
Drawing on an iPad is a premium expertise: take a look at our prime picks for greatest ipad for Procreate greatest iPad for drawing extra usually.
Up to date: Nov 19, 2022 12:00 pm
To chop proper to the chase, any product from the present iPad line up may very well be dubbed the very best iPad for drawing, certainly they’re contenders for best drawing tablets of any model. It is a testomony to the standard of Apple’s tablets and is one in every of a number of explanation why Apple holds greater than 50% of the pill market share.
iPads are very versatile and far of that’s because of the glorious app choice. Apps like Procreate, Affinity designer, and Illustration flip your iPad from a secondary media consumption gadget into a transportable powerhouse for drawing and graphic design. It’s stunning how nicely iPads have improved, and they’re beginning to give conventional graphics tablets from the likes of Wacom a run from their cash.
Nonetheless, it may be arduous to choose between all of them. As such, we’ll be looking at the very best iPads for drawing and seeing how they evaluate stacked towards one another.
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Are the brand new 2022 iPads good for drawing?
Regardless of the current launch of the brand new 10th generation iPad and iPad Pro 2022 model, we haven’t but included these choices under as we imagine they at the moment don’t provide the very best worth for cash in case your focus is only on an iPad for drawing / and iPad for Procreate. Nevertheless, Black Friday iPad deals could change this, so do you’ll want to observe the hyperlink to the web page and see if you will get one of many newer variations of the under iPads for an attractive low cost.
Finest iPad for drawing 2022: our prime picks
01
Editor’s Alternative
The iPad Air is sensible worth for cash, making the Professional variations pale as compared.

Apple iPad Air (fifth Era)
02
Finest iPad for college students
As iPads creep nearer to Macbook territory in pricing, the bottom iPad is the very best for most folk.

Apple iPad (ninth Era)
03
Finest iPad For Procreate
Whereas this Professional variant could also be impractical for some, it stays the final word companion for designers.

iPad Professional 11
Finest iPads for drawing: issues to think about
Select fastidiously with storage
iPhones used to endure badly from too little storage. That’s been largely mounted now, though we’d nonetheless wish to see 128GB as the bottom storage choice. For those who’re searching for the very best iPad for drawing, although, storage is an even bigger problem.
It is because you’re going to wish to retailer your artwork on the iPad itself. As such, you’re going to need 128GB at the least and ideally 256GB.
Sadly, the bottom iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini all begin with 64GB of space for storing. That is the one place the place the Professional fashions make extra sense. Each of the Professional fashions begin at 128GB.
After all, this can be a non-issue if you will get by with 64GB. Keep in mind that all of them have a Sort-C port now aside from the bottom iPad. This implies you should buy an exterior thunderbolt drive to retailer knowledge on.
Multitasking nonetheless wants work on iPad OS
When buying round for the very best iPad for drawing, it’s essential to ask your self if multitasking is necessary. As we’ve seen lately with Samsung’s tablets, multitasking may also help lots when it comes to productiveness when it’s finished proper.
Whereas Apple is happy with its sliding animations, split-screen assist, and multi-tasking, it’s nonetheless lower than par. If you wish to have the Safari and Notes app open on the similar time, no downside.
Wish to watch a Youtube video, have Safari open for looking, and be capable to write on the similar time? Effectively, that will get clunky fast on an iPad. That is a type of areas the place a desktop OS is a lot better.
On the flip facet, an artist’s workflow may very well be less complicated. If that’s the case, you might get by with restricted multitasking. Simply preserve that in thoughts in case you are pondering of changing your laptop computer solely.
As a designer’s greatest buddy, the very best iPad for drawing ought to include an Apple Pencil out of the field, proper? That will be the case if we weren’t speaking about iPads. Apple loves to maximise earnings and meaning equipment just like the Apple Pencil prices further – rather a lot further.
Not one of the iPads include the Apple Pencil. Moreover, the bottom mannequin iPad doesn’t assist the second-generation Pencil. You realize, the one which attaches magnetically to the facet of the iPad.
After all, that is simply one other transfer to make you spend more cash. The bottom iPad is superb, as we’ll discover later. Nevertheless, if you happen to don’t wish to take care of the inconvenience of charging it through the iPad’s lightning port, then it’s essential to get one of many higher-end fashions.
Surprisingly, efficiency doesn’t matter
Effectively, that is one thing you don’t hear on daily basis. The perfect iPad for drawing ought to have the very best efficiency, proper? You don’t have to fret about that right here as all of the iPads we’ve checked out have glorious efficiency. The Professional variations include the M1 chip, which is totally overkill for an iPad.
You get the A13 Bionic for the ninth Gen iPad, A14 Bionic for the iPad Air, and A15 Bionic with the iPad Mini. Don’t get us mistaken, there are variations between all of them when it comes to efficiency, particularly while you throw the M1 into the combo.
Nevertheless, it merely doesn’t matter for many artists. The one lifelike situation the place you’d care about efficiency is if in case you have a considerable amount of pages open in a drawing app. For 99% of customers, that’s not the case. As such, even the bottom iPad is stellar when it comes to efficiency.
After all, that is solely due to the superb optimization and RAM administration seen in iPad OS. Say what you’ll, however the expertise continues to be spectacular, even when it prices a premium. There’s a motive why iPads are so widespread.
Finest iPad for drawing, Procreate & others in 2022: Funds, skilled, and for college students
Apple iPad Air (fifth Era)

