The Best Tablets for Photoshop on the Market Today
After a deep analysis and research, we’ve gathered the best tablets for Photoshop; keep reading to find which is the best for you!- Best Tablet for Photoshop Overall –
- Best Apple Tablet for Photoshop —
- Best Standalone Tablet for Photoshop —
- Best Price-Value Large Pen Display for Photoshop —
- Best Large Pen Display for Photoshop —
- Best Pen Tablet for Photoshop —
- Best Budget Pen Tablet —
1. Best Tablet for Photoshop Overall — Microsoft Surface Pro 9
Selection Criteria:
- Software compatibility: Capable of full version Photoshop.
- Our score: 10/10
- Size and portability: 13 inches, Very Portable
- Our score: 9/10
- CPU & GPU: Intel Core i7-1255U, Intel Iris Xe
- Our score: 10/10
- Storage and RAM: 512 GB SSD and 16GB of RAM
- Our score: 10/10
- Display and Color Accuracy: Pixelsense Flow [2880 x 1920px] 106% sRGB coverage
- Our score: 9/10
- Stylus: Sold apart, 4096 Levels of pressure
- Our score: 8/10
- Battery Life: 5 to 7 hours
- Our Score: 6/10
- Price: $1879
- Our score: 7/10
About the Microsoft Surface Pro 9
We’ve selected this model as the top tablet for photoshop because it has it all. It is portable, it has a decent battery life, the pen works just fine, it’s very powerful, it supports the full version of Photoshop, and it’s not as expensive as in previous years. The advantage of having a windows tablet with a powerful CPU and a decent GPU, a stylus with pressure sensitivity, and a decent display to work on. It replaces a laptop and a drawing tablet, and it has enough battery to run for hours. It is a solid device; it has it all and does it all for a good price. Still, it’s certainly not the best in every category. So, if you’re looking for a top-quality display, extended battery life, or high levels of color accuracy, check out our other options; however, none of them will be able to run Photoshop and other software without needing to connect to a laptop7PC or will have the full version of Photoshop like the Surface Pro.Pros
- Can run most professional software
- It has a great processor
- The stylus issues were fixed
Cons
- It’s relatively expensive
- The pen is sold separately
- It doesn’t have the best display
2. Best Apple Tablet for Photoshop — iPad Pro 12.9 M2
Selection Criteria
- Software compatibility: Capable of full version Photoshop.
- Our score: 10/10
- Size and portability: 12.9 inches, Very Portable
- Our score: 9/10
- CPU & GPU: Apple M2 Chip, Apple M2 Integrated Graphics
- Our score: 10/10
- Storage and RAM: 256 GB SSD and 16GB of RAM
- Our score: 7/10
- Display and Color Accuracy: [2048 x 2732 px] Liquid Retina XDR, 117% sRGB coverage
- Our score: 9/10
- Stylus: Sold apart, Levels of pressure non-specified.
- Our score: 8/10
- Battery Life: 9 to 10 hours
- Our Score: 10/10
- Price: $1249
- Our score: 9/10
About the Apple iPad Pro M2
The iPad Pro M2 is the best tablet in the market at the moment. Yes, it’s incredibly versatile; it has a lot of interesting features, a fantastic display, high color accuracy, the Apple Pencil, a stylus that’s great for drawing, painting, and notetaking, and a battery life that’s reliable to last 10 hours of intensive work. If you’re looking for an excellent tablet and you have the budget, go for this one. There’s nothing better. Then why isn’t it at the top? Simple: It doesn’t support the full version of photoshop. Honestly speaking, the photoshop app that is available for iPad only sucks. It has some features that are nice; however, compared to other apps, it’s just not it. If you plan on using Photoshop for sketching, digital painting, and some light photo editing (very light) and plan on using other creative apps that work wonderfully on the iPad, then by all means, go for it. The developers will probably add more features and fix what’s broken over the years. But, if your work depends entirely on photoshop, this tablet is not for you. You’re better off with a pen display and a laptop or the Microsoft surface, of course, in case of color accuracy is not crucial for your work.Pros
- Great Display and color accuracy.
