Top 11 Best Tablets With Stylus Pen Tested | 2026 Edition

If you’re looking for a tablet with a great stylus for drawing, writing or taking notes, you’ve come to the right place. Here at MyNextTablet we’ve been reviewing tablets since 2008. Below, I’ve listed the best tablets with stylus support you can buy right now, from the most affordable option all the way up to the absolute best drawing tablet money can buy. I start with our best value pick and move up the price ladder, so you can see exactly what you get if you spend a bit more.

Best Tablets With A Stylus: A Quick Overview

Here’s a quick rundown of our picks. Scroll down for the detailed breakdown of each tablet.

• Best value tablet with pen: Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Lite (on Amazon)*. The S Pen is included and works just as well as on Samsung’s $1,200 flagship. Great for students on a budget.
• Best mid-range iPad with pen: Apple iPad 11 (on Amazon)*. The cheapest iPad with Apple Pencil support. Amazing apps and long-term updates — perfect for students.
• Best mid-range Android tablet with pen: Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE & S10 FE+ (on Amazon)*. Excellent S Pen, waterproof design, 7 years of updates. The FE+ at 13.1 inches is great for artists.
• Best drawing iPad for most people: Apple iPad Air M3 (on Amazon)*. The Apple Pencil Pro is fantastic on the laminated display, and the M3 chip handles any creative app.
• Best 11-inch Android pen tablet: Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 (on Amazon)*. Bright AMOLED, flagship performance, great S Pen, IP68 — Samsung’s best 11-inch tablet ever.
• Best Windows tablet with pen: Microsoft Surface Pro 12″ & Surface Pro 11 (on Amazon)*. Full Windows 11 with desktop apps like Photoshop and Blender. The Surface Pen is really solid.
• Best large Android pen tablet: Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra (on Amazon)*. A massive 14.6-inch AMOLED canvas with incredible speakers and the best S Pen experience.
• Best tablet for professional artists: Apple iPad Pro M5 (on Amazon)*. The Apple Pencil Pro with gyroscope, the tandem OLED display, and apps like Procreate make this the ultimate drawing tablet.

All Our Picks In Detail

Let’s check them out in more detail. You’ll find all our detailed reviews linked below. And I’ve embedded our video reviews for you.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Lite: Best Value Tablet With A Pen

Let’s start with our best value pick, and it’s the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Lite. The reason it’s here is simple: the included S Pen works just as well as the S Pen on Samsung’s $1,200 Tab S11 Ultra. That’s not an exaggeration — it’s the exact same writing and drawing experience, just on a cheaper tablet. The pen never needs to be charged, has zero noticeable lag, and attaches magnetically to the side. Samsung Notes is also the best notes app on Android, and it’s exclusive to Samsung devices.

The 10.9-inch LCD display is laminated, which means there’s no air gap between the glass and the panel — so it actually looks like you’re writing directly on the display. Compared to the iPad 11, which is not laminated, the writing experience on the S10 Lite is noticeably better. The display runs at 90Hz and hits 600 nits, so it’s smooth and bright enough.

Now, here’s the catch. The Exynos 1380 chipset is pretty weak — roughly 60 percent slower than the iPad 11’s A16 chip. For gaming, that’s a real problem. But if you want the best stylus experience for the least amount of money, the S10 Lite is hard to beat. Just wait for the price to drop to around $300.

Display	10.9″ LCD | 2112 x 1320 | 90Hz | 600 nits
Processor	Exynos 1380 | 6-8GB RAM | 128-256GB
Stylus	S Pen included
Connectivity	USB-C 2.0 | microSD | Wi-Fi 6
Battery	8 hours (our test)
Our Score	7/10

Read our full review: Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Lite Review

Apple iPad 11: Best Mid-Range iPad With Pen Support

The iPad 11 is the cheapest way to get into the Apple ecosystem with a stylus. It supports the Apple Pencil USB-C and the older Pencil 1, and for notes, sketches, and casual drawing, it works fine. Now, there is one thing you should know: the display is not laminated. That means there’s a small air gap between the glass on top and the actual display panel underneath, so when you write or draw with the Pencil, it can look like the pen tip isn’t quite touching the display. For professional artists, that’s a dealbreaker. But for most people — especially students taking notes in class or marking up PDFs — it’s honestly not something you’ll notice much.

The other downside is the 60Hz refresh rate — every Android competitor at this price offers at least 90Hz. But here’s why we still really recommend the iPad 11, especially for students: the software is just better. iPadOS has way more tablet-optimized apps than Android — Procreate, Affinity Photo, a really good version of Photoshop. The A16 chip is fast, everything runs smoothly, and Apple supports their iPads with updates for 7 years or more. This $349 tablet will serve you really well for a very long time.

If you want a better drawing experience on an iPad though, you’ll need the iPad Air with its laminated display and Apple Pencil Pro support — but that’s also twice the price.

