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Squid

Handwritten notes and PDF markup for Android and Chromebooks

Free plan · from $1.00Note-TakingChecked Oct 9, 2026
Visit squidnotes.com

What is Squid?

Squid is a handwriting app for Android tablets, phones and Chromebooks, made by Steadfast Innovation and first released under the name Papyrus. Notes are written with an active pen, a finger or a capacitive stylus on a vector ink engine, and are stored on the device with no account or sign-in. A Squid Premium subscription adds PDF markup, extra tools, premium paper backgrounds and cloud backup.

Squid has a free plan. Paid plans start at $1.00 - $14.99 per in-app item on Google Play; billing basis not shown. See every plan

Good for

  • 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

  • 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

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.

Squid pricing

Starts at
$1.00 - $14.99 per in-app item on Google Play; billing basis not shown
Free plan
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
Squid$0Base 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 - $14.99per item on Google Play (US); billing basis not shownCovers 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 licenseCustomDiscounted bulk Squid Premium licenses for Google Workspace for Education accounts, quoted on request and assigned in the Google Admin console.

Read from play.google.com on Oct 9, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Squid before you buy.

Pricing in detail

Ways to pay less

  • EducationDiscounted 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.

    Stated on help.squidnotes.com
  • Annual discountDiscounted 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.

    Stated on help.squidnotes.com
  • Other savings6 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.

    Stated on help.squidnotes.com

Works with

Squid alternatives

All Squid alternatives comparedAll note-taking apps

Common questions

Is Squid free?

Squid has a free plan. 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. Paid plans start at $1.00 - $14.99 per in-app item on Google Play; billing basis not shown.

How much does Squid cost?

Squid lists 3 plans. Squid: $0. Squid Premium and in-app purchases: $1.00 - $14.99 per item on Google Play (US); billing basis not shown. Education bulk license: custom pricing. Prices were read from play.google.com on Oct 9, 2026.

What platforms does Squid work on?

Squid is available on Android.

Does Squid offer any discounts?

Squid publicly lists the following: Discounted bulk licensing for schools; Discounted yearly subscription; 6 months of Squid Premium on eligible Chromebooks.

Does Squid have an iPhone app?

No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Squid is listed for Android.

Does Squid have a Windows app?

No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Squid is listed for Android.

Is Squid open source?

Squid is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.

What does Squid integrate with?

Squid's listing names Google Drive, Dropbox, Box and Google Classroom. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.

Does Squid have a student discount?

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.

Who makes Squid?

Squid is made by Steadfast Innovation, LLC. It dates from 2012.

What are the alternatives to Squid?

The closest alternatives to Squid in our directory are Samsung Notes, Noteshelf, Notewise, Notein and Flexcil. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Squid.

Sources for this page

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 9, 2026.