Pen tablets vs pen displays
Overview
There are three kinds of drawing tablets. This document is about how to choose between a pen tablet and a pen display.
pen tablets - do not have a screen
pen displays - have a screen
standalone tablets - have a screen and can be used without being connected to a computer
Approach
Choosing between a pen tablet and a pen display is not easy. There is no single answer that applies to everyone.
This document identifies the different dimensions across which you can compare a pen tablet and a pen display, and notes the cases where each type has an advantage.
The goal is to give you enough information to make an informed decision.
Details
This document summarizes many in-depth topics. For more information, consult the Drawing tablet buying guide which covers all of these topics in detail.
Dispelling common myths
MYTH: A pen display is inherently better than a pen tablet
REALITY: Neither is inherently better. Which one you should use depends on a lot of factors
Pen displays look impressive and cost much more than pen tablets. It's natural to think this means they're fundamentally better — but that's not true. Pen tablets have their own merits. Do not think of a pen tablet as simply a cheaper option you have to "settle for." For many people, it is the right choice.
MYTH: Professional artists only use pen displays
REALITY: Professional artists use both pen displays and pen tablets
Another common myth is that professionals only use pen displays. This is absolutely not true. Many professional artists use pen tablets by choice and produce high-quality professional work with them.
MYTH: People naturally prefer pen displays. The only reason they use pen tablets is because they are cheaper.
REALITY: Lots of people try pen displays, and go back to pen tablets
I see countless stories of people who love their pen tablet, feel like they should try a pen display, and then discover that the pen tablet actually worked better for them — and return the pen display.
MYTH: Pen displays let you create better art
REALITY: Both pen displays and pen tablets can create equivalently good art
Some people worry that the quality of art they want to produce requires a pen display. You shouldn't let that worry you. People have been producing amazing art with pen tablets for decades. There are benefits to using a pen display, but the quality of art you can make is not one of the differentiating factors.
MYTH: Once you use a pen display you will never enjoy using a pen tablet
REALITY: Many people try a pen display and RETURN to using a pen tablet
Advice for first-time tablet users
If you are just getting started with a drawing tablet — for example, if this is going to be your first one — my advice is to start with a pen tablet. Learn to use it, and if you can't adjust after a few weeks, return it and get a pen display.
Need to be used with a computer
WINNER: TIE
Both pen tablets and pen displays require a computer to work. Neither can be used standalone like an Apple iPad.
Posture
WINNER: Pen tablets
With a pen tablet, you draw in a better posture. Your back stays vertical and your head looks straight ahead at your monitor. With a pen display, you almost always have to lean forward and look down at the tablet to draw, which can strain your lower back and neck. This is one of the most common reasons someone buys a pen display and then returns it. More here: Body posture when using drawing tablets
Cost
WINNER: Pen tablets
Pen tablets cost much less than pen displays. Even the most expensive pen tablets cost less than most pen displays.
Pen tablets cost between $50 and $250. The most expensive on the market is $500, often discounted to $400.
Pen displays start at around $300 and can go up to about $1,300. Wacom professional pen displays are in a category of their own and can cost $2,500 to $3,500.
Reliability
WINNER: Pen tablets
Pen tablets are the clear winner for reliability. They are much simpler devices with far fewer components, so there is less that can go wrong. The components they do have are also less delicate.
Cabling
WINNER: Pen tablets
Pen tablets work with a single USB cable (and some are wireless). Pen displays are more complex — depending on your computer and the specific pen display, there are multiple cabling options and they can be difficult to configure. More here: Connecting a pen display
Pointer lag
WINNER: Pen tablets
All tablets have some pointer lag. In my observation, pen tablets have less lag than pen displays.
On top of that, even if both had the same lag, you would notice it more on a pen display — because you can see the pen tip and the cursor on the same screen, right next to each other, which makes the lag more apparent. More here: Lag
Wireless connectivity
WINNER: Pen tablets
Many pen tablets support wireless connectivity, typically via Bluetooth.
No pen displays support wireless connectivity. You will always have at least one cable connecting your pen display to your computer. For larger pen displays — 16 inches and above — you'll almost certainly have at least two cables: one to your computer and one for power.
Taking notes
WINNER: Pen displays
In general, I do not recommend taking notes with either type. I think standalone tablets are much better for note-taking. But compared to a pen tablet, a pen display is certainly better for notes — because you can see what you're writing, which feels more natural and intuitive, like writing on paper. More here: Taking notes with drawing tablets.
Surviving a fall
WINNER: Pen tablets
If you knock a pen tablet off your desk, almost certainly nothing bad will happen. Pen tablets generally have no moving parts aside from some buttons. But if you drop a pen display, it will almost certainly be severely damaged. The glass could shatter, or the display panel inside could sustain serious internal damage. This damage is not user-repairable and is often extremely expensive to fix — if it can be fixed at all.
In most cases I've seen, the cost to repair a damaged pen display is about the same as buying a new one.
Power requirements
WINNER: Pen tablets
Pen tablets require very little power. If connected to a laptop, they won't drain the battery much. Pen displays require significantly more power and will run down a laptop battery faster. More here: Powering a drawing tablet.
Hand covering what you are drawing
WINNER: Pen tablets
A pen display mimics drawing on paper in many ways — usually an advantage. But it also shares some of paper's limitations. In particular, your hand and arm are between you and what you're drawing. You naturally have to accommodate this by drawing from a different angle or rotating the canvas.
With a pen tablet, your drawing hand is never in the way of what's on screen.
Physical size and weight
WINNER: Pen tablets
Pen tablets are considerably thinner and lighter.
Drawing experience
WINNER: Pen displays
Pen displays feel more natural because you look at the same place you are drawing. With a pen tablet, you draw in one place but look somewhere else.
Most people feel like they need to press UNDO less frequently with a pen display, because strokes more often go where they intended.
With a pen tablet, you must configure the tablet's active area to match your display's aspect ratio to avoid distortion. (This is done with a "Force proportions" setting in the tablet driver.) With pen displays, this is not required — they are pre-configured correctly. More here: Matching aspect ratios with Force Proportions.
More here: The drawing experience
Portability
WINNER: Pen tablets
Given their size, weight, and need for only a single cable (or wireless capability), pen tablets have significant advantages for carrying around.
Also, pen displays require more protection when traveling because they are more susceptible to damage. See Tablet cases.
Diagonal wobble
Pen tablets vs pen displays is a slight wobbling inaccuracy in pen position tracking. It is present in ALL drawing tablets to varying degrees.
In my testing, I've found no clear pattern indicating that pen tablets or pen displays are more or less prone to wobble. It appears to be linked to the specific tablet model rather than the type.
You can see the diagonal wobble samples I've collected here: Diagonal wobble data.
Pen pressure handling
The way a tablet handles pressure (IAF, max pressure, etc.) depends on the pen, not the tablet.
There are a few exceptions — 1 or 2 tablets that I believe handle pressure poorly independently of the pen — but those are exceedingly rare.
Surface texture
When you drag your pen over a tablet, the surface needs enough texture so the pen doesn't feel slippery and difficult to control.
Generally, pen tablets have noticeably more texture than pen displays. Some older pen tablets are relatively smooth compared to modern ones.
Pen displays do have surface texture, but less than pen tablets.
You can use both kinds of tablets
There's no rule that says you must use only one kind of tablet. Many people own both a pen tablet and a pen display and switch between them depending on the task. See: Using multiple drawing tablets at the same time
VESA mounting
Only pen displays have VESA mounting holes. See VESA
Pen tablets do NOT support VESA mounting.
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