- Long battery life
- Hass full sRGB and DCI-P3 coverage
Cons
- It is a bit expensive
- The Apple Pencil is sold separately
- The photoshop app is very limited.
3. Best Standalone Tablet for Photoshop — Wacom Mobile Studio Pro 16
Selection Criteria
- Software compatibility: Limited version of photoshop.
- Our score: 10/10
- Size and portability: 16 inches, Relatively Portable
- Our score: 8/10
- CPU & GPU: Intel Core i7-8559U, Nvidia Quadro P1000
- Our score: 10/10
- Storage and RAM: 512 GB SSD and 16GB of RAM
- Our score: 9/10
- Display and Color Accuracy: Multitouch IPS 4K UHD [3840 x 2160], 85% Adobe RGB
- Our score: 8/10
- Stylus: Wacom Pro Pen 2, 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity for pen and eraser
- Our score: 9/10
- Shortcut Keys: 8 press keys and a touch wheel
- Our Score: 9/10
- Battery Life: 4 to 5 hours
- Our Score: 6/10
- Price: $2452
- Our score: 7/10
About the Wacom Mobile Studio Pro
The Wacom Mobile Studio Pro was supposed to be the perfect device that combines power, portability, and drawing precision. It is all that, in some way, but also one of the most expensive devices on the market. As with any Wacom tablet, the Wacom Mobile Studio Pro is a great device; it has the precision of the Wacom Pro Pen, and it has the build and quality of any Cintiq; it has a fantastic UHD Display, a not-perfect but decent color coverage and a strong processor and GPU. Why isn’t it as popular, then? The Wacom Mobile Studio Pro 16 has its limitations, and for many artists, having a device whose battery lasts a few hours, which is also thick and heavy to carry around, and that doesn’t include a stand, isn’t worth the price. So the main question should be, do you have the budget for this tablet? If so, this tablet is the best combination of a graphics tablet and a PC you could find, with all the qualities needed for creatives to use photoshop and more demanding software fully.Pros
- Great Display and color accuracy.
- Includes the Wacom Pro Pen 2
Cons
- It is very expensive
- The battery life is not great.
- It’s on the heavy side and doesn’t include a stand.
4. Best Price-Value Large Pen Display for Photoshop — Wacom Cintiq Pro 27
Selection Criteria
- Software compatibility: Fully compatible, needs a laptop or PC to work.
- Our score: 10/10
- Size and portability: 27″, Not portable at all
- Our score: 10/10
- Pressure sensitivity: 8192 Levels of pressure, 5080 LPI resolution.
- Our score: 10/10
- Connectivity: USB-C to USB-C plus alternatives if needed
- Our Score: 9/10
- Stylus: Wacom Pro Pen 3, 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity and interchangeable body.
- Our score: 10/10
- Shortcut Keys: 8 Pres Keys
- Our Score: 8/10
- Display and Color Accuracy: Multitouch IPS 4K UHD [3840 x 2160], 99%Adobe RGB
- Our score: 10/10
- Price: $3499
- Our score: 6/10
About the Wacom Cintiq Pro 27
The large, high-resolution display is one of the main features of the Wacom Cintiq Pro 27. It is also color accurate, with a wide color gamut and Adobe RGB support, which is essential for professionals who require accurate color representation in their work. One of the most interesting updates for this model is that it comes with Wacom’s Pro Pen 3 stylus, which has three customizable buttons and features a new slim body with interchangeable parts so you can use the one that fits your hand the best, a new stand that won’t fall and drop your pencil and the usual 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt recognition for a natural drawing experience. The Wacom Cintiq Pro 27 doesn’t include the ExpressKeys remote that came with older models but places the eight standard press keys on the back of the tablet for a more ergonomic experience. These keys are conveniently located on the display’s left and right sides, allowing for easy access and reducing the need to switch between the stylus and keyboard. In short, this tablet is currently the best Wacom drawing tablet, with the major downside being the price. This tablet doesn’t include a stand, but this time features the VESA mount allowing you to use any external arm since the stand designed for this tablet is around $500.Pros
- Amazing Display
- Ergonomic shortcut keys placement
- Includes the Wacom Pro Pen 3
Cons
- It’s super expensive
- It doesn’t include a stand
5. Best Large Pen Display for Photoshop — Huion Kamvas Pro 24
Selection Criteria
- Software compatibility: Fully compatible, needs a laptop or PC to work.
