The best drawing tablets allow artists and other creatives to replicate the process of using a pencil or paint on paper. They've become an essential tools for all kinds of digital art and illustration, and can also be useful for graphic design and even photo editing. There are more options than ever, but also considerable variety in terms of features, power, accuracy and build.
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There are three main types of drawing tablet. A pen tablet or graphics tablet is a flat, trackpad-like device with no display that serves as an input for a computer. You need to use your monitor or laptop display to see what you're doing. Pen displays work in a similar way but have a display so you can see what you're doing on the device itself. Finally, there are pen computers. These are general tablets like iPads that allow you to draw directly onto a screen and run art apps (and other software) natively.
To help you choose the best option for you, we've extensively tested and reviewed a wide range of drawing tablets of all three types. We've also curated views from contributing artists to the website. We've compared design, performance, build, software and price to pick the best drawing tablets for different kinds of user.
Ian is Creative Bloq's digital art and 3D editor. He has years of experience testing, reviewing and writing about creative hardware and software, from digital art and illustration to 3D and animation. He personally tests many of the drawing tablets we get in for review, and also curates and edits the work of digital artists who contribute to the site.
We found our top pick to be accurate, well-designed and great value, providing solid build quality and two types of pen. There's also a cheaper Xencelabs Small bundle, which I love too. We recommend the bundle with the Quick Keys for the most convenient workflow. Read more below
Wacom is the best-known name in drawing tablets, and the reliable Intuos Pro range ticks all the boxes, with a responsive stylus, great build quality and solid support for leading apps. There's also new redesigned version coming in 2025. Read more below
This is a good option for beginners as it's affordable but comes with the accuracy of some more expensive tablets. There's also the option to include wireless connectivity, which is usually reserved for more costly drawing tablets. Read more below
This is our pick as the best pen display overall when balancing specs and price. It blends great ergonomics, a 4K OLED display, good colour coverage and an easy set up. There's also a 24in version if you want a larger display. Read more below
The FHD screen may not be the flashiest in terms of pixels, but this boasts the build quality and reliability that comes with Wacom. And since this isn't the newest Wacom tablet on the block, it can be surprisingly affordable whilst offering great features. Read more below
With a 2.5K display and handily placed dials and quick keys, the latest version of the Kamvas 16 is fantastic value. We found the stylus to perform smoothly and accurately, but some will miss touch controls. Note that the stand is sold separately. Read more below
The Ugee 16 offers lots for less, including a 16K pressure sensitive stylus, a Full HD display with 143% sRGB color gamut, and a metal stand is included. It's well-made and in my review performed excellently. For a price under $200, it's unrivalled. Read more below
Pen displays can be big and bulky, but the Wacom Movink weighs just 420g, making it an appealing option to use with a laptop on the move. We were impressed by how slim it is and how well the OLED display shows colours. Read more below
It could be considered overpowered, but if you want a future-proof tablet computer for digital art (and more) this is the one. Slim and lightweight with a striking OLED screen, it's compatible with Apple Pencil Pro and will support intensive art and 3D apps as they release. Read more below
This Windows powerhouse has dedicated NVIDIA graphics and 16GB RAM. It's heavy and not as portable as an iPad Pro, but it's larger and runs full software, from Photoshop to ZBrush. I've been using mine for eight years: these things last. Read more below
This is my favourite budget Android tablet for digital art. It features a 14.25-inch display with a NanoMatte canvas finish. Its 8-core CPU can handle any Android app, and it comes with three art apps pre-installed. Read more below
We found this small and more portable Android-based iPad alternative to offer a great tactile drawing experience thanks to its bright, flexible display. It's more accurate than the Ugee above and offers great value. Read more below
Active drawing area: 261.6 x 147.2mm / 10.3 x 5.8in
Screen resolution : NA
Pen pressure sensitivity: 8,192 levels
Connections: USB-C to USB-A
OS: Windows, macOS, Linux
Reasons to buy
+
Wireless
+
Great build quality
+
Fantastic drawing experience
Reasons to avoid
-
Nothing of note
Buy it if
✅ You need a starter drawing tablet: this comes with two stylus, a case, cables and a Quick Key remote - everything you need.
✅ You need reliability: the build quality and precision impresses; a tablet for all workflows.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You want a larger work area: while excellent value, this is a smaller tablet than the Wacom Intuos Pro Large at No.2 on my list.
❌ You don't want to use a computer: Like any pen tablet or pen display, this needs to be connected to a laptop or desktop computer. Go for a pen computer if you want to go mobile.
The bottom line
🔎 The Xencelabs Pen Tablet Medium Bundle is a complete starter kit and includes everything you need, including a slim Apple-style and 'fat' Wacom-design stylus. It's also fantastically made and very precise and reliable. ★★★★★
Need to know: The Xencelabs Pen Tablet Medium is a drawing tablet that strikes an optimal balance between power, design, portability and price, and in our opinion that makes it the best drawing tablet you can buy right now. Relative newcomers to the market, Xencelabs boast among their roster a number of Wacom alumni, who have brought their tablet design nous to this newer brand.
Design: One of the most important aspects of a drawing tablet is the texture of its drawing surface, and the Xencelabs Pen Tablet Medium gets it bang on the money. As our reviewer noted in their five-star review of the tablet, the level of 'bite' against the stylus feels exactly right, and it makes the tablet immensely satisfying to draw on. Having used the Xencelabs Pen Tablet Medium myself I agree with our reviewer, this one just feels good to use.
This drawing tablet's design removes the Quick Keys from the device itself and puts them into a Bluetooth remote unit that comes packaged, the upshot is the Xencelabs Pen Tablet Medium devotes all of its space to a drawing area. Some may find this new approach awkward, in which case the more traditional Wacom Intuos Pro at No.2 on my list is a better choice.
Features: The pressure and 60-degree tilt sensitivity of this tablet and stylus are also practically pitch-perfect, and having two pens bundled in is also great, as you can set them up for different uses (for example one for line art and one for digital painting, or one for 3D and the other for 2D) to enable quick swapping and a smooth workflow.
Stylus pen pressure is 8,192, which is now standard and a solid performance, though the XPPEN tablets on my list blow this away with 16K levels of pressure, which is fast becoming a new standard. The Quick Key remote features eight programmable buttons and an OLED display for ease of use. The calibration and setup interface of the Xencelabs' app is my favourite outside of Wacom, and this tablet works with all the leading digital art and design software, including Photoshop, ZBrush and Corel Painter.
Price: The Xencelabs Pen Tablet Medium costs $249.99 / £249.90 with two stylus and pen case, but my recommendation would be the Xencelabs Pen Tablet Medium Bundle for $329.99 / £289.90, this includes the Quick Key remote which is essential. This is great value, for example the comparable Wacom Intuous Pro (medium) is $379.95 / £329.99.
The Xencelabs Pen Tablet is the ideal choice for illustrators, digital painters and photographers who want a reliable, solidly built piece of equipment that's easily portable, wireless and pretty much flawless in performance.
✅ You need a large tablet: A large and precise drawing tablet is hard to come by, if you need more drawing space this is the one.
✅ You're a pro artist: this Wacom tablet is a mainstay of the creative industries and is a proven workhorse. Wacom tablets will last you years of daily use.
