Rnote- Visual ThinkingVisual Thinking

Ready to try Rnote?

About

Rnote is a free, open-source vector-based drawing and handwriting app written in Rust and GTK4. It is designed for stylus input and supports fixed pages, continuous scrolling and an infinite canvas, plus PDF import and annotation.

Rnote focuses on pen input: it offers pressure-sensitive, configurable brush strokes, a shape tool, a selection tool to move, rotate and resize content, and reconfigurable stylus button shortcuts, all in an adaptive GNOME-style interface that also works on touch devices and convertibles. Documents can use fixed pages, a continuous vertical layout or an infinite canvas, with customizable backgrounds and page formats, which makes it equally suited to lecture notes, sketches, diagrams and whiteboard-style brainstorming. You can import PDFs, bitmap images and SVGs to annotate them, and export to PDF, SVG, Xournal++ (.xopp) and other formats; native files use the .rnote format. Other conveniences include tabs, autosave, printing, drag and drop, clipboard support and optional pen sounds. Rnote is developed by Felix Zwettler with community contributors under the GPL-3.0-or-later license, is distributed on Linux through Flathub, with a Windows installer on GitHub and a macOS app bundle maintained by a community contributor. The project has more than 11,000 GitHub stars and released version 0.14.2 in May 2026.

Who Is Rnote Best For?

Rnote is particularly well-suited for:

Linux users with pen tablets or convertibles

Students taking handwritten notes

People who sketch and diagram

Anyone wanting a free infinite-canvas notebook

View all Visual Thinking apps

Credibility of This Listing

We show what we know, where it comes from, and what is still incomplete.

Review Coverage

Limited

Third-party review coverage is limited for this listing. Treat the score as directional rather than comprehensive.

NoteFinderz Research

October 9, 2026

NoteFinderz research refreshed on October 9, 2026.

Product Freshness

May 1, 2026

Latest known product update: May 1, 2026.

Descriptions, use cases, pros, and limitations are written and curated by NoteFinderz. Ratings and review volume are aggregated from public signals when they exist.

Visible Review Sources

Coverage in progress

No third-party review sources are linked to this listing yet. We still keep the app in the directory, but confidence in the score is lower.

Features

Visual Canvas

Whiteboard

Image Support

Export Options

Import Options

Drag & Drop

Keyboard Shortcuts

Dark Mode

Offline Mode

Multi-language

Drawing

PDF Annotation

Pricing

Free

Free Tier Available

Project Health

Status

Active

Publisher & Origin

Developer

Felix Zwettler and contributors

Source Model

Open source

License

GPL-3.0-or-later

Country of Origin

Germany

Origin Type

Indie creator

Pros

✓Free and open source with a modern GTK4 interface

✓Infinite canvas as well as fixed and continuous page layouts

✓Smooth, pressure-sensitive vector strokes

✓PDF, image and SVG import for annotation

✓Exports to PDF, SVG and Xournal++ format

Cons

⚠No mobile or iPad apps and no web version

⚠No built-in cloud sync or collaboration

⚠macOS build is community-maintained

⚠Still pre-1.0, so the file format and features can change between releases

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Rnote free to use?

Yes, Rnote offers a free tier that you can use without payment. Completely free and open source (GPL-3.0-or-later). Development can be supported through GitHub Sponsors or Liberapay.

What platforms does Rnote support?

Rnote is available on Linux, Windows, macOS. Download the app for your preferred platform to get started.

Is Rnote open source?

Yes, Rnote is open source. You can view the source code and contribute on GitHub at https://github.com/flxzt/rnote.

Does Rnote work offline?

Yes, Rnote supports offline mode. You can access and edit your notes without an internet connection, and changes will sync when you're back online.