Display	11″ LCD | 2360 x 1640 | 60Hz | 500 nits
Processor	Apple A16 | 6GB RAM | 128-512GB
Stylus	Apple Pencil USB-C (sold separately)
Connectivity	USB-C 2.0 | Wi-Fi 6E
Battery	5 hours (our test)
Our Score	8/10

Read our full review: Apple iPad 11 Review

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE & S10 FE+: Best Mid-Range Android Tablets With Pen

A solid step up from the S10 Lite is the Galaxy Tab S10 FE, and its bigger sibling, the S10 FE+. These two add some important features: IP68 water and dust protection, a fingerprint scanner, brighter displays at 800 nits, and a bit more processing power. The S Pen experience is identical — same zero-lag writing, same Samsung Notes app, same laminated display. Clearly better than the iPad 11 for pen work.

The big question is which size to get. The S10 FE at 10.9 inches is great for portability, while the 13.1-inch S10 FE+ gives you a much larger canvas for drawing and split-screen multitasking. For students who draw or sketch a lot, I’d lean towards the FE+ — more screen real estate makes a real difference.

The one weak spot is gaming. The Exynos 1580 struggles with demanding titles — Fortnite at Epic settings is basically unplayable. But for pen-focused productivity — notes, PDFs, sketching, office work — the S10 FE series is a really compelling package, especially with 7 years of Samsung updates and that IP68 peace of mind.

Display (FE)	10.9″ LCD | 2304 x 1440 | 90Hz | 800 nits
Display (FE+)	13.1″ LCD | 2880 x 1800 | 90Hz | 800 nits
Processor	Exynos 1580 | 8-12GB RAM | 128-256GB
Stylus	S Pen included
Features	IP68 | Fingerprint reader | microSD
Battery	8.5h (FE) / 9h (FE+) (our test)
Our Score	7/10

Read our full review: Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Review

Apple iPad Air M4 (11″ & 13″): Best Drawing iPad For Most People

Now we’re getting into premium territory. The iPad Air M4 is where the drawing experience on an iPad gets seriously good. Unlike the basic iPad, the Air has a fully laminated display — so it actually feels like you’re drawing directly on the screen. And it supports the Apple Pencil Pro, which is the best tablet stylus on the market right now. It has pressure sensitivity, tilt detection, and a built-in gyroscope that detects pen rotation — so if you’re using a calligraphy brush in Procreate, you can rotate the pen and the brush angle changes with it.

The M4 chip is absurdly powerful — about 10 percent faster than the Galaxy Tab S11 in CPU and significantly ahead in GPU performance. You can edit 4K video, run Photoshop, even play Resident Evil 3. It comes in 11-inch and 13-inch versions — the 13-inch gives you more canvas.

My only real complaints are the 60Hz refresh rate — which Apple stubbornly refuses to upgrade — and the short battery life at just 5.5 hours in our test. But all things considered, the iPad Air is the sweet spot for most people who are serious about drawing or notetaking. The Pencil Pro, the laminated display, the M4 performance, and the iPad app ecosystem — it’s really hard to beat at this price.

Display	11″ or 13″ LCD | 264 ppi | 60Hz | 500-600 nits
Processor	Apple M4 | 8GB RAM | 128GB-1TB
Stylus	Apple Pencil Pro compatible (sold separately)
Connectivity	USB-C 3.0 | Wi-Fi 6E
Battery	5.5 hours (our test)
Our Score	9/10

Read our full review: Apple iPad Air M3 Review

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11: Best 11-Inch Android Pen Tablet

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 is where things get really exciting. The AMOLED display hits 1,600 nits — bright enough to comfortably use outside in direct sunlight — with deep blacks, vibrant colors, and a buttery smooth 120Hz refresh rate. The redesigned S Pen has a pencil-like shape that’s more comfortable for long drawing sessions, never needs to be charged, and attaches magnetically. Writing and drawing feel excellent.

Performance is top-tier — the Dimensity 9400+ even beats the Snapdragon 8 Elite in GPU benchmarks. Fortnite now runs at up to 120 FPS. The battery lasts an impressive 12.75 hours in our test. You also get IP68, microSD, USB-C 3.2 for external monitors, Samsung DeX, and 7 years of updates.

The only real downside for artists is the app situation. Samsung Notes is excellent, but if you need professional-grade apps like Procreate, that’s still iPad-only. For everything else — notes, PDFs, sketching, and general pen productivity — the Tab S11 is an absolute beast. It got a perfect 10 from us for a reason.

Display	11″ AMOLED | 2560 x 1600 | 120Hz | 1600 nits
Processor	MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ | 12GB RAM | 128-512GB
Stylus	S Pen included
Features	IP68 | USB-C 3.2 | microSD | Samsung DeX
Battery	12.75 hours (our test)
Our Score	10/10

Read our full review: Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Review

Microsoft Surface Pro 12″ & Surface Pro 11: Best Windows Tablets With Pen

If you need a full desktop operating system with stylus support, the Surface Pro lineup is your best bet. The Surface Pro 12 is the newer, more compact 12-inch model with a completely fanless design — it feels more like an iPad than any Surface before it. The Surface Pro 11 is the bigger 13-inch model with more power and an optional OLED display. Both work with the Surface Slim Pen 2, which has haptic feedback that simulates a paper-like texture. And the huge advantage is you can draw in real desktop apps — not just mobile versions.

