FREE TOOLS

Xournal++: open source handwritten note-taking for Windows, Mac and Linux

By AiCoN | Published 20 October 2026 | Sources checked 20 October 2026

Xournal++ is free of charge and open source under the GPL-2.0 license: handwritten note-taking software for Windows, macOS and Linux.

Official app screenshot

Xournal++ main window: a handwritten physics notes page with pen tools and page previews — Official Xournal++ screenshot from the source repository's README: the main window with a handwritten notes page, pen tools and page previews. Credit: Xournal++ contributors, GPL-2.0; original image source. Unaltered, displayed smaller. Publisher example, not an AiCoN capture. Open original 1194 × 980 image. Media checked 23 October 2026.

What it is

Xournal++ is a program for taking handwritten notes on a computer. Its website calls it "an open-source and cross-platform note-taking software that is fast, flexible, and functional" and says it is "available on MacOS, Windows, and Linux". It is a desktop program, not an AI tool and not a phone app.

Is it free?

The pages we read do not use the word "free". What they say is "open-source", and GitHub lists the licence as GPL-2.0, which lets anyone use and share the code. We saw no price and no sign-in step on the pages we read. So we can say it is open source, and we saw no charge, but we cannot quote the project saying "free".

What the site lists

Support for "pressure-sensitive stylus and drawing tablets (Wacom, Huion, XP-Pen, etc.)".
Pen, highlighter and eraser tools, layers and page previews.
Images and shapes, with snapping to a grid.
A built-in LaTeX editor, for equations and chemical structures.
Audio recording while you write.
A customisable toolbar and plugins written in Lua.
A guide section called "Working With PDF Files". We did not read it, so we make no claim on what it covers.

Good to know, per the project

GitHub lists v1.3.8, published 26 September 2026, as the latest release when we checked.
The site has installation pages for Windows, macOS and Linux, and demonstration videos we did not watch.
It describes itself as "a modern rewrite" of an older program called Xournal.

Our advice

It is most useful with a stylus or drawing tablet. With only a mouse, handwriting will be hard.
Download it only through the links on xournalpp.github.io.

Privacy and data

We read no privacy statement for the program and make no claim on what data it collects. The notes are files on your computer, but we did not check where they are saved.

India

No region limit appears on the pages we read. We did not test it from India. There is no price to convert.

Source code

The GitHub project xournalpp/xournalpp is under GPL-2.0, per its GitHub page.

AiCoN checkRead the Xournal++ home and installation pages and the GitHub page on 20 October 2026. We did not install or run it.

Frequently asked questions

Is Xournal++ free?

It is open source under the GPL, and we saw no price. The pages we read do not say "free" in so many words.

Do I need a stylus?

It is built for handwriting, and the site lists stylus and tablet support. We did not check mouse use.

Which systems does it run on?

Windows, macOS and Linux, per the site.

Sources: xournalpp.github.io, Installation, GitHub. Checked 20 October 2026.

Independent guide, not affiliated.

Scoped recheck 23 October 2026: GitHub still lists v1.3.8 (26 September 2026) as the latest release; licence still GPL-2.0. Added the project's own main-window screenshot from the GPL-2.0 source repository. No fact changes. Other claims retain their original source-check date. Original publication date unchanged.