Skim vs xournal

Compare features, pricing, and capabilities to find which solution is best for your needs.

Skim icon

Skim

Skim is a free and open-source PDF reader and note-taker for macOS. Tailored for scientific use, it offers advanced annotation tools, robust export options, and tight integration with LaTeX, making it an ideal companion for academic research and professional document management.

Open Source
Platforms: Mac OS X
Screenshots:
VS
xournal icon

xournal

Xournal is a classic open-source application designed for digital note-taking, sketching, and PDF annotation, primarily using a stylus. It provides a simple yet effective environment for handwritten notes and document markup, offering support for various input methods including Wacom tablets.

Open Source
Platforms: Windows Linux Discontinued
Screenshots:

Comparison Summary

Skim and xournal are both powerful solutions in their space. Skim offers skim is a free and open-source pdf reader and note-taker for macos. tailored for scientific use, it offers advanced annotation tools, robust export options, and tight integration with latex, making it an ideal companion for academic research and professional document management., while xournal provides xournal is a classic open-source application designed for digital note-taking, sketching, and pdf annotation, primarily using a stylus. it provides a simple yet effective environment for handwritten notes and document markup, offering support for various input methods including wacom tablets.. Compare their features and pricing to find the best match for your needs.

Pros & Cons Comparison

Skim

Skim

Analysis & Comparison

Advantages

Excellent annotation tools for detailed markup.
Lightweight with good performance on large files.
Strong integration with LaTeX and BibDesk for academic users.
Clean and focused user interface.
Free and open-source.
Efficient note management and export options.

Limitations

Limited PDF editing capabilities beyond annotation.
macOS only, not available on other platforms.
User interface, while clean, may feel basic to some.
xournal

xournal

Analysis & Comparison

Advantages

Excellent support for stylus and graphics tablets.
Efficient and lightweight, performs well on older hardware.
Effective PDF annotation capabilities.
Simple and straightforward user interface.
Open-source and free to use.

Limitations

User interface is visually dated.
Lacks modern features like cloud sync and advanced organization.
Development is no longer active.
Limited export options beyond PDF.

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