Rnote
Focus: handwritten notes, infinite canvas and stylus. Shares pdf annotation and open source with Xournal++. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreeLinux, Windows
4.6Visit
Desktop App
Xournal++
Take handwritten notes and annotate PDFs with a pen or tablet.
Rating
4.6 / 5
Pricing
Free
Difficulty
Beginner
Works on
Windows, macOS, Linux
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is Xournal++?
Xournal++ is a free, open-source app for handwritten notes, sketches and PDF annotation, made for pens and drawing tablets. Write with pressure sensitivity, add text, shapes and LaTeX formulas, record audio alongside your notes, and export finished pages as PDF or images.
Third-party open-source projects. We are not affiliated with their authors; repositories are provided as-is by their maintainers. Review each project's license, code and security before installing. See our Disclaimer.
Pros: what Xournal++ does well
- Mark up PDFs as easily as paper
- Audio recordings linked to your notes
- Free and open source
Cons: where it falls short
- Interface looks dated next to newer note apps
- No mobile app or cloud sync
Who Xournal++ is for
Students and professionals with a pen tablet who annotate lecture slides, papers or forms.
Who can skip it
People who only type their notes.
Xournal++ alternatives
Not sold on Xournal++? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.
Foliate
Focus: ebook reader, epub and annotations. Shares open source and github with Xournal++. Adds Offline. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreeLinux, Offline
4.6Visit
Kiwix
Focus: offline wikipedia, reference and offline reading. Shares open source and github with Xournal++. Adds Offline. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, Linux
4.6Visit
Koodo Reader
Focus: ebook reader, epub and pdf reader. Shares open source and github with Xournal++. Adds Web. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.6Visit
Qalculate!
Focus: calculator, unit conversion and maths. Shares open source and github with Xournal++. Adds Offline. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, Linux
4.6Visit
Readest
Focus: ebook reader, epub and annotations. Shares open source and github with Xournal++. Adds iOS, Android and Web. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.6Visit
Free alternatives to Xournal++
Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.
Sioyek
Focus: pdf reader, research papers and keyboard. Shares open source and github with Xournal++. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.6Visit
Fluent Reader
Focus: rss reader, news feeds and reading. Shares open source and github with Xournal++. Rated 4.5 (Xournal++: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.5Visit
Thorium Reader
Focus: ebook reader, epub and accessibility. Shares open source and github with Xournal++. Adds Offline. Rated 4.5 (Xournal++: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
cheat
Focus: cheatsheet, command line and reference. Shares open source and github with Xournal++. Rated 4.4 (Xournal++: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.4Visit
JupyterLab
Focus: notebooks, python and data science. Shares open source and github with Xournal++. A web app, not a desktop app. Adds Web. Rated 4.7 (Xournal++: 4.6).
Web AppFreeWeb, macOS
4.7Visit
marimo
Focus: python, notebook and data. Shares open source and github with Xournal++. A web app, not a desktop app. Adds Web. Same 4.6 rating.
Web AppFreeWeb, macOS
4.6Visit
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