Being able to make notes directly into a tablet using a stylus to editing live docs, is a tech innovation that can improve productivity for everyone, from college to work and scrapbooking. The best tablets with a stylus also enable you to draw as well as take notes, using pressure sensitive pens.
In this guide I'm focusing on tablets that come with stylus included, which is why you won't find an Apple iPad in here - you need to pay extra for Apple Pencil 2. If you want Apple, read our iPad generations guide and take a look at our recent hands-on with the new Apple iPad Pro, Apple Air and Apple Pencil Pro and iPad Air. By buying a tablet that comes with a stylus you're saving money, and in the case of my top pick, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, you get the S Pen included; this is one of the best stylus around at the moment and comparable to Apple Pencil.
The tablets I've selected below are specifically capable of doing two things, note-taking and drawing, which means they have a different set of criteria to just either or; for example read my guide to the best drawing tablets aimed at creating art and the best e-ink tablets designed for writing.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is a large screen tablet with a native stylus that competes with Wacom for accuracy and reliability. While there is the newer S9 Ultra (further down my list), for value and tech this slightly older device is the best tablet with a stylus overall. Read more below
The older S7+ remains a good buy and it's always discounted. It has a comparable screen to the iPad Air (2020) and has a better battery life. Even though it's old, the Tab S7+ remains a good, affordable tablet. It's age does mean this model's S Pen is slightly behind the curve, but it's a good all-rounder. Read more below
The new XPPen Magic Drawing Pad is an Android tablet from the makers of pro graphics tablets, so it's the ideal tablet with a stylus for drawing. As well as having an etched anti-glare display designed for art, this comes with a stylus that has over 16K levels of pressure for a super-precise feel, which makes it the best stylus on my list. Read more below
If you need a tablet with a stylus for note-taking only, then the Boox Tab Ultra C is my pick. This model features a textured colour screen that mimics paper, an accurate stylus and a battery that will last a week. This isn't designed for games and films, hence the long-life battery, but for school notes and reading on long journeys, it's ideal. Read more below
The new Lenovo Tab M11 costs just £199 and doesn't make my best budget tablet tag because it's smaller and less powerful than the Samsung Tab 7+, but that makes this affordable tablet with a stylus ideal for kids - it comes with Google's Kids Space pre-installed as well as learning apps and safety features. Great for early learning and school work. Read more below
The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is the latest model in Samsung's tablet range, and this newbie comes stacked with cutting edge tech, including a beautiful 14.6-inch AMOLED display, a bespoke Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Octa-Core processor and S Pen (Gen 2) - great for digital art, 3D gaming and streaming this is a powerful tablet ideal for work and play. Read more below
The LG Gram 2-in-1 16-inch has been a hybrid mainstay for a number of years now, and for good reason. This is one of the lightest laptops around, weighing just 1.4kg, making it an ideal 2-in-1 for note-taking. Under the hood is an Intel i7 (13th Gen) processor, Intel Iris Xe Graphics and 16GB RAM - this will run everything you need. Light, slim, powerful and it comes with a Wacom stylus - perfect. Read more below
The Acer Spin 714 is a large 2-in-1 Chromebook that can handle everyday tasks, notes, video and light gaming. The Intel Core i3 model lacks power, so you need to get the slightly more expensive Core i5 build, this can handle art apps making it a solid Chromebook tablet for work and play. Its stylus features 4K levels of pressure, which is fine for basic drawing and notes. Read more below
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The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is a good alternative to the iPad, and shows how the best Android tablets with pens have really come on leaps and bounds. It's a fantastic tablet for artists, with a huge, bright and sharp screen, plenty of processing power and, crucially, Samsung's own S Pen included in the box. But while I love the large display, if you need a smaller tablet just for notes and doodling you may find it too big - in which case skip to No.2 on my list, the older Galaxy Tab S7.
But the good stuff is worth having. Our Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra review revealed this to be an Android tablet with stylus that has a lot of functionality for your money, including a 120HZ AMOLED display, 8GB, 12GB or 16GB RAM and the excellent Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor. The power you get is undeniable, and that gorgeous display with its better-than-ever refresh rate is a treat to draw on.
Larger but also razor thin, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is the best Android tablet with a stylus for drawing and note-taking, and one of the best tablets full stop. At launch it would have cost $1,199.99 / £1,099 for a12GB RAM / 256GB model, which was expensive, but these days it sells for around $999 / £899 as the even larger, even more powerful even more expensive S9 Ultra (see below) has surpassed it - but for value and overall performance, I'd still recommend the S8 Ultra.
