11 Best Standalone Drawing Tablet (2023) That don’t need a computer

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One of the biggest drawbacks of traditional drawing tablets is – they need to be connected to a computer in order to work.

Standalone tablets come out as an excellent alternative to traditional drawing devices.

This makes them highly compact and portable – allowing you to carry and work from almost anywhere. 

These drawing tablets does not compromise on the performance either. In spite of their smaller size, thanks to the  ARM-based power-efficient processors, they are just as powerful as a laptop .

Standalone drawing tablets are available in varying sizes, features, styluses, and operating systems. Giving you plenty of options to choose from.

Out of the original list of over 20 tablets, this article features 10 of the best standalone drawing tablets on the market.

In a hurry? Here are our top recommendations.

Top Recommendations

Standalone drawing tablets come in various sizes and forms and have a number of advantages over traditional drawing tablets.

Why Standalone drawing tablet?

01. Microsoft Surface Pro 9 – Best standalone drawing tablet

There are so many good standalone tablets out there that it was kind of difficult to pick one tablet over the other.

After having a good look, it is clear that the Microsoft Surface Pro brings a lot to the table and it totally deserves the title of the “best standalone drawing tablet” in the market.

The Surface Pro 9 comes with a 13-inch 120Hz screen that is small enough to be portable but still has a sufficiently large screen that it doesn’t feel cramped while drawing.

The support for Windows 11 is one of the biggest advantages of this tablet. Windows allows you to use all your favorite desktop-grade drawing and modeling applications right on this handy computer.

The processor is powerful enough to handle light 3D applications and hundreds of drawing layers of your project. The battery life is also decent with fast charging enabled.

If you are a multitasker who constantly switches between digital art to graphic designing and uses Adobe sweet of applications or just want the flexibility of a desktop operating system, the Microsoft Surface Pro is the best option for you.

Buy Microsoft Surface Pro 9 on Amazon →

 

02. Apple Ipad Pro – Compact, Powerful tablet with a great stylus

If you hang out in art communities, you know that Apple iPad is gaining popularity with some of the artists permanently switching from traditional drawing tablets to iPad Pro.

Getting the basics right is one of the best ways of making a good drawing device, that is essentially what Apple has done with its iPad Pro lineup.

Apple iPad Pro Screen

Starting with the display – a display is where all the action happens, so it is one of the most important components of a drawing tablet.

The display on the Apple iPad Pro has a resolution of 2388 x 1668p (11-inch) and 2732 x 2048p (12.9-inch).

The screen is vibrant with good color accuracy. The display is bright enough to be comfortably used outdoors.

Apple Pencil – Stylus perfection

If you ask us – “Which is the best stylus that one can get?” – Apple Pencil would be the answer.

Well-calibrated pressure sensitivity, tilt recognition, and Accurate tracking are some of the ingredients of a good stylus.

So you are basically getting a laptop-level performance in a tablet. In fact, this is the most powerful tablet on this list.

This performance reflects when working with large projects with high resolution and hundreds of layers, this drawing tablet flies through them all with ease.

Buy Apple iPad Pro on Amazon →

 

03. Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 lite – Cheaper Android drawing tablet

After the huge success of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6, Samsung has introduced the new Galaxy Tab S6 Lite where Samsung has ditched some unnecessary features in favor of keeping the prices low.

The Galaxy Tab S6 lite comes with a 10.4-inch screen that has a resolution of 2000 x 1200 and an aspect ratio of 5:3. The stylus comes included in the box and it has a good response rate and pressure sensitivity.

There are other cheaper android tablets available in the market but none of them has the combination of a good screen and an excellent stylus that you get with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 lite.

The tablet excels in other areas as well as such as battery life and a fast processor. There are a number of good Android drawing apps that can run on this device.

Other than being a good drawing and note-taking tablet, this can also be a good device for media consumption.