Don't buy it if:
❌ Price is an issue: there are cheaper and just as good drawing tablets on my list, but not as large. If price is an issue, the Xencelabs at No.1 is the best value.
❌ You want separate keys: this Wacom has a traditional design with Quick Keys on the tablet, extending its size. If you want a modern design, Xencelabs is the one.
The bottom line
🔎 The Wacom Intuos Pro Large is a pro-grade drawing tablet built to last, with great Quick Keys, and one of the best stylus around. It may seem a little staid in its design, but it's responsive and delivers pretty much the most natural drawing experience you can get on a pen tablet . ★★★★
Need to know: Wacom is the longstanding leader in drawing tablets, known for reliability, quality and compatibility with every app you can think of. The Intuos Pro range comprises its best pen tablets, coming in three sizes: small, medium and large, with the latter being ideal if you want the most room to work with.
We'll talk here about the 2017 version of the tablet, but Wacom has also launched a redesigned Wacom Intuos Pro range for 2025, which shifts the dials and buttons from the side to the top of the tablet. We've not yet reviewed the new model, which looks like it has some advantages, but the existing versions are now all the more appealing because there are some great deals around following the launch of the new range.
Design: This drawing tablet is large, solid to the touch and flat - it measures just 8mm thick. It's made from a black anodised aluminum and fiberglass composite resin which gives it a sturdy feel but also flexible enough to give when you push into it. The Wacom Intuos Pro (Large) measures 16.8 x 11.2 x 0.3 inches, ensuring there's a nice sweep or arc to your arm and hand as you draw.
Unlike the Xencelabs Pen Tablet at No.1 this Wacom features its trademark stack of Quick Keys down the side, eight buttons and a dial for total control. It's worth noting the Wacom is suitable for both left- and right-handed users. This is a more traditional approach and may appeal more than the Xencelabs remote solution.
Features: The Wacom stylus remains one of the best around, and with 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity gets you as close as you can get to using an actual pen. All this is supported by Wacom’s broad ecosystem of alternative pens and Texture Sheets to give your drawing surface a distinctive feel. This drawing tablet is also multitouch for using gesture controls and stylus together - cheaper drawing tablets often lack this.
The Quick Keys are fully customisable, as is the stylus. This is also Bluetooth enabled (the cheaper Wacom Intuos range isn't) and comes with everything you need in the box. It's worth noting that unlike the Xencelabs this only comes with one stylus, Wacom's traditional 'fat' design. If you prefer the slimmer Apple Pencil style of pen, then you can by one separately, and Wacom is one of the best supported brands for alternative stylus.
Finally, something worth mentioning is Wacom's excellent calibration software and compatibility with near enough every digital art and 3D app. It's very easy to setup and customise. Overall, in our review we found the Wacom Intuos Pro Large to be very responsive and to work well with all leading digital art apps.
Price: The Wacom Intuous Pro Large costs $499.95 / £449.99 and for a short time comes with a choice of app for free, either Shapr3D, Capture One or MASV. For a limited time US readers can also add a Wacom Intuos Wireless Tablet and save 50%. Wacom's are more expensive than other tablet brands on my list, but they made to last, compatible with every app and industry-proven.
Active drawing area: 254 x 158.6mm / 10 x 6.25in (PC mode), 10 x 6.25 inches (Android mode)
Pen pressure sensitivity: 8,192 levels
Screen resolution : n/a
Connections: USB-C, Bluetooth 5.0
OS: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, ChromeOS, Linux
Reasons to buy
+
Easy to set up
+
Simple yet stylish design
+
Portable size
Reasons to avoid
-
Lack of pen storage
Buy it if
✅ You need a cheap tablet: there are cheaper, but few come with wireless connectivity and a pro-level stylus for under $100.
✅ You want to go mobile: this tablet is light, cheap and neatly specced, ideal for mobile use. It's also compatible with Android and ChromeOS.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You need a pro tablet: the stylus is great, but the tablet itself is a little finicky and won't last as long as a more costly Wacom Intuos Medium.
❌ You need custom keys: this lacks Quick Keys so you'll need to buy a remote.
The bottom line
🔎 The Huion Inspiroy Frego M is a slim, budget drawing tablet with some great features, including wireless connectivity and an accurate pro-level stylus. But it lacks Quick Keys. ★★★★½
Need to know: The Huion Inspiroy Frego M is an well-priced and elegant drawing tablet that's a solid starter option for new artists and beginners to digital art, as well as anyone who needs an affordable mobile tablet. In our review we recognised this as a good entry-level tablet that isn't too expensive but features good specs where needed.
Design: Pro artists would need more, especially when it comes to Quick Keys (the Frego M doesn't have any), but for anyone new to digital art seeking a solid drawing tablet the Huion Inspiroy Frego M is recommended. Our reviewer has been using drawing tablets for decades, and loved this new Huion.
This comes in two sizes, the Frego M measures 304 x 220 x 8 mm and the Frego S comes in at 220 x 165.7 x 8 mm. Interestingly it features two work modes, one for mobile Android connection and the other for PC desktop - the active work area dimensions vary with the M and S models: Frego M: 10 x 6.25 inches (PC mode), 10 x 6.25 inches (Android mode), Frego S 6.3 x 3.9 inches (PC mode), 6.3 x 3.9 inches (Android mode).
Overall the Frego M is our pick, and we love how slim, lightweight and neatly designed this drawing tablet is; for a budget tablet it feels like a premium device. There are some nice design notes too, such as the canvas loop to store the stylus and the subtle curve to rest your wrist.
Features: Despite the budget price this Frego M tablet uses the brand's excellent PenTech 3.0+ stylus that has 8,192 levels of pressure stylus, with 60-degree tilt; for this price, it's surprisingly excellent. The Frego M can connect to your main device via USB-C or Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless use, so you don't need to worry about wires (and boasts over 24 hours of use).
The Huion Inspiroy Frego M works with the most common digital art apps, including Photoshop, Krita and Blender. It can also be connected to iPhones and Android smartphones for use with mobile art apps - Huion offers HiPaint and ibisPaint as free downloads. One drawback our reviewer found was it could lag in older MacBook Pro laptops (M1 models).
Price: The Huion Inspiroy Frego M costs $99.99 / £104.99 (but you can regularly fund deals for around $80) and comes packaged with a stylus, USB-C cables, USB adapters and spare nibs. Extras like a stand are sold separately.
Active drawing area: 342.9 x 196.7mm / 13.5 x 7.75in
Resolution: 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Pen pressure sensitivity: 8192 levels
Connections: 1 x USB C. Supports HDMI and DisplayPort using Hub
OS: Windows, Mac OS, Linux
Reasons to buy
+
Beautiful display
+
Excellent stylus
+
Good design choices
Reasons to avoid
-
Lacks touch controls so Quick Keys Remote is required
Buy it if
✅ You want a great-value pen display with pro features: We think the OLED display, great colour coverage and quality build make this the best-value pen display overall.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You want a more portable device: At 16 inches, this is a good medium size for using in different locations, but the lack of on-screen controls limit its portability when compared to a device like the Wacom Movink 13 below.
