Best drawing tablets that don’t need a computer

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If you are looking to keep up with the trend for the best drawing tablets that don’t need a computer, this is the perfect post for you because it covers new standalone drawing tablets that have a screen and a computer and do not need a computer connected to use.

Compared to pen displays that rely on drawing applications installed on the connected computer, standalone tablets have an inbuilt OS and screen that allow you to draw on the applications installed in their memory and not on a third-party device.

This type of tablet can come in different forms, such as iPads, Android or Windows tablets. Despite being similar, these are multipurpose tablets. There are new dedicated and affordable pen computer tablets that have come up from specialised drawing tablet producers like Huion, Wacom, XP Pen and Simbanns.

If you prefer Huion, you can choose between the 3 Huion Kamvas Slate series, that is, the Kamvas Slate 10, Kamvas Slate 11 or Kamvas Slate 13. For XP Pen users, the XP-Pen Magic Drawing Pad is a good pick. Wacom in 2025 also released their new standalone drawing tablet, which is the Wacom Movink (2025) series. It also comes in 3 sizes: the 11-inch, 13-inch and 14-inch versions.

Although they are affordable, most of these tablets are new and released and not cheap. If you want a budget option that has been available for a while, the Simbans Picasso Tab X (10″) is a perfect pick. If you are looking to keep up with the trend for the best drawing tablets that don’t need a computer, this is the perfect post for you because it covers new standalone drawing tablets that have a screen and a computer and do not need a computer connected to use.

Compared to pen displays that rely on drawing applications installed on the connected computer, standalone tablets have an inbuilt OS and screen that allow you to draw on the applications installed in their memory and not a third-party device.

This type of tablet can come in different forms, such as iPads, Android or Windows tablets. Despite being similar, these are multipurpose tablets. There are new dedicated and affordable pen computer tablets that have come up from specialised drawing tablet producers like Huion, Wacom, XP Pen and Simbanns.

If you prefer Huion, you can choose between the 3 Huion Kamvas Slate series, that is, the Kamvas Slate 10, Kamvas Slate 11 or Kamvas Slate 13. For XP Pen users, the XP-Pen Magic Drawing Pad is a good pick. Wacom in 2025 also released their new standalone drawing tablet, which is the Wacom Movink (2025) series. It also comes in 3 sizes: the 11-inch, 13-inch and 14-inch versions.

Although they are affordable, most of these tablets are new and released and not cheap. If you want a budget option that has been available for a while, the Simbans Picasso Tab X (10″) is a perfect pick.

What to look for in a good Drawing Tablets

1. Indipendent Standalone OS like Windows, Android or iOS
2. Stylus Pen with high pen pressure
3. Long battery life atleast 10 hours
4. Good Display Size and Quality
5. Available preinstalled appliations for drawing

Top Standalone Drawing Tablets

1. Apple iPad Pro M4 (2025) – Best Overall
2. Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ – Best Android Tablet
3. Huion Kamvas Slate (2025) – Affordable Standalone Option
4. Wacom Movink 13.3″ Drawing Tablet (2025)
5. Simbans Picasso Tab X – Best Budget Drawing Tablet
6. XP-Pen Magic Drawing Pad – Best Tablet for Sketching
7. Huion Kamvas Studio 16: Older Huion Standalone

Apple iPad Pro M4 (2025)

Best overall with an iPad OS

After the May 2024 iPad Pro upgrade, the iPad Pro 13-inch M4 is their new powerhouse with premium functionality.

It has the most powerful M4 processor and the largest screen on any iPad tablet at 13 inches. What is most important and unique on this screen is the new OLED display with a 2064 x 2752 pixel resolution.

The Apple iPad Pro 13 M4 and Apple iPad Pro 11 M4 are the only iPads with this kind of screen. OLED and AMOLED screens are crisper than other types of screens with minimal parallax. Apple made this change to more effectively compete with cheaper Samsung tablets.

This is the most powerful and diverse tablet in this review. Most features will be similar to the older iPad Pro M2 2022 save for some improvements we highlighted in our iPad Pro M4 vs. iPad Pro 12.9 comparison.

Compared to the Apple iPad Pro 12.9 that comes with the Apple Pencil 2nd Generation, the new Apple iPad Pro 13-inch M4 comes with a better Apple Pencil Pro.

