5 Of The Best Budget-Friendly Drawing Tablets In 2024

Drawing tablets have become an essential tool for numerous art industries including in animation, UX design, illustration, fashion, graphic design, storyboarding, and more, allowing artists to access programs and create work with greater versatility than ever before. But despite being meant to be a tool that lets artists escape into the soothing world of free-thinking and imagination, the exorbitant price tag attached to many of these can be a crushing reality. 

Oftentimes, tablets from the big name brands such as Wacom, Xencelabs, and Huion will set you back over $300 on the lower end, while more professional models can exceed the rent costs of an apartment in some areas. Likewise, while iPads also possess innovative artistic features and programs, their price isn't so pretty to the eye either. That's not the kind of money many of us have to throw around, let alone if you're an artist. But for the budget-conscious individual, that doesn't mean all hope is lost.

Far from it in fact, as there are plenty of options for drawing tablets that are much lower priced than much of the competition. While the tablets we talk about here vary in display quality, controls, pressure sensitivity, software compatibility, and specific features, they are all suitable for a wide range of artists, allowing you to unlock the magic of Photoshop without breaking the bank. Keep reading until the end of this article to learn more about our methodology process on how these tablets were selected.

For those on a budget, XPPen is generally a good brand to go with. Their products vary in size and cost from the 4x3-inch Star series tablet that can cost as low as $20 to the 15-inch Gen2 Series tablet that costs around $170. Smack dab in the middle of this range is the XPPen Deco MW Drawing Tablet that packs a surprising amount of versatility into a compact and stylish package. 

At 8x5 inches, the XPPen Deco MW is an easy-to-use and comfortable pick for most artists that won't eat up space. Even if you have a more high-end setup at home, this is an ideal tablet to have on hand while traveling thanks to its manageable size. Buyers have the option between a wired tablet with USB connection for $49.99 or a wireless version that goes for $69.99. The latter has the ability to connect to your computer as well as select smartphones and tablets via Bluetooth and is compatible with most of the common graphics software such as Photoshop, Blender, Krita, Illustrator, and GIMP.

The accompanying X3-Smart-Chip Stylus possess 8,192 levels of pressure and 60-degree tilt, allowing for greater control and line quality. The tablet also comes with further customization options with its eight shortcut keys that can be adjusted to suit your needs. 

While it doesn't contain a display screen of its own and lacks the more advanced features of other tablets, the XPPen Deco MW has still managed to be a favorite among buyers. It currently sports an average rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon.

Gaomon may not have the same street cred that such brands as Wacom and Huion have attained, but it more than makes up for it with what it has to offer. The Gaomon WH851 is a small but mighty drawing tool that goes the extra mile to deliver a great drawing experience. 

For starters, it's advertised to possess the highest pressure sensitivity of all competitors. While this is up for debate, supporting 16,384 levels of pressure is certainly nothing to sneeze at, providing optimal control. Gaomon's interface even harbors a pen test function that lets you further adjust the pressure sensitivity to suit your needs. When you're not using the stylus, rather than placing it in a holder, the tablet itself comes equipped with a convenient groove to fit the pen into to allow for easier access.

Its compact 11.37x6.74x0.3-inch size also makes it extremely portable. To aid in this, the tablet comes with a handy protective sleeve that has safe and convenient compartments for both your tablet and stylus. The tablet even comes with a special two-finger glove to aid in wrist comfort while drawing for long stretches, an essential accessory that even more expensive options rarely include. 

The Gaomon WH581 has an active surface area of 8x5 inches and costs $59.99. It can connect to Windows, Mac, and Android devices via Bluetooth or USB-C. Packed with features and special functions, this is a winner with customers, who rated this 4.4 stars out of 5 on average.

The Ugee M908 is another deceptively simple drawing tablet. Its friendly, lightweight design; ease of use; and overall sensitivity have led it to becoming popular among Amazon customers, with the product receiving a 4.4-star average rating from over 1,450 buyers.

The Ugee M908 may not possess the fanciest features out there, but what it comes with nevertheless provides superb functionality. This is another tablet with eight shortcut keys that can be customized for whatever tasks you see fit. It also comes with additional functions such as a scroll wheel that has the ability to zoom in and out of your piece.

