Best Drawing Pads For Mac in 2023

The digital arts industry has evolved in such a fantastic way. From the era of rough sketches and now jaw-dropping paintings. And even though we know that the era of Paint.exe is long gone, achieving these smooth cute creations with just a mouse is impractical. 

As a digital illustrator, you must arm yourself with an excellent drawing pad to bring your imagination to reality. While many drawing pads are in the market, getting a good one compatible with the Mac’s OS is another challenge. 

We aren’t saying that there are no drawing pads for Mac OS. This means that finding the best drawing pads for Mac in an ocean full of drawing pads is challenging. 

For that reason, we went out of our way to test a few drawing pads for Mac, and we are excited to share our review with you.

Best Drawing Pads For Mac

GAOMON M10K 10×6.25-Best Overall

• Drawing Area: 10×6.26 inches
• Connectivity: USB
• Compatibility: Mac OS 10.12 or later, Windows 7,8, and 10
• Pen Pressure: 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity

GAOMON M10K is our favorite drawing pad for Mac because it features a good working surface area and a battery-free stylus pen. 

Drawing on this tablet gives you a pen-and-paper experience, and the precision is awesome. 

The GAOMON M10K drawing pad has a matte finish and a plastic body making it really lightweight. Its matte working area makes drawing smooth and easy. 

When it comes to sensitivity,  the GAOMON M10K has 8192 pressure sensitivity levels that make it easy to draw smooth and natural lines. 

Huion 420 OSU- Best Cheap Drawing Pad For Mac

• Drawing Area: 4×2.23 Inches
• Compatibility: Mac OS 10.12 or later, Windows 7 and above
• Connectivity: USB
• Pen Pressure: 2048 Levels of Pen Pressure

Huion 420 USO comes at a super low price and is lightweight too. If you’re on a tight budget and want a drawing pad that works perfectly with Mac, the 420 might be your best pick. 

This tablet weighs 165g and is 7mm thick. The 420 also features a 4×2.23 working area and a sleek design making it easy to use remotely. 

For someone who is a professional artist, this drawing pad might seem basic, but it’s ideal for novices looking for a pad for sketching,  drawing, and editing images. 

The HUION 420 USO drawing tablet is not only compatible with Mac OS 10.12 or later but is also compatible with Windows 7. You can also use several drawing apps like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Paint Tool SAI, and most drawing software.  

Wacom Cintiq 22- Best High-End Drawing Pad For Mac

• Display: 21.5 Inches
• Connectivity: USB and HDMI
• Pen Pressure: 8192 Levels Of Pressure Sensitivity
• Compatibility: Windows 7 or later, Mac OS X 10.12 or later

If you want an excellent drawing pad to help you produce high-end creations, this Wacom Cintiq 22-inch can get you on another level. Wacom has been one of the most trusted brands in drawing pads because of its practical products. 

The Cintiq 22 is one of the most popular tablets the company has released. Although it was released in 2018, the tablet was designed with high-level technology that still beats some tablets released in 2023. 

Unlike other drawing tablets, the Cintiq features a display, giving you a glimpse of strokes in real-time. The Wacom has a 21.5-inch display with a 1920×1080 resolution and a battery-free Wacom Pro Pen 2. 

We love the way the Pro Pen 2 gives a naturally smooth drawing experience, and its 60% tilt support makes it comfortable to draw. The pen also has an impressive 8192 pressure sensitivity level which makes the pen highly sensitive. 

Regarding compatibility, the Wacom Cintiq 22 is compatible with Mac OS and Windows but leaves out Android and Linux operating systems. 

Wacom Intuos Small – Best Entry Drawing Pad For Mac

• Connectivity: USB and Bluetooth
• Pen Pressure: 4096 Levels of Pen Pressure Sensitivity 
• Compatibility: Mac OS, Windows, Chromebook, and Android

The Wacom Intuos Small drawing tablet suits beginner artists tapping into the digital arts industry. Wacom Intuos features a small design with four express keys, Bluetooth connectivity, and a 4096 pressure-sensitive battery-free pen. 

