The best iPad stylus for writing, painting, sketching, and drawing on your iPad Pro, Mini, and Air. The best alternatives to Apple pencil.
Although you can write with your finger, over time you will want to perfect your writing or drawing with a stylus for your iPad. Thus, you will gain greater precision and comfort when writing or drawing. For this reason, in this article, we are going to review the best iPad stylus for writing so that you can use them depending on your iPad model, whether it is iPad Pro, iPad Air, or Mini, or even if you have other models.
The Apple Pencil is an iPad stylus for writing that works spectacularly. However, the high price of the Apple Pencil makes many users look for more affordable alternatives with which to take advantage of its functionalities.
To help you find the best iPad stylus for writing, painting, sketching, and drawing, we reviewed and selected the best stylus or capacitive pens available right now.
What to consider when choosing an iPad stylus or Apple Pencil alternative?
With the Apple Pencil, both 2nd generation dollars and the original 99 dollars, performing tasks such as taking notes or creating art in digital format is easier and more accurate by allowing us to interact with the Apple tablet in pencil format as if we were doing it by hand. Despite its price, its design and intuitive use make the Apple Pencil an interesting option and a reference for other styluses on the market.
Also, as with the Apple Pencil, some models offer shortcuts to work faster, either through touches or through the integration of buttons.
Before choosing an alternative to Apple Pencil, it is important to verify that the specific model is compatible with both our iPad and the apps that we plan to use.
As for its battery, we will pay attention to both the autonomy of the stylus and the charging time and which port it uses for this purpose.
Finally, it is interesting that as with Apple Pencil, the iPad stylus for writing in question has Bluetooth connectivity, which allows you to perform functions without touching the screen.
In this sense, it is interesting to look for third-party styluses with an ergonomic design that allows content to be digitized comfortably and accurately.
The top 7 best iPad stylus that suit your needs and budget.
As we already said, the price of the Apple Pencil is an important barrier and many Apple users are looking for cheaper alternatives to Apple Pencil to write or draw on their iPads without spending an excessive amount of money. However, it is possible to find pens for iPad compatible not only with this product but also with other tablets, such as Android tablets, Windows tablets, and graphics tablets. Therefore, without further ado, we present you with a buying guide to choose the best digital pen for iPad in value for money.
Logitech Crayon Digital Pencil for iPad
A respectable product, also offered by Apple on its website. It is an iPad pen that provides a user experience very close to that of the first-generation Apple Pencil and which maintains compatibility with all iPads. Only the pressure sensitivity is missing.
The new Crayon stylus is compatible with the new iPads and therefore allows us to have a complete package at a low cost for all those students looking for an electronic device intended for study. The weight of only 18g allows you not to tire and although the shape may be a little uncomfortable for some, it prevents the device from rolling and falling and being damaged. At a price of around 50 dollars, it is one of the best iPad pens currently available on the market.
Discover more and the price here
MoKo Universal Active Stylus Pen
The MoKo Capacitive pen is an excellent solution if you are looking for the best pen for your iPad. It is a stylus pen with a 1.5 mm fine tip that offers high precision and sensitivity for writing and drawing on your device.
Elegant design, compact size, easy and convenient to carry, it turns on and off via a side button, has a capacitive rubber with a silicone tip and a magnetic base to correct spelling errors. Compatible with iPads, Samsung tablets smartphones, and more. Not compatible with Microsoft Surface Pro tablet.
It includes a 140 mAh lithium battery that can be recharged via USB port, for a full charge it takes 80 minutes which ensures autonomy for up to 8 hours.
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Mixoo – best Apple Pencil alternative for iPad Pro, Mini and Air
We continue the buying guide with one of the cheapest options we can find in the stylus market. The operation of the Mixoo tablet pen is somewhat different from the rest of the models. Because it does not work either by Bluetooth or has a power button, basically because it does not have a battery.
The tip is covered with a small disk so you can scroll through the screen, but without scratching it. This allows it to work in a wide range of options: iPad, iPhone, and Android tablets. The package includes replacements of both the tip and the disc.
With very good precision and tremendous finesse, the Mixoo is one of the best alternatives to the Apple Pencil. Its price is 15 dollars on Amazon (at the time of writing).
You can use the stylus with a wide variety of applications for Apple Pencil. In addition, the stylus is compatible with the iPhone 5 and later versions, along with the iPad, iPad mini, and iPad Air.
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Heiyo Stylus Pen iPad Pencil
This is an elegant digital pen and is very easy to use, ideal for freehand writing, drawing, marking, signing, and taking notes. It allows you to write smoothly, without any interruption, offset or delay.
This Heiyo model has a 1.45 mm super fine copper tip that ensures a natural writing sensation without interruptions, long-lasting copper material, is excellent for drawing and taking notes. For slightly older iPads, this is an excellent alternative to the original at just under 30 dollars. The Heiyo pen guarantees an autonomy of 40h with a single 4h recharge.
To turn it on, simply press the upper part of the pencil. In case of inactivity, it switches itself off after 5-6 minutes. A USB cable and magnetic charging station are available to charge the built-in battery in just 60 minutes, which supports up to 10 hours of continuous active use.
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Cosmonaut – Wide-Grip Stylus
Cosmonaut – Wide-Grip Stylus for Capacitive Touch Screen Tablets is probably the most attractive alternative currently available. The Cosmonaut is shaped like a crayon and promises to be an ideal fit if you want to paint on your favorite tablet. What you can not expect from him is too much precision, because its thick rubber tip is not the best option for writing.
Don’t be fooled by the size of the Neat Cosmonaut Studio. While it looks more like a dry marker instead of a thin pen, the stylus features a solid aluminum core and soft rubber exterior. The tip of the stylus is firm and responsive on any iPad or iPhone touchscreen.
Studio Neat, the company that manufactures it proposes to use it as a marker to create conceptual sketches, and drawings, or use paint with your device on cold days when you bring gloves. Of course, we are dealing with a quality product and great comfort of use.
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MEKO Universal Disc Stylus
There are also less sophisticated and cheaper alternatives on the market for those who want to use their stylus more punctually, or who are less demanding. And among these options, the Meko Stylus is, most likely, the most interesting on the market.
Here there is neither Bluetooth connection, battery, nor pressure gauges. The frills are out: this is a very simple stylus, with a thick round tip at one end, suitable for navigating the interface of the tablet as if it were a finger, and a fine rubber tip at the other end to write.
This iPad pen allows you to take notes relatively efficiently. Don’t expect, obviously, a surgeon’s precision. But you will be able to get out of trouble quite gracefully with the Meko Stylus when you want to write.
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AmazonBasics Executive Stylus Pen
This AmazonBasics alternative represents the simplest type of stylus out there. It is simply a pen that, instead of having the tip to write on paper at its end, has a silicone hood that the iPad or iPhone screen recognizes as if it were your finger.
You cannot expect much from this stylus. It will serve you if, for example, you want to handle your mobile or tablet with gloves on or when you have dirty hands. Or if you simply want to move around the interface of your iPad or enjoy some game with the stylus.
For that function, the stylus does its job. Of course, if you are looking for a pencil that allows you to take notes or draw with a minimum of precision, this is certainly not the right alternative for you.
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These are some of the best stylus pens for tablets. They are precise enough to draw and take notes quickly. With one of these stylus options, almost all iPad users can unlock a new level of productivity. Whether you’re taking notes, channeling a creative side as you draw, or something else, one of these choices should help. The choice is yours.
And if you’re interested in turning an iPad into a real replacement laptop, take a look at our rundown of the best keyboard cases for several iPad models. Don’t forget to share your experience with us. And, as always, thank you for reading this.