# Xournal++

> Open-source handwriting notes and PDF annotation for desktop

Xournal++ is an open-source desktop app for handwritten notes, built for use with a stylus or drawing tablet on Windows, macOS and Linux. Pages can use paper-style backgrounds or sit on top of a PDF, and notes can include shapes, images, typed text, LaTeX formulas and audio recordings. It is a rewrite of the older Xournal program and saves journals as local .xopp files.

- **Category:** Note-Taking Apps
- **Made by:** Xournal++ Team
- **Website:** https://xournalpp.github.io/
- **Runs on:** macOS, Windows, Linux
- **Facts last checked:** Oct 6, 2026

## Pricing

Xournal++ is free to use.

- **Pricing model:** Free
- **Free plan:** Free, open-source software under the GNU GPL version 2. Every download on the project's site is free and there is no paid edition.
- **Free trial:** None listed.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Xournal++ | $0 | The full app for Windows, macOS and Linux, as stable or nightly builds. The Windows version is also in the Microsoft Store. |

Read from https://xournalpp.github.io/ on Oct 6, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Xournal++ before buying.

## Key features

- **Stylus and tablet input:** Supports pressure-sensitive styluses and drawing tablets from makers such as Wacom, Huion and XP-Pen, with configurable pen, highlighter and eraser tools.
- **PDF annotation:** A PDF can be set as the background of a journal and written over. Text in the PDF is searchable, and the result exports back to PDF.
- **Shapes, images and snapping:** Draws lines, arrows, circles, rectangles and splines, inserts images, and snaps objects to a grid or to steps of rotation.
- **LaTeX editor:** A built-in LaTeX tool places typeset formulas on the page. It depends on a working LaTeX installation on the computer.
- **Audio recording:** Records audio while you write and attaches the recording to objects in the note, which the Play Object tool plays back.
- **Layers, toolbars and Lua plugins:** Notes can be split into layers that are hidden or edited separately, toolbars can be rearranged, and plugins are written in Lua.

## Good for

- Handwritten notes with a stylus or drawing tablet on a computer
- Writing over PDFs and exporting the annotated result
- Math and science notes that mix handwriting with LaTeX formulas

## Worth knowing

- Desktop only: the project says development of the separate Android and iOS app has stalled and the web app is no longer available.
- A journal is stored separately from its background PDF, so moving either file breaks the link unless attach mode is used.
- The macOS release will not open until two terminal commands are run to clear and re-sign the app.
- Annotations exported to PDF cannot be edited afterward, and the export drops annotations built into the source PDF.

**Tags:** Open source, Works offline, Notes

## Alternatives

- [Rnote](https://toolgpa.com/tools/rnote): Open-source app for sketching and handwritten notes with a stylus. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/rnote-vs-xournalpp)
- [Saber](https://toolgpa.com/tools/saber): Open-source handwritten notes app for phones, tablets and PCs. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/saber-vs-xournalpp)
- [Stylus Labs Write](https://toolgpa.com/tools/stylus-labs-write): Open-source handwriting word processor for desktop and mobile. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/stylus-labs-write-vs-xournalpp)
- [Linwood Butterfly](https://toolgpa.com/tools/linwood-butterfly): Open-source handwriting and sketching app with an infinite canvas. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/linwood-butterfly-vs-xournalpp)
- [Microsoft OneNote](https://toolgpa.com/tools/microsoft-onenote): Microsoft's free digital notebook for typed, inked and audio notes. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/microsoft-onenote-vs-xournalpp)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 6, 2026:

- https://xournalpp.github.io/
- https://xournalpp.github.io/installation/windows/
- https://xournalpp.github.io/installation/macos/
- https://xournalpp.github.io/installation/linux/
- https://xournalpp.github.io/guide/pdfs/
- https://github.com/xournalpp/xournalpp

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/xournalpp
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).