- Our score: 10/10
- Size and portability: 24″, Not portable at all
- Our score: 9/10
- Pressure sensitivity: 8192 Levels of pressure, 5080 LPI resolution.
- Our score: 10/10
- Connectivity: USB-C to USB-C plus alternatives if needed
- Our Score: 9/10
- Stylus: PW517 [3.0]
- Our score: 8/10
- Shortcut Keys: KD100 Wireless Express Keys Included
- Our Score: 10/10
- Display and Color Accuracy: IPS 4K UHD [3840 x 2160], 96% Adobe RGB
- Our score: 10/10
- Price: $1229
- Our score: 10/10
About the Huion Kamvas Pro 24
The Huion Kamvas Pro 24 is a high-performance graphic tablet that provides excellent value for money. It distinguishes itself from similar products on the market due to its high-quality features, characteristics, and affordability. The exceptional display of the Huion Kamvas Pro 24 is one of its main advantages. It has one of the best displays on the market, with a resolution of 1920 x 1080, providing a clear and detailed image with excellent contrast. The screen is also fully laminated and made of etched glass, which enhances the overall drawing experience. Another feature that distinguishes the Huion Kamvas Pro 24 is its connectivity. It has a USB-C connection, additional USB ports, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack for connecting to other devices and peripherals. It is also compatible with a wide range of operating systems, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome OS, and Android, making it a versatile option for users with varying needs and preferences. In comparison to the Wacom Cintiq, the Huion Kamvas Pro 24 is a more affordable option with comparable features. While the Wacom Cintiq is a well-known brand in the industry, it is often regarded as a more expensive option that frequently requires additional accessories, such as a custom mount and adjustable stand to be used properly.Pros
- Amazing Display
- Wireless express keys remote included
- High device compatibility
Cons
- It doesn’t include a stand, but it’s $30
6. Best Pen Tablet for Photoshop — Wacom Intuos Pro
Selection Criteria
- Software compatibility: Fully compatible, needs a laptop or PC to work.
- Our score: 10/10
- Active Drawing Area: 13.6 x 8.5 in
- Our score: 10/10
- Size and portability: 13.14 x 8.54 in, 1.54lb, Very portable
- Our score: 9/10
- Pressure sensitivity: 8192 Levels of pressure, 5080 LPI resolution.
- Our score: 10/10
- Connectivity: USB and Bluetooth (10 Hours Battery)
- Our Score: 10/10
- Stylus: Wacom Pro Pen 2
- Our score: 8/10
- Shortcut Keys: 8 ExpressKeys/1 Touch ring/Multi-touch
- Our Score: 10/10
- Price: $299
- Our score: 10/10
About the Wacom Intuos Pro
The Wacom Intuos Pro Medium is a high-performance drawing tablet that strikes an excellent balance of features and performance. The multi-touch surface is its defining feature, allowing for intuitive control and improved workflow. A Photoshop pen tablet, such as the Wacom Intuos Pro, allows for a more natural and precise digital illustration experience in the program. It also has a long battery life, wireless connectivity, and high compatibility, making it an appealing choice for professionals and hobbyists and an excellent tablet for photo editing. This model is also compatible with the Wacom Art Pen, making it an excellent choice for digital painters, calligraphers, and design professionals. Despite its high price and not-so-large active drawing area, its multi-touch feature and high-end capabilities are still worth the investment.Pros
- Multi-touch feature
- Very portable
- Long-lasting battery and wireless connectivity
Cons
- It’s on the expensive side.
