Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

xournal VS DropNote

Compare xournal VS DropNote and see what are their differences

xournal logo xournal

Lightweight notetaking and sketching app.

DropNote logo DropNote

DropNote is the perfect macOS app to manage your notes. Easy to use, with a clean interface and dock integration.
  • xournal Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-02-25
Not present

xournal features and specs

  • Open Source
    Xournal is open-source software, meaning it's free to use, modify, and distribute. This encourages community collaboration and regular updates.
  • Cross-Platform
    It is available on multiple operating systems like Linux, Windows, and macOS, allowing users to work across different systems without compatibility issues.
  • Lightweight
    The application is lightweight, which means it has low system resource requirements and can run smoothly on less powerful hardware.
  • Versatile Annotation Tools
    Xournal offers a variety of annotation tools including handwriting, text, shapes, and highlighting, making it flexible for different note-taking styles.
  • PDF Annotation
    The software allows users to import and annotate PDFs directly, which is beneficial for reviewing and editing documents.

Possible disadvantages of xournal

  • Limited Features
    Xournal may lack some advanced features found in more comprehensive note-taking or PDF annotation tools, which can be limiting for power users.
  • User Interface
    The user interface is somewhat basic and might not be as intuitive or aesthetically pleasing as other modern applications.
  • Performance Issues with Large Files
    The application may experience performance slowdowns when handling very large PDF files or documents with numerous annotations.
  • No Cloud Integration
    Xournal does not have built-in cloud service integration, which means users have to manually manage syncing documents across devices.
  • Limited Support
    Being a community-driven project, it might not have as extensive support options as commercial software, which can be a drawback for users needing assistance.

DropNote features and specs

No features have been listed yet.

Analysis of DropNote

Overall verdict

  • DropNote appears to be a useful and streamlined tool for quickly creating and sharing notes, though as with any service you should verify its current features, security practices, and pricing directly on dropnote.dev before relying on it for sensitive information.

Why this product is good

  • Simple and fast interface for creating and sharing notes without unnecessary friction
  • Convenient for quick collaboration and sharing snippets or ideas via links
  • Likely low or no cost to get started, making it accessible for casual use
  • Minimal setup means you can jump in and start using it immediately

Recommended for

  • Developers and technical users who want a quick way to share code snippets or notes
  • Individuals who need to jot down and share temporary or lightweight notes
  • Teams looking for a no-friction tool for casual note sharing and collaboration
  • Anyone wanting a fast, simple alternative to heavier note-taking or documentation platforms

xournal videos

Xournal: Annotate, Edit, Handwrite, Comment & Highlight on PDF

More videos:

  • Review - Xournal and OneNote - An Overview
  • Review - Xournal on Ubuntu Precise Pangolin 12.04

DropNote videos

No DropNote videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to xournal and DropNote)
Note Taking
84 84%
16% 16
Todos
72 72%
28% 28
Office & Productivity
100 100%
0% 0
Task Management
74 74%
26% 26

User comments

Share your experience with using xournal and DropNote. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, xournal seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 8 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

xournal mentions (8)

  • Rnote โ€“ Sketch and take handwritten notes
    Unfortunately doesn't implement expand/contract vertical space (insert or remove vertical space). Ages ago when I used a Toshiba tablet laptop to do math this was a real killer feature in xournal (https://xournal.sourceforge.net/ | https://xournalpp.github.io/). - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Rnote โ€“ An open-source vector-based drawing app
    Please note that the original app was Xournal [1]. The one you link is a rewrite of the orignal (in C++) and is called Xournal++. [1] https://xournal.sourceforge.net/. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: When did you stop using printers and why?
    I do the using Xournal [1] which is tailor-made for creating annotations. It leaves the PDF as is, saving your edits to a sidecar file (*.xoj) which when loaded pulls in the original PDF. It exports edited documents to 'real' PDFs with selectable text etc. [1] https://xournal.sourceforge.net/ (packaged by most distributions). - Source: Hacker News / almost 4 years ago
  • Is there good way to apply a hand written signature to a pdf in linux?
    If you don't mind the signature being raster (not vector), I've used Xournal for this in the past. It's extremely lightweight and easy. Just open the PDF file with Xournal, draw the signature, and then export it to PDF (Control + E). This will not rasterise the PDF itself (to the best of my knowledge), but rather just superimposes a layer containing your signature on top of the original PDF. Source: over 4 years ago
  • The Xournal ++ app
    Xournal++ exists since 2013. Maybe you typoed and by your comment about abandoning you were referring to Xournal without the ++? The Xournal website even suggests to try Xournal++. Source: over 4 years ago
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DropNote mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of DropNote yet. Tracking of DropNote recommendations started around Jun 2025.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing xournal and DropNote, you can also consider the following products

Tomboy - Apps/Tomboy - GNOME Wiki!

Flashnote - Flashnote is a quick notes manager

Turtl - The secure, collaborative notebook

Notepad Menu Edition - Instantly jot down thoughts with a simple, autosaving text panel that integrates smoothly into your workflow.

Omni Notes - Note taking open-source application aimed to have both a simple interface but keeping smart behavior

Jot menubar notes - Open-source freemium notes app for Mac menubar.