Storage space comes in many options, from 128 GB to 2 TB, but still cannot be upgraded using a MicroSD slot like Android tablets. You have to buy the next size every time you upgrade, which can be expensive. iPads are multipurpose devices and can be used for many tasks, like creative work, graphic design, outdoor rugged tablets for work and more.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+(2025)

Best Android Tablet

Pros

1. Affordable price range for a tablet with an S Pen
2. Large and clear working area at 12.4 inches
3. Good value for your money
4. Durable water- and dust-resistant body
5. Long battery life

Cons

1. Lacks a cellular 5G option only usable with WiFi
2. Average power and performance with the regular Exynos 1380
3. The LCD screen would be better if it was OLED.
4. Not recommended for intense gaming. Low performance limits gaming.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ (2025) is a good budget Android tablet ideal for drawing. It offers a great drawing experience thanks to a high-pressure-sensitive S Pen and a large, high-resolution 12.4-inch screen. They both offer a natural pen-like feel when drawing, while the massive screen offers a comfortable working area.

The screen also features a 90 Hz refresh rate, almost as much as an iPad tablet, reducing image lags when drawing heavy media or playing complex games. For professional drawing, the tablet is compatible with professional drawing apps like Clip Studio Paint and Sketchbook.

The Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ (2025) was made in 2024 but has only been available in 2025. It is priced at an affordable $324.90 with a free S Pen.

Huion Kamvas Slate: Huion Standalone Tablets

The Kamvas Slate 13 has rich QHD resolution screen measuring 12.7 inches. It is the largest and sharpest of the 3 with 2176×1600 pixels resolution, 212 PPI and 4:3 ratio. It has double the storage comapred to the others 256 GB vs 128 GB on Slate 10 and 11. Due to its powerful specs, it is more expensive than the others at $359 compared to $249 and$299.

Huion Kamvas Slate 11 (2025)

Balanced performance and portability

If you are looking for a budget-friendly standalone tablet, the new Kamvas Slate 11 and Kamvas Slate 13, released in 2025, are perfect options. As a professional digital artist, the appeal of standalone tablets like the Huion Kamvas Slate 11 and Slate 13 lies in their promise of PC-free creativity with a familiar Android workflow. Both models feature a laminated IPS display, a nano-etched anti-glare surface, and 99% sRGB coverage—delivering a paper-like feel and vibrant visuals.

The Slate 11, with its 10.95-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200) screen, offers sharp detail in a compact 500 g form factor, ideal for sketching on the go. Its 90 Hz refresh rate ensures fluid drawing, and its 8-core Helio G99 processor with 8 GB RAM handles multitasking efficiently.

Meanwhile, the larger Slate 13 offers a 12.7-inch QHD (2176 x 1600) display with a 4:3 aspect ratio for more vertical canvas space, though its colour accuracy and contrast fall short of professional standards.

Both use Huion’s lightweight H-Pencil with 4,096 pressure levels and ±60° tilt support; however, the stylus relies on active capacitive tech rather than EMR, resulting in occasional jitter and a less refined pressure curve—suitable for casual use but limiting for precision work.

Storage-wise, the Slate 11 provides 128GB, while the Slate 13 bumps it to 256GB, both expandable up to 1TB. Battery life is impressive—10–12 hours on the Slate 11 and up to 14 hours on the Slate 13—making them great for mobile workflows.

Ultimately, while both devices serve as versatile Android sketchbooks for beginners and intermediate users, only the Slate 11 hits the sweet spot between value, portability, and casual functionality at $299.

The Slate 13, priced at $409, offers more screen space and power but doesn’t quite meet the standards demanded by professional illustrators or animators due to colour fidelity and stylus limitations. For those prioritising serious creative work, alternatives like the Galaxy Tab S9 FE or Wacom MobileStudio remain better investments.

The Slate 11 is perfect for students, kids, and hobbyists who want a lightweight, on-the-go sketchpad. It’s also ideal for reading comics, browsing Pinterest for art references, or using simple drawing apps. If you don’t need the full UI of Clip Studio or advanced color grading, this is the sweet spot.

The larger screen of the Slate 13 makes it better for multitasking, note-taking, or using apps in split-screen mode. It’s a desktop-lite experience, ideal for users who want more workspace and better app management. Just don’t expect it to replace a professional pen display or tablet.