Execs
- Improbable shade choices
- Upgraded with M1 chip
- Nice battery life
- Vibrant, sharp, and shiny show
The present iPad Air is by far the very best iPad for drawing and the very best iPad generally for most individuals. It takes every part nice in regards to the Execs, cuts corners the place it is sensible, and is miles forward of the ninth Gen iPad. This beast is nearly too good.
By way of the show, you’ll not be dissatisfied. The IPS panel has glorious brightness, the colours are phenomenal, and the decision is sharp. The skinny bezels give it a extra fashionable look, making it arduous to distinguish between the Professional fashions. The next refresh rate would make this even higher. Efficiency is superb as you’d anticipate. Apple lately up to date this with their M1 processor, making it a efficiency powerhouse. It helps the second-generation Apple Pencil, making this phenomenal for drawing as nicely.
All-day battery life, a vibrant show, stellar efficiency, and an unbelievable design (with nice shade choices). That’s what you’re getting with the iPad Air. FaceID would make this a fair higher bundle.
There may be little debate available, that is palms down the very best iPad for drawing.
Apple iPad (ninth Era)

Lightning connector, headphone jack
Execs
- Excellent for college students
- Efficiency holds up nicely
- Finest-in-class battery life
- Nice entrance digital camera
The bottom mannequin iPad is the very best iPad for drawing if you happen to don’t wish to spend an excessive amount of cash. This gadget is extraordinarily versatile for its worth, and it’s stunning how nicely it holds up towards the higher-end fashions. Much more spectacular is the truth that you’re not lacking out on lots by going with this one.
The A13 Bionic right here holds up nicely together with the 3GB of RAM. As we acknowledged earlier, you don’t want to fret about efficiency in terms of the current lineup of iPads. This factor handles most of what you wish to throw at it with ease.
That’s what makes it such a compelling worth. Storage is a bit restricted, however it needs to be high quality for college students and artists who’re simply beginning. It’s the solely iPad that makes use of a lightning port, which is okay, however Sort-C could be higher right here.
The ten.2-inch IPS panel is sweet for the worth. Tablets round this worth or below usually don’t have an honest display screen. Whereas each the iPad mini and iPad Air have higher screens, you’ll be able to’t complain right here for the worth.
All in all, this is a superb price range pill however it’s the worth that makes it so compelling.
iPad Professional 11

