A drawing tablet accurately translates your strokes using a pen-like stylus to the computer screen. Commonly used by creative professionals—including artists, illustrators, animators, digital photo editors, architects and engineers—the best drawing tablets make it easy for anyone to take their artistic vision to the next level.
Instead of writing or drawing on paper, use a drawing tablet to create your work directly on a ... [+] computer.
Drawing tablets come in a range of prices and sizes, and can come with or without their own screens. Most work as a stylus input to your computer, but some can serve as the computer itself. The most popular mainstream tablets available—including the Apple iPad Pro, Microsoft Surface Pro 8 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra—can serve as powerful and feature-packed drawing tablets in their own right, and can be used on their own with drawing apps.
Our choices for the best drawing tablets include a mixture of the tablet varieties mentioned above. Any of these devices can help you bring artistic creations to life.
Work surface: 12.1 x 8.4 inches | Battery powered: Yes | OS: Windows, Mac | Pressure sensitivity levels: 8,192 | Dimensions: 16.8 x 11.2 inches | Weight: 2.9 pounds
Best for: Professional creatives who need enhanced drawing control.
The Wacom PTH860 Intuos Pro is a versatile, slim pen-based drawing tablet. It has a large 12-inch active surface, customizable ExpressKeys for one-touch access to common actions and a battery-free stylus pen. The Intuos Pro works with Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects and other applications, and gives a comfortable, near lag-free drawing.
The tablet comes with the Wacom Pro Pen 2, although it also works with the optional Wacom Airbrush Pen, for example. This tablet feels sturdy—whether it’s positioned on your desk or your lap.
Work surface: 8.5 x 5.3 inches | OS: Windows, Mac, Chrome| Pressure sensitivity levels: 2,048 | Dimensions: 10.9 x 7.4 x 0.3 inches | Weight: 1.5 pounds
Best for: Beginners getting started with their first graphics tablet.
Designed with portability in mind, the One by Wacom is thin and lightweight. It also provides a stylus with 2,048 pressure levels, enough to mimic a natural pen and paper writing experience, but not as nuanced as found on more expensive tablets and styluses that support higher levels of pressure sensitivity. natural pen-on-paper feel using . This device connects to your computer via a supplied USB cable. The One has a 8.5 x 5.3 inch active area and a battery-free stylus.
The One by Wacom is certified to work with Chromebook. Together with its relatively low price, it’s a good choice for students and teachers alike. It comes with a three-month trial of Clip Studio Paint Pro for Chromebook.
Work surface: 23.8-inch, 2,560 x 1,440 resolution screen | OS: Windows, Mac | Pressure sensitivity levels: 8,192 | Dimensions: 24.9 x 14.6 x 1.8 inches | Weight: 15.5 pounds
Best for: Pro creatives seeking a massive, high-resolution stationary drawing tablet.
The XP-Pen Artist Display 24 Pro is an expensive drawing tablet aimed at professional looking for a tremendous digital drawing canvas. It has a 23.8-inch, 2,560 x 1,440 resolution display, with support for 90% of the Adobe RGB color gamut. This 2K display sets this model apart from others drawing tablets with screens, and enables attention to detail not possible on mere full-definition 1080p displays. It connects to your computer via a USB Type-C to Type-C cable.
Flanking the display are 20 customizable shortcut keys, and two red dial wheels to give greater control app-based features like zooming. The XP-Pen is compatible with all of the popular applications (including Adobe Photoshop and CAD tools). Its included battery-free PA2 stylus supports up to 60 degrees of tilt. This tablet has an adjustable stand, allowing it to be used on any flat surface or tilted to the optimal angle for viewing and drawing.
Work Surface: 13.3-inch, 1920 x 1080 resolution screen | OS: Windows, Mac, Chrome, Android | Pressure sensitivity levels: 4,096 | Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.5 x 0.6 inches | Weight: 2.2 pounds
Best for: Increasing productivity and artistry while connected to any host device.
