xournal AlternativesTop Note-taking Tools and other similar apps like xournal

xournal has been discontinued. One of the most popular alternatives is Notesnook, which is open source with a free version. Other popular alternatives are Foxit PDF Reader, Xournal++, Linwood Butterfly and OpenBoard Whiteboard. Note-taking Tools like xournal are a crowded field, with more than 50 alternatives for Windows, Mac, Linux, iPad and the web.

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Alternatives
xournal alternatives page was last updated

Alternatives list

  1. Notesnook icon
     229 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.

    418 Notesnook alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2021

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Flatpak
    • Self-Hosted
    Good alternative?
     
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    1
  2. Foxit PDF Reader icon
     1389 likes

    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.

    166 Foxit PDF Reader alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2008

    Alerts

    • Bundleware

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • ReactOS
    Good alternative?
     
  3. Xournal++ icon
     201 likes

    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.

    81 Xournal++ alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2019

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    Good alternative?
     
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    3
  4. 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.

    65 Linwood Butterfly alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2022

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • Self-Hosted
    • Snapcraft
    • AltStore
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Linux Mobile
    Good alternative?
     
  5. 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.

    113 OpenBoard Whiteboard alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2016

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Good alternative?
     
  6. Rnote icon
     39 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.

    32 Rnote alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2022

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Good alternative?
     
  7. Concepts icon
     34 likes

    Concepts is the digital design sketchbook of the future. It’s powerful, flexible and smart, so you can go from quick sketches to beautiful and precise illustrations in a single app. Enhance your creative capabilities with our infinite canvas, flexible multi-touch shape guides...

    57 Concepts alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2016

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Good alternative?
     
  8. 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.

    85 GoodNotes alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2014

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Good alternative?
     
  9. Skim icon
     98 likes

    PDF viewer for macOS supports scientific papers, annotations, highlights, bookmarks, split view, exporting notes, AppleScript, multiple annotation types, bibliography integration, full-screen, search, and compatibility with various macOS versions.

    116 Skim alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2009

    Platforms

    • Mac
    Good alternative?
     
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    1
  10. PDF Expert icon
     39 likes

    Read, annotate, and highlight PDFs, fill interactive forms with saved input, underline or strike through text, manage bookmarks, sync files from cloud services, and share documents. Compatible with Preview and Adobe Acrobat annotations, supporting extensive iOS features.

    180 PDF Expert alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2012

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Good alternative?
     
  11. Lorien icon
     15 likes

    Lorien is an infinite canvas drawing/note-taking app that is focused on performance, small savefiles and simplicity. It's not based on bitmap images like Krita, Gimp or Photoshop; it rather saves brush strokes as a collection of points and renders them at runtime (kind of...

    40 Lorien alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2021

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Good alternative?
     
12 of 56 xournal alternatives