What benefits does the 64-bit version of Notepad++ have over the 32-bit version?

Question

Notepad++ is available in a 64-bit version in addition to a 32-bit version.

What benefits does the 64-bit version of Notepad++ have over the 32-bit version when running in Windows 7? What about in Windows 10?

I imagine one of the benefits is being able to load enormous, multi-gigabyte files. Is that correct? Are there other benefits?

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EDIT 1: There seemed to be much interest in the release of a 64-bit version of Notepad++, but it's hard to imagine that so many people are using it to edit files over 4GB in size, even if multiple files are open. That made me wonder "What are all the advantages to the 64-bit version of Notepad++?".

EDIT 2: I don't think this is a duplicate of Other benefits of 64-bit OS apart from memory expansion? because I'm asking about specific benefits for this particular application. What makes this case even more curious is that, it's probably safe to say that a majority people don't need to edit more than 4GB of text at a time, and that the 64-bit version of Notepad++ has a major limitation (fewer plugins).

Answer 1

The Show Stopper for 64-bit is: "check if all plugins you need are available for 64 bit". ref. - https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/topic/17356/change-from-32-bit-to-64-bit

As a longtime NotePad++ user, I have always chosen 32-bit to ensure a maximum selection of Plugins. I will, of course, review the list of plugins that don't work in 64-bit the next time I install NotePad++.

Answer 2

It's the same reason as any other 64 bit vs 32 bit program; it's able to use more RAM. Therefore a 64-bit version of Notepad++ is most likely able to open and handle bigger files, than the 32-bit version.

Same question on Notepad++ forum

Answer 3

I too have had a few times where I needed to open huge log files or files created from a data extract from a database, and even Notepad++ 32 bits choked on it. In this day and age, I take the 64 bit version anytime over the 32 bit one. Myself, I don't use any plugins anyways, except for the "Compare" plugin which does what its name implies; it compares two files and marks the difference between the two. So, for me, I'll stick with the 64 bit version.