Among its most impressive features is its PH23 stylus. The drawing tool not only delivers over 16,000 levels of pressure, but also features two hot keys along its side to further push your productivity. The tablet is compatible with most recent Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android devices along with the major art platforms that you often find. 

For all its perks, however, there are some drawbacks worth noting. Once again, there's no display screen to be found here which may irritate some. Additionally, it is unable to connect through Bluetooth nor is it compatible with iPads, which may seem a bit inconsistent considering it works just fine with Macs. Regardless, at $45.99, it's easy to forgive the Ugee M908 for its shortcomings. 

Huion is among the first names you'll see come up when looking for quality drawing tablets. The company has an extensive line of high-performing tablets under its belt at both the hobbyist and professional level, giving the brand wide appeal among new and experienced artists alike. That same reputation can be applied to the Huion Inspiroy 2 drawing tablet, a slim and stylish option that any artist can appreciate.

The tablet comes in three different size variations including a 6.3-inch small, an 8.7-inch medium, and a 10.5-inch large tablet, with each costing $49.99, $79.99, and $99.99 respectively. You also get to choose between three different colors, depending on the tablet: small is available in pink and black, medium is available in green and black, and large comes in black only. The personable nature of this tablet is only one of its perks, however, as its performance is also top notch.

The tablet itself and the PW110 stylus that come with it are slender and light, making transportation a breeze, while being designed with comfort and ergonomics in mind. The stylus provides 8,192 levels of pressure and comes with side buttons, 10 replacement nibs, and a holder. The small tablet has six customizable keys and a scroller on the tablet that are raised for increased accessibility and an added aesthetic element. The medium and large tablets have eight keys that can be programmed in three different groups for a total of 24 shortcuts.

It's widely compatible with most Windows, Linux, macOS, and Android devices and most major art programs. There is no display screen, and it can only connect through USB, so keep that in mind. This is another well-liked option, with a 4.6-star average rating on Amazon.

While the prior drawing tablets mentioned are certainly well made, their main drawback is that they lack a digital display of their own, instead requiring a connection to a computer or mobile device to view your artwork. This may be fine for some, but could be bothersome for others who would prefer something closer to a Wacom Cintiq where you can draw and see your work on the same screen. In this instance, the Veikk VK1200 Drawing Monitor may be worth giving a shot. 

The monitor's 1920x1080, 120% sRGB color gamut display boasts an incredible 5,080 LPI resolution, allowing for the boldness of your work to stand out. At 11.6 inches ad 1.78 pounds, it has plenty of room for comfort, portability, and accuracy without becoming overwhelming. The sleek design adds to its appealing, minimalist aesthetic. It comes with a stylus that delivers 8,192 levels of pressure and 60 degrees of tilt, while also never needing to be charged. 

Keep in mind that this will still need to be connected to a computer in order to function. It can support most current Mac, Windows, and Linux systems and most art software, while also being compatible with remote work and education platforms for note-taking purposes. While more expensive than our other picks at $149.99, it's still significantly cheaper than most other pen displays like it and contains solid reviews with a 4.2-star average rating on Amazon.

Whether for $40 or $400, a drawing tablet should be a meaningful investment. In making this list, we approached our picks from such a perspective, wanting to ensure the best bang for the buck with whatever was included. Being a budget-focused list made the cost of each tablet a leading factor in determining what made the cut. With even lower-end professional tablets often being in the $300 range, we tried shooting as far below that as possible. While there were a number of $20 to $30 tablets available, most of our picks ended up in the $40 to $70 range, as these turned out to be the best in quality according to reviews from customers and professionals. 

While it was difficult finding a diverse range of tablets given their similar price range, we did our best to ensure that each pick packed as much functionality as possible and could appeal to different users. Whereas some of these excel more in performance, others may be better if style is important to you, while others are more ideal for portability. Whatever each tablet was best for, we made sure that reviews across the board were good. None of our picks scored below a 4.2-star average rating with buyers while others were positively reviewed by the likes of Wirecutter from The New York Times and Creative Bloq.