This tablet is a good alternative to Apple’s iPad mini and iPad Air as it comes with a minimal bezel around the screen giving you more screen space in a similar form factor.

Buy Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite on Amazon →

 

04. New Apple iPad Air – Same drawing performance at pocket-friendly prices

If you liked the aforementioned iPad Pro but think it is way too expensive, first of all – you are not the only one who thinks that.

But the good news is – recently Apple has updated their older iPad Air and gave it a brand new look with some high-end features, while still maintaining an affordable-ish price.

The new iPad Air has a new all-screen minimum bezel design which looks very similar to the iPad Pro. But that is not even the best part.

It got a massive specs upgrade and now features one of the latest generation processors which results in a faster and smoother overall performance.

The tablet comes with a 10.9-inch screen and available in five attractive colors – Silver, Space Gray, Green, Sky Blue, Rose Gold. (check out all the colors options here at Amazon)

Support for Apple Pencil 2

The older model of the iPad Air only supported the first-gen Apple Pencil which was not that good. The new iPad Air now supports Apple Pencil 2 which is big news for artists who wants a quality drawing experience at an affordable price.

Just like the iPad Pro, the Apple Pencil magnetically sticks to the top edge of the iPad Air where it charges wirelessly. It also has a touch button on the side which can be used to switch between pen and eraser.

Other than that, the iPad Air has a very compact form factor making it very convenient to carry it in your backpack.

It has stereo speakers, which combined with iPad Air’s amazing display, you will have a great multimedia experience on this tablet.

Compared to other standalone tablets in the market, its battery lasts a long time, meaning it is perfect for outdoor usage or long trips.

The lower price, faster processor, Apple Pencil 2 support along with multiple color options make the iPad Air a great tablet to gift it to your loved ones, or maybe to yourself.

Buy Apple iPad Air on Amazon →

 

05. Oneplus Pad – Mid-range drawing tablet, with pro-grade features

So far you may have noticed that most of the pro-grade standalone drawing tables come with a premium price tag as well.

The OnePlus pad is a perfect choice for artists looking for a quality low-cost alternative to Apple or Samsung tablets, one that doesn’t break the bank while still providing an excellent drawing experience.

It promises a good display, great performance, and a highly capable stylus. 

The tablet has an 11.61-inch display which boasts – 10bit color, high resolution, 144 Hz screen refresh rate, and 500 nits brightness. This is on par with some of the top-end tablets on the market. 

On the performance side, the tablet is no slouch either, the processor is fast enough to easily glide through everyday tasks.

Even when drawing with larger canvas sizes and heavy texture brushes, the tablet manages to swiftly handle the workload without any drop in performance. 

The battery life is one of the highlights of this tablet, it can easily last a day on normal usage. Plus it comes with a 67W fast charger, which charges the tablet from 0% to 100% in 60 minutes. 

A capable drawing device needs a capable stylus as well.

The OnePlus stylus comes with features such as pressure sensitivity as well as tilt detection. Plus has a very fast response time of 2ms, resulting in a buttery smooth drawing experience.

*Note – Oneplus Stylo (stylus) needs to be purchased separately.

Overall, this tablet has a lot going for it. It is thin, powerful, comes with a great screen and equally good stylus plus it delivers an all-day battery life. 

If you are looking for a quality mid-range standalone drawing device – look no further. 

Buy OnePlus Pad on Amazon →

 

06. Huion Kamvas Studio 16 – Drawing tablet that doesn’t need a computer

Huion is a very popular name amongst professional artists and the digital art community.

They are known for making highly capable drawing tablets at reasonable prices. The Huion Kamvas Studio 16 is their premium offering.

It looks, feels, and works like a traditional drawing tablet but has a built-in computer which makes it a standalone drawing device. 

Compared to other options on this list, there are two main advantages of getting this tablet.

One: While other standalone devices give you around 11 to 13 inches of display, the Kamvas Studio 16 comes with a massive  16-inch screen .