Keep in mind the 'Ultra' is Samsung's iPad Pro equivalent, if you want a Samsung for a little less or a smaller device, consider the Tab (think iPad Air) and FE+ (consider this iPad Mini) - this is across the board, so you can apply this logic to the S7+ and the S9 Ultra below, that both have Tab and FE+ models.
The best budget tablet with a stylus for performance
Our expert review:
Specifications
Type: Tablet computer
Active drawing area: 11.22 x 7.28 inch
Resolution: 2800 x 1752
Pen pressure sensitivity: 4,096 levels
Connections: USB 3.2, Bluetooth v5.0
Reasons to buy
+
Vibrant and sharp Super AMOLED display
+
S Pen latency matches Apple Pencil
+
Excellent drawing experience
Reasons to avoid
-
120Hz mode can drain the battery
Older and less powerful than the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, the Galaxy Tab S7+ is still a great option if you're after one of the best tablets with a stylus for Android users but don't have loads of money to spend. With the S8 and the S9 now on sale, prices for the S7 range are falling even lower.
It may not match the power of newer models, but the Galaxy Tab S7+ is still an accessible device that's slim and has a good battery life, at least if you run it in 60Hz mode - turn on 120Hz mode and it drains fast (but for note-taking, 60Hz is fine). The screen is sharp and vibrant, and its colour display is one of the best around.
This tablet also comes with its secret weapon: the S Pen. This little stylus is on par with Apple Pencil, and is great to use. The 4,096 pressure sensitivity means you can use the stylus like a traditional pencil or brush, ensuring digital life drawing is exceptional. This is an older gen version of the S Pen, so if a good stylus is a must, particularly for drawing, then I'd opt for the new S9 Ultra, the XPPen at No.3 or the LG Gram further down my list.
The Galaxy Tab S7+ may be less powerful than the Tab 8 Ultra, the newer tablet with a stylus from Samsung, but that shouldn't mean you ignore this slightly older model if you're after a budget tablet for note-taking.
I really like the new XPPen Magic Drawing Pad. Unlike other tablets with a stylus that are generalist devices, this is made by drawing tablet brand XPPen, which means you're getting the same tech as found in the best desktop pen displays for art, but in an Android-powered mobile tablet.
The screen is fantastic for drawing, slightly flexible and compliant while its anti-glare, etched texture coating ensures it can be used outdoors or in the home. Combined with the stylus that delivers over 16K levels of pressure sensitivity (the best on this list) this really does feel like a mobile drawing tablet.
Being Android has its pros and cons, firstly it's light on battery use and offers access to the Google Play Store for drawing (and note-taking) apps - I'd recommend ArtRage Vitae if you're buying this as a drawing tablet more than for notes. The downside is Android apps can be limited, so you may prefer the Windows experience of the LG Gram that can run more powerful apps (and comes with a Wacom stylus for digital art).
While I've selected the Magic Drawing Pad as the best for, well… drawing, it's lightweight, slim and small build (it measures 27.9 x 19.2 x 0.69 cm and weighs 599g) means it's also excellent as a note-taking pad, features all Google productivity apps, and has access to the best note-taking apps. Oh, and it can be used for video streaming and light gaming… bonus.
The Boox Tab Ultra C is a specialist tablet designed specifically for note-taking. Like the XPPen Magic Drawing Pad above, there's room for specialist tablets like these, that focus on doing one thing very well. In the case of the Boox Tab Ultra C it's making and editing notes, ideally suited to work and study. It's streamlined focus on notes and journalling means the battering lasts for days.
This note-taking device differs to many e-ink tablets because it has a good colour display, which means it's not only a great note-taking tablet but good for showing slides and talks created from your notes, or reading books, comics and manga in your downtime or travel.
But let's focus on note-taking. This tablet comes with a nice 4K pressure level stylus, fine for notes and sketches, and has some nice note-taking features to make good use of it, for example you can use split-screen to browse websites and take notes as you read. You can also open and annotate on top of PDFs easily. Both of these features were picked up by our writer in their Boox Tab Ultra C review.
The colour display isn't just a gimmick, using colour for notes is a no-brainer and means you can transfer your workflow from paper to digital. There's also a lot of storage out of the box (128GB) and room to add a MicroSD card to read and save files. One downside is the Boox Tab Ultra C is restricted to Android 11, which is an older OS, but an e-ink tablet doesn't really need all the features of newer updates; fundamentally you're getting a lightweight, speedy and intuitive tablet designed for note-taking.