The Wacom One is a versatile drawing tablet 1 13.3-inch high-definition display. It adds a wide range of art, graphic and productivity-related capabilities to any device running a supported operating—including Windows, MacOS, Chrome OS and Android. This drawing tablet connects via an HDMI or USB cable. The wired connection means it has no battery.
It comes with a Wacom One Pen stylus and with a 26 millisecond response rate and a mid-range 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity. The unit also has integrated, foldable legs to adjust the viewing angle to 19-degrees. The screen offers a natural surface friction designed to replicate the experience of handwriting or drawing on paper.
Work surface: 10.3 x 5.8 inches | Battery powered: Yes | OS: Windows, Mac | Pressure sensitivity levels: 8,192 | Dimensions: 12.6 x 9.2 x 0.3 inches | Weight: 4.5 pounds
Best for: Ergonomic productivity with two styluses, on thin and one thick.
The Xencelabs Pen Tablet is a multipurpose art pad with a 10.3 x 5.8-inch, 16:9 aspect ratio workspace. It sets itself apart by including two battery-free and virtually lag-free stylus pens—one with a thin-profile barrel with two programmable buttons, and the other with a wider barrel and three programmable buttons. Each stylus responds to 8,192 pressure levels and up to 60 degrees of tilt support.
Xencelabs also includes a handheld Quick Keys remote, with an OLED display and a dial to program up to 40 shortcuts per application, for example changing brush size or zoom level. You also get access to programmable buttons that work with dozens of applications. This tablet connects to any PC or Mac wirelessly via an RF dongle or with a wired USB cable.
Work Surface: 23.8-inch, 3,840 x 2,160 resolution screen | Battery powered: Yes | OS: Windows, Mac, Android | Pressure sensitivity levels: 8,192 | Dimensions: 22.9 x 14.3 x 0.9 inches | Weight: 13.9 pounds
Best for: Exceptional detail when drawing art or editing images.
The Huion Kamvas Pro 24 is among the rare models not only provide a 23.8-inch display, but also 4K resolution. This large creative space allows you to see and interact with your work clearly, even when crafting the most minute details. With a 178-degree viewing angle and Quantum Dot imaging technology (same as you find on some televisions), you can see and manipulate up to 1.07 billion colors, and it supports 140% of the sRGB color gamut. The result is terrific color accuracy and detail on a large, anti-glare display.
This cutting-edge drawing tablet works with the company’s latest PenTech 3.0 stylus (which offers 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and up to 60-degree tilt support). It includes a built-in stand for one position (adjustable options sold separately), and comes with the Huion Mini Keydial, with both programmable dial and keys to help improve your workflow efficiency. The company also sells a 16-inch 4K version for $899.
Work Surface: 4.3 x 3 inches | OS: Windows, Mac, Android | Pressure sensitivity levels: 4,096 | Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.5 x 0.02 inches | Weight: 0.3 pounds
Best for: A novice artist or young person getting started.
If you’ve never used a graphics tablet and you’re not sure if one of these devices can improve your workflow, try experimenting using this inexpensive device—and yes, that’s the price for both the tablet and stylus. The Huion Inspiroy H430P makes feature compromises to achieve its low price, but is a great way to test the waters and and see if a drawing tablet is for you. This tablet has a rather compact (4.8 x 3 inch) active area—large and functional enough to get the job done for drawings, signatures, sketches and the like and just four programmable buttons on the top of the work area. The included battery-free stylus has 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity.
In addition to working with a wide range of Windows PC and Mac applications, the device pairs with many Android-based mobile devices and apps. It connects via a micro-USB cable.
Work surface: 11-inch, 2,388 x 1,668 resolution screen| Battery powered: Yes | OS: Runs iPadOS | Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.0 x 0.2 inches | Weight: 1 pound
Best for: Meticulous drawing directly on Apple’s full-featured productivity and entertainment tablet, or on a Mac.