In spite of the larger size – it fits in your backpack and can be easily carried alongside anywhere you go.

Another big advantage is – The stylus included with this tablet is built for comfort and ergonomics.

It has a wide body and a contoured design with built-in silicone grips – making it super comfortable to hold for prolonged drawing sessions.

Also, it is a battery-free stylus and hence does not needs recharging. It gets its power wirelessly from the tablet itself using an EMR (electromagnetic resonance).

The tablet works on the Windows operating system, which means you can still use all your favorite desktop drawing and animation software. 

The screen has a  1440p QHD resolution multi-touch display with a brightness of 400 nits and color gamut coverage of 100% Adobe RGB .

The Huion Kamvas Studio 16 is specifically made for serious artists and is a worthy alternative to your laptop/computer-based drawing setup.

Buy Huion Kamvas Studio 16 on Huion Store →

 

07. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 plus – Standalone Android tablet with 2.8 ms pen latency

If you are an artist and you like the freedom and customizability that Android offers then you would love this one.

Android tablets have traditionally fallen behind tablets such as Apple iPad Pro but with the arrival of the all-new Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 plus, that is not the case anymore.

Samsung tablets are some of the most reliable Android tablets and come with some of the most powerful processors and premium designs. They have a huge fan base of their own and people do really love them.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 plus is the latest iteration of the Samsung tablets whose features are kind of similar to the iPads.

Display – Color, and Resolution

The quality of the display is one of the highlights of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 plus.

It comes with Super AMOLED displays which are known for their excellent color accuracy and contrast and you do really feel the difference in real-life usage.

Further, they have a refresh rate of 120Hz which helps with smoother transitions and animations.

The Galaxy Tab S8 comes in three variants, 11, 12.4, and 14.6 inches with an aspect ratio of 16:10 in a modern design with super-thin bezels around the screen.

The best part is, these screens can be super bright and very comfortable to use in bright outdoor environments.

S Pen – Blazing fast stylus with an amazing 2.8ms latency

Samsung has been constantly improving its stylus (S-Pen) from the last few years. The biggest improvement came this year in the form of blazing-fast 2.8ms response time.

This is even faster than Apple Pencil, which comes with 9ms of response time. Check out our Apple Pencil vs S Pen comparison (new tab).

Other than that the pen tracking, pressure sensitivity as well as tilt sensitivity is also outstandingly good. All these features combined together result in a very natural drawing and writing experience.

To make sure the S Pen is always by your side when you need it – it magnetically sticks at the back of the tablet where it charges wirelessly.

Power, Battery life and performance

A standalone drawing tablet needs to be powerful enough to easily handle day-to-day tasks and its battery should last all day long without needing to charge in-between.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 has both these features, it comes with one of the fastest processors and has a massive battery that can easily handle intensive usage and last a long time.

Overall, if you are looking for a capable standalone drawing device and want the most color-accurate screen, powerful processor, a very capable stylus, and a battery that lasts all day long – the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 plus is definitely the best option for you.

Buy Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus on Amazon →

 

08. Apple iPad Mini (6th gen) – Portable and powerful

As Apple describes it “mini just got mightier“. The latest upgrade from Apple has added a number of extra features in the iPad mini which makes it a much better tablet than before.

One of the biggest upgrades to the iPad mini is – it now supports the second-generation Apple Pencil.

The iPad mini is the smallest tablet featured on this list and comes with an 8.3-inch screen. When it comes to portability, there is no match for it. It can easily fit in your handbag or backpack and it is so lightweight that you won’t even notice it.

Small and Powerful

In spite of being so small, it comes with a very powerful A15 Bionic processor. It is one of the most powerful processors in its price range and can easily handle large project files or multiplayer online games.

To top it all, the iPad mini is super affordable and one of the cheapest standalone drawing tablets.

With the recent update, the iPad mini has gotten a massive design overhaul.

