Flexcil vs Squid

Flexcil

• Students who study from PDF textbooks and lecture slides
• Readers who collect excerpts from several documents into one notebook
• K-12 schools, which can apply for free licenses

Squid

• Students and teachers writing by hand on Android tablets or Chromebooks
• Marking up, grading or signing PDFs with a pen
• People who want notes kept on the device with no account

Flexcil

• No pricing page is published. The US App Store lists Flexcil Standard at $9.99 and Premium at $8.99 without saying whether either is one-time or recurring.
• Native apps are offered for iOS and Android only. The browser version is titled Flexcil Web Viewer, and the terms describe it as a web viewer.
• Google Play's US listing shows only a range of $2.49 to $31.99 per item, so Android prices may differ from the App Store's.
• The free download carries advertising, and its feature limits are not stated on the site or the App Store listing.

Squid

• Squid is an Android app only. It also runs on Chromebooks that have the Play Store; no iPhone, iPad, desktop or web version is offered.
• PDF import, the highlighter, true eraser, shapes, typed text, premium backgrounds and cloud backup are all paid features.
• Google Play gives in-app prices only as a range of $1.00 to $14.99 per item, without saying which is monthly, yearly or one-time.
• Purchases are tied to the app store account used to buy them and apply only on the same platform and app store.

Flexcil

Pen gestures for PDF markup

A pen gesture highlights or underlines text, and the same kind of gesture captures text or images from a PDF into a notebook in two steps.

Notebook beside the document

A handwritten notebook sits over the PDF so reading, annotating and note-taking share one screen, and a popup viewer shows a second source while writing.

Reference links

Content captured into a notebook is linked back to its place in the original document, which keeps material from several PDFs connected.

PDF editing and page views

Merges PDFs and edits pages, outlines and bookmarks, with single-page, 2-page and 4-page views for reading.

Audio recording and note replay

Recordings are synced with handwriting, so tapping a note plays back what was being said when it was written.

Cloud sync and masking pen

Handwritten notes sync automatically between tablet and phone. A masking pen hides content for memorization and counts correct and incorrect answers.

Squid

Vector ink engine

Strokes stay sharp at any zoom level and can be selected, moved, resized, recolored and reweighted later. A stroke eraser removes whole letters or words at once.

Active pen support

On devices with an active pen, such as Samsung devices with S Pen, the pen writes and a finger erases, with pressure sensitivity and quick actions on the pen's side button.

Paper types and sizes

Pages are infinite by default or sized as letter, legal or A4. Blank, ruled and graph paper are free; math, engineering, music, sports and planning backgrounds need Squid Premium.

PDF markup

A premium feature that imports a PDF as a note to annotate, fill in or sign, then exports the result as a new PDF. It is also sold on its own as an in-app purchase.

Presentation mode

Casts a note to a TV or projector so a tablet works as a virtual whiteboard, or shows imported slides that can be written on during a talk.

Export and cloud backup

Notes export to PDF, PNG, JPEG or Squid Note format. Squid Premium adds backup at set intervals and bulk PDF export to Google Drive, Dropbox or Box.

Flexcil

• Free$0

  The free download, which the App Store notes contains advertising. Its limits are not listed on the site or the store listing.

• Premium$8.99

  billing basis not shown on the US App Store listing

  Listed as an in-app purchase without a description. Flexcil's terms name Flexcil Premium as its paid service.

• Flexcil Standard$9.99

  billing basis not shown on the US App Store listing

  Listed as an in-app purchase without a description of what it unlocks.

• Bundles and planner content$11.99 - $14.99

  per item on the US App Store; basis not shown

  Standard or Premium bundled with planner or toolbar skin packs at $12.99 to $14.99, and planner content sold separately at $11.99 to $13.99.

Squid

• Squid$0

  Base features with no account: vector ink, blank, ruled and graph paper, stroke eraser, image import, folders and export to PDF, PNG or JPEG.

• Squid Premium and in-app purchases$1.00 - $14.99

  per item on Google Play (US); billing basis not shown

  Covers the monthly or yearly Squid Premium subscription and the one-time PDF Import and Tool Pack purchases. The listing does not price each item.

• Education bulk licenseCustom

  Discounted bulk Squid Premium licenses for Google Workspace for Education accounts, quoted on request and assigned in the Google Admin console.

Flexcil

• Education

  Free licenses for K-12 schools

  K-12 schools can apply for free licenses with an institutional email domain. Flexcil says universities, private education and individual requests may not be granted them.

Squid

• Education

  Discounted bulk licensing for schools

  Squid's help center offers discounted bulk licensing of Squid Premium for Google Workspace for Education accounts, by quote, with a trial available on request.

• Annual discount

  Discounted yearly subscription

  Squid Premium is sold monthly or yearly, and the help center describes the yearly option as the discounted price. It does not state the amounts.

• Other savings

  6 months of Squid Premium on eligible Chromebooks

  Eligible Chromebooks get 6 months of Squid Premium free through the Chromebook Perks page, redeemed against the monthly subscription option on Google Play.