The new Lenovo Tab M11 isn't the most powerful tablet on my list, neither is it the largest, but this neat little device is ideal for kids. Its MediaTek Helio G88 processor combined with just 4GB of RAM and 128GB of memory isn't too striking, but it's enough to handle note-taking apps, web browsing, video streaming and some core Android art apps, such as Sketchbook.
For young children the Lenovo Tab M11 is just enough, particularly its good 400 nits of brightness, 11-inch display and four robust speakers. Out of the box the Lenovo Tab M11 comes with Kids Space installed, which offers child-friendly apps, games and videos to help learning and it also includes options to manage content and set screen time limits from another device.
To help with learning Lenovo has included some interesting software features, such as the option to use the camera to scan docs and turn them into PDFs and Google Lens that can scan and translate languages - great for homework.
The Lenovo Tab Pen is decent, with 4,096 pressure sensitivity levels and tilt support, but it's not ideal just for digital art. As a good allrounder the stylus does its job, particularly for notes. Sadly it's a battery stylus, which is an older way of doing things.
While the Lenovo Tab M11 is cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ (at No.2), it's not the best budget tablet because overall, taking into account specs and stylus, the Samsung is better for a slightly higher cost. (If you want a Lenovo, see my Also Tested section for the more expensive P11).
One thing the M11 does hold over the Tab S7+ is the promise of future Android 14 and Android 15 OS upgrades up until 2028, including security patches, so you know it's made to last even if it is under-powered. Overall, the Lenovo Tab M11 is a cheap tablet with a stylus designed for children, and this is where it works best.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra has lived in the shadow of iPad Pro, and there's a reason why it's here and not Apple's high-end tablet - the Samsung comes packaged with its S Pen (Gen 2) stylus while Apple charges extra for Apple Pencil 2. The S Pen, built on Wacom tech, is an excellent stylus.
If you're after a tablet that can do just about everything thrown at it, then Samsung's premium Android device is the best around outside of Apple. Its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor is more than capable, whether creating digital art, watching 4K movies or 3D gaming. The Dolby Atmos surround sound is great on the ears and the 14.6-inch OLED, 120Hz display is wonderful, and can replace your work monitor if required.
As it's an Android 13 tablet you get access to all of Google's productivity apps for work and note-taking, including Docs, Sheets and Slides - in fact, if you're in the Google ecosystem for work the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra can replace your laptop.
When it comes to drawing, the display is excellent and colours are vibrant, though it's glossy display can't match the tactile bite of the special XPPen Magic Drawing Pad above, and it lacks the anti-glare coating of iPad Pro. But you do get access to all of Google Play's best art apps, including ArtRage Vitae, Krita and Clip Studio Paint. The S Pen performs well for art, it's precise and nice to hold over long periods of use, lines transition from thin to thick and back is smooth and small dots and circles are accurate.
Overall the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is a powerful, large and impressive tablet for notes and drawing that can do much, much more. If you need a large tablet with a stylus for drawing and note-taking, and want to use it for media and gaming, this Samsung is the one.
Connections: Bluetooth 5.1, x2 USB Type-C, x1 USB Type-A
Reasons to buy
+
Incredibly light and versatile
+
Fast, powerful performance
+
Wacom stylus included
Reasons to avoid
-
Not a huge leap over the 2021 model
The LG Gram 2in1 16-inch is a beautifully stylish laptop with enough power to run design and art apps as well as the best note-taking software. It's a little more expensive that some other 2-in-1 laptops, such as the HP Envy x360 but it makes my list ahead of cheaper options because it's so light and slim (this LG weighs just 1.4kg and is 0.67 inches thin). This weight ensures when it's flipped to tablet mode the LG Gram 2in1 16-inch feels good to use, and its WQXGA resolution 16-inch display is large enough for art and complex notes and graphs.
As with other tablets on my list this comes with a stylus, and here this 2-in-1 impresses, as LG has adopted a Wacom pen as its default enclosed stylus. This a 4,096 levels of pressure stylus just like those that come with the Wacom One drawing tablets, so you're getting a quality – reliable – pen with this 2in1.
The Intel Core i7 processor is a proven workhorse and delivers speed and agility, especially for note-taking and productivity apps. The integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics isn't always considered the best for art apps or photo editing, but combined with the Intel Core i7 and the large 16GB of RAM, this does the job.
The real criticism here is the latest 2023 LG Gram 2in1 16-inch isn't a huge leap over the older 2021 model, but nine months since release the price of this newer 2-in-1 laptop is often below $900 / £1,000, so it's a bit of a bargain. There's also a 14-inch model if you want an LG Gram that's slightly smaller and more affordable. Either size, however, remain my preferred hybrid tablet with a stylus.