The bottom line
🔎 The Xencelabs Pen Display 16 is an excellent pen display that benefits from good design decisions that enhance usability. A vibrant OLED display, great colour coverage and the inclusion of a case and two styluses (and a stand and Quick Keys if you go for the bundle), make it great value. ★★★★½
Need to know: The Pen Display 16 consolidates Xencelabs' growing reputation for producing high-quality drawing tablets at very competitive prices. It's well build and packs in features like an OLED display and good colour coverage at a reasonable price for a pen display of this size. Just note that the Quick Keys Remote, which is sold as part of a bundle, is really an essential to get the most from the device.
Design: We have been impressed with the build quality of Xencelabs' pen tablets, and its foray into pen displays has keeps that up. We found this to be very light for a 16-inch Pen Display, but it felt reassuringly solid and durable, and it remained cool in use. The fat bezel around the edge of the screen is a good design decision since it means you can rest your wrists and prevents the stylus from falling off the tablet when selecting from menus in the top left or right corners of an app's menu. It's also nice that the bundle includes a case and a stand, which aren't always included by other brands.
Features: The 4K OLED screen really shines, and it covers up to 98% of Adobe RGB, 98% P3-DCS and 99% sRGB. We found that the anti-glare coating worked with direct light overhead. It isn't a touchscreen, though, so doesn't support gesture controls. This means that the Quick Keys Remote included is a pretty essential add-on (it's included in the bundle package but not in the Essentials package).
The Remote can be connected via cable or wirelessly via a Bluetooth dongle, and it has its own OLED display to show key functions. Both the keys and the labelling are cutomisable, and we found them to be convenient and easy to use.
The two styluses included are the same ones that come with Xencelab's other drawing tablets, so we've tested them a lot by know and we've found them to be consistently accurate. Each can be customised and set up for specific software or jobs, and there's a case for them included.
Price: We think the Xencelabs Pen Display 16 is very competitive when it comes to price. At $1,249 / £1,199, the Bundle deal, which includes the Quick Key Remote and Mobile Stand, is worth the extra cost over the Essentials option ($999 / £969).
There is also the outstanding Xencelabs Pen Display 24 that repackages the same tech and design ideas into a much larger display. This costs $1,899 / £1,850, which is around $600 / £600 less than the similarly specced Wacom Cintiq Pro 24. The advantage of the Xencelabs is it's not only more affordable but comes with everything you could need in the box.
In both cases, the tablet sits comfortably between Wacom's Cintiq Pro 16 ($1,599 / £1399.99) and the budget XPPen Artist Pro 16 (Gen 2) ($599.99 / £529.99). Considering that the latter isn't OLED and lacks true 4K resolution, Xencelabs offering gets our vote as the best value Pen Display overall. The new Wacom Movink 13 is a little cheaper at $749.95 / £729.98, and it has a touchscreen, but it's smaller and has inferior colour coverage.
The Xencelabs Pen Display 16 continues this disruptive brand's pitch for quality and value, offering a beautiful 4K OLED 16-inch pen display that performs wonderfully and represents great value bundled with the Quick Keys Remote.
Active drawing area: 495.3 x 292mm / 19.5 x 11.5 inches
Screen resolution: 1,920 x 1,080
Pen pressure sensitivity: 8,192 levels
Connections: HDMI, USB 2.0
OS: Windows
Reasons to buy
+
Keen price point
+
Very good drawing experience
+
Built-in adjustable stand
Reasons to avoid
-
Costs more than its direct rivals
-
Relatively low screen resolution
-
No built-in shortcut keys
Buy it if
✅ You want a pro Wacom for a less: for the price this is a good-sized Wacom tablet with industry standard features for half the price of the Pro range.
✅ You need reliability: Wacom tablets are tried and tested pro pen displays that will last years. They cost more but over time can save you money.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You need Quick Keys and gestures: if you're used to using custom keys and touch control then this Wacom isn't for you; I'd recommend the cheaper but smaller Wacom One 13 Touch.
❌ You need a higher res display: at Full HD is this a little behind some other pen displays, and actually the smaller Wacom Cintiq 16 has a higher res because it's a smaller display.
The bottom line
🔎 The Wacom Cintiq 22 is a solid, well-made pen display that will last a long time. It lacks some features like Quick Keys and gesture control, but you get the Wacom stylus, a quality build and good reliability. ★★★★
Need to know: Despite increased competition, the Wacom name is still very much one to be reckoned with, and as far as I'm concerned the Wacom Cintiq 22 is one of the best drawing tablets if you're looking for a high-quality pen display that will last you for years. Wacom makes a number of good pen displays, but for value, features and size I think this is the best option for users who aren't prepared to pay for the Cintiq Pro (see our guide to the best Wacom tablets).
Design: In our review, we noted the Wacom Cintiq 22 has a list of design touches that compete at the highest level, including a 22-inch display that provides plenty of creative space to play with. It has Full HD resolution, which maybe a drop behind Xencelabs' 4K, but it's good for pro artists and hobbyists alike and features 96% sRGB. You can get sharper screens on other Wacom tablets too, but they cost more, and this model is all about bringing Wacom quality with an affordable price tag. And let's not forget that plenty of pen displays that come in cheaper but lack this resolution.
An advantage of Wacom tablets is that these are pretty much the industry standard and best of all these pen displays last years - and what you really need these days is a tablet that is reliable. This drops to the runner-up pen display slot on my list because the Xencelabs offers a larger screen, new design innovations and more accessories for a good price, but if you need an industry-standard pen display that's slightly smaller and costs a little less, this Wacom is for you.
Features: What really makes the Wacom Cintiq 22 such a pleasure to use is the Wacom Pro Pen 2, with a whole 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity as well as tilt sensitivity. Wacom has been in this game a long time, and it's hard to imagine an artist with any complaints about the Pro Pen 2. It just works really, really well. While XPPen in particular now offers 16k levels, the design, weight and build of the Wacom stylus still feels good.
This pen display features a built-in adjustable stand and an anti-glare scratch resistance display. It doesn't feature any Quick Keys on the tablet, and the Quick Key remote for custom shortcuts isn't included (unlike Xencelabs), so you'll need to pay an extra $100 / £100. This pen display lacks gesture control too. So you can see how Wacom is bringing the price down by reducing features. Though Wacom does include a six month subscription to Clip Studio Pain.
Price: The Wacom Cintiq 22 costs £1,229.99 / $1,299.95, and US reader can get an exclusive offer to add a Wacom Intuos Medium to their basket for half the price ($199.95 to $99.95).
An excellent Quick Key remote and Switch Display is a game-changer.
★★★
Price
Great value for the features, build and performance.
★★★★
Our expert says...
Our expert says...
Richard Hill
The Cintiq 22 is the most accessible Wacom tablet at this size and it provides a well-judged feature set that enhances drawing comfort, although you can get cheaper options.
Active drawing area: 349.6 x 196.7mm / 13.8 x 7.74in
Resolution: 2560 x 1440 (2.5K / QHD)
Pen pressure sensitivity: 8,192 levels
Connections: USB-C, 3-in-1 HDMI
OS: Windows 10 or later, Mac OS 10.12 or later, Android(USB3.1 DP1.2 or later), Linux OS(Ubuntu 20.04 LTS)
Reasons to buy
+
Great value for a 2.5K pen display
+
Well-designed dials and quick keys
+
Accurate stylus
Reasons to avoid
-
Doesn't have the build of pro displays
-
Not 4K
-
Stand sold separately
Buy it if
✅ You want a solid mid-range pen display: If you're a beginner or enthusiast, this offers great value for money
✅ You don't need 4K resolution: 2.5K will be good enough for most people at this screen size.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You want touch control: You'll need to use the dials for stylus and zoom control, but some artists prefer this.
