Xournal++- EducationEducation

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About

Xournal++ is a free, open-source handwriting note-taking app for Linux, Windows and macOS, built for stylus and drawing-tablet input. It is widely used to annotate PDFs, take lecture notes and write math with built-in LaTeX support.

Xournal++ is a C++/GTK3 rewrite of the classic Xournal and turns a laptop, convertible or drawing tablet into a digital notebook. It supports pressure-sensitive pens such as Wacom tablets, with customizable pen, highlighter and eraser tools, shape recognition and snapping to a grid or rotation angles. You can open any PDF and write on top of it, which makes it a popular choice for grading papers, signing documents and annotating slides, then export the result back to PDF or images. Notes support multiple layers, page templates (ruled, graph, plain), page previews, inserted images and text, and a built-in LaTeX editor for typesetting formulas. Audio can be recorded during a lecture and linked to strokes so you can replay what was said when you wrote something, and the interface can be extended with Lua plugins and customizable toolbars. Files are saved in the open .xopp format. Xournal++ is GPL-2.0-licensed, maintained by a volunteer community on GitHub with more than 15,000 stars, and receives regular releases: version 1.3.8 was published in September 2026.

Who Is Xournal++ Best For?

Xournal++ is particularly well-suited for:

Students taking handwritten notes on a laptop or tablet

Teachers grading and annotating PDFs

Mathematicians and scientists

Linux users with drawing tablets

Anyone who needs free PDF annotation

View all Education 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

September 26, 2026

Latest known product update: September 26, 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

Image Support

Export Options

Import Options

Custom Themes

Keyboard Shortcuts

Offline Mode

Templates

Voice Notes

Dark Mode

Drawing

PDF Annotation

Pricing

Free

Free Tier Available

Project Health

Status

Active

Publisher & Origin

Developer

Xournal++ community (xournalpp GitHub organization)

Source Model

Open source

License

GPL-2.0

Origin Type

Open-source community

Origin Note

Xournal++ began in 2013 as a C++ rewrite of Xournal, the GTK handwriting notebook by Denis Auroux, and is now maintained by a volunteer community.

Pros

✓Free and open source with no paid tier

✓Excellent pressure-sensitive pen support on Linux, Windows and macOS

✓Annotate any PDF and export back to PDF

✓Built-in LaTeX editor for formulas

✓Audio recording linked to handwritten strokes

✓Extensible with Lua plugins

Cons

⚠No mobile, iPad or web app

⚠No built-in cloud sync or collaboration

⚠GTK interface feels dated compared with commercial apps

⚠No handwriting recognition or text search of handwriting

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Xournal++ free to use?

Yes, Xournal++ offers a free tier that you can use without payment. Completely free and open source under the GPL-2.0 license, with no paid tiers.

What platforms does Xournal++ support?

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

Is Xournal++ open source?

Yes, Xournal++ is open source. You can view the source code and contribute on GitHub at https://github.com/xournalpp/xournalpp.

Does Xournal++ work offline?

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