xnotes
xnotes is a free, open-source notes app for Android. Handwriting notes and sketching app with stylus support. It has 337 GitHub stars and is released under the MIT license, and you can install it from F-Droid and Google Play.
github.com/shardulvs/xnotes-android (opens in a new tab)
Data as of from the GitHub API and the F-Droid index; description from the project's repository or F-Droid listing. Report an error
About xnotes
xnotes is a handwriting notebook for Android, built for the stylus. Take notes, sketch and annotate PDFs with ink that feels like a pen on paper. * Ink that feels like a pen: pressure-sensitive and low latency, with pens and highlighters. * Neon glow: make any pen glow. * Disappearing ink: ink that fades away on its own, great for teaching and presenting. * Shape snapping: draw a rough shape, hold, and it snaps clean. * Sharp at any zoom: ink and PDFs stay crisp however far you zoom in. * Notebooks and an infinite canvas: pages when you want structure, endless space when you don't. * Book layouts: single, double or cover pages, scrolling or page flips.
Privacy and F-Droid
F-Droid builds xnotes from its published source code and flags anti-features such as ads, tracking or reliance on non-free services.
No anti-features flagged on the latest F-Droid build.
Screenshots
Screenshots from the app's F-Droid listing.
Similar apps
More open-source notes and to-do apps
NoNonsense Notes
spacecowboy/NotePad
A simple notepad and to-do app with an excellent navigation.
Active · last commit Oct 25, 2026
Notes & to-doAndroid
Diary
billthefarmer/diary
Personal diary or journal.
Maintained · last commit May 22, 2026
Notes & to-doAndroidTriliumDroid
FliegendeWurst/TriliumDroid
Android client for Trilium Notes.
Active · last commit Oct 1, 2026
Notes & to-doAndroidJune
DenserMeerkat/June
An open-source multimedia journal for expressive, private journaling, with 100% data ownership.
Active · last commit Oct 16, 2026
Notes & to-doAndroidOne Second Diary
KyleKun/one_second_diary
Record 1 second everyday & create the movie of your life.
Active · last commit Oct 24, 2026
Notes & to-doAndroidiOS
Material Notes
maelchiotti/LocalMaterialNotes
Simple, local, material design notes.
Maintained · last commit Jul 14, 2026
Notes & to-doAndroid
Is xnotes free and open source?
Yes. xnotes's source code is public on GitHub under the MIT license, which is OSI-approved or FSF-free. F-Droid, which builds it from source, flags no anti-features such as ads or tracking on its latest build.
How do I install xnotes?
You can install xnotes from F-Droid (package com.xnotes) and from Google Play; the links are on this page. Its GitHub repository also publishes releases (latest: v0.9.6).
Is xnotes still maintained?
The repository's most recent commit was on Oct 27, 2026. Its F-Droid listing was last updated on Oct 22, 2026. appsgit only lists apps whose repository had a commit in the last six months.