The Best Cheap Stylus For Your iPad (According To Reviews)

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One of the most useful accessories you can buy for your iPad is the Apple Pencil. It's a stylus designed by Apple that can be paired with compatible iPad models. This makes everyday operations like note-taking, doodling, and annotating PDFs much more natural on an iPad. Though stylus input for touchscreens is a concept that dates back to the late 1950s, Apple's tablets didn't bring official support until 2015, with the launch of the Apple Pencil alongside the first-generation iPad Pro.

The Apple Pencil isn't your average passive stylus that just adds a touch of precision — it packs in impressive technology that allows for features like pressure and tilt sensitivity. This makes it a compelling option for digital artists, especially given how much better the iPad's display has gotten over the years. There have been different versions of the Apple Pencil released so far, with the top-end model retailing at $129. 

Though some workflows may justify its steep price point, for most of the population that needs a stylus for simpler tasks and occasional sketching, purchasing a brand new Apple Pencil might feel a bit overkill. Fortunately, there are other stylus options that don't cost over a third of the price of a base model iPad. We've made our selection based on feedback and reviews left by legitimate customers. You can find more about our methodology for picking these Apple Pencil alternatives at the end of this read.

With close to 28,000 reviews and a 4.4-star rating on Amazon, the Metapen Pencil A8 is one of the most popular styluses you can buy for your iPad. It's listed at $23.99, making it a fraction of the cost of an original Apple Pencil. The stylus features a convenient USB-C port that can provide up to 10 hours of power with a 30-minute charge. You'll also be surprised to find that the Metapen Pencil A8 magnetically snaps on to the side of supported iPad models, albeit while lacking support for wireless charging.

The stylus is claimed to have an accuracy of up to 0.1mm, but, unlike Apple's more expensive options, the Metapen Pencil A8 does not come with pressure sensitivity — something that can be a dealbreaker for artists and designers. It's worth noting that the $79 USB-C Apple Pencil also lacks this feature. It does have tilt sensitivity, which can be used to reproduce similar-looking effects.

A double-tap is all it takes for the stylus to be turned on — no fussy Bluetooth connections needed. You also get two replaceable tips for added longevity. Customers who've bought this stylus have praised its long-lasting battery, instant connectivity, and the fact that you can get a couple of these for the price of a single Apple Pencil. Before you buy the Metapen Pencil A8, it's worth confirming if it's compatible with your iPad model. The first- and second-generation iPad Pros and iPad Airs are not supported, for instance. 

Apps like Procreate for the iPad truly unleash what the device is capable of, especially when paired with an Apple Pencil. However, the average iPad user is simply consuming content, playing games, or using it as a basic productivity machine. If you fall into this category but would still like to occasionally write and doodle on your iPad, the Digiroot stylus can be a viable option. 

It's priced at $13.99 for a four-pack, which means you're effectively spending less than $4 for a single unit. Digiroot is able to maintain such an attractive deal as these styluses are capacitive. Unlike an active stylus like the Apple Pencil and a few other options, a capacitive stylus like this one simply emulates a finger press, thanks to its soft-touch rubber tips. These are comparatively much less precise, so you won't be doing any detailed artwork using them.

The advantages of a capacitive stylus lie mostly in its compatibility across devices — pretty much anything that's a touchscreen should work with one. You also don't need to worry about charging your stylus or dealing with connectivity issues. The Digiroot stylus pen has over 8,000 reviews and a 4.6-star rating on Amazon, with most of the customers talking about its affordability and simple design. If you have a few tablets at home, this four-pack will have you covered. If needed, the tips are easily replaceable, too.

The JamJake stylus pen for iPad has over 90,000 reviews and a 4.4-star rating, making it the most popular option on this list. For a price tag of $26.99, it does have a lot to offer. Like the Apple Pencil, the JamJake pen is an active stylus with a precision tip — meaning it can be used for sketching, designing, and calligraphy.

It features palm rejection, so you don't make accidental touches with your iPad's display while writing, and comes with tilt sensitivity as well, making it a good budget stylus. While the stylus has built-in magnets that snap onto the side of your iPad like a regular Apple Pencil would, it doesn't support wireless charging. Fortunately, you do get a USB-C port for that, alongside a handy LED light to indicate charge status. 

Once again, since this is an active stylus, you need to check for compatibility — though it works with a wide range of modern iPad models. Reviews on Amazon suggest that people like its value proposition, design, and battery life. It even comes in nine different colors, in case the traditional white aesthetic is too much of a bore for you. 

An Amazon search for an iPad stylus will lead you to dozens upon dozens of options. A big focus while picking our mentions was the price point — close to and under $25 can be considered "cheap" when you highlight the usual $79 or $129 asking price of the original Apple Pencils. When shopping for a cheaper stylus, it's important to consider the features you will be missing out on. The big one is pressure sensitivity, which can be a non-negotiable factor for graphic designers and artists — though as mentioned previously, the USB-C Apple Pencil also lacks support for this.

With this in mind, both the Metapen Pencil A8 and JamJake styluses offer a very similar experience for a whole lot less. Having a USB-C port for charging can be convenient, as can be the magnets inside these pens that snap on to your iPad. You can also shop for more premium alternatives to the Apple Pencil, like the Logitech Crayon, which retails at $70.

Quite a few of these cheaper styluses you'll find on Amazon look and function nearly the same as one another. While you can theoretically make do with any of these options, be sure to check for their customer reviews and compatibility with your iPad. You can check your iPad model through the settings app.