Difference between Notepad and WordPad


Notepad and WordPad are two different application software that are pre-installed in a Microsoft Windows based computer systems. However, they are absolutely different from each other. The main difference between Notepad and WordPad is that Notepad is a basic text editor used for creating simple text files, while WordPad is an advanced word processing software used for creating document files that include text, images, etc.

In this article, we will discuss the important differences between Notepad and WordPad. But before discussing the differences, let us first discuss the basics of Notepad and WordPad individually.

What is Notepad?

Notepad is a type of application software that come preinstalled with Microsoft Windows operating system. Notepad is a basic text editing tool. It allows users to create simple text files such as simple text notes, programming code files, HTML document, configuration files, etc. Notepad supports only text format.

Notepad has a very simple user interface and it is quite light-weight, making it fast to load. Hence, notepad can handle very large files without affecting the performance of the computer system. Notepad is a very popular text editor among web developers, as it is used for creating and editing HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files.

Therefore, notepad is a simple and powerful text editor tool that is used in several different applications on windows operating system-based computers.

What is WordPad?

WordPad is a type of application software used for creating documents like resume, letters, applications, etc. It is a word processing tool that come pre-installed with windows operating system. WordPad supports many types of document formats like text, RTF (Rich Text Format), HTML, etc.

WordPad is an advanced tool for creating documents as it supports several features that are absent in Notepad. WordPad also supports several different text formatting such as bold, italic, underline, bulleted points, numbering, text alignment and indentation, etc.

In WordPad documents, we can also create tables and insert images. However, it does not support highly advanced features, such as text styles, macros, mail-merge, etc.

Hence, WordPad is a simple and powerful word processing tool, allowing users to create basic documents like letters, email messages, simple reports, bulleted lists, etc.

After getting an overview of Notepad and WordPad, let us now discuss the important differences between them.

Difference between Notepad and WordPad

The following table highlights all the significant differences between Notepad and WordPad:

Parameter

Notepad

WordPad

Basic

Notepad is a simple text editor that is included with Windows operating system, allowing users to create plain text files.

WordPad is a basic word processing software come pre-installed with windows operating system, allowing users to create a variety of document files like plain text, RTF, HTML, doc, etc.

Type of software

Notepad is a text editor.

WordPad is a word processor.

File format

Notepad supports only plain text (txt) file format.

WordPad supports many file formats like plain text, RTF, Doc, HTML, etc.

Text formatting

Notepad supports only basic text formatting like bold and italic.

WordPad supports more advanced text formatting such as bold, italic, underline, superscript, superscript, bullet points, numbering, indentation, text alignment, etc.

Table

Notepad does not support inserting and editing tables.

WordPad supports creating tables in document.

Image

Notepad does not support inserting image.

WordPad supports inserting image.

Page layout options

Notepad does not support page layout options.

WordPad includes more advanced page layout features.

Undo & Redo options

Notepad allows only one time undo and redo.

WordPad allows multiple time undo and redo.

Text color

Notepad does not allow to change text color.

WordPad allows to change color of a selected text.

Insert object

Notepad does not support inserting objects.

WordPad support inserting objects.

Ruler bar

Notepad does not have a ruler bar.

WordPad has a ruler bar.

Quick access toolbar

There is no quick access toolbar (QAT) present in notepad.

WordPad has a quick access toolbar (QAT).

Text highlighter

Notepad does not include text highlighter.

WordPad includes a text highlighter.

Applications

Notepad is used for creating plain text files.

WordPad is used for creating basic document files like letters, reports, etc.

Conclusion

Both Notepad and WordPad are types document editing tools come pre-installed with windows operating system for free of cost. But they are completely different from each other as described in the above table. Notepad is a simple text editor used to create plain text files, whereas WordPad is a simple word processor used for creating basic documents.

Updated on: 16-May-2023

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