# 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](https://docs.sevenpens.com/drawtab/buying) 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** * [Ariann Art - 7 Reasons Why I switched back from a display tablet to a Pen tablet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnW5O221e70) 2020-10-07 * [Art by Sil - I Ditched My Screen Tablet — Here's Why You Should Too](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti4u-Y6uuCM) 2025-03-25 ## 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](https://docs.sevenpens.com/drawtab/guides/ergonomics/posture) ## 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](https://docs.sevenpens.com/drawtab/guides/connecting/connecting-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](https://docs.sevenpens.com/drawtab/buying/broken-reference) ## 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](https://docs.sevenpens.com/drawtab/basics/scenarios/taking-notes). ## 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](https://docs.sevenpens.com/drawtab/core/power/powering-drawtabs). ## 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](https://docs.sevenpens.com/drawtab/guides/customizing/force-proportions). More here: [The drawing experience](https://docs.sevenpens.com/drawtab/basics/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](https://docs.sevenpens.com/drawtab/catalog/accessories/tablet-cases). ## Diagonal wobble [Pen tablets vs pen displays](#diagonal-wobble) 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](https://docs.sevenpens.com/drawtab/process/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: [Connecting multiple drawing tablets at the same time](https://docs.sevenpens.com/drawtab/guides/general/connecting-multiple-drawtabs) ## VESA mounting Only pen displays have VESA mounting holes. See [VESA](https://docs.sevenpens.com/drawtab/tech/vesa) Pen tablets do NOT support VESA mounting. ## Videos * [**Teoh on Tech -** 9 things to know about pen displays before you buy one](https://youtu.be/Ez7l1C49ClE) Jan 6, 2023 * [**EyeKooDrawsStuff** - What drawing tablet to buy... a screenless graphics tablet or pen display?](https://youtu.be/SpOmAvvXePE) July 10, 2023 * [**Paintable** - Do you NEED a Screen Tablet? | Honest Huion Kamvas Pro 24 Review](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b-8ZUE6tkg) Mar 30, 2023 --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.sevenpens.com/drawtab/buying/pen-tablets-vs-pen-displays.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.