The best 9 Tablets for Drawing in 2024

These are the best drawing tablets, including pen displays and pen computer tablets, for artists of all stripes, to fit every lifestyle and price range.

For many vocations, being able to engage with a screen in the same way as with a pencil on paper is essential, and the greatest drawing tablets flawlessly provide this special kind of contact. The best digital art tablets can be useful for anyone who wants to duplicate hand gestures on a computer or smartphone, however, graphics tables are a good option for artists who wish to make digital paintings. For those who find traditional mice and touchpads cumbersome, have repetitive strain syndrome, or work long hours on computers, utilizing a pen stylus with a drawing tablet instead of a mouse can be more accurate and natural in movement.

Drawing tablets have traditionally been pricey, specialized equipment, but in recent years, new companies have introduced reasonably priced models that rival those made by industry leader Wacom. The Xencelabs Pen Tablet Medium package, which is composed of former Wacom employees, is my top choice. It’s a relatively new brand. Along with being a well-built drawing tablet with fantastic functionality, this one also includes everything you need to get started, like a protective case, two pen styluses, and a shortcut key remote.

I’ve carefully examined a variety of drawing tablets and selected opinions from our reviewers to make the process of selecting the ideal one for you easier. I evaluated each one’s design, functionality, software, and cost to determine which was best for a certain use. For those on a tight budget or those who want the full package, we have two distinct recommendations that will help you choose the best drawing tablet or tablet with a stylus. Note that some of the drawing tablets listed below require you to purchase a stylus separately.

1. Xencelabs Pen Tablet Medium Bundle

We believe that the Xencelabs Pen Tablet Medium is the greatest drawing tablet available right now because it finds the ideal combination of power, design, portability, and affordability. Although Xencelabs is a relatively new brand on the market, it boasts some former Wacom employees who have contributed their tablet design expertise to the company. The Xencelabs Pen Tablet Medium excels in providing an accurate drawing surface, which is a crucial feature of a drawing tablet. The level of “bite” against the stylus feels just right, as our reviewer pointed out in their five-star assessment of the tablet, and it makes drawing on it pleasant.

The two styluses that are included are also great because you can set them up for different uses (e.g., 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. The pressure and tilt sensitivity are also practically perfect. given a more thorough explanation of why we adore this drawing tablet bundle, see our review of the Xencelabs Pen Tablet Medium; given the cost, the features available, and the construction quality, this is by far the best we’ve used.

2. Wacom Intuos Pro (large)

A pen that feels just like the ones you’d use on paper is great, as is plenty of workspace when making artwork on a drawing tablet. If so, the Wacom Intuos Pro Large is the better choice because it offers the closest thing to a natural drawing experience available on a digital device. We discovered during our review that the Wacom Intuos Pro was responsive and compatible with all of the top digital art apps. The pen feels as similar to using an actual pen as possible thanks to its 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, and even while its drawing surface isn’t the largest, it is still greater than the Xencelabs Pen Tablet. Wacom’s extensive ecosystem of interchangeable pens and Texture Sheets to add a unique touch to your drawing surface supports all of this.

You can customize this tablet to fit your workflow thanks to its abundance of fast keys. Some artists and designers still favor the older Wacom design, which keeps these keys on the tablet itself, as opposed to the newer Xencelabs that remove them to a remote device. For years, the Wacom Intuos Pro has been a dependable drawing tablet; this brand’s stability is worth the slight price increase. This older Wacom device is a decent substitute, even if I still like the Xencelabs better overall due to its features and style. See our comprehensive review of the Wacom Intuos Pro to learn more.

3. XPPen Deco MW

We found the XPPen Deco MW to be a nice entry-level tablet that is reasonably priced yet has good specs when needed. It’s an attractive drawing tablet that’s a wonderful starting option for new artists and newbies to digital art. Professional artists would require more, particularly in terms of dependability and simplicity of setup and calibration, but the XPPen Deco MW is a good drawing tablet for anyone new to digital art who is looking for one. It’s a pleasure to use, and it’s unexpected that for this cheap, the pen has 8,192 pressure levels and tilt.

This tablet, which retails for about $60 / £50, is a wonderful medium size that fits neatly into a little workspace. It is available in a lovely array of hues, such as pink, green, and blue. You don’t have to bother about cables because they can connect to your primary device via Bluetooth or USB. Our in-depth XP-Pen Deco MW review goes into further detail about why we think this tablet is great.

4. Xencelabs Pen Display 24

We think Xencelabs makes the best drawing tablets, and that’s why we had to add another one to the ‘pen display’ category. The most recent tablet from the company, the Xencelabs Pen Display 24, impressed our tester with its responsiveness, build quality, and design. What, though, is so fantastic about this tablet? It’s enormous, in case the name didn’t convey that. This tablet with a 24-inch wide screen is a true beast of a gadget. The screen has a special anti-glare glass that resists scratches and smudges. We discovered throughout our study of this tablet that drawing on the screen felt fantastic. Long-term use of the display produces no sound, and it never heated up to the point where it was uncomfortable to lean on.

Additionally, this tablet has a great new feature called Switch Display. With this amazing tool, you can quickly switch between displays from the pen display screen without having to drag your mouse over to it. You can easily open and move files thanks to this. The Xencelabs Pen Display 24 was a real game-changer for us during our in-person review.

Similar to the Xeneclabs Pen Tablet Medium bundle, this pen display is fully equipped with all the necessary connections and attachments to get you started painting right away. Together with an integrated stand, multiple stylus clips, the incredible Quick Key Remote, and two different types of pen styluses—one for 2D drawing and the other for 3D and animation—this pen display is a must-have. Rubber feet to ensure that this tablet rests firmly on your desk, a sketching glove, and a cleaning cloth are among the other noteworthy accessories. Without a doubt, this pen display tops them all.

