
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 typically.
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 perfect iPad for drawing, certainly they’re contenders for best drawing tablets of any model. This can be a testomony to the standard of Apple’s tablets and is considered one 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 wonderful app choice. Apps like Procreate, Affinity designer, and Illustration flip your iPad from a secondary media consumption machine 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 exhausting to choose between all of them. As such, we’ll be having a look at the perfect iPads for drawing and seeing how they examine stacked towards one another.
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Are the brand new 2022 iPads good for drawing?
Regardless of the latest launch of the brand new 10th generation iPad and iPad Pro 2022 model, we haven’t but included these choices beneath as we consider they presently don’t supply the perfect worth for cash in case your focus is only on an iPad for drawing / and iPad for Procreate. Nonetheless, Black Friday iPad deals might change this, so do make sure to observe the hyperlink to the web page and see if you will get one of many newer variations of the beneath iPads for an attractive low cost.
Greatest iPad for drawing 2022: our prime picks
01
Editor’s Alternative
The iPad Air is sensible worth for cash, making the Professional variations pale compared.

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

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

iPad Professional 11
Greatest iPads for drawing: issues to contemplate
Select fastidiously with storage
iPhones used to undergo badly from too little storage. That’s been largely fastened now, though we’d nonetheless prefer to see 128GB as the bottom storage choice. In the event you’re on the lookout for the perfect iPad for drawing, although, storage is an even bigger situation.
It’s 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. Do not forget that all of them have a Sort-C port now other than the bottom iPad. This implies you should purchase an exterior thunderbolt drive to retailer knowledge on.
Multitasking nonetheless wants work on iPad OS
When procuring round for the perfect iPad for drawing, you might want to ask your self if multitasking is vital. As we’ve seen not too long ago with Samsung’s tablets, multitasking may also help loads by way of productiveness when it’s completed proper.
Whereas Apple is pleased with its sliding animations, split-screen help, and multi-tasking, it’s nonetheless less than par. If you wish to have the Safari and Notes app open on the similar time, no drawback.
Wish to watch a Youtube video, have Safari open for looking out, and be capable to write on the similar time? Effectively, that will get clunky fast on an iPad. That is a kind of areas the place a desktop OS is significantly better.
On the flip aspect, an artist’s workflow may very well be easier. If that’s the case, you can get by with restricted multitasking. Simply maintain that in thoughts in case you are considering of changing your laptop computer completely.
As a designer’s greatest buddy, the perfect iPad for drawing ought to include an Apple Pencil out of the field, proper? That might be the case if we weren’t speaking about iPads. Apple loves to maximise earnings and which means equipment just like the Apple Pencil prices additional – quite a bit additional.
Not one of the iPads include the Apple Pencil. Moreover, the bottom mannequin iPad doesn’t help the second-generation Pencil. You understand, the one which attaches magnetically to the aspect of the iPad.
After all, that is simply one other transfer to make you spend extra money. The bottom iPad is great, as we’ll discover later. Nonetheless, when you don’t wish to take care of the inconvenience of charging it through the iPad’s lightning port, then you might want to get one of many higher-end fashions.
Surprisingly, efficiency doesn’t matter
Effectively, that is one thing you don’t hear every single day. The most effective iPad for drawing ought to have the perfect efficiency, proper? You don’t have to fret about that right here as all of the iPads we’ve checked out have wonderful 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 fallacious, there are variations between all of them by way of efficiency, particularly if you throw the M1 into the combination.
Nonetheless, it merely doesn’t matter for many artists. The one real looking state of affairs the place you’d care about efficiency is you probably 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 by way of 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 remains to be spectacular, even when it prices a premium. There’s a cause why iPads are so well-liked.
Greatest iPad for drawing, Procreate & others in 2022: Price range, skilled, and for college students
Apple iPad Air (fifth Era)

Execs
- Incredible colour choices
- Upgraded with M1 chip
- Nice battery life
- Vibrant, sharp, and vibrant show
The present iPad Air is by far the perfect iPad for drawing and the perfect iPad on the whole for most individuals. It takes all the pieces nice concerning the Execs, cuts corners the place it is sensible, and is miles forward of the ninth Gen iPad. This beast is nearly too good.
When it comes to the show, you’ll not be disenchanted. The IPS panel has wonderful brightness, the colours are phenomenal, and the decision is sharp. The skinny bezels give it a extra fashionable look, making it exhausting to distinguish between the Professional fashions. A better refresh rate would make this even higher. Efficiency is great as you’d anticipate. Apple not too long ago 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 unimaginable design (with nice colour choices). That’s what you’re getting with the iPad Air. FaceID would make this an excellent higher package deal.
There may be little debate available, that is fingers down the perfect iPad for drawing.
Apple iPad (ninth Era)

