After months of a trademark dispute, the unofficial macOS build of Notepad++ has been renamed Nextpad++. The port, originally published by Russian developer Andrey Letov, used the Notepad++ brand without permission from its creator, Don Ho, who launched the Windows editor in 2003 and publicly objected to the infringement. The settlement promptly prompted a swift rebrand and quickly updated the branding.

The new website explains that Nextpad++ is an open‑source, community‑driven port built on Objective‑C++, Scintilla and Cocoa, compiled as a universal binary for both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. An icon replaces original’s Notepad++ logo, and the about page notes development began on March 10. Critics, including John Gruber of Daring Fireball, dismissed the effort as “unholy” and AI‑assisted coding in the open‑source community as well.

For Mac users craving a lightweight code editor, Nextpad++ now offers a legally clear alternative that mirrors the original’s feature set while supporting the latest hardware. Its GPL‑based codebase ensures continued community contributions, and the rebrand removes legal ambiguity that could have forced the project offline. The app is available for download from its updated site.