This tablet works with Mac OS X 10.10 and above, Windows 7 and above, Chromebook’s latest OS, and Android. So far, this Wacom Intuos S is one of the best tablets we’ve tested regarding compatibility, so you don’t have any limitations. 

Wacom Intuos comes in two sizes, small and medium. While you might get tempted to pick the smaller size, we highly recommend the medium size.

Drawing on the small size feels so uncomfortable, especially if you intend to draw for longer sessions. The medium size tablet will complement your computer’s screen and offer a wider range of motion. 

 VIEKK A15 Drawing Pad – Best Professional Cheap Drawing Pad For Mac

• Drawing Area: 10×6 Inches
• Pen Pressure: 8192 Levels Of Pen Pressure Sensitivity
• Compatibility: Mac OS, Windows, Android, and Linux
• Connectivity: USB

Although the VIEKK A15 Drawing Pad is not a professional drawing pad per se, it does feature incredible professional features at a fair cost. You don’t have to break the bank to get a tablet with pro features. The VIEKK is a game-changer for beginners looking for a pen paper natural pen-paper experience on a tablet. 

 VIEKK A15 has a drawing area of 10×6 inches with 8192 pen pressure sensitivity and tilt support. The pen is highly sensitive and feels pretty good on hand. One thing that sets VIEKK A15 apart is that it can be customized to accommodate your needs. 

We usually have reservations on other tablets with a low price besides Wacom, but that’s not it anymore. This VIEKK A15 proved beyond measure that it could also win a battle against a Wacom drawing tablet. 

The tablet performs excellently with Lightroom and Photoshop. Besides its performance, this tablet is lightweight, so you can carry it easily and work from anywhere. 

XP Pen Deco V2 Drawing Tablet- Best Drawing Tablet For MacBook Air

• Working Area: 10×6.25
• Connectivity: USB
• Pen Pressure: 8192 Levels of Pen Pressure Sensitivity
• Compatibility: Mac OS 10.10 and above, Windows 10, 8, 7, Android 6.0 and above, Chrome OS 88 and above

XP Pen Deco V2 is an incredible drawing pad for professionals looking for a highly responsive and larger working area. The Deco V2 has on-device shortcut keys, a powerful stylus, and broad compatibility options. 

We’ve tried to use this tablet with a Macbook via a USB connection, and we were more than impressed because there were zero lags. The tablet is also compatible with a wide range of apps like Autodesk, FlipaClip, Sketchbook, and Artrage. 

If you’re a traveler or someone who loves working from one point to the other in your home, this Deco V2 is highly portable, making things easy for you. 

What to Consider when Choosing the Best Drawing Pad For Mac

Before you buy your drawing pad, you want to ensure you’ve considered the essential aspects of your drawing pad. Below are some of the most important things to consider when purchasing the best drawing pad for Mac:

Working Area

When purchasing a drawing pad for a Mac, you need to look out for the size of the working area. A pad with a large working area offers enough room to draw in more details comfortably. 

Besides the working area, you need an ergonomic pad, so you don’t get fatigued when working on your projects. 

Pressure Sensitivity

Pressure sensitivity is one of the most essential features when purchasing any drawing pad. The pressure sensitivity of a drawing pad determines how thick or thin your lines are, just like when you’re working with a pen and paper. 

Shortcut Keys

Most drawing pads feature customizable shortcut keys. Shortcut keys are buttons on the drawing pads that allow you to switch between textures, brushes, and other presets. 

Connectivity

Connectivity refers to how your drawing pad connects to your computer either wired or wireless connectivity. 

Some tablets connect to your computer via Bluetooth and some use a USB cable. And while wireless connection reduces clutter on your working table, wired connections are more reliable than Bluetooth.