❌ You don't want to use a computer: Remember that a pen display still needs to be connected to a computer. If you want more portability, see our pen computer picks further below.
The bottom line
🔎 Huion Kamvas 16 (Gen 3) is a great-value pen display that we can recommend for beginners and enthusiasts that want an accurate stylus but aren't bothered about the brightest screen, super high resolution or pro build. It's a step above budget FHD tablets like the Ugee 16 (see below) with more convincing build quality. ★★★★
Need to know: The Huion name has become known for economical drawing tablets that don't scrape on quality. The latest 16-inch Kamvas builds on the previous models to provide a solid entry-level pen display with 2.5K resolution for a very reasonable price point.
Design: This pen display has a 16:9 aspect ratio, making it wider than I'm used to, but that provided space for resting my hand while working. There's no touch control, but two dials and a series of quick keys provided on the device to control zoom and to easily click through the actions. Their fixed position means you can't place them where it suits you like you can with the Xencelabs above, but you can flip the whole tablet around if you're left-handed.
We felt that the build quality was good for this price. You don't get the pro finish with rubbery feel of a Wacom or Xencelabs, but the keys and dials still feel that they'll last. There's no stand included either, but this can be bough separately.
Features: I was really impressed with the stylus performance for a tablet at this price range. I found it to be accurate and detected no lag during testing. The 'fat' design feels good in the hand but lacks the weight of Wacom's stylus and I would sometimes tap the lowest of the tree buttons by accident, changing brush when I didn't want to.
The 2.5K display offers enough resolution for a tablet of this size, and I found colour accuracy to be good out of the box. It's not as bright as a display like Wacom Movink's OLED, so working in bright sunlight can be more of a challenge.
Unusual wide design works well, good dial placement.
★★★★
Performance
Good stylus performance.
★★★★
Features
Two dials.
★★★
Price
Excellent value for a 2.5K pen display.
★★★★
Our expert says...
Our expert says...
Ian Dean
This mid-range pen display delivers accuracy and handy refined on-tablet controls for less, but some pro artists may prefer a brighter display and touch control.
✅ You want value for money: you get features like virtual Quick Keys found on expensive tablets, and the 15.4-inch display, stand and stylus are all excellent.
✅ You love precision: the Ugee 16 stylus has 16K levels of pressure sensitivity and is a joy to use; it's very accurate.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You need a larger display: if 15.4-inches is too small, consider the larger Cintiq 22 or the XPPen Artist Pro 19 (Gen 2) in 'Also recommended' below.
❌ You want better build quality: while great value, this Ugee's Quick Keys lack the 'rubber' resistance of more expensive tablets. Consider the Xencelabs Pen Display 16 for that.
The bottom line
🔎 The Ugee 16 is an impressive pen display and offers great value for money; it features high-end tech, like its 16 'virtual Quick Keys' and 16k stylus, as well as lovely 15.4-inch display. Elements can feel 'plastic-y'. ★★★★
Need to know: The Ugee 16 is an affordable pen display that manages to squeeze in some excellent tech for less, including a lead-edge stylus with 16K levels of pressure, Full HD display and 'virtual Quick Keys' accessed on the display, like the more expensive but outstanding Wacom Movink further down our list.
Design: This is a neatly designed pen display with a good feel and some nice touches, like the on-frame Quick Keys. While many now remove the shortcut keys to a remote, many prefer them on the frame. While the keys and dial are welcome, they don't have the same rubber resistance as a Wacom, and can feel a little plastic-like.
This display has few ports and keeps things neat and tidy, for example there's no power port as it draws power from your laptop or smartphone. The display feels very smooth, and the Full HD 1080p display, with full lamination and an anti-glare coating, impresses.
Features: This pen display is easy to setup and use, and I've really enjoyed creating digital art on this budget pen display. It comes with a free metal stand that can be folded down into a small marker pen-like size. Quick Keys and virtual keys are fully customisable. The stylus particularly impresses; Ugee's new U-Pencil features an impressive 16,384 levels of pressure sensitivity, twice as much as Wacom and Xencelabs stylus, but the same as XPPen's new stylus.
The is a Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution display at 15.4 inches, and features 143% sRGB and has an etched anti-glare covering for a 'toothy' paper-like feel as well as an anti-glare coating to ensure it can be used in all lighting conditions.
The Ugee 16 is offering a lot of tech for less cost, including a handy stand. For beginners and students it's an ideal affordable pen display. It can also be used as a drawing tablet or a second screen.
Price: The Ugee 16 (also known as the Ugee 15.4) costs $199 / £210, which makes it very affordable. Considering it comes with accessories other brands, such as Wacom, charge extra for, I'd recommend this to students or beginners.
Slim and has on-body Quick Keys. Can feel 'plastic-y'.
★★★
Performance
Accurate, easy to use and the display is lovely and smooth.
★★★★
Features
Quick Keys on the frame and features 'virtual keys'. A 16k levels of pressure.
★★★★
Price
Some high-spec tech for a lot less.
★★★★★
Our expert says...
Our expert says...
Ian Dean
The build feels a little flimsy, but the Ugee 16 makes a great first pen display for a hobbyist or beginner, offering a responsive digital drawing experience and an easy set up for a low price.
✅ You want a pen display that's easy to move: The Wacom Movink 13 is almost unbelievably thin and light but still feels sturdy and well built.
✅ You're prepared to pay for precision and quality build: There are cheaper pen displays on the market, but the Movink's build inspires confidence.
✅ You don't mind paying for extras: You'll have to buy them separately if you want a case or stand.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You want to work completely wire-free: The Movink is super portable, but you still need a PC or at least an Android phone to connect it to. A pen computer gives you complete remote freedom.
❌ You want a larger drawing space: Some artists may find the 13in screen to be limiting.
The bottom line
🔎 The Wacom Movink is an incredibly slim and light pen display with great colours and an accurate stylus response. It's a joy to use if you want the freedom to draw away from a desk, but you might want to buy extras like the stand and case. ★★★★½
Need to know: The Movink 13 is Wacom's thinnest and lightest pen display to date, and the first with an OLED display. The portability makes it a great option for working on the move since it takes up little space.
Design: It's hard to overstate just how thin and light the Movink 13 is. We've tested a lot of pen displays and we were really taken aback. It weighs just 420 grams and is just four millimetres thick, widening to 6.5mm to create a soft sloped with a slightly wider bezel below the display at the slimmer side.
Our initial concern was that this might make it feel fragile, but the tablet actually feels very solid and well built, even when we tested to see if it would bend. That said, you're still going to want some kind of protective case if you're taking the tablet around with you, both to protect the tablet and to prevent loss of the stylus, and that will cost extra.
Features: Adding even more portability, there's no power cable: it takes power from your laptop by USB-C. There are physical buttons as well as on-screen touch buttons for accessing keyboard shortcuts, which we found to be steamlined approach that does away with the need for a desktop setup.
As for the stylus, I love the slimmed-down Wacom Pro Pen 3 that comes included (there's a cutomisation kit if you prefer the older fat design). Small things make a difference, like the slightly longer nylon nib, which let me see more of the display where it touches. I found brush strokes to be accurate and responsive in my tests.
