In this day and age of continuous technological advancements, almost every aspect of our lives has become digital. Similarly, the days of paint brushes and canvases are long gone with artists switching to graphic or drawing tablets to make art. Ever since they first came out, these tablets have evolved into tools that provide maximum flexibility to the artists; sometimes even more than traditional means like paints, brushes and pencils. For this reason, drawing tablets are gaining popularity over the years and several brands are manufacturing them.
Choosing a drawing tablet is not as easy as it may seem. With the multitudes of options available, it can become confusing to pick one that is accustomed to your specific requirements. In order to assist you, we have curated a list of the most popular drawing tablets of 2025, so you can easily find one that is best suited to your skills.
The Huion Drawing Tablet is a very compact and portable device and is simple enough to be used by teachers and students. It is compatible with different operating systems including Windows, Mac, Linux and Android, which means that you can easily connect it to your laptops, phones or tablets. The battery-free stylus means that you do not need to charge it, and it provides ultimate precision and control with no lag. It comes with side buttons that allow you to switch between pen and eraser instantly.
This versatile tablet can be used for different purposes including drawing, photo editing, animation and taking handwritten notes. It is compatible with different applications and is also ideal for web conferencing and remote work. Due to its versatility and portability, we chose this drawing tablet as our number one pick.
The XP-PEN Drawing Tablet comes with a monitor that comes with a fully laminated technology, combining the effect of glass and screen. This is ideal as it creates no parallax, which means little to no distractions. The tablet comes with a tilting function which means that you will need to adjust the position of the brush repeatedly. The stylus included is battery-free, saving you the hassle of having to charge it again and again. The screen comes with an anti-glare optical film, which provides maximum transparency and scratch resistance.
The tablet is compatible with Mac and Windows operating systems and a wide range of applications including Photoshop, Illustrator and Medibang. You can choose from five different sizes ranging from 11.6 inches to 23.8 inches, depending on your personal choice. You can also choose a tablet without keys.
What sets the Wacom Drawing Tablet apart from the others is its ergonomic pressure-sensitive stylus. It has a very responsive and easy-to-control pen, so you can enjoy the familiar pen-on-paper feeling. The electromagnetic pen technology provides maximum precision, and the stylus is battery-free. The tablet is compatible with the Mac and Windows operating systems, and it works with Chromebook as well. Due to its portability and versatility, it is a popular choice among students, teachers and artists.
You can choose from two different sizes depending on your specific needs, and the company also provides extra pen nibs. The cable included in the box is long enough to allow both left and right-handed people to use the tablet comfortably. The setup is also very simple as you only need to install the driver on your laptop or PC.
The UGEE Drawing Tablet is another one of our favorites due to its large active working screen and papery texture. The stylus technology provides 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity, which is greater than all the other tablets we have reviewed. This is useful as it allows you to draw lines of different thicknesses and opacity depending on the amount of pressure you apply, just like you would draw using paper and pencil.
It is compatible with different operating systems including Windows and Mac, and you can use it with different applications like Illustrator, Photoshop, Macromedia Flash and Comic Studio. The eight shortcut keys on the side are fully customizable, which is very convenient as it can increase your productivity and efficiency. It is ideal for both left and right-handed users, and the company provides a one-year free warranty.
Last but not least, the Gaomon Drawing Tablet comes with an HD IPS monitor, which provides a vivid display and comes with a 60-degree tilt function. You can easily draw from different angles and even tiny detailed modifications will be recognized immediately. The pen is battery-free and comes with high-pressure sensitivity, providing a more natural drawing and writing experience. The two programmable hot keys on the pen body have a default setting of an eraser and mouse right click. The replacement nibs are included within the pen holder.
Even though the tablet comes with a monitor, it is not a stand-alone product and needs to be connected to a laptop or PC in order to work. It is compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems but will not work with Chromebook. Eight programmable shortcut keys are included and you can use them for various functions like editing, drawing, animating and sketching.
Drawing tablets are one of the most versatile technological tools in this day and age, and the wide variety makes it difficult to select one. This brief buyer’s guide is designed by our team after thorough research, so you can have some idea about what to look for when browsing for one.
The exact specifications depend on what you are going to use your tablet for, but there are a few qualities that we believe every drawing tablet should have. We have discussed a few important ones below.
As the name suggests, pressure sensitivity means how responsive the tablet will be to the amount of pressure you apply to it with your stylus. Tablets with high-pressure sensitivity provide thicker and darker lines when you apply more pressure, and thin and less opaque lines when you apply light pressure. This is just like using normal paper and a pen. High levels of pressure sensitivity are ideal for artists so that they can easily make high-resolution drawings. Beginners and students can work with lower levels as well. The overall ratings range from 300 to 3000.
The stylus, even though a small tool, is extremely important because it will define your entire working experience. There are two main types of styluses available: battery-powered and battery-free. We always recommend battery-free styluses because it can be a hassle to charge your pen frequently and not be able to work just because your stylus is not charged. Battery-free styluses use an electromagnetic frequency that transfers power wirelessly to the tablet. Since this is a new and more convenient feature, you will find it in almost all the latest models. Also, make sure that the stylus is ergonomic so that you can use your tablet for long hours without your hands getting tired.
Compatibility is one of the first things you need to check because if the tablet you purchase cannot work with your laptop, PC or any other device, it will be useless. This is because most drawing tablets are not stand-alone devices and you need to connect them to another device like a laptop to use them. Always check the operating systems that are compatible with the tablet. Most brands provide compatibility with Windows and Mac operating systems, but only a few can be used with Chromebook and the Android OS. If you want to use specific applications like Photoshop, Illustrator or even Zoom, make sure that the tablet is designed to work with them.
The overall size of both the tablet and the working space is another important consideration. You want to make sure that the drawing space is large enough to be worked with comfortably. The size of the entire device should also be compact so that it is portable enough to be carried with you easily. Also, the size of the cable matters, especially if you are left-handed. Make sure that the chord is long enough to allow you to use the tablet comfortably with your left hand.
Drawing tablets can be divided into two major types, those that have a built-in display and those which do not. We have highlighted their differences below.
Drawing tablets that come with a built-in monitor are usually ideal for beginners as they allow you to draw and write just as they would with a pen and paper, without having to look back and forth on their computer screen. The drawback of tablets with a built-in monitor is their high price point compared to those without a display.
Non-display tablets tend to be more compact but may need a little getting used to. You connect these to a device with a screen through a USB cable, and they tend to be cheaper than their built-in display counterparts. These tablets also tend to be more durable and may last you many years.
Most drawing tablets are not stand-alone and need to be connected to a laptop or PC. Some brands have launched stand-alone drawing tablets, but they tend to be expensive.
The size depends entirely on your work and personal preference. Generally, artists prefer a larger working space, but for teachers and students, a 10x13 inch display size will do.
Graphics and drawing tablets are essentially the same things. The main difference is that graphic tablets do not come with a screen but some drawing tablets do come with a display.
At Art Life Today, our passion for arts and crafts is at the heart of everything we do. We understand that the right tools and materials can make all the difference in your creative projects, so we take our responsibility as reviewers seriously. Our goal is to help you discover the best products that will inspire your creativity and bring your artistic visions to life.