11-inch, 2388 x 1668 pixels, 120Hz
128GB/ 256GB/ 512GB / 1TB / 2TB
Execs
- Jaw-dropping efficiency
- Wonderful energy/portability ratio
- Stunning Professional Movement show
Cons
- Pricing doesn’t make sense
- Lacks XDR show of 12.9-inch mannequin
For those who ask folks what they assume the very best iPad for drawing is, they’d go to the top-line Professional mannequin. And, on paper, this gadget is extremely spectacular. It’s arduous to determine why Apple crammed of their M1 chip inside the 2021 model, however they did it anyway.
This iPad Professional 11 is an outstanding gadget. A 120Hz ProMotion show, nice battery life, Apple Pencil assist, glorious storage choices, approach an excessive amount of RAM, and naturally the powerhouse that’s the M1 chip. What extra might you presumably need?
The ProMotion show makes it fairly an expertise to attract on. We’d go so far as saying that is the very best iPad for Procreate, because it actually takes that have to the subsequent degree. Once more, what extra might you need?
Effectively, possibly an M1 Macbook Air? The M1 chip is unbelievable, positive, however the iPad OS doesn’t take full benefit of it, and the worth is just too near a Macbook Air, which is a extra versatile gadget.
Nonetheless, if you happen to want a transportable powerhouse and simply love iPad OS, then that is the one to purchase.
iPad Professional 12.9″

12.9-inch, 2388 x 1668 pixels, 120Hz
128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB
Execs
- The perfect show on a pill
- Beastly efficiency
- Nice entrance and rear cameras
Cons
- Very overpriced
- iPad OS feels limiting for the M1
The iPad Professional 12.9 is among the greatest iPads on the market. That also needs to make it the very best iPad for drawing proper? Effectively, the brief reply could be sure. The longer reply could be extra complicated. For those who’re searching for the very best drawing expertise on the market, then that is the one you wish to purchase.
Nevertheless, would you be prepared to spend more cash on an iPad than the superb M1 Macbook Air? That is the very best iPad for drawing for positive, however worth is necessary as nicely. If you improve the storage, purchase the Apple pencil, and the keyboard, the worth pushes this one out.
This iPad makes use of a Mini-LED show, and with the ProMotion tech, it’s by far probably the most spectacular show on a pill but. The M1 processor is superb, and the virtually 13-inches of actual property for drawing is nice.
Whereas the worth is sort of questionable, if you happen to don’t care in regards to the pricing, that is by far the very best pill on the market.
Apple iPad Mini sixth Gen

8.3-inch, 2266 x 1488, IPS
Execs
- Wonderful portability
- Stellar general efficiency
- Nice entrance and rear cameras
Cons
- The display screen feels cramped for drawing
- Low storage on the bottom mannequin
The iPad Mini has lengthy been one of the widespread variations of the iPad. After all, a lot of that modified when the Professional variations happened, however this nonetheless may be the very best iPad for drawing when it comes to worth and portability.
After all, it’s not with out its sacrifices. The perfect factor in regards to the Mini is its type issue. It’s greater than an iPhone, but sufficiently small to not be unwieldy. It’s nice for lounging on the sofa, watching motion pictures in mattress, and even taking part in some informal video games.
It’s nice for drawing too, as it really works with the second-generation Apple Pencil. Basically, it’s an iPad Air in a smaller type issue.
For those who want the smaller display screen measurement, then for you this will likely very nicely be the very best iPad for drawing.
Associated pill guides
Finest iPad for drawing FAQs
What technology of iPad is greatest for drawing?
Apple iPad Air (fifth Era), Apple iPad (ninth Era), or iPad Professional 11 are all nice choices in terms of iPads for drawing on, relying in your particular wants.
Is the common iPad good for drawing?
The bottom mannequin iPad is a dependable alternative for drawing and digital creation, particularly when mixed with the Apple purposes for the Apple Pencil.
Is the tenth technology iPad 2022 good for drawing?
The most recent iPad and iPad Professional are nice for drawing, nonetheless we don’t imagine the at the moment provide the very best worth for cash (at the usual MSRP). The earlier gen fashions nonetheless stay the only option.
Finest iPad for drawing : Ultimate Phrase
That wraps it up for our picks of the greatest iPad for drawing and greatest iPad for Procreate choices in 2022. Any of the tablet gadgets that we’ve listed right here could be a unbelievable purchase for any aspiring artist. The {hardware} delivers an virtually unbelievable degree of efficiency now and it’s virtually prefer it’s outperforming the software program by fairly a bit.
This is the reason we ranked the M1 iPad Execs decrease on this record. Whereas they’re nice luxurious gadgets and glorious for media consumption, the opposite fashions are a lot better when it comes to worth. Saying that, if cash is not any object then why not go for the very best?