DrawPen vs Annotate
Side-by-side comparison for macOS
DrawPen
7.0Screen annotation tool
Annotate
7.0Keyboard-driven screen annotation tool
| Metric | DrawPen | Annotate |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Productivity | Utilities |
| AI Score | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| 30-day Installs | 83 | 59 |
| 90-day Installs | 214 | 59 |
| 365-day Installs | 840 | 59 |
| Version | 0.0.53 | 1.4.1 |
| Auto-updates | Yes | Yes |
| Deprecated | No | No |
| GitHub Stars | 764 | 2.0K |
| GitHub Forks | 54 | 150 |
| Open Issues | 29 | 6 |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Last GitHub Commit | 3mo ago | 6y ago |
| First Seen | Sep 14, 2025 | Jun 24, 2026 |
Reviews
DrawPen
DrawPen is a free, open-source screen annotation tool that allows users to draw, highlight, and annotate on their screens. It supports multiple platforms, including macOS, and offers a simple yet effective way to capture and share visual ideas. Ideal for educators, presenters, and anyone needing quick screen annotations.
DrawPen enables users to draw on their screen for annotations, highlights, and visualizations.
Pros
- + Cross-platform support for macOS, Windows, and Linux
- + Free and open-source with MIT license
- + Active development and recent updates
Cons
- - Limited community discussion and engagement
- - May lack advanced features compared to established annotation tools
Annotate
Annotate is a keyboard-driven screen annotation tool that allows users to add notes and highlights directly on their screen. It's designed for efficiency and is particularly useful for developers and power users who prefer keyboard shortcuts. The app offers a clean and intuitive interface for marking up screenshots or any on-screen content.
Enables users to annotate their screen using keyboard shortcuts.
Pros
- + Efficient keyboard-driven interface for quick annotations
- + Open-source and MIT licensed for transparency and flexibility
- + Customizable annotations with various styles and colors
Cons
- - Inactive development with no updates since 2020
- - Niche appeal may limit its user base