Now it shares the same modern boxy design with minimum bezels around the screen, that you see in premium tablets like iPad Pros.

Overall if portability is what you care about and you want a tablet that won’t make a huge dent in your bank balance at the same time that has the power to handle daily use and abuse – iPad mini is what you should get.

Buy Apple iPad Mini on Amazon →

 

09. Microsoft Surface Go 3 – A cheaper alternative to Surface Pro

The Surface Go 3 is a 10.5-inch touch-enabled and Surface Pen-enabled portable standalone drawing tablet. One of the best things about his tablet is in spite of being a small and handy device it still runs a full-fledged Windows operating system.

It can be seen as a smaller version of the Microsoft Surface Pro and it shares a number of features that come with Surface Pro.

Starting with that hinge at the back. It is built inside the body if the tablet and allows you to place your tablet at any angle you want. The hinge also helps you provide a better grip while drawing handheld.

Microsoft Surface Go 3 stylus – Surface Pen

The tablet works really well with the Surface Pen, the pen tracking is good, you can customize the pressure sensitivity and you also get tilt support.

There are a number of accessories that you can get with this tablet such as the Surface Keyboard as well as the surface dial.

Other than that the tablet has a good battery backup and everything works smoothly and as expected. The processor of this tablet is good but not that powerful.

But at the same time, as far as the drawing is concerned, it can comfortably handle reasonably heavy project files.

This drawing tablet is an ideal choice for those who want an affordable Windows-powered standalone drawing tablet that allows them to use their desktop drawing applications.

The Surface Go 3 is also a great choice for young artists.

Buy Microsoft Surface Go 3 on Amazon →

 

10. Alternative – 2 in 1 ultrabook with stylus support

When you are looking for a standalone drawing tablet, essentially what you want is a portable device with pen input.

In this case, the 2-in-1 ultrabooks could be a great option for you and they are worth checking out.

They come with a foldable/detachable design that converts your laptop into a tablet-like form factor. These ultrabooks are very slim and lightweight devices that are easy to carry with you.

Plus they come with support for pen input which combined with desktop-based drawing software, could be a good combo.

These ultrabooks are recommended for casual artist who likes to draw stuff every once in a while.

Advantages and Disadvantages of standalone drawing tablets

Advantages of standalone drawing tablet

• Comes with a pen-enabled screen
• Portable – Can be used on the go
• Comes with a built-in computer
• Cleaner workspace with minimum clutter
• Some of them support keyboard accessories that essentially make them a computer
• Added drawing-centric features
• Multiple choices in terms of size and operating system
• It can be used on a couch, patio, lawn, park or wherever you feel comfortable
• Overall better drawing experience

Disadvantages of standalone drawing tablet

• Expensive than traditional drawing tablets
• Minimum to no upgradability – So make sure to pick best possible specs
• Generally smaller screen sizes – 10 to 13 inches but some are also available in larger 22 and 27 inches
• Difficulty running heavy 3D applications

Standalone drawing tablet: Simplified Buyer’s guide

What style of artwork do you make? Which Drawing Apps and Programs you use? Are you a beginner, or a professional? How often do you travel? You like to work indoors or outdoors? Do you like tablets with smaller or larger screens?

Everyone’s needs are different, So one tablet that is a perfect fit for you may not be the best choice for someone else. There is no perfect drawing tablet, every tablet brings some special set of features that are unique to that device.

When getting a standalone drawing tablet, you should figure out what features are important to you and get the right tablet accordingly.

 

Related:
Best drawing accessories for Apple iPad
Wacom Cintiq Alternatives
Android drawing tablets
Apple Pencil vs Samsung S Pen
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 vs Apple iPad Pro for drawing

 

If you have come this far, you are Awesome. Writing this article took a lot of time and effort and we hope that we were able to help you find the right Standalone Drawing Tablet.

So, did you find our article informative? Did we miss something? Please let us know in the comment section. We would really appreciate that.