Cheap Drawing Tablet Options

No one can deny that technology has added speed and accuracy in almost all aspects of life, and drawing is not an exception. In this day and age, you can create an astonishing design without excessive sheets of paper.

Besides that, you don’t have to crush them anymore and fill the trashcan because you made a mistake while drawing (talking about ecology here). Still, you can easily erase or undo an unwanted step you’ve done in seconds with shortcut keys in your favorite digital art software.

If we focus on traditional paper drawing, we conclude that it has some drawbacks. The two most significant ones are: you are unable to remove wrong drawn lines with precision and without leaving a visible mark. Besides that, you can not go back to the previous step you’ve made. So you usually need to start making your masterpiece from scratch all over again – yay.

As a result, you need to have a remarkable gadget to help you achieve the best results with the least effort and as quickly as possible.

After all, drawing today is all about working smart, not hard work, right?

So, if you want to work as efficiently as possible, you should consider getting a drawing tablet. With their help, you can create every idea that springs to your mind.

Whether you’re a hobbyist, beginner, or professional artist, you can choose between a long line of different drawing tablets. They will most definitely help you join separate pieces of your vision together into one chef-d’oeuvre without any unnecessary paper waste.

This article will show you all about drawing tablets that give you the most bang for your buck.

So, here is the list of cheap drawing tablets we are going to look at:

1. Huion H610 v2
2. Wacom Intuos
3. XP-PEN Deco 01 V2
4. VEIKK A30
5. UGEE M708

Now let’s explore the mentioned tablets in-depth so that you can find the perfect fit for you!

1. Huion H610 v2 Drawing Tablet

If you are a digital artist searching for a budget drawing tablet, this one is right for you. The device has been designed for every creative purpose imaginable, no matter your artistic skills.

It’s a superb option for architects, graphic designers, illustrators, and 3D modelers. It fulfills the needs of almost all types of designers and hobbyists who are linked to drawing and crafting.

What’s more?

The drawing part of the tablet has an incredibly paper texture feel, which gives you an unbelievable sensation that mimics physical drawings on an actual paper.

If you have Windows 7 or one of the more recent versions, you are set to go with this low-cost gadget. It also supports Mac 10.11 and later versions alongside much top-ranking digital art software. Moreover, you can also connect it to your mobile device or tablet if it runes on Android 6.0 or above.

You will also enjoy a faster workflow with this tablet. The device comes with eight pre-programmed press keys that you can reassign if you wish and with 16 soft keys, which have the option of setting your preferred shortcuts.

As you can see, this tablet has no lack of shortcut keys to which you can apply the proper commands, so you can make the drawing process faster and more practical.

Let’s examine the workspace now! Huion H610 v2 drawing tablet is an inexpensive drawing tablet, but do not underestimate its functionality. It has a considerably sizeable working area, which measures whooping 10×6.25 inches, so you won’t miss a pixel when you’re creating your digital works.

At this point, we will discuss the looks of the product.

The tablet’s design could be more contemporary-looking. Still, the curved edges take care of the ergonomy, so your arm won’t fall asleep while drawing. The total dimensions of the gadget are 3.9 x 9.6 x 0.6 inches, and the item weighs 1.35 pounds, which is average compared to the other devices on this list.

Tablet comes with a battery-free lightweight pen that won’t make your hand numb after taking it up and working for long hours. It has a report rate of 233 PPS, which is also reasonable for a tablet in this price range.

It comes with a resolution capacity of 5080 LPI, supports ±60 degrees pen tilt sensing, and offers 8192 levels of pen pressure, which works amazingly well for natural and efficient stroke-making.

You can buy this inexpensive drawing tablet with a large working area, numerous shortcut keys, and an exceptional pen if you consider everything. All of this enables you to work with the ultimate precision and without dead battery interruptions, which we all hate.

Like most drawing tablets on the market, it comes in sleek black.

Cons:

• For some 13 grams stylus might be a bit too lightweight
• You might face some connectivity issues
• No wireless connection ability, which may be a problem for those who prefer this option.

2. Wacom Intuos Graphics Drawing Tablet

This is another excellent tablet from one of the most known brands in this industry. It is durable, so you can work on all your creative projects in the years to come.

Besides that, it is lightweight, which is a superb feature, especially portability. Its weight comes down to 8.2 ounces, which means that it is really comfortable and easy to carry around, so you can create your designs wherever your creative ideas start running through your mind.

This feature is not the only great thing that comes with this device. Let’s see its other specs, and the first one we are going to discuss is the size of the tablet. With a 7.9 x 6.3 inches dimension and an active drawing area of 6.0 x 3.7 inches, this tablet is the smallest one on this list.

Suppose those specifications are inadequate for your artistic purposes. In that case, you might look into Wacom Intuos MD, with an 8.5 x 5.3 inches drawing area. But you should know that the MD version with a higher price tag does not fit this list of low-priced tablets.