The new Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023) is a powerful, high-quality and adaptable Chromebook that can 'spin' from laptop to tablet and makes use of a neat pull-out stylus for notes and art.
Making use of the new 12th-Gen Intel Core i5 chip (US buyers can get the even faster, newer 13th Gen i5 processor), this Chromebook packs a punch. It's super-fast and quite, has a beautifully large 14-inch, WUXGA 1920 x 1200p resolution IPS touch display, that means whether your drawing, note-taking or streaming video, everything looks good.
In my Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023) review I found this was a premium 2-in-1 computer and really like the general build quality. The higher spec i5 model is expensive, and comparable to the iPad Pro (2021) in many respects, though larger. And this is a Chromebook, so you won't be able to run Procreate or Windows software, but Google is promising more Adobe apps are on the horizon.
Overall the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023) pips other ChromeOS 2-in-1 laptops and tablets, but it drops below the LG Gram above for value just because that 2-in-1 is lighter, has a larger, better display and runs Windows 11, which means you get Photoshop and other art apps, plus its Waco stylus is so much nicer. But, for a Chromebook, the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023) is excellent.
As I mentioned in my intro, this guide focuses on tablets that come with a stylus packaged in and included, because generally this can save money. But obviously there are tablets that use bespoke stylus that you need to add-on at checkout and buy separately. To recognise this I've included some recommended tablets with a stylus added-on.
iPad Air (5th Gen)
iPad Air is a great tablet, and can use Apple Pencil 2, but drops below iPad Mini as I feel the smaller model is better for notes. If you need an Apple for art, then the Air is better. Read our iPad Air (5th Gen) review
Microsoft Surface Pro 9
The Surface Pro 9 is good for general tasks, can handle note-taking thanks to the stylus and full software. But this is a pricey 2-in-1 and I prefer the LG Gram with a stylus. Read my Surface Pro 9 review
What should I look for in a drawing tablet and stylus?
There are two things to think about when you're after the best tablet with a stylus: the tablet and the stylus. The tablets I've selected all come bundled together with a stylus but some, like Apple and Microsoft, ask you to 'add on' a stylus so you ned to consider this in the price.
Keep in in mind Apple Pencil 2 and iPad Air or iPad Pro are excellent, but you will be paying more, while Samsung's Android tablets are comparable and include the S Pen, usually saving a little money.
What should students look for?
A good student tablet depends on what kind of study you're doing. Here I'm looking at general studies and not hardware intensive tasks. So you don't need the largest screen, as portability is vital, hence why the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is my No.1 and the S7+ is No.2.
In terms of price, a tablet in the $500 / £500 - $700 - £700 range is good, this would include Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 as well as the new XPPen Magic Drawing Pad and the Lenovo M11 (or P11). More than this and you're getting into high-spec laptop replacements, such as the LG Gram 2in1 16, but this could be what you need.
Finally, many places suggest a minimum of 4GB RAM, I'd suggest at least 6GB and even 8GB if you can afford it, as this is ideal for art and photo apps. You'' need Cloud storage, and ideally check if a tablet supports MicroSD cards for storing files.
Also consider accessories, a keyboard could become essential over time and many of the best tablets with a stylus do feature keyboard-cases as optional extras (and these protect the screen too). Many Android tablets can support other third-party stylus too.
Can traditional drawing tablets be used for note-taking?
Yes, if you prefer hand-writing to typing then a small, affordable drawing tablet like the Ugee M908 or the excellent Xencelabs Pen Tablet Small are nice to have to hand. If you want to go a step further, then the small XPPEN Magic Pad on my list is an excellent iPad-alike for notes and art, and comes with a very good stylus.
What are the best apps for note-taking?
There are some excellent apps for notes, and many come free with your OS, browser or tablet. My picks for best note-taking apps in 2024 would be:
Evernote Works across iOS, Mac, Windows, Android and features excellent tools.
Nebo The best note-taking app compatible with a stylus.
Bear An excellent notes app for iOS, which features an advanced Markup Editor.
OneNote The preferred Windows notes app, with real-time collaboration.
Google Keep Good all-rounder and is free as part of Google Docs.
The big thing to look for with any stylus is how much pressure sensitivity it provides. The top styluses come with the best drawing tablets, such as Wacom's Pro Pen as well as the styluses you'll get with Huion or XPPen, which deliver between 8K and 16K levels or pressure sensitivity, giving you results that are almost identical to what you'd get from an actual pen or pencil.
