Samsung Notes vs Squid
We give Samsung Notes a 3.4 GPA and Squid a 2.8, out of 4.0. Samsung Notes grades higher on value for money, the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Samsung Notes
Samsung's free note app for Galaxy phones, tablets and Galaxy Book
Squid
Handwritten notes and PDF markup for Android and Chromebooks
How we grade them
| 3.4GPASamsung NotesVery good | 2.8GPASquidGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AIt's free. The Microsoft Store lists the Windows app as a free download and Google Play shows no price. One small flag: Samsung says basic Galaxy AI features are free, while enhanced ones may carry fees. | BWe can't tell you what Premium costs, and that's the problem. Google Play gives in-app prices as $1.00 to $14.99 per item, without saying which is monthly, yearly or one-time. PDF Import and the Tool Pack can be bought once on their own, and eligible Chromebooks get 6 months of Premium free. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe full app costs nothing on Galaxy phones, tablets and Galaxy Book PCs, with sync through Samsung Cloud included. You do need a Samsung account for sync and for locking a note. | BFree with no account: vector ink, blank, ruled and graph paper, the stroke eraser, image import, folders and export to PDF, PNG or JPEG. Enough for plain handwriting. But the highlighter, true eraser, shapes, typed text and PDF import are all paid. |
| Features | ATyped text, handwriting you can convert to text, PDFs you can write on, and recordings synced to the note, so playback follows what you wrote in the lecture. Folders, page templates, locked notes and export to PDF, Word or PowerPoint too. Up to 10 people can edit one note, though Samsung still labels that beta. | AStrokes can be selected, moved, resized and recoloured later, pages can be infinite or A4, and an active pen writes while your finger erases. PDF markup lets you annotate, fill in or sign a PDF. Presentation mode casts a note to a TV or projector, and Premium backs up to Google Drive, Dropbox or Box. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. Sign in with a Samsung account and notes sync between your devices. On select Galaxy devices, Note Assist tidies the formatting and fixes the spelling for you. | BNo rating on record, so a B is our ceiling. There's no account and no sign-in. You open it and write, with an active pen, a finger or a capacitive stylus. |
| Platforms and integrations | CGalaxy phones and tablets, plus a Windows app made for Galaxy Book PCs. Samsung says other Windows computers may have issues running it. No iPhone, Mac or web version is listed, and OneNote sync isn't available on devices running One UI 9. | DAndroid only, though that includes Chromebooks that have the Play Store. No iPhone, iPad, desktop or web version is offered. And purchases only apply on the platform and app store you bought them on. |
| Best for | free notes and S Pen handwriting on a Galaxy | handwriting on an Android tablet or Chromebook |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Samsung Notes and Squid. How we grade
Where they differ
- Samsung Notes is free. Squid starts at $1.00 - $14.99 per in-app item on Google Play; billing basis not shown.
- Only Samsung Notes lists a Windows app.
- Samsung Notes also covers templates.
- Squid also covers whiteboard.
At a glance
| Samsung Notes | Squid | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $1.00 - $14.99 per in-app item on Google Play; billing basis not shown |
| Free plan | The Microsoft Store lists the Windows app as a free download and the Google Play listing shows no price. Samsung says basic Galaxy AI features are free, while enhanced AI features may carry fees. | Base features are free with no account: vector ink, blank, ruled and graph paper, the stroke eraser, image import, folders, and export to PDF, PNG, JPEG or Squid Note format. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Windows | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Samsung Electronics | Steadfast Innovation, LLC |
| Price read from | apps.microsoft.com | play.google.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Samsung Notes
- Galaxy phone and tablet owners, especially those with an S Pen
- Recording a lecture or meeting while taking notes
- Marking up PDFs by hand on a Galaxy tablet
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
Worth knowing
Samsung Notes
- Samsung documents the app for Galaxy phones, tablets and Galaxy Book PCs; no iPhone, Mac or web version is listed.
- The Windows app is optimized for Galaxy Book models, and Samsung says other Windows computers may have issues running it.
- Syncing with Microsoft OneNote is not available on devices running One UI 9; notes sync through Samsung Cloud instead.
- Note Assist needs a supported Galaxy device, a Samsung account and an internet connection, and shared notes are still labeled beta.
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.
Key features
Samsung Notes
- S Pen handwriting
- Handwriting can be altered, moved and converted to text, using pens, fountain pens, pencils and highlighters in a range of colors and thicknesses.
- Voice recordings synced to notes
- A recording made while you type or write is synced to the note, so playback follows along with what you wrote during a lecture or meeting.
- PDF import and annotation
- PDFs can be imported, written on and annotated. Notes export as PDF, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, image or text files.
- Folders, page templates and locked notes
- Notes are organized into folders and subfolders, with page templates such as grids and lined paper. Individual notes can be locked, which requires a Samsung account.
- Shared notes
- Up to 10 people, including you, can edit the same note at the same time on Galaxy phones and tablets, invited from contacts or by link. Samsung labels the feature beta.
- Note Assist with Galaxy AI
- On select Galaxy phones and tablets running One UI 6.1 or later, Note Assist formats notes automatically, summarizes them, corrects spelling and translates them.
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.
Plans
Samsung Notes
Free$0
The full app on Galaxy phones and tablets and on Galaxy Book PCs, with sync through Samsung Cloud using a Samsung account.
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.
Ways to pay less
Samsung Notes
No public discounts listed.
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.
