Squid review
A focused Android app for handwriting, annotation, and flexible note export.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Squid is a digital handwriting and note-taking app for Android phones, tablets, and compatible Chromebooks. It is designed for class, work, and personal use, with support for active pens, styluses, fingers, mice, and keyboards. Users can create handwritten notes, organize pages, annotate PDFs and images, sign documents, and share notes through installed apps or export destinations. Offline access, presentation mode, virtual whiteboards, and casting to secondary displays extend it beyond basic page creation, while Google Drive and Google Classroom support fit education-focused workflows.
The published plans use a freemium model. The Free plan provides core handwriting and note-taking functionality. Squid Premium adds premium paper backgrounds, PDF import, additional tools, cloud backup, and bulk export. The app also supports local backup and cloud backup or restore, with Google Drive, Dropbox, and Box listed among its integrations. Export options include PDF, PNG, JPEG, and editable Squid Note files, giving users several ways to move work into other apps or preserve editable notes. Buyers comparing plans should focus on whether PDF annotation, expanded tools, and backup features are central to their workflow.
Squid is a strong fit for Android users who prioritize handwriting, vector-based ink, paper customization, and PDF or image markup. Its ink can be erased by stroke, resized, moved, copied, and pasted, which gives handwritten pages more flexibility than a static sketchpad. Presentation tools and virtual whiteboards also suit classroom or meeting use. It is less suitable for people seeking broad cross-platform coverage or a general-purpose note system built around many types of productivity workflows. Choose it when Android handwriting and annotation are the priority; consider alternatives when platform breadth matters more than pen-focused features.
Squid pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Vector ink supports precise editing, movement, resizing, and copying.
- Annotates imported PDFs and images with customizable paper layouts.
- Exports to PDF, PNG, JPEG, and editable Squid Note files.
- Where it doesn't
- Available as an Android app, with compatible Chromebook support.
- PDF import and cloud backup are part of Squid Premium.
- Its feature set is centered more on handwriting than broad note-taking workflows.
Squid fact sheet, pricing and score →
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