Huion Kamvas Slate 10

Beginners and budget users

Huion Kamvas Slate 10 is the most affordable entry point into Huion’s standalone drawing tablet lineup and a great option if you want to draw without connecting to a computer.

As Huion’s first Android-based pen tablet, it delivers a fully self-contained creative experience at a price that typically sits under $300, making it ideal for beginners, hobbyists, and younger artists.

The 10.1-inch Full HD+ laminated display strikes a good balance between portability and usable drawing space, while the Unisoc T616 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage (expandable via microSD) provide smooth performance for everyday sketching, painting, and note-taking.

Running on Android 12, the Slate 10 supports popular drawing apps like ibisPaint and MediBang right out of the box. While it doesn’t match the colour accuracy or polish of higher-end tablets, it remains one of the best cheap standalone drawing tablets available for anyone who wants a simple, computer-free way to start digital art.

Simbans Picasso Tab X 10 Inch: 

Best Budget

Simbans Picasso Tab is a great drawing tablet that you can get at the lowest budget, and it comes with a stylus pen and an Autodesk Sketchbook App pre-installed. Its drawing specifications and affordable price range make it an ideal pick for beginners and students.

The tablet uses a MediaTek quad-core processor and 2 GB of RAM, which makes it easy to multitask. That’s not all. Simban Picasso has a high resolution of up to 1280 x 800 pixels that produces clear images.

Additionally, the 10-inch screen size makes drawing and watching movies easy and comfortable. We love how easy it is to work from anywhere with this tablet, and you can also connect it to Wi-Fi. The Simbans Picasso is a great pick at a perfect price for beginners. It is also good for sketching and is the cheapest standalone tablet on this list.

Another great thing is that on purchase, you will get a free screen protector, drawing glove, charger set, and cool leather case all in the box.

Unfortunately, if you are serious about your art, then we recommend spending a little more on professional-level tablets such as Wacom Mobile Studio Pro or KAMVAS Studio 16.

The tablet is good when you start off sketching, but not the best in the long run. Check out our Simbans Picasso X Tab detailed review.

XP Pen Magic Drawing Pad (2024)

Best Tablet for Sketching

The XP Pen Magic Drawing Pad is the first pen computer from XP Pen. It is a perfect alternative to many high-end iPads and Android tablets such as the iPad Pro and Galaxy S8 Ultra.

Just like Samsung tablets, it features a large 256 GB storage space that can be upgraded to 512 GB using an external Micro SD card. Processing power is also perfect for running Photoshop and many other design software. It features a powerful 8-core MT8771 processor, supported by an ARM G57 MC2 GPU plus 8 GB RAM.

Whether you need a simple tablet for drawing or a complex powerhouse for 2D and 3D animation and video editing, the XP Pen Magic Drawing Pad is perfect.

To match up to the standards set by Samsung in the drawing industry, it comes with a pen almost as powerful as Samsung’s S pen. The pen is battery-free and will charge as you use it without having to connect it with wires.

This is made possible by EMR technology or Electromagnetic Resonance in full. The display size is larger than the Galaxy S6 Lite but smaller than the iPad Pro at 12.2 inches.

The large screen size and even larger resolution at 2160 x 1440 Pixels make for a crisp and clean display. You will view your work in accurate and vivid color display thanks to 109% sRGB, and 82% Adobe RGB color gamut.

On purchase, you will get some free accessories such as a slim case with a pen holder slot that can work as a simple stand. You will also get a free USB-C charger and cable to charge your device.

A free XP Pen X3 Pro Pencil is also included plus four plastic nibs plus a nib remover. To protect your screen from sweaty palms, you get a free screen-protecting glove to wear as you draw.

If you need a simpler tablet for sketching that does not come with a screen we recommend either the Wacom Intuos Pro or XP-Pen Deco. Unfortunately both are not standalone devices.

Huion Kamvas Studio 16

Huion Kamvas Studio 16 is a new pen computer tablet for both professional and beginner digital artists. It features excellent specifications on the large screen and an ergonomic pen that create a perfect drawing experience. However, it still has its fair share of shortcomings, like its bulky weight and short battery life.

This article will help you understand in detail everything you need to know about how good or bad this tablet can be. We will consider the most important considerations on a drawing tablet, like the display, portability, pen pressure, power and performance, battery life, connectivity, and OS.

