Free Xournal++ AlternativesNote-taking Tools & PDF Readers like Xournal++

The best free alternative to Xournal++ is Notesnook, which is also Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Xournal++ and loads of them is free so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free alternatives to Xournal++ are Microsoft OneNote, Excalidraw, Evince and MuPDF.

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Xournal++ alternatives are mainly Note-taking Tools, but if you're looking for PDF Readers or Whiteboards you can filter on that. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Xournal++.
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Alternatives list

  1. Notesnook icon
     190 likes

    Offers open-source, end-to-end encrypted notes with device-based privacy, cross-platform support, private vault, secure sync, offline access, markdown editor, exports to multiple formats, automatic backups, organizational tools, and strong encryption.

    341 Notesnook alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Flatpak
     
  2. Microsoft OneNote icon
     1143 likes

    Comprehensive digital notebook offering organizers, shared notes, multi-device syncing, and optical character recognition, plus cloud-based data management for efficient information handling and accessibility.

    179 Microsoft OneNote alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Windows Phone
    • iPad
    • Apple Watch
    • Android Wear
    • Kindle Fire
     
  3. Excalidraw icon
     109 likes

    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.

    91 Excalidraw alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    • Cloudron
     
  4. Evince icon
     462 likes

    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.

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flathub
    • GNOME
     
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    1
  5. MuPDF icon
     164 likes

    MuPDF offers a highly versatile PDF, XPS, and eBook interpreter, customizable as a renderer, viewer, or toolkit. Features include digital signatures, redactions, form filling, annotations, and page manipulation, ideal for mobile, eBooks, and embedded apps supporting Java, C++, and Python.

    96 MuPDF alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • F-Droid
    • Xfce
     
  6. 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.

    122 Adobe Acrobat Reader alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
  7. 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.

    100 OpenBoard Whiteboard alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
  8. Rnote icon
     38 likes

    Rnote aims to be a simple but functional note taking application for freehand drawing or annotating pictures or documents. It eventually should be able to import / export various media file formats.

    26 Rnote alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
     
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    1
  9. 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.

    49 Linwood Butterfly alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • Self-Hosted
    • Snapcraft
    • AltStore
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
     
  10. Saber icon
     32 likes

    A (work-in-progress) cross-platform libre notes app. Please note that this app is still in early stages and not ready to trust with your notes yet.

    26 Saber alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
     
  11. GoodNotes icon
     77 likes

    Experience "digital paper" with seamless note-taking on iOS devices. Annotate PDFs, PowerPoint, and Word, plus organize notes in unlimited folders. Enjoy searchable handwritten notes that sync across devices with iCloud, intuitive QuickNote feature, and customizable templates.

    73 GoodNotes alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
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    1
  12. Heynote icon
     19 likes

    Block-organized, privacy-focused scratchpad for developers with language-specific syntax highlighting and auto-formatting, supporting JavaScript, JSON, Markdown, notes, API responses, and daily planning, all in a persistent local buffer with minimalist interface.

    61 Heynote alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
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