On the other hand, the smaller version is an exceptional choice for everyone who works in a limited working space.

Wacom has manufactured this tablet with a brilliant connectivity option. You may choose to connect it either with a USB cable or via Bluetooth. So if you don’t like to be limited by wires, this option alone makes it worth buying.

It supports both Windows and Mac operating systems. If you don’t have a PC or laptop at hand, you can simply connect it to your Android phone or tablet and start drawing.

This device is powered by a battery that lasts for 15 hours and will boost the work speed factor since you don’t need to connect the USB cable to create your magnum opus. It will undoubtedly make your drawing process faster and easier.

Wacom Intuos comes with a battery-free stylus that has 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity, which is the lowest compared to others on the list. Despite low-pressure sensitivity, the pen is made by the most renowned drawing tablet maker in this space. It will surely fulfill all your needs if you are a beginner or an average artist.

In fact, I’m confident to say that with this pen, you can draw anything or make any 3d model precisely and accurately.
The stylus also has an option of storing pen nibs into its barrel, so you can change them quickly when you’re running low.

Now let’s explore the aesthetics of the Wacom Intuos tablet.

Even though this tablet falls into the budget price range, its looks were not overlooked. Suppose you focus on the device’s appearance. In that case, it seems pretty sophisticated and creative looking simultaneously. If you compare its design to other tablets in the same price range, you can see that Wacom looks a bit more refined.

Suppose the aesthetic values of a tablet play a significant role for you. In that case, I have to highlight that this tablet got two design awards for its appearance: the iF design award and the Red Dot Design award.

Besides stylish looks and already mentioned features, you can also set four ExpressKeys that will help speed up your drawing process. The keys also work as a pen tray, which is quite handy because you don’t need a separate holder to store your stylus once you’re done working.

If you’re wondering about those dots on the tablet surface, let me tell you that they indicate the active surface area where you can draw. Outside of these lines, the pen won’t work.

You can usually see the same dotted pattern in some notebooks, so the Wacom design team probably drew inspiration to make the surface familiar looking to a medium that artists typically use for sketching.

As I said, I recommend this tablet to a hobbyist or a beginner designer who is getting in the space of digital drawing, and even an experienced artist on a budget might enjoy using it.

Unlike some other tablets on the market, where you’re doomed to only one color option, Wacom Intuos comes in three different variations: black, pistachio, and berry.

Suppose you’re interested only in the specification numbers of a tablet. In that case, you might say that this one doesn’t offer as much as others listed here. However, as I already mention, Wacom is the world’s leading drawing tablet manufacturer. They are fully mindful of their target audience’s needs.

Cons:

• Smaller drawing area on an S model might be a bit too compact for some professionals. Still, it seems like a pretty good option for a tighter working space.
• It does not support tilt sensitivity, so you can not create strokes at different hand angles.
• Pen nibs get worn out quickly

3. XP-PEN Deco 01 V2 Digital Drawing Tablet

This gadget is all about a large drawing surface, which you will enjoy working with all the time. Usually, a tablet with a good-sized working area comes with the price. Still, you don’t need to worry about paying a fortune for this one because it falls on our list of cheap drawing tablets.

Suppose you are an experienced artist or a beginner. In that case, you can easily connect it with your computer and start working in numerous mainstream design software, such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and other well-known ones.

The dimensions of the whole tablet are 13.8 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches, and the working area measures 10×6.25 inches, so you have a considerable amount of drawing space to work on.

In terms of weight, this device is not the heaviest nor the lightest, so it falls right in the middle of our weight scale compared to other ones. It weighs 2.2 pounds, and it might be a bit weighty for artists who like to move a lot from place to place and where every ounce matters.

On the other hand, if you’re not weight-sensitive, then this tablet is right up your alley. In the end, it all comes down to how much you plan to carry it around. A drawing tablet with a low price and a large drawing area is not a bad deal, even if it’s not a featherweight one.

The report Rate Speed of this tablet is 266 RPS, and it is similar to the ones within the same price range, and it is relatively a standard one.

This tablet does not provide Bluetooth connectivity options, so you will need to connect it to your device with a regular USB cable, which might also be a minus for some.

XP-Pen Deco supports both Windows and Mac OS. This tablet works flawlessly on both, no matter which operating system your computer is running on. Besides that, you’re not limited to only a computer working with this bad boy. Still, you can also plug it into your android phone or tablet, and you’re ready to roll!

It comes with an excellent stylus with a pressure level sensitivity of 8192, which means that you can create an accurate stroke with every hand movement you make and add even the tiniest details to your masterpiece with extreme precision.

Besides pinpoint accuracy, it doesn’t need any additional batteries or charging, which is an exceptional feature because you can draw endlessly without any power interruptions.

It also supports 60 degrees of tilt, which means holding it in an overhand/gesture grip or a basic traditional/tripod grip. The different ways of pen holding give your drawing process a more natural feeling. At the same time, you make different strokes and shapes, which adds to your creative freedom.