The nicest thing about the Movink is that it's just so easy to set up and use. You just plug in and draw. In my full review, I compared it to drawing on an A4 pad. It feels quite liberating if you're used to being stuck at a desk. It could also be compared to using an iPad to draw (see below), but I found the drawing experience to be much better.
Price: The Movink aims pretty much at the middle of the market. It's a lot cheaper than Wacom's Cintiq Pro devices but it's more expensive than comparable pen displays of this size from other brands, and if you want a stand or case, they come separately, adding to the cost.
We think the OLED display and super slim build make it worth that extra cost for those who want a very mobile device, but if you'll mainly be working at a desk, you might prefer to get more screen for your buck with something like the Xencelabs Pen Display 16 further up on our list.
Pen pressure sensitivity: Not specified (requires optional Apple Pencil)
Connections: USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
OS: iPadOS
Reasons to buy
+
Stunningly slim and light design
+
Beautiful OLED display
+
Much improved Magic Keyboard
Reasons to avoid
-
Expensive
-
Overpowered
-
iPadOS still limited
Buy it if
✅ You need a light, powerful tablet: at 440 grams for the 11-inch model this is a lightweight, agile pen computer that's a good all-rounder.
✅ You use Apple apps: iPad Pro (M4) runs Apple apps for speed, which can be ideal for on-the-go creativity where an agile workflow is ideal.
Don't buy it if:
❌ Price is an issue for you: the new 11-inch model starts at £999 (before you add on a stylus, keyboard, extra memory, etc). ❌ You need full software support: while apps are great, unlike the Wacom MobileStudio Pro you can't run full versions of 3D or digital art software on iPad Pro (M4).
The bottom line
🔎 The iPad Pro (M4) is a fantastic all-rounder that is both light and powerful, has access to fantastic art apps like Procreate and Procreate Dreams but won't run desktop software. ★★★★½
Need to know: If having the best drawing tablet simply isn't enough for you, and you need to have the best tablet all round, that can run apps natively, there's really only one choice: the iPad Pro (M4). It's a solid workhorse and an elegant table for art, design and everyday work.
Design: The iPad Pro (M4) has a new thinner design, and the build quality is fantastic. It comes in two sizes: 11in and 13in. We'll discuss the specs of the former here, but the larger tablet provides the same features and performance. The thinner, lighter design makes this an ideal mobile art tablet (I opt for the 11-inch over the 13-inch as I use my iPad Pro on the sofa and while travelling.)
It has a fingerprint-resistant, fully laminated display with great specs - 2752 x 2064 resolution, 1,000 nits brightness (up to 1,600 nits HDR), it's multi-touch and it's the first iPad with OLED tech for enhanced contrast. On the downside, it's glossy and reflective despite an antireflective coating, which for some artists can be an issue. You can pay extra to have nano-textured glass for improved anti-glare, but this is only available in models with 1TB or 2TB storage, upping the cost - $500 / £500 for extra storage and $100 / £100 for the improved screen. If you're using iPad Pro (M4) for art and design, this is needed.
Features: The iPad Pro (M4) is incredibly powerful, and so priced accordingly, that if you are only looking for a drawing tablet and won't need its many other features, it probably isn't worth it, and a dedicated tool like those above will offer greater value for money. Or you can drop down a price band and look at the iPad Air 11-inch (M2), which starts at $599 / £599, but this doesn't have the nano-texture option.
Not only is the iPad Pro (M4) powered by Apple's blazing fast M4 chip for stunning performance, it has an Ultra Retina XDR display with amazing brightness as well as adaptive refresh between 10-120Hz and True Tone for adjust colour intensity. Put the two together and you have a near-unbeatable all-in-one system for creating digital art as well as showing it off to best effect. (When not creating you can now play Triple-A games like Assassin's Creed Mirage on this tablet, see my op ed on Apple's new games-focused plans for more detail.)
Special mention goes to the new Apple Pencil Pro (sold separately) which is one of the best stylus around at the moment, and features tilt, pressure sensitivity and palm rejection (as expected) but also squeezing it brings up tool menus, 'Barrel roll' enables you to turn the stylus in your hand to change the shape of the brush, and double-tap enables you to hot swap between functions.
This is why I've named this my favourite pen computer, in line with the more expensive Wacom MobileStudio Pro. Not everyone needs a pen computer, and Apple has cornered the market for these kinds of drawing tablets. It's worth noting the amazing Procreate only works on iPads and animation app Procreate Dreams only runs on iPad Pro, which is another reason iPad Pro (M4) is my pick for best pen computer overall. Also, coming this year is ZBrush for iPad, which will make this tablet even more versatile.
Price: The cost of an iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) varies with the build you choose, but the starting price for a modest 256GB build is $999 / £999. The preferred build for digital art would be the 1TB WiFi model for $1,599 / £1,599, with the added $100 / £100 upgrade for nano-textured glass. You'll need to add Apple Pencil Pro for an extra $129 / £129, which will take the cost closer to $1,800 / $1,800. If you opt for the 13-inch model you can add around $300 / £300 to that tally.
Fast for most digital art tasks. Restricted to apps.
★★★★
Features
Great display, LiDAR and supports Apple Pencil 2.
★★★★★
Price
Still expensive even after two years.
★★★★
Our expert says...
Our expert says...
Daniel John
With powerful internals, and OLED display and support for Apple Pencil Pro with its new controls for quicker workflows, the iPad Pro is great choice for artists who want a single portable device that can do everything.
Powerful internals and excellent drawing experience
+
Etched glass screen
+
Pro Pen 2 is great
Reasons to avoid
-
Expensive
-
Quite heavy
-
Adjustable stand is extra
Buy it if
✅ You need pure power on the go: with a dedicated Nvidia GPU and an Intel Core i7 CPU, as well as Wacom's display and stylus tech, this is a laptop and drawing tablet in one.
✅ You need full desktop software: this runs full desktop software from Photoshop to intensive 3D suites like Houdini and ZBrush.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You need less power: this Wacom is a powerful Windows tablet, and it can be overkill for a mobile device if you're only using light software.
❌ You don't need desktop software: apps are great and in some cases just as good as desktop software.
The bottom line
🔎 The Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 is a powerful pen computer drawing tablet with Wacom's tried and trusted tech enabled by an Nvidia GPU and Intel CPU. The downside? It's heavy and not very portable. ★★★★
Need to know: The Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 is a powerhouse large pen computer that can run full versions of desktop art and design software, unlike iPad Pro that runs paired-down apps. This means you can run task-heavy software like ZBrush, Houdini and Unreal Engine 5.
Design: Wacom makes two skews of its only pen computer, the smaller 13.3-inch model and the 15.6-inch model, chosen here. I've picked the more expensive, larger build as this offers a true alternative to iPad Pro - if you're a digital artist who works in 3D and VFX this larger screen is needed.
This tablet features a wider bezel than on iPad Pro, but it does have more connections - a USB-C, two Thunderbolt3, an audio port and an SD card reader slot - ensuring this Wacom can be hooked up to a larger monitor if needed. Unlike iPad Pro this Wacom is designed for artists, so you get the brand's regular stack of customisable Quick Keys and a dial for selecting brushes, files and more.