Lightning connector, headphone jack
Execs
- Excellent for college students
- Efficiency holds up nicely
- Greatest-in-class battery life
- Nice entrance digital camera
The bottom mannequin iPad is the perfect iPad for drawing when you don’t wish to spend an excessive amount of cash. This machine 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 loads 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 relating to the latest 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, but it surely ought 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 value. Tablets round this worth or underneath typically don’t have a good display. Whereas each the iPad mini and iPad Air have higher screens, you possibly can’t complain right here for the value.
All in all, this is a wonderful price range pill but it surely’s the value that makes it so compelling.
iPad Professional 11

11-inch, 2388 x 1668 pixels, 120Hz
128GB/ 256GB/ 512GB / 1TB / 2TB
Execs
- Jaw-dropping efficiency
- Glorious energy/portability ratio
- Stunning Professional Movement show
Cons
- Pricing doesn’t make sense
- Lacks XDR show of 12.9-inch mannequin
In the event you ask folks what they assume the perfect iPad for drawing is, they’d go to the top-line Professional mannequin. And, on paper, this machine is extremely spectacular. It’s exhausting to determine why Apple crammed of their M1 chip within the 2021 model, however they did it anyway.
This iPad Professional 11 is an excellent machine. A 120Hz ProMotion show, nice battery life, Apple Pencil help, wonderful storage choices, method an excessive amount of RAM, and naturally the powerhouse that’s the M1 chip. What extra may you probably need?
The ProMotion show makes it fairly an expertise to attract on. We might go so far as saying that is the perfect iPad for Procreate, because it actually takes that have to the following stage. Once more, what extra may you need?
Effectively, perhaps an M1 Macbook Air? The M1 chip is unimaginable, certain, however the iPad OS doesn’t take full benefit of it, and the value is simply too near a Macbook Air, which is a extra versatile machine.
Nonetheless, when you 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 most effective 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 likely one of the greatest iPads on the market. That also needs to make it the perfect iPad for drawing proper? Effectively, the brief reply could be sure. The longer reply could be extra complicated. In the event you’re on the lookout for the very best drawing expertise on the market, then that is the one you wish to purchase.
Nonetheless, would you be prepared to spend extra money on an iPad than the superb M1 Macbook Air? That is the perfect iPad for drawing for certain, however worth is vital as nicely. Whenever you improve the storage, purchase the Apple pencil, and the keyboard, the value pushes this one out.
This iPad makes use of a Mini-LED show, and with the ProMotion tech, it’s by far essentially the most spectacular show on a pill but. The M1 processor is great, and the just about 13-inches of actual property for drawing is nice.
Whereas the worth is kind of questionable, when you don’t care concerning the pricing, that is by far the perfect pill on the market.
Apple iPad Mini sixth Gen

8.3-inch, 2266 x 1488, IPS
Execs
- Glorious portability
- Stellar general efficiency
- Nice entrance and rear cameras
Cons
- The display feels cramped for drawing
- Low storage on the bottom mannequin
The iPad Mini has lengthy been probably the most well-liked variations of the iPad. After all, a lot of that modified when the Professional variations took place, however this nonetheless could be the perfect iPad for drawing by way of worth and portability.
After all, it isn’t with out its sacrifices. The most effective factor concerning the Mini is its type issue. It’s larger 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. Primarily, it’s an iPad Air in a smaller type issue.
In the event you favor the smaller display measurement, then for you this will very nicely be the perfect iPad for drawing.
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Greatest 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 relating to iPads for drawing on, relying in your particular wants.
Is the common iPad good for drawing?
The bottom mannequin iPad is a dependable selection 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 newest iPad and iPad Professional are nice for drawing, nonetheless we don’t consider the presently supply the perfect worth for cash (at the usual MSRP). The earlier gen fashions nonetheless stay your best option.
Greatest iPad for drawing : Remaining 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 implausible purchase for any aspiring artist. The {hardware} delivers an virtually unbelievable stage 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 listing. Whereas they’re nice luxurious objects and wonderful for media consumption, the opposite fashions are significantly better by way of worth. Saying that, if cash isn’t any object then why not go for the perfect?