Deco tablet features eight customizable express keys placed next to the 5080 LPI resolution drawing surface. It comes in only one color option – black, and from my point of view, it looks really sleek and elegant.

Cons:

• As I’ve already mentioned, this tablet doesn’t offer a wireless connection option
• The stylus has no eraser option, so you have to switch to erasing mode by express key or in software by selecting the right tool

4. VEIKK A30 Pen Tablet

The looks are probably one of the most significant aspects of this tablet. It looks like an advanced and expensive gadget simultaneously. It is one of the best options you should consider at this price point.

Some of its features are similar to the Deco tablet, the 3rd on this list. For example, it has a large drawing area of 10×6 inches, and the dimensions of this tablet are 13.9 x 9.1 x 1.5 inches. So it’s considered as a larger device on the list.

Whether you are a graphic designer, illustrator, or architect, it works well in all creative fields. With 8192 levels of pressure pen sensitivity, you can create the most exceptional illustrations, sketches, or 3d models with ease and precision.

Besides that, it comes with a battery-free pen. So you can work on your project without any additional recharge, which is a vital feature that provides the best drawing experience you can have.

A faster workflow is the priority of every artist, so the mastermind creators of this tablet had this in mind when making it. They’ve added four touch-key options, so you have complete freedom to add shortcuts according to your needs, making your work more efficient and quicker.

Want to work with even more comfort?
Well, this device has another brilliant feature, which is called Smart TouchPad. It allows you to zoom in and out on your canvas. So you can increase or decrease the size of your brush purely with your hand gestures.

This function enables drawing with the ultimate precision to produce flawless details, which are crucial when creating the best and the most polished designs.

The next thing we are going to look at is portability. It is not the most massive tablet on the list. With a weight of just 1.26 pounds, you will find it convenient to put it in your backpack and move around freely without any additional burden on your back.

The tablet has a paper feel-like surface, with a resolution of 5080 LPI and a 250 PPS reading rate. Suppose you combine altogether and add an astonishing pressure sensitivity pen on top. In that case, I can say that this drawing instrument works wonders while working.

Cons:

• Button dimed lights might be a bit too hard to see in a dark working environment
• A bit buggy Installation drivers can distress some users
• It is not wireless

5. UGEE M708 Graphic Tablet

You should consider this drawing device as your next purchase. Why, you might ask? Keep on reading, and you will find out.

The tablet is fully loaded with powerful features and is affordable at the same time. It comes with a battery-free stylus with extra eight nib tips that offer users 8192 pressure sensitivity for a flawless drawing experience.

Moreover, there are eight customizable express keys on the left side of the device, which are great for applying quick commands for a smooth workflow. They come in handy when you need to zoom in or zoom out on a detail, quickly switch between drawing tools, or simply undo something you’ve made.

A sizeable 10×6 inch paper-feel working area is another remarkable characteristic of this device. It gives you maximum freedom while drawing your next masterpiece.

The high resolution of 5080 LPI is an additional highlight in line with the other incredible features. It provides a report rate of 266 RPS, which senses every pen nib touch with perfection.

The total weight of the tablet is 1.45 pounds, so you have the flexibility to pick it up and work from where ever you want. UGEE M708 comes with cleaning items and a two-finger anti-fouling glow, which helps you reduce friction while drawing.

This device only supports USB connectivity, which is a drawback for some artists. On the other hand, you don’t need to worry about running out of power, like wireless connection tablets.

It is compatible with Windows/Mac OS. It supports the most design software on the market, such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, 3D MAX, and Autodesk MAYA.

Considering everything, the UGEE M708 graphic tablet, with its powerful features and low price, is an excellent choice for every professional or beginner artist who wants to make their digital creations.

Cons:

• You can not install UGEE drivers if you have another tablet already set up on your PC
• The pen does not come with an eraser
• Not a wireless tablet
• Drawing surface might scratch easier compart to other brands

Final Words: Cheap Drawing Tablet

To wrap up everything, after in-depth analysis about the most affordable drawing tablets in today’s market, I can say with certainty that every option on this list is an excellent choice for every hobbyist, beginner or a professional artist, who works day-to-day or occasionally in different digital art fields, from drawing to 3d modeling.

So no matter which of the listed tablets you choose for all your future projects, you won’t go wrong!

Drawing tablets are not for drawing purposes only, but you can also use them for photo retouching. These gadgets can help you correct a photo with military precision if you work in this industry.

In this list, I’ve included a wide range of different features you get with these devices that will make your work more enjoyable. In addition to that, they come with minimum expenses.

The above-mentioned digital drawing tools will keep on working for as long as you need them to. The only thing you need to take care of are pen nibs which wear out with time, so you have to change them from time to time.

You might outgrow their features in the future, and you may consider switching to something like a display drawing tablet, but until then, enjoy creating your unique works with one of these budget ones!