7. Best Budget Pen Tablet — Huion Inspiroy H580X
Selection Criteria
- Software compatibility: Fully compatible, needs a laptop or PC to work.
- Our score: 10/10
- Active Drawing Area: 8 x 5 in
- Our score: 8/10
- Size and portability: 10.87 x 6.69 in, 0.75 lb, Very Portable
- Our score: 9/10
- Pressure sensitivity: 8192 Levels of pressure, 5080 LPI resolution.
- Our score: 10/10
- Connectivity: USB-C to USB-A
- Our Score: 8/10
- Stylus: PW100
- Our score: 7/10
- Shortcut Keys: 8 Press Keys
- Our Score: 8/10
- Price: $40
- Our score: 10/10
About the Huion Inspiroy H580X
The Huion Inspiroy H580X is a professional-grade drawing tablet. It has a large drawing area of 8 x 5 inches, which is sufficient for artists to work on. It also has a 5080 LPI resolution and a report rate of 233 PPS, ensuring that the cursor moves smoothly and accurately across the screen. The Huion Inspiroy H580X also comes with a battery-free stylus with 8192 pressure sensitivity levels and several shortcut keys that can be tailored to the user’s workflow; it also has USB-C and USB-A ports and compatibility with Windows and Mac operating systems, making it a versatile option for users with varying needs and preferences. The major selling point here is the price; this tablet offers excellent characteristics and a decent size for the lowest price, making it the best budget tablet for photoshop.Pros
- Very affordable
- High-pressure sensitivity
- High device compatibility
Cons
- It could be small for some.
Types of Tablets and why it is important to know
Understanding the differences between tablets can be helpful when deciding which one is right for your needs. In this section, we will go over the types of tablets you can find in the market, their main differences, and how this might affect you and your work in Photoshop or any other creative software.Pen Tablets
A pen tablet is a device that allows you to draw and write digitally on a computer. It has a flat, pressure-sensitive surface that you can draw on with a stylus or pen, and it is connected to your computer via a USB cable. Pen tablets fall within the Graphics Tablet category. These devices were the first graphics tablets and have been used by artists and designers to create digital art ever since, providing a more natural and intuitive way to draw than using a mouse. Given their popularity with photo editors, they are also considered photo editing tablets. The first image that probably comes to your mind when discussing a pen tablet is a Wacom Intuos. Some popular brands of pen tablets include Wacom, Huion, Veikk, Xencelabs, and XP-Pen.Pen Displays
Pen displays fall under the same category as pen tablets and use the same technology but with the addition of a professional-grade high-resolution display and, in some cases, extra programmable shortcut keys to help the artist improve their workflow and speed up their process. It also needs to be connected to a laptop or computer to work and comes with a special pressure-sensitive stylus that can be used to write and draw on the screen tablet. The most popular pen display has to be the Wacom Cintiq, which is also the most expensive of them all; however, there are also other excellent and more affordable brands Like XP Pen a, Huion, and Gaomon.Standalone Tablets
A stand-alone tablet is a somewhat recent concept that hasn’t been that popular in the creative community due to its high prices and low stock. It is the combination of a drawing tablet with a desktop computer, just like an all-in-one computer but with a professional drawing monitor instead of a normal one. The first standalone tablet was the Wacom Cintiq companion, released in 2013, which had a base price of $2000 for the 256GB model and came with decent specs. However, those specs were non-upgradable and sometimes insufficient for heavy creative work. The lack of space for ventilation made them easy to overheat and very noisy when working with photoshop or illustrator. The newer models include a battery that allows you to use it as a travel tablet, but the design is not portable enough to use it as a tablet. A few weeks ago, Huion announced the launch of their new standalone tablet models, which will have an improved design and (hopefully) would be upgradable, more portable, and overall a better choice for the full photoshop version.Tablet Computers
Tablet computers, or tablets as we know them, are devices with mobile operative systems (OS) like Android and iPadOS. These devices have touch screens and come in different sizes and models. Tablets can be used for a variety of tasks, including browsing the internet, checking email, streaming video and music, creating and editing documents, and more. Many tablets also come with a range of sensors, such as a gyroscope and accelerometer, which enable them to be used for gaming and other interactive applications. One of the most significant disadvantages of these tablets is that some apps have limited features in comparison to the desktop version. For example, the app released by Photoshop in 2019 was a very limited version of the actual Adobe Photoshop and a big disappointment for those who were waiting for it. Still, we have the Microsoft Surface, which is the best combination of portability, power, and compatibility; however, it is very expensive, and according to many reviews, the pen is not that good, being inferior to the Apple Pencil and not comparable to any digital pen included with graphics tablets or pen displays.What To Look For In A Graphics Tablet?
