Download Xournal++ – Handwriting Notes and PDF Annotation Tool

Xournal++ is a free, open-source note-taking and PDF annotation application that excels at handwritten notes using a stylus or drawing tablet. It is the actively maintained successor to the original Xournal, offering a significantly expanded feature set, improved performance, and modern cross-platform support.

With Xournal++, users can write directly on PDF documents to annotate, highlight, and add typed text — making it popular among students and academics for marking up research papers, lecture slides, and textbooks. It supports digital pen input with pressure sensitivity for a natural handwriting feel, and stores annotations non-destructively so the original PDF is never modified.

Beyond PDF annotation, Xournal++ functions as a full-featured notebook application with infinite canvas pages, multi-page document management, shape and line drawing tools, audio recording per page, and LaTeX formula insertion. It exports to PDF, SVG, and PNG, and runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chrome OS.

Key Features

• PDF annotation – Open any PDF and annotate it with handwriting, typed text, highlights, and shapes.
• Pressure-sensitive stylus input – Natural pen feel with pressure sensitivity support for drawing tablets and touchscreens.
• Infinite canvas – Create multi-page notebooks on custom or standard paper templates (blank, lined, grid).
• Shape and drawing tools – Rulers, arrows, circles, rectangles, and free-form drawing tools for diagrams and sketches.
• LaTeX formula support – Insert rendered LaTeX math formulas directly into notes (requires LaTeX installation).
• Audio recording – Record audio per notebook page for synchronized lecture or meeting notes.
• Cross-platform – Available on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chrome OS with active development.

How to Install

1. Download the Xournal++ installer for your operating system from the link below.
2. On Windows, run the installer and follow the setup wizard.
3. On Linux, install via Flatpak (flatpak install flathub com.github.xournalpp.xournalpp), AppImage, or your distribution’s package manager.
4. Launch Xournal++ and open a new notebook or an existing PDF via File > Annotate PDF.
5. Select your pen tool and pressure settings in the toolbar, then start writing or annotating directly on the document.