The Best Tablet with a Stylus Pen

The best tablet with a stylus pen is a perfect tool for drawing, writing, professional use, and general use. A good stylus pen interacts with the sensitive screen in a natural pen-to-paper-like feel that creates the best working experience for both professionals and beginner tablet users. Additionally, it can speed up your workflow and make it easy to navigate through your tablet.

In this post, we have researched and come up with a list of the best options for different professional needs. All posts in this review come with a free stylus pen on purchase. All iPads, from the oldest to the newest, do not come with a free Apple Pencil. You have to buy it separately for an additional price.

If you prefer using iPads, check out top iPads for Procreate. Compared to iPads, these tablets are more affordable and budget-friendly, plus they feature free accessories like the stylus pen.

What are the best tablets with Pen

1. Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra: best overall
2. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra: best tablet with S pen
3. Lenovo Tab P12: The best budget
4. Lenovo Tab M11: Best for Kids
5. Lenovo Tab P11 Pro Gen 2: Best for note-taking
6. Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+: Best for Media consumption
7. SereneLife Graphic Tablet: Best for Photo Editing
8. Acer Chromebook Spin 714: Best Chromebook
9. Microsoft Surface Pro 9: Best for Windows
10. XP Pen Magic Drawing Pad: Best for Drawing

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra: best overall

1. Screen Size: 14.6 inches
2. Resolution: 2960 x 1848 pixels AMOLED 2X
3. Battery Life: 16 hours
4. S Pen is available with 4096 pen pressure levels
5. RAM: 12 GB
6. Storage: 256 GB to 1 TB expandable to 1.5 TB
7. Processor: Dimensity 9300 Plus chipset 
8. OS: Android 14 Upgradable to 2031

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is the best overall option. It is a premium tablet made with productivity in mind. The powerful specifications, large screen, and good stylus pen make it a perfect picture for digital art and media consumption.

The screen OLED screen is premium with a large 14.6-inch working area and AMOLED 2 x 2960 x 1848 pixels resolution. It is bright enough to use both indoors and outdoors thanks to 600 nits brightness and 120 HZ refresh rate.

On purchase, you will get a free stylus S Pen (Gen 2) that is ideal for drawing. The pen features 4096 pen pressure levels and an ergonomic design. The overall look is slim and sleek, with thin bezels all over the front side of the screen.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra: best Android tablets with pen

1. Screen Size: 14.6 inches (Super AMOLED)
2. Resolution: 2960 x 1848 pixels
3. Pen pressure sensitivity: 4,096 levels (S Pen)
4. Connections: USB-C
5. Stylus: Samsung S Pen (Included)
6. Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
7. RAM: 8GB / 12GB / 16GB
8. Storage Options: 128 GB, 256 GB / 512 GB
9. Expandable Storage: Up to 1 TB
10. Operating System: Android
11. Connectivity: WiFi / WiFi + Cellular (Optional)

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is very similar to the S10 Ultra. It features some subtle differences but still comes with the same S Pen as the S10 Ultra. For example, its storage space is only expandable to 1 TB instead of 1.5 TB, and the screen brightness is only 400 nits instead of 600.

Despite these differences, it is still a premium device ideal for many professional tasks like drawing and animation. It is our pick for the best Android tablet. Check out our Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra vs. Apple iPad Pro comparison.

Lenovo Tab P12: The best budget tablet with a stylus

1. Screen Size: 12.7-inch
2. Resolution: 3K 2944 x 1840 Pixels
3. Pen pressure sensitivity: 4,096 levels
4. Connectivity: USB-C, WiFi, and Bluetooth

If you are on a budget, the Lenovo Tab P12 is the best pick. It features a sleek body and a large 12.7-inch screen, with a matte finish and anti-glare display technology. The screen resolution is perfect at 3K or 2944 x 1840 pixels.

This affordable tablet is perfect for simple tasks such as drawing, note-taking, web browsing, and streaming. Like Samsung, it runs on an Android OS and will smoothly operate many Android apps with ease.

On purchase, it comes with many different apps preinstalled. A good example is Nebo 4.0, which is used for note-taking by students at different levels. Although it is slim and easily portable, holding the 13-inch device for so long can be tiresome and uncomfortable.

The screen is highly responsive, although it will be slightly dimmer than most premium tablets at 400 nits. It will not be the best to use outdoors in high-light conditions.

Lenovo Tab M11: best for Kids

1. Screen Size: 11 inches
2. Resolution: 2020 x 1200 Pixels
3. Pen pressure sensitivity: 4,096 levels
4. Connectivity: USB-A to USB-C 2.0 charging cable
5. Processor: MediaTek Helio
6. Operating System: Android™ 13 (Upgradable to Android 15)
7. Memory: 4 GB
8. Storage: Up to 128 GB Expandable via MicroSD card
9. Battery Life: Up to 10 hours

If you are on a budget, the Lenovo Tab P12 is the best pick. It features a sleek body and a large 12.7-inch screen, with a matte finish and anti-glare display technology. The screen resolution is perfect at 3K or 2944 x 1840 pixels. TÜV-certified eye-care features will help reduce light it emits and therefor protecting your child’s eyes.

