing, plan by plan
Notepad++
Free- FreeFree
- Full editor and plugin ecosystem, no paid tiers
Semperis
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Semperis review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Notepad++ if
- You need syntax highlighting.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on windows.
- You also want tabbed editing.
Choose Semperis if
- You need active directory forest recovery.
- You also want malware-free restore.
Questions people ask
- Is Notepad++ or Semperis better?
- Neither clearly leads. Notepad++ starts at Free and Semperis at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Notepad++ or Semperis?
- Notepad++ has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Notepad++ and On request for Semperis.
- Does Notepad++ or Semperis run on more platforms?
- Notepad++ runs on windows. Semperis runs on Web.
- Can I use Notepad++ for free?
- Yes. Notepad++ has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Semperis starts at On request.
- What is Notepad++ best used for?
- Notepad++ is most often used for quick editing of code and config files on windows, batch find-and-replace across multiple files with regex, lightweight alternative to a full ide for scripting, viewing and editing logs or large text files. Of those, quick editing of code and config files on windows and batch find-and-replace across multiple files with regex are not what Semperis is typically brought in for.
- What can Notepad++ do that Semperis cannot?
- Notepad++ covers Syntax Highlighting, Tabbed Editing, Plugin System, Regular Expression Search. Semperis covers Active Directory Forest Recovery, Malware-free restore, Replication-stream monitoring, Automated rollback.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Notepad++: Is Notepad++ free?
Yes, Notepad++ is free and open-source software distributed under the GNU General Public License, with no paid tiers.
SourceSemperis: Does this replace my backups?
No. It replaces the Active Directory recovery procedure specifically. You still need backups for everything else, and the point of Semperis is that a generic system-state backup of a domain controller is a poor way to recover a forest because it restores the operating system along with whatever compromised it.
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.
SourceSemperis: Is it useful if we are cloud-only on Entra ID?
Partly. Directory Services Protector covers Entra ID and Okta for change tracking and posture, but the forest recovery product, which is the strongest reason to buy, applies to on-premises Active Directory. A genuinely cloud-only organisation should weigh it against Microsoft's own tooling.
Notepad++: Which operating systems does Notepad++ support?
Notepad++ runs exclusively on Microsoft Windows; there is no official native build for macOS or Linux.
SourceSemperis: Are Purple Knight and Forest Druid really free?
Yes, both are free downloads with no licence requirement, and they are widely used by organisations that are not Semperis customers. They are also, transparently, the top of the sales funnel.
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.
SourceSemperis: How long does forest recovery actually take?
The honest answer is whatever your rehearsal took. The vendor's case is hours instead of days, and automation genuinely removes most manual steps, but the number that matters for your board is the one from a test in your own environment.
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.
SourceSemperis: Does it require agents on domain controllers?
It collects directory changes from the AD replication stream, which is what lets it see changes that bypass the security log. Deployment details vary by product and version, so confirm the exact architecture against your domain controller change-control rules.
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