WPS Brush is a handwriting and markup tool in WPS Spreadsheets on iOS; it includes 4 core tasks, with 4 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.
At a Glance
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Core tasks | 4 | Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index |
| Available without membership | 4 | Matches the number of Free rows in the index |
| Membership-related items | 0 | All listed tasks are available directly |
| Membership limit | None for this feature | Brush can be used directly |
| Version note | No specific limit stated | Using the latest WPS Office version is recommended |
About This Feature
Overview
Brush is a handwriting and markup feature in WPS Office for iOS spreadsheets. It lets you draw directly on a sheet to add notes, highlight key areas, and provide visual emphasis.
Core capabilities include:
- Start the Brush tool from the Tools panel and begin handwriting on the sheet.
- Choose markup types such as Draw Notes, Highlight, Strikethrough, Underline, and Signature.
- Adjust brush settings by switching between a standard pen, brush, hard tip, or soft tip, and changing colors.
- Refine or remove ink with smart shape recognition, the eraser, or clear-screen actions.
This feature is useful for spreadsheet review, classroom annotation, team communication, and quick emphasis. Brush marks appear above cells and do not change the original cell content or formatting.
System Requirements
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Operating system | An iPhone or iPad that can run iOS or iPadOS normally |
| App version | The latest WPS Office version is recommended |
| Network | No mandatory network connection is required for local drawing; keep a network connection available for sign-in, sync, or collaboration |
| Other | You need to open a WPS spreadsheet file; finger input is supported, and a stylus can provide finer writing control |
Download & Installation
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Official download | WPS Office Free Download |
| Installation method | Install WPS Office on your iOS device, sign in to your account, and open a spreadsheet file |
| Post-install check | Open any spreadsheet, tap Tools at the bottom, and confirm that the Brush entry is available |
Source: WPS download page
Compare with Alternatives
| Dimension | WPS | Microsoft | Notion | Adobe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capability Summary | Provides a Brush entry in spreadsheets on iOS, with Draw Notes, Highlight, Strikethrough, Underline, Signature, brush style changes, and color selection. | Microsoft Office on iOS provides Draw tools with pens, highlighting, ink thickness, color options, erasing, and lasso selection across Office apps including Excel for iPhone and iPad. | Google Docs official pages highlight Gemini writing, summarization, and image generation features, but do not describe a direct freehand brush workflow for spreadsheet markup. | Notion officially supports AI image creation and editing, plus image blocks, but its help pages do not describe a spreadsheet-style freehand markup brush inside tables or sheets. | Adobe Acrobat provides annotation and markup tools including freehand drawing, text boxes, highlights, underlines, and strikethroughs for document review. |
| WPS Advantages | Advantage: lets you enter a spreadsheet brush workflow directly on iOS for quick visual markup. Distinct: combines highlight, strikethrough, underline, signature, and brush-style adjustment in one sheet-based flow. | Compared with WPS: Microsoft documents broad inking features across Office apps, but the official page is not centered on an integrated spreadsheet review flow like the Brush workflow described here. | Compared with WPS: Google currently emphasizes AI-assisted writing and content generation rather than direct handwritten spreadsheet markup. | Compared with WPS: Notion focuses more on page content, media blocks, and AI image generation than on immediate handwritten markup inside spreadsheet cells. | Compared with WPS: Adobe is oriented more toward PDF review and commenting, while WPS Brush is closer to spreadsheet editing and quick emphasis on iOS. |
| Official Source | — | Draw and write with ink in Office | Gemini in Google Docs | Create and edit images with Notion Agent | Annotate and markup PDFs |
Overall Conclusion
If your main goal is to add handwritten notes, emphasis, and lightweight visual markup directly in spreadsheets on iOS, WPS Brush fits that workflow well. Microsoft and Adobe also provide inking or annotation tools, but their official pages focus more on broader Office inking or PDF review. Google and Notion currently highlight other content workflows rather than direct spreadsheet brush markup.
Use Cases
| No. | Scenario | Suitable Users | Core Need | Solution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reviewing spreadsheet highlights | Students, teachers, office users | Need to mark key cells quickly | Use Highlight or a standard pen to mark important areas |
| 2 | Adding visual collaboration notes | Team members | Text-only comments are not always clear enough | Use Draw Notes or Signature to add visual explanations |
| 3 | Showing revision emphasis | Reviewers and approvers | Need to show deletion or emphasis clearly | Use Strikethrough or Underline for visible markup |
| 4 | Writing with a stylus | Tablet users | Need a more natural handwriting experience | Use the pen, brush, and hard or soft tip options |
| 5 | Sketching simple shapes | Users who need quick visual cues | Hand-drawn shapes may look uneven | Use smart shape recognition to regularize lines |
Membership & Benefits
Free vs WPS Premium
| Capability | Free Users | WPS Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Brush use in iOS spreadsheets | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Basic PDF features | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Advanced PDF editing and conversion | Limited | ✅ More features |
| Cloud storage | 1 GB | 20 GB |
| Template downloads | Limited quantity | More content available |
Source: WPS Office pricing page
Recommendations
| Usage Scenario | Recommended Plan | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You mainly need Brush for everyday spreadsheet markup on iOS | Free | Brush is available directly and works well for lightweight notes and emphasis |
| You also need more cloud storage or broader document features | WPS Premium | Better suited for frequent cross-device work and users who need more advanced document tools |
How to Subscribe
- WPS membership center: Subscribe now
Source: WPS Office pricing page