This affordable tablet is perfect for simple tasks such as drawing, note-taking, web browsing, and streaming. Like Samsung, it runs on an Android OS and will smoothly operate many Android apps with ease.

The screen is highly responsive, although it will be slightly dimmer than most premium tablets at 400 nits. It will not be the best to use outdoors in high-light conditions.

Lenovo Tab M11 is ideal for kids. This is made possible by a dedicated Kid’s Mode, small size that fits in a child hands and the overall thoughtful kid friendly features and design. It is firm and sturdy with reinforced round corners. It can withstand harsg user conditions common to kids like accidental drops and hits.

Finally, the Tab M11 allows parental settings and controls to manage your childs screen time, monitor usage and block harmful content. The preinstalled content and applications on purchase is made to enhance learning and gaming for kids. It comes with Google Kids Space and YouTube Kids. You can also add Khan Academy Kids, ABCmouse and more.

Lenovo Tab P11 Pro Gen 2: best For Note-taking

• Screen size: 11.2-inch
• Resolution: 2560 x 1536 pixels
• OS: Android 12
• RAM: 8 GB
• Processor: MediaTek Kompanio 1300T
• Lenovo’s Precision Pen 3 stylus
• Storage: 128 GB Expandable with MicroSD card
• Battery Life: 10 hours

The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro Gen 2 is a strong competitor against the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8. It has an 11.2-inch screen like the Tab S8, but what sets it apart is its rare OLED display that gives rich, deep colors for an impressive visual experience. 

It is an excellent choice for note-taking tasks thanks to Palm Rejection Technology that discards accidental touches as you use offering a perfect writing experience.

If you are taking quick notes, Lenovo’s Precision Pen 2 converts Handwriting-to-Text Conversion making it editable. This ensures quick note-taking and meetings planning. The pen makes writing comfortable and natural thanks to 4,096 pressure levels.

This pressure levels is good enough for writing. 8192 pressure levels would have been better if you are using it for drawing or creative work.

You will have organisational applications available like Nebo and OneNote that saves your work across platforms for flexible access.

The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro Gen 2 features a screen that is excellent, featuring a high resolution of 2560 x 1536 pixels, a smooth 120 Hz refresh rate, and HDR 10+, putting it in the top league. 

This tablet comes with Lenovo’s Precision Pen 3 stylus, offering a good writing experience and charging through induction, similar to more expensive options like Samsung’s S Pen or Apple’s Pencil 2. 

While its MediaTek Kompanio 1300T processor isn’t as powerful as Samsung’s, it manages games like PUBG Mobile and multitasking with apps such as Adobe Lightroom, though at slightly lower settings.

It launched with Android 12 and promises updates to Android 13 and 14, which is great. Its pen features aren’t as extensive as Samsung’s, but for its price, the Tab P11 Pro Gen 2 delivers a solid stylus experience, making it a noteworthy choice among Lenovo’s tablets. The tablet comes in 2 options one with a free keyboard and a stylus pen with only the tablet on the other.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+: Best for Media Consumption

1. Screen Size: 12.4 Inches
2. Resolution: 1752 x 2800 Pixels
3. Storage: 256 GB expandable to 512 GB
4. RAM: 12 GB
5. OS: Android Tablet
6. Long Battery Life
7. AMOLED 2X Screen
8. S Pen Included
9. Sensitivity: 4,096 levels
10. Connections: Bluetooth 5.1, WiFi, USB-C 2.0, 3.5mm
11. Audio jack
12. SIM/MicroSD slot

If you are looking for a tablet for streaming and media consumption, the Galaxy Tab S10+. To make this possible, it features a large 12.4-inch screen with 1752 x 2800 pixel resolution. The 2X AMOLED screen displays videos and online content in high-quality display and rich, colorful outlay.

The screen features anti-reflective glare that protects your eyes from too much light as you use your tablet. It also features high brightness levels, allowing for both indoor and outdoor use. Fors, a 120 Hz refresh rate is fast for both simple and complex gaming.

Despite being smaller than the 14.6-inch Ultra, its lower price range makes it ideal for people on a budget but still in need of a large and powerful tablet for entertainment.

The screen is not the only difference with the Galaxy S10 Ultra. The S10 Plus features a lower RAM at 12 GB instead of 16 GB. Additionally, the storage space can only be upgraded to a maximum of 512 GB instead of 1 TB like on the S10 Ultra.

However, the S10+ makes up for this by having both a cellular and non-cellular option available. This is not available on the Galaxy S10 Ultra US version. If you need a portable and comfortable gaming device, the smaller size makes it perfect and easy to use.

XP Pen Magic Drawing Pad: Best For Drawing

• Screen size: 12.2 Inches
• Resolution: 2160 by 1440 Pixels
• Color Gamut: 109% sRGB 
• OS: Android 12
• RAM: 8 GB
• Processor:  8-core MT8771
• GPU: ARM G57 MC2
• Storage: 256 GB expandable up to 512 GB using a micro SD card
• Pen Pressure: 16K Pressure Sensitive Stylus
• Battery Life: 13 hour

XP Pen Magic Drawing Pad is a professional tablet computer with a pen. It is the only XP Pen Tablet that does not need a computer connected to use. It comes with a large 12.2-inch screen with 2160 by 1440 pixels resolution.

