Drawboard PDF AlternativesTop PDF Readers & Note-taking Tools like Drawboard PDF

Drawboard PDF is described as 'The top AEC PDF app to markup and manage drawings and documents. Ideal for replacing pen and paper, avoid printing documents again by using our intuitive feature set that makes marking up a PDF easy. Open or create a new PDF, markup using our extensive array of tools, then save' and is a PDF Reader in the office & productivity category. There are more than 50 alternatives to Drawboard PDF for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, Android and iPhone apps. The best Drawboard PDF alternative is Okular, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Drawboard PDF are Foxit PDF Reader, Xournal++, Evince and Excalidraw.

Drawboard PDF iconDrawboard PDF
  13
  • ...

The top AEC PDF app to markup and manage drawings and documents. Ideal for replacing pen and paper, avoid printing...

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Drawboard PDF alternatives page was last updated Nov 3, 2024
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  1. Okular icon

    Okular

     455 likes
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    Multi-platform document viewer offering extensive format support, including PDF, comics, images, EPUB, and Markdown, with annotation tools, sidebar previews, text-to-speech, DRM management, cross-platform compatibility, and integration with KDE Frameworks libraries.

    113 Okular alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • KDE Plasma
    • Snapcraft
    • Linux Mobile
    • Flathub
    • Haiku
    Okular screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  PDF annotation
    2.  Text Highlighting
    3.  Tabbed interface
    4.  Dark Mode
    5.  Ad-free
    6.  Low memory usage
    7.  KDE
    8.  Works Offline
    9.  Customizable shortcuts
    10.  Text to Speech
    11.  Fill PDF Forms
    12.  No Tracking

    Okular VS Drawboard PDF

     
    Comments about Okular as an Alternative to Drawboard PDF
    Guest
    Negative Mar 16, 2020
    2

    The annotation for okular doesn't function as seamless drawing on a PDF

    dsohad
    Positive Feb 15, 2024
    -1

    The pen isnt work with this app.

    Drawboard PDF Icon
    Okular icon

    • This alternative is disputed. Okular is a legitimate Drawboard PDF alternative, but it might have issues that some users think are important.

    • Okular is the most popular Windows & Linux alternative to Drawboard PDF.

    • Okular is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Drawboard PDF.

    • Okular is Free and Open SourceDrawboard PDF is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Okular is Lightweight and Privacy focusedDrawboard PDF is not according to our users
  2. Foxit PDF Reader icon

    Foxit PDF Reader

     1371 likes
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    Foxit Reader offers a lightweight PDF viewing experience across multiple platforms with features such as annotation, form filling, signing, cloud storage integration, collaborative review options, heightened security via Trust Manager, and organizational tools like Group Policy and XML Configuration.

    119 Foxit PDF Reader alternatives

    License model

    • Free Personal • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • ReactOS
    Foxit PDF Reader screenshot 1
    Bundleware

    The installer tries to install McAfee WebAdvisor and PhantomPDF Business. These can be skipped by clicking Decline on each.

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  PDF annotation
    2.  Fill PDF Forms
    3.  Sign PDF files
    4.  Highlighter
    5.  Scan documents
    6.  Text to Speech
    7.  Tablet support
    8.  Booklet printing
    9.  Support for scripting
    10.  Text Highlighting
    11.  Portable
    12.  Spell Checking

    Foxit PDF Reader VS Drawboard PDF

     
    Comments about Foxit PDF Reader as an Alternative to Drawboard PDF
    Most Recent Comment
    violoncello
    Negative Dec 31, 2020
    1

    doesn't allow handwritten annotations with a stylus

    Guest
    Positive Mar 7, 2018
    4

    You can write into the PDF, underline text, ... Similar features to Drawboard PDF even in the free version.

    Guest
    Negative Nov 3, 2024
    0

    Pencil and free flow handwriting isn't supported well with Foxit

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    3 of 4 comments
    Drawboard PDF Icon
    Foxit PDF Reader icon

    • Some users think Foxit PDF Reader is a great Drawboard PDF alternative, some don't.

    • Foxit PDF Reader is the most popular Mac alternative to Drawboard PDF.

    • Foxit PDF Reader is Free Personal and ProprietaryDrawboard PDF is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Foxit PDF Reader is LightweightDrawboard PDF is not according to our users
  4. Xournal++ icon

    Xournal++

     172 likes
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    Handwritten note-taking and PDF annotation using pen input and pressure sensitivity, shape drawing, customizable toolbar layouts, image insertion, audio recording, multi-language options, LaTeX integration, and complete export in PDF or PNG formats across all platforms.