The iPad Pro is a multipurpose tablet with a plethora of drawing and artist apps available. It connects to the internet and can be used for a wide range of communications, productivity, entertainment and creativity applications. When you pair it with the Apple Pencil 2 (sold separately for $129) and the right apps, it serves as a standalone drawing tablet with precise stylus control for handwriting, drawing, painting, illustrating and more. Your work can then be saved and transferred to any other computer or mobile device. If you use a Mac and Apple’s Continuity software, you can connect the iPad to your Mac and use the Apple Pencil to annotate on your Mac, too.
Among the iPad’s popular, stylus-friendly apps: PDF Expert, for annotating PDF files; Notability, for hand-written notes; Procreate, for creating and editing digital images. An app called Art Set 4 transforms your tablet into a virtual paint set with a digital canvas. And the iPad versions of Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop offer full compatibility with their computer counterparts. This configuration includes a baseline of 128GB of storage, with higher capacities available. If you need a larger work area, Apple sells a 12.9-inch, $1,200 version of the iPad Pro. And new 2022 models of the iPad are rumored for release soon, as well.
Work surface: 13-inch, 2,880 x 1,920 resolution screen | Battery powered: Yes | OS: Runs Windows 11 | Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches | Weight: 2.0 pounds
Best for: A native PC-user who wants a full-featured drawing tablet and laptop computer combo.
If you’re looking for a drawing tablet that runs Windows 11 and can serve as a laptop computer (when an optional keyboard is connected) or Windows tablet (without the keyboard), the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is the perfect tool and most portable tool for the job.
When used with the Surface Slim Pen 2 (sold separately for $130) and the right apps, it’s easy to transform this device into a highly accurate drawing tablet. The model highlighted here has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, which we’d recommend so you have room for both applications and content.
Work surface: 14.4-inch, 2,400 x 1,600 resolution screen| Battery powered: Yes | OS: Runs Windows 11 | Dimensions: 12.7 x 9.0 x 0.7 inches | Weight: 3.8 pounds
Best for: Drawing on a full-featured Windows laptop.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio stands out among 2-in-1 laptops—all of which have touchscreens and stylus support. This model has a 2K touchscreen display with a fast 120Hz refresh rate, so it’s both highly responsive and displays graphics that showcase vivid colors and impressive detail—which is ideal for creative professionals. Uniquely, the display securely tilts forward for drawing at a comfortable angle or can flatten out like a tablet, a different design approach than offered by other 2-in-1 laptops.
When used with the optional Surface Slim Pen 2, drawing, illustrating, painting, annotating or handwriting on the screen gives creative professionals incredible flexibility and control when working within their favorite applications. This computer is powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The battery lasts up to 19 hours.
Work surface: 14.6 inches | Battery powered: Yes | OS: Runs Android | Dimensions: 12.9 x 8.2 x 0.2 inches | Weight: 1.6 pounds
Best for: Animations and sketches using Android apps.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is perhaps the best of the standalone drawing tablets, if for no other reason than the ample size of its 14.6-inch sAMOLED display with a fast 120Hz refresh rate. We’ve priced out the mid-tier spec, with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of memory. Many optional apps are available for creating detailed and fluid animations (making this tablet one of the best drawing tablets for animation). This tablet is great for sketches and artwork, but if you want to try the Procreate app, it remains iOS only.
The Galaxy Tab S8 uses the Samsung S Pen stylus, which comes bundled with the tablet. It offers extreme accuracy, near zero-latency and an authentic on-screen writing and drawing experience. Between ongoing promotions and generous trade-in offers, there are always great deals to be found when purchasing this tablet directly from Samsung.
There are a wide range of drawing tablet options that can meet your needs and fit your budget.
First, consider whether you want a drawing tablet with or without a screen; or whether you want a standalone tablet to use for drawing. Next, think carefully about which applications you’ll be using with the device and how you’ll use it to enhance your workflow, creativity and productivity.
Once you have a general idea about what you need and how you plan to use the drawing tablet, consider the specific features, functions and connectivity offered to decide which drawing tablet best meets your needs. Let’s take a look at some of the most sought-after features to consider.