The screen features a wide color gamut up to 109% sRGB that ensures accurate color display. A powerful stylus pen interacts with the large display to create fine strokes thanks to the 16K pressure sensitivity on the pen.

You will not have to charge the pen as it is battery-free and charges using EMR technology, or electromagnetic resonance technology. To process your work, you will have a powerful 8-core MT8771, 8 GB of RAM, and an ARM G57 MC2 graphic processor.

To save your files, the XP Pen Magic Drawing Pad comes with 256 GB of storage space but is expandable up to 512 GB using an external microSD card. You will, however, have to buy it separately.

All these factors, together with a light 599-gram weight and 13 hours of battery life, ensure easy portability even out of the office. Overall, this is a decent standalone tablet that you will not regret buying.

On purchase, you will get a free drawing glove, replacement nib, stylus pen, an AC adapter, and an easy Quick Start Guide.

Why Choose a Tablet with a Stylus?

A good stylus pen will help enhance the overall productivity on your tablet. If you are a professional looking for a tablet for note-taking, a stylus pen will easily change your tablet to a notepad or writing whiteboard.

It makes the tablet ideal for PDF reading, note-taking, editing presentations, and drawing. Most of these tablets are lightweight and easily portable.

If you are a digital artist, a stylus pen will combine with your tablet to create a sketch book for drawing needs. The pen features high pressure senstivity and tilt recognition for easy creation of strokes and lines, like you would on paper with a pen. You will be able to create stunning illustrations and digital art in high precision.

A good stylus pen will be perfect for a versatile range of tasks like Web surfing, reading books, signing documents and writing. The pen and tablet will provide a great user experience for general tasks.

How to choose the best Tablet with a Stylus

1. Display Quality
2. Stylus Functionality
3. Processing Power
4. Battery Life
5. Replacement Nibs, Short Cuts, and Accessories
6. Compatibility and Connectivity

Display Quality

When choosing the best one for you, you will first need to be sure of what tasks you want to use the tablet and pen for. After this, you will consider the tablet’s display size and resolution. This will determine how you will view your work.

Digital artists prefer high-resolution screens with a wide and accurate color gamut or accuracy and high refresh rate. Generally, a large screen and high resolution are better and more comfortable than a smaller one.

Stylus Functionality

A good stylus should offer high pen pressure sensitivity to create dynamic stroke thickness. Additionally, it should offer high tilt recognition to allow precise shading.

When choosing the best stylus, the first aspect to consider is the pen pressure sensitivity. 8192 pen pressure levels is the most ideal for professional drawing tablets. Most budget tablets feature lower sensitivity at 4096 levels. Premium tablets like Wacom, Huion, or XPPen offer 8K–16K levels, ensuring perfect precision.

The 3, Huion, Wacom, and XP Pen, used to be the best in the market. However, new brands like the Samsung S Pen have matched up in quality, creating premium-level stylus pens.

Android tablets have a wide range of pen options. However, only a few, like the Samsung S Pen, offer the right pressure sensitivity and tilt recognition for drawing and digital art.

Processing Power

Choose a tablet with a powerful processor plus large RAM to handle multitasking. Powerful processing power and RAM are ideal, especially for running complex apps like Photoshop or Procreate.

Battery Life

Some new stylus pens offer a battery-free option using EMR or electromagnetic resonance charging. This means that the pen automatically charges as you use it without having to connect to a power source. These types of stylus pens are more preferred by artists.

Replacement Nibs, Short Cuts, and Accessories

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra comes with some free replacement nibs for your pen. Check whether the pen you intend to buy comes with multiple nibs or not. More nibs mean that you do not have to buy every time.

Like other different tablets, you must consider the regular specifications like processor speed, storage space, battery life, operating system, and software. This will be based on your preferences and needs.

Compatibility and Connectivity

Finally, you will have to check the stylus support and compatibility of your device. For the pen, choose whether you need a passive or active stylus pen. Active pens have powerful inbuilt specifications and the capability to independently communicate with your tablet. They feature tilt recognition, high pen pressure levels, and sensitivity. They are perfect if you need a tablet for creative work, drawing, or editing.

Passive stylus pens are basic and do not communicate with your tablet electronically. There are also wireless and wired pen options. Wireless options are better, more flexible, and more modern.

How to test the best tablets with Pen

When testing both tablets and styluses, we check the intended usage, price, size and portability, display, performance, stylus pen, battery life, compatibility, and more. When testing the screen, we checked the screen size, resolution, color accuracy, brightness, refresh rate, and screen type. The higher the above specification, the better the tablet.

For the stylus pen, we checked the pen type, precision, pressure sensitivity, tilt recognition, and stylus overall functionality. Battery life was tested depending on functionality until depletion. Streaming and other simple tasks took longer, while complex tasks like gaming depleted the battery faster.

Top Picks

Frequently Asked Questions