    50 Xournal++ alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    Xournal++ screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Handwritten Notes
    2.  PDF annotation
    3.  Support for styluses
    4.  Handwriting
    5.  Export to PDF
    6.  Works Offline
    7.  LaTeX Math
    8.  Pen Support
    9.  Pressure Sensitivity
    10.  Freehand Writing
    11.  Multi layer drawing
    12.  Ad-free

    Xournal++ VS Drawboard PDF

     

    • Almost everyone thinks Xournal++ is a great Drawboard PDF alternative.

    • Xournal++ is the most popular Android alternative to Drawboard PDF.

    • Xournal++ is Free and Open SourceDrawboard PDF is Freemium and Proprietary
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    Adobe Acrobat Reader icon
    Adobe Acrobat Reader

    Seamlessly view, annotate, and collaborate on PDFs with freehand drawing and sticky notes. Utilize cloud storage for effortless access and upgrade for advanced editing and conversion to formats like Word and Excel.

    https://www.adobe.com
    Learn More
  6. Evince icon

    Evince

     455 likes
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    Evince (or GNOME Document Viewer) is a document viewer for multiple document formats: PDF, Postscript, djvu, tiff, dvi, XPS, SyncTex support with gedit, comics books (cbr,cbz,cb7 and cbt) and others. See Supported Document Formats for details.

    117 Evince alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flathub
    • GNOME
    Evince screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Minimalistic
    3.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  PDF annotation
    2.  Invert colours
    3.  Multiple languages
    4.  Dark Mode
    5.  Ad-free
    6.  Portable
    7.  Works Offline
    8.  No registration required
    9.  No Tracking
    10.  Handwriting recognition
    11.  Windows Compatible

    Evince VS Drawboard PDF

     
  7. Excalidraw icon

    Excalidraw

     77 likes
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    Excalidraw is an open-source whiteboard tool that lets you easily sketch diagrams that have a hand-drawn feel to them. Available directly online as a web app and also through CodeSandbox to easily see how the code works, and the app is available for self-hosting.

    74 Excalidraw alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • CZ flagCzechia
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    Excalidraw screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Interactive Whiteboard
    2.  Shared whiteboard
    3.  Real time collaboration
    4.  Mind Mapping
    5.  No registration required
    6.  Export to SVG
    7.  Dark Mode
    8.  End-to-End Encryption
    9.  Free hand drawing
    10.  Ad-free
    11.  Support for Layers
    12.  Cloud Sync

    Excalidraw VS Drawboard PDF

     

    • Excalidraw is the most popular Web-based & Self-Hosted alternative to Drawboard PDF.

    • Excalidraw is Freemium and Open SourceDrawboard PDF is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Excalidraw is Privacy focusedDrawboard PDF is not according to our users
  8. Xodo icon

    Xodo

     70 likes
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    Xodo is the ultimate cross-platform PDF viewer and annotator. Powerful, fast, and optimized for all phones and tablets, Xodo makes it easy to access, edit, mark up, sort, share, sync, manage, sign, and more with even the most complex PDF documents.

    115 Xodo alternatives

    License model

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    Xodo PDF - comment, highlight, underline & more

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  PDF annotation
    2.  Dark Mode
    3.  Export to PDF
    4. Google Drive icon  Google Drive integration
    5.  Sign PDF files
    6.  Annotations
    7.  Ad-free
    8.  Combine PDF
    9.  Split PDF files
    10.  OCR
    11.  Real time collaboration
    12.  Split and merge PDF files

    Xodo VS Drawboard PDF

     
    Comments about Xodo as an Alternative to Drawboard PDF
    Guest
    Positive Apr 10, 2017
    1

    Free. has Stylus and gesture support for windows tablets.

    Guest
    Positive Jun 11, 2020
    0

    XODO is free and has the option to add new pages into the PDF. In Drawboard PDF you only can add blank pages for free.

    Drawboard PDF Icon
    Xodo icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Xodo is a great Drawboard PDF alternative.

    • Xodo is the most popular iPhone, iPad & Android Tablet alternative to Drawboard PDF.

    • Xodo is the most popular commercial alternative to Drawboard PDF.

    • Xodo is Paid and ProprietaryDrawboard PDF is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Xodo is LightweightDrawboard PDF is not according to our users
  10. Adobe Acrobat Reader icon

    Adobe Acrobat Reader

     442 likes
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    Seamlessly view, annotate, and collaborate on PDFs with freehand drawing and sticky notes. Utilize cloud storage for effortless access and upgrade for advanced editing and conversion to formats like Word and Excel.