Features: The Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 is a Windows PC in a tablet with a display, Quick Keys and stylus aimed at digital artists. It features an on-board 512GB SSD for speedy loading and saving, good but not not leading edge 5MP and 8MP cameras but these do support the equipped Intel RealSense technology for scanning objects in 3D space.
The real advantage of the Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 is its Windows OS, with full touch support and the specs - inside is an Intel Core i7 and NVIDIA Quadro P1000 with 4GB GDDR5. The display is a Ultra HD 3840 x 2160 resolution and features an etched, anti-glare finish ideal for digital art. This comes at a cost, this tablet weighs around 2kg and doesn't come with a built-in stand, you can buy one separately. This isn't a light and portable tablet like iPad Pro.
I own an eight-year-old Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 and it's still going strong, this kind reliability is why artists flock to Wacom, and being a Windows tablet you've got good support. The only niggle in this time is the battery life has dimmed, and even new Wacom MobileStudio Pro tablets lack the long battery life of an iPad (I find a full charge will last around three hours of use).
Price: The Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 costs $3,499.95 / £3,199.99. The Wacom MobileStudio Pro 13 costs £2,399.99 and is not available in the US; aside from the size difference this model has an Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 instead of the Nvidia GPU.
Runs desktop software, and capable of 3D intensive projects.
★★★★★
Features
Comes with the Wacom Pro Pen 2, Quick Keys and dedicated GPU.
★★★★★
Price
A high-spec tablet at a high price.
★★★
Our expert says...
Our expert says...
Rob Redman
It's big and expensive, but the etched glass is a joy to draw on. If you’re an artist or designer who wants a drawing tablet that's also a PC, you can't do better than the Wacom MobileStudio Pro.
Connections: WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, headphone jack, Type-C (supports mouse and keyboard)
OS: Android
Reasons to buy
+
Excellent drawing experience
+
Display designed for art
+
Lightweight and responsive
Reasons to avoid
-
Struggles with some simulations
Buy it if
✅ You want to create art outdoors: it's the same Ugee tech found in the brand's desktop drawing tablets but paired with an Android processor.
✅ You're happy with Android apps: in my opinion, with the excellent ArtRage Vitae and ibisPaint, Android art apps compete with those on iPad (with one exception - Procreate).
Don't buy it if:
❌ You want Procreate and Procreate Dreams: while Android has excellent digital art apps, you can't run Procreate's apps on this pen computer. For that, you need iPad Pro.
❌ You need more accuracy: if you want better accuracy on-the-go you'll need an iPad and Apple Pencil, or the XPPen Magic Drawing Pad.
The bottom line
🔎 The Ugee UT3 has a display designed for digital art – it's got a paper-like NanoMatte, anti-glare coating – and comes with the brand's U Pencil stylus - though this lacks the precision of its new 16K stylus. ★★★★½
Need to know: The Ugee UT3 is pitched as a dedicated portable drawing tablet, akin to the excellent but smaller XPPen Magic Drawing Pad (see below). While you can use an iPad (and iPad Pro) for digital painting, and the iPad Pro is a perfect, powerful choice, it's not designed specifically for creating art like the Ugee UT3 – this has a display made for digital painting.
Design: This is essentially a take on Ugee's excellent drawing tablet tech put into an Android tablet. Measuring just 6.95mm thin, with a 2400 x 1600 resolution, 60Hz, anti-glare, etched display and weighing 760g, this is genuinely mobile. This display is enclosed in a metal frame, with slim bezels and softly curved edges for a premium feel.
Unlike other the XPPen Magic Drawing Pad, the Ugee UT3 comes with a protective sleeve that acts as a stand and holds the stylus in place. It's more useful as a stand for watching media that painting, but it's good to have and features hard rubber corner protectors.
The stylus is a little slimmer, lighter and shorter than Apple Pencil 2, which can take time to get used to, and it features 4,096 levels of pressure levels of pressure sensitivity, which is lower than Apple, XPPen and most new drawing tablets. In my full review I noted this can lead to small lag issues when working slowly on detail, but for quick sketching and loose painting it's perfectly fine.
One issue that came up in my review was the low level of palm rejection. Despite offering palm rejection I found I needed to always wear the enclosed drawing glove to use this tablet.
Features: As you may expect given the price, this display lags behind both iPad Pro and Wacom MobileStudio Pro, with a refresh rate of 60Hz and 2.4k resolution. But it can display 16 million true colours and for this size, that 2400x x1600 resolution is punchy.
That said, the Ugee UT3 does pip iPad Pro in that it has a display designed for digital art, with a NanoMatte finish that offers a paper-like feel, features an anti-glare coating for crisp viewing under most lighting conditions. In my review I noted how smooth the screen is – it feels like a premium display I usually associate with the likes of Wacom over a standard Android tablet.
The tablet is designed to be used causally on the sofa or outside, and I've had the chance to take this into the fields and forests where I live in the English Cotswolds to sketch and paint, and it performs nicely. The larger size is less mobile than the XPPen Magic Drawing Pad, but it's lightweight and easily held in one hand.
Aside from being used to create digital art, the Ugee UT3 features a decent 8GB RAM, 256GB memory and has a Micro SD to expand its storage, and can double as an all-round tablet, media player and gaming tablet. The 13MP and 8MP cameras are decent and good enough for grabbing references while out. It features the newer MTK Helio G99 (MTK8781) Octa-Core CPU, and I found in my review it handled paint simulations in ArtRage with ease.
This tablet comes with ibisPaint and MediBang pre-installed, which is a nice touch. It also features Ugee's own HiPaint app and a new PaintPal Ai app, this will turn your sketches into finished art and generate AI images live as you paint - it's novelty.
The Ugee UT3 is technically less impressive than Apple's iPad Pro or iPad Air, and it won't replace my iPad Pro (I can't give up Procreate), but for the money this is great value Android tablet designed for digital art, and is a good media player too.
Price: The Ugee UT3 costs $429 / £455, which is exceptional value, especially considering it comes a protective case and stylus. Note, there's a smaller 10.36-inch model, the Ugee UT2, with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage for $249 / £264.
Large, slim curved metal frame, smooth matt-finish display.
★★★★★
Performance
Android 14 and an 8-core CPU runs even sim-hungry art apps. Stylus could be better.
★★★
Features
A vibrant display designed for art, premium build quality and a three colour modes.
★★★★
Price
A high-spec tablet at low price for the size.
★★★★
Our expert says...
Our expert says...
Ian Dean
It's slightly let down by small lag and line inaccuracy, but the smooth display make this a perfect hobbyist drawing display for those that want other tablet functions too.
Lightweight and very portable for drawing on the go
+
Good value
Reasons to avoid
-
Struggles with some simulations
Buy it if
✅ You want to a compact portable tablet that does it all: The Magic Drawing Pad is great for travel since it's small and can handle general browsing and media as well as drawing.
✅ You draw with Android apps: Like the Ugee above, this is an Android device. That means no Procreate, but we think ArtRage Vitae and ibisPaint are decent alternatives.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You want to use Procreate: Like the Ugee above, this is an Android device, so the popular iPad app is out.
❌ You want more screen space: The small size is great for portability but it makes some menus quite small.
The bottom line
🔎 The XP-Pen Magic Drawing Pad is a well-built complete tablet complete with a very small footprint, which makes it ideal for travel. It doesn't have the power of an iPad Pro, but the drawing experience is more tactile. ★★★★½
Need to know: The XP-Pen Magic Drawing Pad is a similar proposition to the Ugee option above, but it's a touch smaller, which could make the difference if you want to pack light, and we found the stylus to be more accurate. Its flexibility makes drawing to be easy and fun.