We will also compare it with other similar-sized tablets like the Kamvas 16 and Kamvas 16 Pro. It is important to note that the Kamvas Studio 16 and the larger Kamvas Studio 24 were produced to replace the Kamvas Studio 22, which has since been discontinued.

If you want a single working station without having to connect many gadgets and computers, the Kamvas Studio 16 is a perfect pick for you.

Pros

• Windows OS, like on laptop devices
• Large screen size and resolution
• Powerful processor and RAM
• Comes with a Stand
• Affordable Price

Cons

• No shortcut keys
• Bulky body design
• Short battery life
• It lacks some simple and crucial accessories that are available on cheaper tablets, like a trackpad, keyboard, and a user-friendly interface.

Specifications

• Screen Size: 15.8 inches
• Resolution: 2560 x 1440 Pixels (16:9)
• Contrast Ratio: 1200:1
• Brightness: 400 nits
• Processor: Intel Core i7-1165G7
• RAM: 16 GB DDR4
• Storage: 512 GB SSD
• Connectivity: WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
• Camera: 5.0MP (front-facing), 8.0MP rear
• OS: Windows

How to choose the right standalone Drawing tablet

When choosing the best tablet for your needs, you need to consider the screen quality, resolution, and colour accuracy. A wide colour gamut will ensure you view rich, accurate colours. The screen size and aspect ratio will ensure you are comfortable when working on your drawing tablet. You can choose either a 16:9 or 16:10 aspect ratio and 1920 x 1080 full HD resolution and above.

As an artist, the display quality is crucial and should be the first thing you check before you pay for your drawing tablet. If you don’t want a screen that reflects, we recommend you go for a matte screen. A good example of a drawing tablet with a matte display is the Wacom Mobile Studio.

You want to produce high-quality images. Therefore, you need to choose a tablet with high colour accuracy. Apple and Samsung have tablets that have great colour accuracy, so you can never go wrong with these two brands.

Stylus Pen Performance

For the tablet’s pen performance, choose a tablet with high-pressure sensitivity, ±60 degrees tilt recognition, and high drawing precision. Make sure to check whether the Ben is available or is bought separately. Tablets that come with a free pen are normally cheaper and more affordable.

It’s hard to produce accurate drawings without a stylus pen, and thus it is a crucial accessory. If you’re a fan of matte screens or glossy screens, you will have to pick the right one that makes it easy to draw.

Operating System Compatibility

Tablets come in various brands based on the operating system they run. For example, iPads come with iPadOS, while Samsung tablets come with Android OS. Windows tablets have similar operating systems and processors to laptops that are Windows 10/11 and Intel Core i5 or i7.

When choosing the best one, it is important to consider whether the tablet OS you buy is compatible with the system you intend to use it with.

Battery Life and Connectivity

Finally, choose a tablet that easily connects to your devices when need be. For this, check the availability of HDMI and USB-C ports. The battery life on your tablet will affect the tablet’s portability. Choose a tablet that charges fast and retains power for at least a whole 8- to 10-hour working day.

What are drawing tablets that don’t need a computer?

A standalone tablet is a device that combines a good screen display, a good stylus pen, and an inbuilt computer system for drawing. It eradicates the need to connect to a laptop, PC, computer, or Android phone when drawing.

All the applications and features needed to draw are included within the tablet. This is different from traditional pen tablets or pen displays that need a computer to always be connected to use.

Pen tablets rely on the laptop or PC for both the screen and computer platform to install your drawing application. Pen display tablets have a screen but depend on your laptop to access the drawing application since they do not have a computer.

Drawing tablet, no computer needed vs. traditional tablets

You will notice that standalone tablets come in different brands, such as general-purpose Apple iPads, Samsung, and Windows, and dedicated drawing tablets like Kamvas Studio 16, Wacom Mobile Pro 16, and the XP Pen Magic Drawing Pad. Their OS is built in within the tablet depending on the brand.

Having the applications installed directly on the tablet means that it needs to have its own storage space, OS, RAM, and processor.

You will get a free stylus and accessories on most of the tablets in this review. However, most pen computer tablets are made for maximum portability, allowing you to work on the go without the need for additional gadgets.

Frequently Asked Questions