The price in brief
ToonSquid costs a single one-time payment. On the US App Store it is listed at $9.99. Other regions show a local price set by Apple's pricing tiers — for example €9.99 in euro-zone countries. Because Apple adjusts regional prices from time to time, the App Store page is the only reliable place to see the current price in your currency.
The developer's FAQ is clear about what that payment includes: every feature, all future updates, no subscription, no ads and no in-app purchases.
What's included for that price
- Frame-by-frame animation with onion skin and timing control
- Keyframe animation with easing presets and looping
- Pixel and vector brushes with 60+ settings, a smudge tool and liquify
- Layers, groups, masks, a camera layer and 27 blend modes
- Effects including blur, drop shadow, chroma key, halftone, perspective and warp
- Bones with inverse kinematics and custom meshes
- Symbols, animated text, vector shapes and SVG import
- Audio import and recording for lip-sync
- Export to MP4, MOV, GIF, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, image sequences and PSD
Nothing on that list is locked behind an extra purchase.
Are updates really free?
Yes. Version 2.0, released on 6 February 2025, was described by the developer as the biggest update yet — adding the effects system, bones, mesh deformation and a vector overhaul — and existing owners received it at no cost. The 2.0.x line has continued with additions like liquify, WebP import and multi-layer keyframe editing; the current App Store version at the time of writing is 2.0.28. You can follow the changes on the official updates pages.
Family Sharing and multiple iPads
Because ToonSquid is an App Store purchase tied to your Apple Account, you can install it on every iPad signed in with that account. It also supports Family Sharing, so up to six family members can use one purchase. Schools and businesses buying in bulk can look at Apple's volume purchasing options.
How the cost compares
| App | Pricing model | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ToonSquid | One-time purchase | All features, free updates, no ads |
| FlipaClip | Free with ads + optional subscription | Plus unlocks more layers and tools |
| Procreate Dreams | One-time purchase | iPad only |
| Callipeg | Paid; model varies by store | iPad, iPhone and Android |
| Toon Boom Harmony | Subscription | Desktop professional software |
Over a year or more, a one-time purchase usually costs far less than a subscription — especially for hobbyists who animate in bursts.
Is it worth the money?
For anyone with a compatible iPad, ToonSquid is one of the best-value animation tools available. The main caveat is that there's no free trial, so it's worth watching tutorials on the official YouTube channel and reading the handbook first to make sure the workflow suits you. If you can't decide, read Is ToonSquid free? for ways to evaluate it before buying, and ToonSquid vs FlipaClip if you're comparing it with a free app.
Regional prices at a glance
| Store region | Listed price (examples seen) |
|---|---|
| United States | US $9.99 |
| Euro-zone countries | €9.99 |
| Poland | 49,99 zł |
| Other regions | Local equivalent set by Apple |
These are examples seen on regional App Store pages and can change when Apple updates its price tiers or taxes. Your own App Store always shows the exact amount before you confirm the purchase.
Are there any hidden costs?
The app itself has none — no in-app purchases, subscriptions or ads. The only extra costs are optional and on the hardware side: an Apple Pencil if you don't already have one, and possibly extra iCloud storage if you back up large projects. If you sell videos that use patented codecs, the developer's FAQ notes that codec licensing terms from your operating system apply, which matters mainly for commercial distributors.
Has the price changed over time?
ToonSquid launched in 2022 as a paid iPad app and has stayed a one-time purchase since, even as major features arrived in version 2.0. Prices on the App Store can shift slightly when Apple adjusts regional tiers, so treat any figure you read online, including ours, as a snapshot. Follow the official updates pages for news about the app itself.
Cost per year of use
Because ToonSquid is paid once, its yearly cost falls the longer you use it. Used for one year, it costs the same as its purchase price; over three years, it's roughly a third of that per year, with every update in between included. A typical mobile animation subscription costs more than the entire ToonSquid price within a few months. For hobbyists who animate seasonally, a one-time purchase also means you're never paying for months when you aren't using the app.
What if it isn't right for you?
Purchases are handled by Apple, not the developer. If something goes wrong with a purchase, you can request a refund through Apple's “Report a Problem” page; Apple decides each request under its own policy, so a refund isn't guaranteed.