    106 Adobe Acrobat Reader alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Adobe Acrobat Reader screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Edit PDF
    2.  PDF annotation
    3.  Fill PDF Forms
    4.  Document Annotations
    5.  Create PDF files
    6.  Dark Mode
    7.  Combine PDF
    8.  Sign PDF files
    9.  Multi-tabs
    10.  OCR
    11.  PDF compression
    12.  No registration required

    Adobe Acrobat Reader VS Drawboard PDF

     
    Comments about Adobe Acrobat Reader as an Alternative to Drawboard PDF
    Guest
    Negative Feb 19, 2018
    8

    limited annotation capabilities. Cannot write directly onto pdf like in drawboard.

    violoncello
    Negative Dec 31, 2020
    0

    doesn't allow for handwritten annotations with a stylus

    Drawboard PDF Icon
    Adobe Acrobat Reader icon

    • This alternative is disputed. Adobe Acrobat Reader is a legitimate Drawboard PDF alternative, but it might have issues that some users think are important.

    • Adobe Acrobat Reader is Freemium and ProprietaryDrawboard PDF is also Freemium and Proprietary
    • Adobe Acrobat Reader is LightweightDrawboard PDF is not according to our users
  11. Linwood Butterfly icon

    Linwood Butterfly

     36 likes
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    Butterfly is a note-taking app where your ideas come first. You can paint, add texts, and export them easily on every device. This app works on android, windows, linux, and in the web.

    41 Linwood Butterfly alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • Self-Hosted
    • Snapcraft
    • AltStore
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    Linwood Butterfly screenshot 1
    Linwood Butterfly screenshot 2
    Linwood Butterfly screenshot 3

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Distraction-free
    3.  Privacy focused
    4.  Support for Themes
    5.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  Dark Mode
    2.  No Tracking
    3.  Handwritten Notes
    4.  No registration required
    5.  Ad-free
    6.  Real time collaboration
    7.  Cloud Sync
    8.  Works Offline
    9.  Decentralized
    10.  End-to-End Encryption
    11.  Portable
    12.  Handwriting

    Linwood Butterfly VS Drawboard PDF

     
  12. OpenBoard Whiteboard icon

    OpenBoard Whiteboard

     61 likes
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    OpenBoard is a cross-platform (Linux / Windows / macOS) interactive whiteboard application. It is currently maintained by the Education Department (DIP) of the Canton of Geneva in Switzerland.

    87 OpenBoard Whiteboard alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    OpenBoard Whiteboard screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Educational

    Features

    1.  Interactive Whiteboard
    2.  Handwritten Notes
    3.  Fullscreen support
    4.  Freeform notes
    5.  Pressure Sensitivity
    6.  Pencil
    7.  Dark Mode
    8.  Ad-free
    9.  Real time collaboration
    10.  Handwriting
    11.  Dual screen support
    12.  Export to PDF

    OpenBoard Whiteboard VS Drawboard PDF

     
  13. xournal icon

    xournal

     74 likes
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    Xournal is an application for notetaking, sketching, keeping a journal using a stylus. It is free software (GNU GPL) and runs on Linux (recent distributions), Windows and other GTK+/Gnome platforms.

    50 xournal alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    xournal screenshot 1
    Discontinued

    It hasn't been updated since 2017, but there is an active fork Xournal++ icon Xournal++

    xournal Features

    1.  PDF annotation
    2.  Handwritten Notes
    3.  Edit PDF
    4.  Support for styluses
    5.  Drawing Tablet Support
    6.  Sketching

    xournal VS Drawboard PDF

     
  14. Papers icon

    Papers

     11 likes
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    A document viewer for the GNOME desktop. You can view, search or annotate documents in many different formats.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • GNOME
    • Flatpak
    A clear, simple Ul

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Ad-free
    2.  Full-Text Search
    3.  Works Offline
    4.  No registration required
    5.  No Tracking
    6.  Dark Mode
    7.  Text to Speech

    Papers VS Drawboard PDF

     
  15. Qoppa PDF Studio icon

    Qoppa PDF Studio

     81 likes
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    Create, Convert, Review and Edit PDF Documents on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

    172 Qoppa PDF Studio alternatives

    License model

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Chrome OS
    Annotate

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Edit PDF
    2.  Sign PDF files
    3.  Scan to PDF
    4.  PDF Redaction
    5.  Convert PDF to Word document
    6.  Create PDF files
    7.  Fill PDF Forms
    8.  Dark Mode
    9.  Text to Speech
    10.  OCR
    11.  Spell Checking
    12.  Ad-free

    Qoppa PDF Studio VS Drawboard PDF

     
12 of 55 Drawboard PDF alternatives