But a traditional drawing tablet isn't ideal for note-taking or work, which is why you need a generalist tablet. Usually tablets with a stylus come with pens that feature 4,096 levels of pressure, which is acceptable for note-taking and drawing, but you can now get general tablet stylus with 8K levels of pressure. Wacom's Pro Pen tech is also licensed to many other brands, for example Samsung, so even though you're buying a generalist tablet you're getting pro art tech in the S Pen.
Many tablet / stylus combos can also detect the angle of tilt, which means you can get really granular with the thickness and shape of your lines. It's also worth looking at the parallax, which refers to the distance between the tip of the stylus and the cursor that actually appears on the screen. Ideally, you want this to be as minimal as possible.
Historically Android tablets have a lot of styluses to choose from, but many of them aren’t pressure sensitive and are more designed for note-taking and sketching than serious art. This is changing, with the release of XPPen Magic Drawing Pad and others, but generally Samsung has dominated the Android space, as there are both Samsung and third-party styluses that provide pressure sensitivity with Samsung tablets. See our guide to the best styluses for Android for more on this.
Many styluses will also have function buttons that allow you to quickly switch modes or toggle certain settings. Older stylus require batteries, most new pens now use ERM tech so they work straight away, some will still need a driver calibration app. Top styluses will also enable you to switch nibs, from plastic to felt for a softer response, and if you're using a screen protector like the Rock, Paper, Pencil you can you also make use of metal nibs.
In order to test tablets with a stylus, we spend time with each tablet, to assess its usability, design and portability, as well as assess the screen in terms of brightness, clarity and overall quality of the colours.
I've personally used or tested a number of the tablets on my list, and where I've not gone hands-on I've relied on our writer's opinions who have used the tablets, reviews on Creative Bloq as well as referenced reviews on our sister websites such as TechRadar.
We test the stylus under a mix of conditions, both in the home and on the go where it's important. When testing a stylus I like to perform the same set of actions for each, which can involve drawing thin to thick lines to test the pressure levels, as well as small circles and dots to test precision. We also use a mix of apps and software with each stylus to see how performance differs.
To test battery life we use the tablet on full charge and let it run down, and make a note of how long the battery lasts. We also use the tablet for our own projects and even daily work tasks where appropriate, and test how well it copes with our normal workflow.
We review plenty of tablets here on Creative Bloq, but make sure that only tablets we have awarded three stars and above make it into our buying guides. You can read our full process for all products in our 'How we test and review' guide.
What makes a good tablet with a stylus largely depends on your preference, your requirements and, of course, your budget. For my guide I've chosen tablets that come with a stylus out of the box, this is often cheaper as there are no hidden costs and you get a stylus suited to the device (and some cases, such as the Samsungs and LG Gram, incredibly good stylus pens for 'free').
For a tablet for note-taking and drawing you're looking for something that's lightweight, slim and can ideally slip into a medium-sized bag. Choosing a tablet with a stylus for the specifics of note-taking and drawing requires firstly deciding which of these two functions is a priority, or if you sit somewhere in the middle.
Tablet for drawing These require a good stylus with pressure levels of at least 4K but perhaps 8K, as well as decent processor and GPU combo, and at least 6GB RAM. Integrated graphics can work, so long as there's a good processor and large RAM to support the app. The size of the display can vary, but at least 11-inches and up to 16-inches is good.
Tablet for note-taking These are dedicated to enabling you make notes, doodle and create slides and graphs. Because of the specific task of creating notes, these tablets don't need powerful processors, instead you're looking for a tablet that replicates the feel of paper, has an accurate stylus, bags of memory for your files and a battery that will last up to a week. These e-ink tablets are specialist productivity devices.
Drawing and note-taking This is where things get fun. You need a balance of power, battery life and accuracy. You're ideally looking for either an Android tablet with around 6-8GB of RAM or a Windows 11 tablet with an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, and again at least 8GB RAM. These tablets are designed for everything, so they're also good media players, game devices and laptop replacements.
Ian Dean is Editor, Digital Arts & 3D at Creativebloq, and the former editor of many leading magazines. These titles included ImagineFX, 3D World and leading video game title Official PlayStation Magazine. In his early career he wrote for music and film magazines including Uncut and SFX. Ian launched Xbox magazine X360 and edited PlayStation World. For Creative Bloq, Ian combines his experiences to bring the latest news on AI, digital art and video game art and tech, and more to Creative Bloq, and in his spare time he doodles in Procreate, ArtRage, and Rebelle while finding time to play Xbox and PS5. He's also a keen Cricut user and laser cutter fan, and is currently crafting on Glowforge and xTools M1.