The ARM software situation has actually gotten a lot better. Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Blender all run natively on the Snapdragon X chips now. Clip Studio Paint works great via emulation. Illustrator is still catching up — there’s a beta for ARM but no stable release yet. Gaming is still very limited though. The Surface Pro 12 lasted 9.65 hours in our battery test, which is solid, but the keyboard cover and pen are sold separately, so you’re easily over $1,000 for the full setup.

For mobile professionals who need Windows and a pen — especially if you use Photoshop, Blender, or Clip Studio Paint — the Surface Pro is an excellent choice. Just double-check that your specific apps run on ARM before buying.

Display (Pro 12)	12″ LCD | 2196 x 1464 | 90Hz | 400 nits
Display (Pro 11)	13″ LCD or OLED | 120Hz
Processor (Pro 12)	Snapdragon X Plus | 16GB RAM | 256GB-1TB
Processor (Pro 11)	Snapdragon X Elite | 16-32GB RAM
Stylus	Surface Slim Pen 2 (sold separately, ~$130)
Battery (Pro 12)	9.65 hours (our test)
Our Score (Pro 12)	8/10

Read our full review: Microsoft Surface Pro 12 Review

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra: Best Large Android Pen Tablet

If you want the biggest possible canvas for drawing on an Android tablet, the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is it. The 14.6-inch AMOLED display is absolutely massive and beautiful — deep blacks, vibrant colors, super thin bezels, and an anti-reflection coating that actually works. The S Pen experience is the same as on the Tab S11, but on a much larger screen, and for artists who like to draw on a big canvas, that extra real estate makes a meaningful difference.

Performance and battery life are both outstanding. The Dimensity 9400+ handles everything with ease, and the S11 Ultra lasted an incredible 14.2 hours in our battery test. The speakers are also exceptional — loud, clear, and with surprisingly good bass.

The main downsides are the size and the price. At 692 grams and 14.6 inches, drawing basically requires a desk or a stand. And while the S Pen is great, the iPad Pro still has the edge for serious artists — the Apple Pencil Pro’s gyroscope and the much better selection of professional drawing apps give Apple a clear advantage for dedicated digital art. But for notetaking, PDF annotation, and pen productivity on the biggest possible screen, the S11 Ultra is king.

Display	14.6″ AMOLED | 2960 x 1848 | 120Hz | 1000+ nits
Processor	MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ | 12-16GB RAM | 256GB-1TB
Stylus	S Pen included
Features	IP68 | USB-C 3.2 | microSD | Samsung DeX
Battery	14.2 hours (our test)
Our Score	9/10

Read our full review: Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra Review

Apple iPad Pro M5 (11″ & 13″): Best Tablet For Professional Artists

And here it is — the best tablet for drawing, period. The iPad Pro M5 has a tandem OLED display with two OLED layers stacked together, hitting 1,600 nits peak brightness with incredibly accurate colors and a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate. And the Apple Pencil Pro is still the best tablet stylus money can buy — flawless pressure sensitivity, tilt detection, a gyroscope for natural brush rotation, a squeeze gesture for quick tool switching, and haptic feedback. No other stylus comes close.

Then there are the apps. Procreate, Affinity Photo, a really solid version of Photoshop, and Clip Studio Paint — the iPad has the best selection of professional drawing and creative apps by far, and they all run beautifully on the M5 chip, which is roughly 3.5 times faster than the Galaxy Tab S11 in graphics. Battery life is also excellent at nearly 13 hours.

The downside is the price. The 11-inch starts at $999, the 13-inch at $1,299, and the Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard are sold separately — so you’re easily over $1,500. But if you’re serious about digital art, illustration, or design, the iPad Pro M5 is in a league of its own. Nothing else comes close.

Display	11″ or 13″ Tandem OLED | 120Hz | 1600 nits
Processor	Apple M5 | 12-16GB RAM | 256GB-2TB
Stylus	Apple Pencil Pro compatible (sold separately)
Features	Thunderbolt 3 | Face ID | Wi-Fi 7
Battery	12.85 hours (our test, 11″)
Our Score	10/10

Read our full review: Apple iPad Pro M5 Review

Which One Should You Get?

So there you have it — our picks for the best tablets with a stylus in 2026. If you’re on a budget, go with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Lite. If you want an iPad, the iPad 11 is a solid starting point, but the iPad Air is where the drawing experience really gets good. For Android fans who want the full premium package, the Galaxy Tab S11 is incredible. If you need Windows, get the Surface Pro. And for professional artists, the iPad Pro M5 is simply the best drawing tablet money can buy.

Make sure to check out our full in-depth reviews linked above if you want all the benchmark numbers, gaming tests, and detailed comparisons. And if you’re looking for the best tablets overall — not just for stylus use — check out our best Android tablets and best iPads lists.