Design: I was impressed by how solid and light the tablet is. With a solid metal chassis, sim bezels and a soft-to-touch display it feels good quality. Although this is quite a small tablet, it's still larger than the standard iPad. I was able to comfortably hold it in one hand and have enough drawing areas.
The TFT LCD (IPS) screen was bright enough for me to be able to paint outdoors, and the anti-glare finish seemed to help too. The colours were vibrant and the lines looked sharp. The display has a pleasing, tactile flexibility to it that you don't get on an iPad, and it's micro-textured to avoid the slide that comes with iPad screens and making the stylus feel more connected to my work.
Features: I appreciated the little stand on the rear of the Magic Drawing Pad when the flexible case is attached. It's only around half-an-inch but it offers a slight angle. The case isn't a true protective sleeve though, so I would probably want to buy that separately if I was to use this out a lot.
Price: The price is similar to that of the standard iPad, but this offers a much more natural and tactile drawing experience. As for choosing between this and the Ugee Fun Drawing Pad above, the choice mainly comes down to size, with the Magic Drawing Pad being the more portable of the two.
Our new favourite large pen display was a surprise hit with our reviewer - who fell in love with the luxurious build quality, numerous accessories and crisp, responsive display. The Huion Kamvas Pro 27 is a pro-grade display for less than a Wacom equivalent, but it has a rival in the new XPPen below.
XPPen's new large pen display features a number of firsts, not least the slick 165Hz refresh rate and Calman-certified colour grading for striking, dynamic colours. Paired with the excellent Dual X3 Pro series stylus, with 16k levels of pressure, this really is a wonder. The only downside, it’s tech can be tricky to calibrate.
Choosing the best digital art tablet for you may come down to a number of factors, including size, resolution and price. But picking a drawing tablet is as much about how you intend to use it and whether this is your first tablet or not.
The first thing you need to decide is what type of drawing tablet you want: a pen tablet, pen display or pen computer. This will depend to an extent on what you want to do with the tablet.
If you want to be able to use the same device for other tasks like browsing, emails, entertainment and more, you'll want a pen tablet like an iPad. You could even consider one of the best laptops for drawing. The downside of pen displays is that they aren't usually designed specifically with drawing in mind, and they tend to have more slippery displays, while specialist drawing tablets have a more tactile feel, which feels more like drawing on paper.
If you're trying to choose between a pen tablet vs pen display, budget will play a role, but so will how you want to work. Pen displays have the obvious advantage in that you can draw directly on the device's own display, which avoids the need to get used to the hand-eye coordination involved in working with a pen tablet. It can also be better for details.
But pen displays tend to be larger and less portable, and some artists find it difficult to find the perfect position for them that avoids neck, back or arm ache during long sessions. Since a pen tablet lays flat on your desk, you can always have arm and wrist support, and you can place your monitor at whatever height you want.
Aside from deciding what type of device to opt for, there are other factors to consider to choose the best drawing tablet for you:
Screen type: Whether you choose a traditional drawing tablet or a pen display can depend on your way of working, some artists prefer traditional pen tablets especially if they're use to looking up at a large screen. Pen displays can feel more accurate as you're interacting directly with the art on a screen, but cheaper ones can suffer more latency issues than cheaper screenless pen tablets. Newer XPPen and Wacom pen displays offer the option to toggle the display on and off.
Size: If you have the space, a drawing tablet of 16-inches and up is a good size as it enables you to sweep your arm across the surface for a natural drawing motion. Sizes below this size can still a great job though, and using a smaller tablet connected to a smartphone is an option for doodling on the go.
Price: There are lots of drawing tablets to choose from in the 'budget' category, and the best Huion tablets as well as those from Ugee and XPPen are excellent options. The new Wacom One series is a more affordable entry point for this established brand. More expensive tablets will often have more features like shortcut keys. When considering price also look at what is not included, as some brands omit things like a stand and some cables.
Stylus: Here you're looking for at least 8,192 levels of pen sensitivity, older or non-specialist stylus drop to 4,096, which okay for general tasks but not ideal for digital art these days. When testing a stylus for reliability, I usually track around the tablet, edge to edge, and run strokes across the tablet of varying pressures to create thick and thin lines, and crucially draw small, tight circles – cheap styluses struggle here.
Drivers: A drawing tablet's driver is the software you download to your computer to calibrate the tablet's accuracy, latency and how it connects to installed art software. From experience this is where cheaper tablets stumble, Wacom for example is superb and stable with the all main digital art apps, while budget brands can be harder to setup and work with fewer apps.
Buttons: For beginners, the one or two short cut keys on a typical tablet stylus are fine for undo and zoom functions, but professionals will often want more customisation options to help speed up workflows. This is why some drawing tablets have a row of programmable shortcut keys.
These are often on the tablet itself, but some tablets provide them on a separate remote device. This has its pros and cons: it can be more ergonomic since you can put place buttons wherever you find them most comfortable and easy to reach, but it means another device to stow, clean and transport if you're on the move.
Different drawing tablets have different uses, and yes, we do try 'mobile' tablets on our train journey to work. (Image credit: Future / Ugee)
This guide is based on hands-on reviews from our site, including my own reviews. If I've not directly reviewed one of the tablets on the list myself, I've included a link to the review by other contributors to the site, many of them professional artists.
We test and review drawing tablets as they'd be used by you if you bought one. This means we spend weeks using a drawing tablet with a variety of digital art software to create art. For this list, we considered more than 20 drawing tablets across all types that we have reviewed over the past two years, including pen displays and pen computers. we whittled it down to these 12.
When reviewing a tablet I test them on a MacBook Pro (2022), my Android Nothing Phone 2 and my Windows 11 laptop. I try a mix of software including Rebelle 7 and Photoshop for Windows, Procreate for iPads and ArtRage Vitae and ibisPaint for Android devices. I ensure the latest firmware is updated and download the latest tablet drivers for each device.
We test the accuracy and response of drawing tablets and stylus using different types of strokes (Image credit: Future / Ugee)
Some of the main things myself and our reviewers look out for when testing are factors like the pressure sensitivity and accuracy, the colour gamut and accuracy, the screen quality and brightness and the ergonomics of the tablet, all of which factor into a whole host of use cases. We run the same stroke tests to gauge how sensitive a style is, for example heavy to light pressure and tight circles.
We look out for stutter and lag and latency, and where possible we try and correct any problems and in doing so test each tablet's driver software and calibration software. I also like to ask questions directly to the manufacturer if there's an issue to check if there is a known problem that a software update could fix. I also like to retest drawing tablets over time to see if a manufacturer has added to its package.
We test the setup of drawing tablets and how well they work with different devices (Image credit: Future / Ugee)
We also want to see a nice and easy set-up, especially for pen displays and tablets which often require specific drivers to be installed on the PC or laptop you're plugging it into. If the tablet includes (or is compatible with) a specific stylus, we also test these to see how ergonomic they are and assess any features these add to the drawing experience as well as build quality.