5. Wacom Cintiq 22

The Wacom name is still very much a force to be reckoned with, even in the face of rising competition. In my opinion, the Wacom Cintiq 22 is among the greatest drawing tablets available, particularly if you’re searching for a pen display that will endure for many years.

As we mentioned in our review, the Cintiq 22 boasts a feature set that rivals the best, notably a 22-inch display that offers an abundance of creative room for play. Professional artists must have Full HD resolution, which it also possesses. Other Wacom tablets have crisper screens, but they are usually more expensive. The goal of this device is to provide Wacom quality at a reasonable price. Not to mention, there are many pen displays available that are less expensive but do not have this resolution.

With 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt sensitivity, the Wacom Pro Pen 2 is what makes the Cintiq 22 so enjoyable to use. Since Wacom has been around for a while, it’s difficult to think of an artist who has any concerns regarding the Pro Pen 2. It’s just incredibly effective. The Wacom stylus still feels well-made and has a nice weight and style, even if XPPen in particular now has 16k levels. The structure, weight, and design of the Wacom stylus remain pleasing, even if XPPen in particular now has 16k levels.

One benefit of Wacom tablets is that they are essentially the industry standard; the best pen displays survive for years, and these days, a dependable tablet is what you truly need. The Xencelabs offers a larger screen, more design innovations, and more accessories, so this falls to the runner-up pen display spot on my list. However, if you need an industry-standard pen display that is a little smaller and somewhat less expensive, this Wacom is for you. Read our review of the Wacom Cintiq 22 to learn more.

6. Xppen artist pro 16 (gen 2)

With a lead-edge stylus with 16K levels of pressure and a design that transfers the fast keys from the tablet to a remote, the XPPen Artist Pro 16 (Gen 2) is an inexpensive pen display that manages to pack in some fantastic technology for less money. This allows for greater drawing space.

I mentioned in my review of the XPPen Artist Pro 16 (Gen 2) how simple it is to set up and operate, and I had a great time making digital art with this inexpensive pen display. Excellent features include the rapid key remote, anti-glare display, and stylus in addition to the stand. Since XPPEN is providing a lot of equipment that other brands, like Wacom, charge more for, I would suggest this to students because it is reasonably priced, dependable, and well-made. It can also serve as a second screen or a drawing tablet.

The XPPen Artist Pro 16 (Gen 2) has a wide color spectrum coverage ratio of 99% sRGB and custom lighting technology, making it a superb tool. The only significant drawback is the 2K resolution display, which can feel a little dull in comparison to the Wacoms. This is excellent value for the price.

7. iPad Pro 12.9-inch (M2)

The all-new 12.9-inch M2 iPad Pro is your best option if you need the greatest tablet overall and the best sketching tablet is just not good enough for you. It offers the best of both worlds. It’s not even funny how far ahead of the rest of the tablet market it is. In addition to having Apple’s lightning-fast M2 CPU for truly remarkable speed, the iPad Pro also has a mini-LED XDR display with astounding brightness and local dimming for striking contrast. When you combine the two (along with the incredibly intuitive and seamless Apple Pencil 2), you have an almost perfect all-in-one solution for producing digital art and showcasing it to its full potential.

If all you need is a drawing tablet and won’t be using many of the other functions of the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (M2, 2022), it’s probably not worth the money; a specialised tool like those mentioned above will be more economical. For this reason, I have dubbed this, along with the more costly Wacom MobileStudio Pro, my favorite pen computer. Although Apple has monopolized the market for these drawing tablets, not everyone requires a pen computer. If you want something more akin to a Wacom or specialized pen display, I would also suggest purchasing the Rock, Paper, Pencil screen cover.

Remember that this is now one of the best tablets available for digital art, hands down. It’s also one of the best tablets for general use. The iPad Air (2022) is a decent substitute if you’d want something a little bit less expensive from Apple, but I also suggest the newly released XPPen Magic Drawing Pad, which is intended for digital art creation. The iPad Pro is my choice for the greatest pen computer overall for the additional reason that the incredible Procreate is limited to iPads. See what this iPad Pro (M2, 2022) is capable of in more detail by reading our hands-on review.

8. Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16

Unlike the iPad Pro, which only supports paired-down apps, the Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 is a powerful and sizable pen computer that can run full versions of software. This implies that task-intensive programmes like ZBrush can be used. On my outdated MobileStudio Pro, I was able to run Houdini. Wacom produces two variations of its single pen computer: the 15.6-inch type that is being selected here, and the smaller 13.3-inch model. I’ve chosen the more costly, larger model since it provides a viable substitute for the iPad Pro; also, if you’re a digital artist who works with 3D and VFX, a larger screen is essential.

We praised the Wacom MobileStudio Pro’s overall power, GPU performance, display, and superb stylus in our review, but we also pointed out that the tablet is heavy (2 kg), and as it lacks an integrated stand, you will need to purchase one separately.

I can personally attest to the things mentioned in our review because I own an older Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16, but I would also want to add that this tablet is a workhorse—I’ve had mine for about eight years, and it’s still going strong—Wacom truly knows how to make pen displays and drawing tablets that last. The only complaint at this point is that the battery life has decreased; even the most recent Wacom MobileStudio Pro tablets don’t have the same lengthy battery life as an iPad, for instance. However, this can also run applications that will use more power.

The Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 is an incredibly well-made “mobile” pen computer for professional artists that is larger than the iPad Pro. However, because to its weight and battery life, it falls short of being the best overall.