This refers to the area or surface you can actually draw, write, paint, or annotate on using a stylus. If the drawing tablet has a screen, this refers to the actual screen size (not the area surrounding the screen). If the drawing tablet doesn’t have a screen, the active area is the surface which works with the stylus. This area may be surrounded by buttons or controls.
Especially for artists and illustrators, the pressure sensitivity of the stylus determines how authentic the writing, drawing or painting experience is when working with the tablet. How much pressure you use when interacting with the stylus on the tablet’s active area accurately simulates the force applied when using a pencil, pen or paintbrush, for example, on paper or a canvas. If you’re a professional artist, illustrator or graphic designer, for example, look for a the highest pressure sensitivity possible.
Some graphics tablets connect to a computer wirelessly (either via Bluetooth or an RF USB dongle), while others rely on a cable connection. For higher-end applications, a wired connection will typically eliminate any latency, or signal delay, between the tablet and the computer.
For most people, however, which option you choose is a matter of personal preference. For example, if you’ll be holding the tablet on your lap while interacting with the computer, a wireless connection will be more convenient. If the tablet will be placed near your keyboard on a desk—and especially if it has a high-resolution display—a wired connection will likely make more sense. In some cases, the connectivity option also determines whether or not the tablet will need its own power source or if it’ll be powered from your computer.
Programmable function keys and dials, a selection of styluses, tracking speed and the physical size of the tablet (compared to the active area) should also be considered.
Did you know that some drawing tablets can be used as a replacement for a computer mouse? Some can also be used instead of (or in addition to) a keyboard or controller when playing your favorite games. If you still have questions about what a drawing or graphics tablet can do, here are some common answers to popular questions.
This depends heavily on how you plan to use a drawing tablet. If you’re a digital artist, illustrator, photo editor, to architect, for example, a drawing tablet offers a huge advantage compared to creating your content on paper or canvas, since the tablet lets you take your creations direct to digital. Plus, when used with an appropriate stylus, you gain much more accuracy than when using a mouse.
Not all standalone tablets are designed for use with a pressure sensitive stylus. For example, many of Samsung’s tablets support a pressure sensitive S Pen stylus, while other tablets will only work with a capacitive, or passive stylus—good enough for line sketches or signatures, but not great for intricate drawings. Furthermore, some tablets come with a stylus, while others make it a separate purchase. For example, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra comes with a stylus, while the Apple iPad and Microsoft Surface Pro tablets do not.
To use any Apple iPad as a drawing tablet, consider purchasing either the Apple Pencil ($100) or Apple Pencil 2 ($129), depending on which version of the iPad you own. The Microsoft Surface Slim Pen 2 ($130) will work with most of the latest Microsoft Surface Pro tablet models.
The Logitech Crayon can be used as an alternative to the Apple Pencil with any iPad model released ... [+] after 2018.
There are also optional stylus devices from independent companies that work with popular tablets. These include the Adonis Note 2 ($55), Zagg Pro Stylus ($70) and Logitech Crayon ($58).
No. A drawing tablet with or without a screen can connect to a Windows PC or MacOS-based computer either using a USB cable or wirelessly. Many also work with Google Chrome OS and Chromebooks. Some can also be connected directly to Android mobile devices. Standalone drawing tablets like an Apple iPad or Microsoft Surface are meant to be used on their own.
This varies based on a lot of factors. You can purchase a drawing tablet without a screen for less than $50. However, if you want a standalone tablet that can serve as a drawing tablet, you’ll typically need to spend anywhere from several hundred dollars to more than $1,000.
A lot depends on the type of work the artist does–such as freehand illustration, digital painting, photo editing or animation, as well as the personal workflow of the artist. A professional artist will choose a drawing tablet which works well with the apps they already use; has the highest possible level of pressure sensitivity; a large drawing area; and replicates working with an actual pen, pencil or brush. For many years, higher-end Wacom devices were a top pick amongst professional artists, but these days, a broader range of powerful options are available from a variety of companies.