By Being a drawing enthusiast, you must be looking for a tablet with high specs, including high resolution and incredible pressure sensitivity. There are plenty of options available in the market that meet these criteria, but their hefty price tags may overwhelm you. We perfectly understand the struggle, so to help you in this regard, we are going to discuss the most affordable drawing tablets that are budget-friendly and cater to your creative needs. Let’s dig in!
Key Takeaways
- XPPen Artist 13.3 Pro perfectly fulfills the needs of those artists who want a top-notch drawing experience with brilliant color accuracy at a competitive price.
- Drawing enthusiasts looking for a reliable yet affordable tablet with high-pressure sensitivity levels and advanced sensor technology can invest in the UGEE M808 Drawing Tablet.
- XPPen Deco MW is ideal for digital artists who prefer lightweight, wireless connectivity for on-the-go drawing.
- We find the Xencelabs Pen Tablet Small suitable for beginner animators who need an ergonomic tablet with excellent battery life.
Best Affordable Drawing Tablets
Here are some of the best affordable drawing tablets that suit the needs of both seasoned and professional artists.
XPPen Artist 13.3 Pro – Best Overall
Price: $279.99
If you want a high-quality tablet at a competitive price tag, there’s no better option than the XPPen Artist 13.3 Pro. It is the most affordable and portable gadget in the XPPen drawing tablet lineup.
Featuring a 13.3-inch display with a convenient 3-in-1 cable design, this tablet connects to your computer, ensuring a hassle-free drawing setup. You’ll see a prominent red dial along with 8 customizable shortcut keys that enhance the efficiency of your design workflow.
The display is fully laminated with exceptional color accuracy, covering 88% NTSC, 123% sRGB, and 91% Adobe RGB. This ensures that all your drawings and animations are vibrant and true-to-life colors. This affordable budget tablet also has an anti-glare optical film that’s easy on your eyes and durable enough to withstand all your drawing projects.
What truly surprised us about this affordable drawing tablet—XPPen Artist 13.3 Pro—is its 60-degree tilt angle, which enables you to draw complex shapes or designs with great flexibility. We also love the 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity and the tablet’s compatibility with software like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, SAI, and Krita, which add to its versatility.
Pros
- Portable stand that prevents shaking and fatigue during long drawing projects
- Anti-glare optical film for high transparency and scratch-resistance
- Excellent color accuracy and viewing angles
- Battery-free style for enhanced convenience
Cons
- Not a standalone tablet
UGEE M808 Drawing Tablet – Best for Drawing Enthusiasts
Price: $39.00
The UGEE M808 Drawing Tablet is indeed the best option for all drawing enthusiasts, and that too at a budget. It offers a 10×6.25-inch drawing area, giving you enough space to create your art projects.
This affordable drawing tablet also comes with 8 intuitive shortcut keys in an asymmetrical layout, so you have essential tools within reach. The tablet includes an advanced next-gen EMR stylus with two buttons for easy switching between eraser and pen. The stylus has 16,000 pressure sensitivity levels and a ±60° tilt range, offering a natural drawing experience.
In addition, the pen has sensor technology that gives you more control over your strokes and results in smoother and more accurate lines. Although it’s a screen-less tablet, it easily connects to desktops and Android for greater convenience.
Pros
- Available in 3 different colors, including blaze orange, ceramic white, and tricorn black
- New sensor technology for accurate lines and smoother strokes
- Quite lightweight and has a low learning curve for beginners
Cons
- Doesn’t have a screen display
- Smaller drawing area compared to other options
XPPen Deco MW – Best Wireless Drawing Tablet
Price: $69.99
Don’t want to miss out on the fun of immersing yourself in your drawing and editing tasks while on the go? The XPPen Deco MW has you covered. It has an 8 x 5-inch active area and a highly lightweight and compact design that makes it easy to carry around.
With a Bluetooth v5.0 chip, this affordable XPPen drawing tablet allows wireless creativity while freeing you from the mess of cables. The stylus is equipped with the X3 smart chip, replicating the feel of a pen and paper, taking the drawing experience to the next level.
But that’s not the best part—this stylus even has an initial activation force as low as 3g, along with a significant increase in sensitivity, so each stroke is highly precise. It has a large battery of 1000mAh that ensures over 10 hours of continuous use. It also supports Windows, Mac, Android, Chrome OS, and Linux systems, so you can integrate the tablet with any device you want for more functionality.
Pros
- Durable pen with low initial activation force
- Comes in four colors: pink, black, blue, and green
- Supports wireless connectivity via Bluetooth and also has USB ports
Cons
- Doesn’t have a pen stand
Xencelabs Pen Tablet – Best for Beginner Animators
Price: $139.99
Creating stunning animations is indeed an exciting experience. If you want something to start your journey as an animator, the Xencelabs Pen Tablet is an amazing option. It features a 16:9 drawing area, matching the traditional tablet display ratio.
The 5 shortcut sets make drawing and animation efficient, while the OLED display ensures your eyes are relaxed. We really liked its 3000mAh battery, which lasts for 16 hours of continuous animation work.
The ultra-fine textured surface of this affordable drawing tablet offers a realistic drawing feel, and the freedom to choose from two nib options enhances overall versatility. Comfort is at the core of this tablet’s design, as it has a sloped palm rest angled at 6.5 degrees that eliminates the chances of fatigue.
Pros
- 3000mAh battery supports continuous 16 hours of animation sessions
- Ergonomic design with palm rest to avoid fatigue
- Very easy to set up for beginners
Cons
- Doesn’t work with standard Bluetooth protocol
- The pen case easily gets dirty
How to Choose an Affordable Drawing Tablet?
The following are some tips you should consider when picking an affordable drawing tablet for your creative needs:
Display Resolution and Color Gamut: Opt for drawing tablets that offer you a variety of resolutions so you can view the artwork clearly. In addition, it should be able to display colors across gamut options like RGB, sRGB, NTSC, and DCI-P3 for vibrant visuals, ensuring the final outcome perfectly matches your creative vision.
Size: The size is another important factor that you should consider when picking your drawing tablet. Make sure it has enough drawing space and has an overall small and slim design to easily fit inside your bag.
Pressure Sensitivity Levels: In drawings and animations, each line makes a big difference in the final outcome. Therefore, you should look for tablets with stylus having at least 4096 pressure sensitivity levels for more control over the thickness and opacity of your lines.
Conclusion
There are many affordable budget tablets on the market, but our top pick is the XPPen Artist 13.3 Pro due to its huge drawing space. It also features a lightweight design and excellent color accuracy that bring out the true beauty of your art projects.
However, it’s still advisable to review all the available options and opt for the one that best aligns with your budget and creative requirements.