I'm always alert for cramp and strain when using a tablet and a stylus. First impressions can often change after hours and days with a stylus. Only then do you really discover if the setup is comfortable or if the stylus is too light, too short, too heavy; or if tablet's size hinders or helps arm movement and strokes – the Xencelabs Pen Display 24 (2023) is excellent, for example, because it has larger bezels to rest your wrist. You can learn more in our general guide to how we test and review at Creative Bloq.
Drawing tablets are electronic devices intended to allow artists to draw, sketch and paint digitally using a stylus in order to replicate the motion used on paper or canvas. There are different types. The most basic drawing tablets are pen tablets: flat, plastic panels that serve as input devices with pressure sensors to measure the input of a pen stylus and transfer this data to a computer.
These do not have a display so you have to look at what you're doing on your laptop or PC display. But pen displays are another type of drawing tablet that do have their own display so you can see what you're doing, although you still need to connect them to a computer.
The use of pressure sensitive styluses allows the creation of thick to thin lines depending how hard you press for a realistic drawing experience. Many general tablets, or pen computers, like iPads can also be used as drawing tablets while also serving for other uses. However, a key difference is that dedicated drawing tablets usually have an etched surface for a tactile paper-like feel, while iPad screens are glossy and hard.
What are the different types of best drawing tablets?
Broadly speaking, there are three main types of drawing tablet. Each takes a different approach to the central challenge of helping you create digital art and draw on your Windows PC or Mac, as if you were drawing on paper.
Pen tablets
Pen tablets, also known as graphics tablets, connect to a device but don't feature in-built screens, meaning you'll need to use your monitor or laptop screen to see what you're drawing. These are often the most cost-effective options and many artists like using these as it means they can have a large monitor at eye level. My favourite is the Xenceabs Pen Tablet (both Medium and Small).
Good for Affordable and large sizes, reliable and accurate, offer a tactile drawing experience, can be used with large monitors, a replacement for mice and trackpads.
Reasons to avoid You find the 'looking up' setup awkward, prefer the direct response of drawing on a screen, want to replicate a traditional 'easel' workspace, you still need a computer.
Pen displays
These are drawing tablets that feature an integrated screen but must still be connected to a laptop or PC to function. These are the favoured form factor of most professionals and mid-weight creatives, offering a detailed and ergonomic drawing experience. These can be large and come with built-in stands; smaller pen displays can also be used as traditional drawing tablets by turning off the screen - the best of both worlds.
Good for A natural way to draw, offer excellent precision and accuracy, uses a stand for a traditional 'easel' setup.
Reasons to avoid Not all displays are 4K, not all pen displays have touch controls, more expensive than traditional drawing tablets, can feel less tactile, you still nee a computer.
Pen computers
These are tablets made by generalist tech brands such as Apple, Microsoft and Samsung. These don't need to be plugged into a computer, but lack some of the drawing-first features associated with pen tablets and displays, whether that's screen size and texture or stylus sensitivity. New to this type of drawing tablet is XPPen with its Magic Drawing Pad, this mixes dedicated drawing tablet tech with its mobile CPU to run apps like ArtRage Viate from the device.
Good for An excellent mobile art tablet, compliments a desktop setup, no need for a laptop or PC, iPad, Samsung and XPPen offer excellent stylus, touch and gesture controls, bespoke apps like Procreate, can have other uses.
Reasons to avoid These are expensive, smaller than pen displays and drawing tablets, drawing on gloss screens can be 'slippery', not all are specifically designed for digital art.
Who are drawing tablets for?
Dedicated drawing tablets (pen tablets and pen displays) are intended for both professional and enthusiast artists and designers. They can be used for creating digital and illustration as well as for graphic design and even photo editing. More general pen computers are aimed at general consumers, but some devices, like the iPad Pro, are also widely used by professional artists.
Drawing tablets are the ideal way to use digital art software, such as Adobe Photoshop, Rebelle 7 or Corel Painter. There are art apps available for iPad and Android too, for example the iPad-exclusive Procreate Dreams has been designed to use Apple Pencil. Some of the best 3D modelling and VFX software can also be used with drawing tablet too, including ZBrush for iPad.
But even dedicaged drawing tablets aren't just for artists and designers. Not everyone loves using a mouse or touchpad, and drawing tablets can provide an alternative input device for a computer, particularly smaller devices like the Wacom One S, Xencelabs Pen Tablet Small or Huion Inspiroy H430P.
Are there drawing tablets for kids?
Yes, there's a growing market of drawing tablets for children, and you can check out our dedicated drawing tablets for kids guide if this is something you're looking for. These have been designed to be easy to use and indestructible.
Are there drawing tablets for smartphones?
More drawing tablet brands are now enabling drawing tablets to be connected to smartphones, Android devices and use Linux. These are often smaller than standard drawing tablets and can fit neatly into a bag, as well as using USB-C to USB-C cables. My three best drawing tablets for smartphones and mobiles would be:
Ugee M808 A small 10 x 6.25 inch drawing tablet with shortcut keys.
Wacom One S The new budget option offers superior build quality.
Graphics tablets vs Pen displays: what's the difference?
If you've been around computers for a long time, this is what you probably think of instinctively at the mention of a drawing tablet: a plain surface that you draw on with a stylus, with your work displayed on a separate computer monitor, also known as a pen tablet or graphics tablet. These remain the most affordable drawing tablet category. Their main disadvantage is the sense of ‘disconnect’ between the drawing surface and the screen, although most people get used to this quickly.
Pen displays consists of a flat-screen monitor with a pressure-sensitive surface that you draw on with a stylus. They don't have the sense of disconnect that you might get with graphics tablets, and they're more portable; however they cost more. Furthermore, you get a lot of cables between the display and computer (see the best computers for graphic design), and many of the display surfaces don’t offer the ‘bite’ that graphics tablets do.
Are tablets good for drawing?
Android, Windows and iOS devices like the Surface Pro and iPad Pro take on the other drawing tablets in two ways. You don't need another computer: just download an art app and start drawing with your fingertip or a stylus. Also, when you want to use the Creative Cloud suite on your main computer, these can function as graphics tablets with apps like Astropad.
As for how good they are for drawing, well, it depends on what you need. The iPad has incredible software like Procreate and the very capable Apple Pencil 2 offers some pretty impressive features and specs, but it's very expensive. The Surface Pro range is better suited for sketching and doodling, but at a push could handle some more detailed art if you're willing to work for it.
What drawing tablet is good for beginners?
Beginners who want to start experimenting with digital drawing and painting might want to begin with a pen computer like an iPad if they need a device for other uses too. The advantage is that you can use one device for different type of work, avoiding having to buy a dedicated device only for drawing.
That said, the tactile feel of dedicated drawing tablets can make for a nicer drawing experience, and there are very good value pen tablets and pen displays available. I would consider starting with a pen tablet like the Xencelabs Pen Tablet Medium Bundle at the top of our guide – or the Xencelabs Pen Display 16 is you want to be able to see your work directly on the tablet.
Ian Dean is Editor, Digital Arts & 3D at Creative Bloq, and the former editor of many leading magazines. These titles included ImagineFX, 3D World and video game titles Play and Official PlayStation Magazine. Ian launched Xbox magazine X360 and edited PlayStation World. For Creative Bloq, Ian combines his experiences to bring the latest news on digital art, VFX and video games and tech, and in his spare time he doodles in Procreate, ArtRage, and Rebelle while finding time to play Xbox and PS5.