When it comes to choosing a graphics tablet, there are many factors to consider beyond just the pen sensitivity and active area. Some tablets come with a range of additional features and controls that can be useful for streamlining your workflow and increasing productivity. In addition to these features, you may also want to consider the screen’s resolution, size, and color accuracy (if it has one). And if you decide to go for a standalone tablet, you might want to consider that the CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage meet the software’s requirements.Active Drawing Area:
- For Pen Tablets:
- For Pen Displays and Standalone Tablets:
Size and Portability:
- For Pen Tablets:
- For Pen Displays and Standalone Tablets:
The smallest standalone tablet is 13″, and the largest is 22″. While the smallest tablet is quite portable, it’s outdated, the visibility is not great, and it is very expensive, which would probably make you want to keep it at home at all times. The latest, most portable model would be the Wacom Cintiq MobileStudio Pro 16″, which is quite large, doesn’t fit in most bags or backpacks, and is very expensive as well. Besides that, the battery life is not great, it lasts from two to three hours when using it with Photoshop, and it’s not the brightest screen, which makes it hard to use on the exterior.
Then we have the larger standalone models, like the Huion Kamvas Studio 22, which was a good alternative at its moment; however, it is now outdated as well. Besides, the size and the lack of battery make it not portable at all.Pressure Sensitivity:
- For all graphics tablets:
Connectivity:
- For Pen Tablets:
- For Pen Displays:
- For Standalone Tablets:
Stylus:
- For All Graphics Tablets
Shortcut Keys:
- For Pen Tablets:
- For Pen Displays and Standalone Tablets:
Display Resolution And Color Accuracy:
- For Pen Displays and Standalone Tablets:
CPU and GPU:
- For Standalone Tablets:
Storage and RAM:
- For Standalone Tablets:
Price:
- For Pen tablets:
- For Pen Displays:
Finally, the larger models are the most expensive of all. Wacom has the lead here since a Cintiq Pro is the best professional device for creatives; however, it’s also really expensive. Other brands like Huion and XP also offer similar characteristics for around half the price, so if budget is not an issue for you, go for a Wacom Cintiq Pro; however, we assure you a Huion or an XP Pen will give you the experience for much less money.
- For Standalone Tablets:
What To Look For In A Tablet Computer?
Tablet computers are fantastic devices combining a powerful PC, a smartphone, and a graphics tablet in a single and small device whose battery life lasts all day and have a great design besides being super portable and many other fantastic characteristics. The downside? they are either super expensive, incompatible with the full version of photoshop and many other apps, or have a mediocre stylus. With the years and upgrades, few tablets can be truly used for Photoshop and all its features, like the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 and 9; however, if the photoshop app is enough for you, and you also need an incredibly versatile tablet, then the iPad Pro is the best choice.- Size and Portability:
- CPU and GPU:
- Storage and RAM:
- Screen Resolution and Color Accuracy:
- Stylus:
The Apple Pencil has always been good, and the 2nd Generation is even better. It charges directly on your iPad and has a button for switching brushes, color picking, etc. What you need to look for is the new Apple Pencil Hover feature available on the M2 iPad Pro, which improves the responsiveness of the stylus and opens the door to new features for any digital drawing app.
- Battery life:
- Price: