What is a Stylus Pen?

    “If you are a user of a touch-screen device as a common tablet or a drawing pad, a touch-screen monitor or a smartphone, you could definitely come across a problem of accurate drawing of lines even if you are not a graphic designer. You could also fail to move a picture smoothly around the screen using the keyboard at the same time because that picture was too small. To make the work with capacitive screens easier and more comfortable, you can use such modern tool as a stylus. The stylus looks like just a pen or a pencil but it provides you with the comprehensive control of touch-screen gadgets allowing you to resolve considerably difficult tasks such as drawing sketches, manual input of the text, etc. This review covers the best styluses and their major distinctive features. If you need a device for fast and comfy text input, for instance at the tablet or any other mobile unit, we can recommend visiting our review that presents the best bluetooth keyboards.” —Best Stylus Pens 2019

What Features to Compare

    “Choosing an accessory like stylus for a touch-screen you should, first of all, consider the Tip Features of the device. The stylus tip is its most important part. The precision and sensitivity depend on it. One of the major features of the tip is its material. The tip made of sponge is among the cheapest, being relatively precise. The bad side is that it is worn out quickly and should be frequently replaced. Rubber tips are much more common and used for drawing and text input. Note that the rubber is the material mostly similar to the skin of a human finger. A plastic tip is the feature of expensive stylus models famous for their long lives and extreme precision. The negative part is the tapping sound when the tip touches the screen. Such styluses are also distinguished by transparent caps on their tips allowing you to see the center of your drawing so as to make the next line more accurate. It is very convenient for fine drawing or calligraphy. There is one more specific type of styluses: active styluses that utilize Bluetooth connection for remote control. These styluses have a very high sensitivity level and might even allow regulating the line thickness. They are ideal for drawing and sketching. It would be also important to take into account the tip diameter which might be between 1.9 - 8 mm. You should be aware that some experts believe that the tip diameter should not be less than a fingertip because, in this case, it may imitate the touch of the finger the best.
    “The next vital features while selecting a stylus are Compatibility and Size. Usually, the styluses are compatible almost with all modern capacitive screens, but still you should read the description because manufacturers often provide a list of devices and models compatible with a particular stylus model. For example, some models may be designed exclusively for work with Apple iPads and iPhones, other models may be universal. If you wish to enjoy the best of comfort and performance from your stylus, you should pay attention to its size. The weight, length, and diameter of the stylus body define its position in the grip.
    “Finally, we would like to draw your attention to Features and Material. Specific features of modern styluses include an option of remote control via Bluetooth. As a rule, these styluses additionally have some programmable buttons for certain functions. In contrast to passive styluses, the active ones usually have built-in batteries charged from PC USB-ports. Availability of extra tips and caps is another important issue. You will be able, if necessary, to replace a part or choose the best alternative for a specific task. Another key feature of a stylus is an eraser. The eraser allows you to delete a drawing immediately or adjust a picture. Besides, some models combine the stylus and finger controls, i.e. you might smooth rough edges and blend colors on the page with a touch of your finger. In some cases, the manufacturers equip styluses with protective caps, magnets or hand-straps. As for material, we recommend choosing the metal-made models; such styluses look better and live longer.” —Best Stylus Pens 2019

How Active Styluses Work

    “The active stylus, also known as the active pen, is a type of input device designed to emulate the familiarity of a pen in the human hand. As the pen has evolved with humans over the last 5,000 years of recorded history, it follows that active styluses should keep to its design.
    “Active pens generally find use in the realm of digital note taking, document annotation, and digital drawing or painting. The function of the active stylus is quite unique. Electrical components within an active stylus generate short-range wireless signals. These wireless signals are then picked up by a built in digitizer, which transmits messages about the pen's orientation, pressure, and minute movements to the pen's dedicated controller.
    “As the digitizer within the pen is constantly sending information to the computer, its exact location above the pad is always known. When an active stylus hovers over the control pad, the cursor on the computer will move to match its location. This removes the guesswork caused by passive styluses, eliminating erroneous marks and unnecessary edits from your work.
    “Active styluses also easily eliminate all palm marks from the work surface. As the human body is an electrical circuit, touching any part of the hand to the surface of a touchscreen or digital receiver can cause electrical impulses to translate into marks on the page. Both writers and artists usually touch their hands to the surface of their work space as they write or draw, making this potentially problematic. An active stylus eliminates this problem. The dedicated receivers only respond to signals sent from the pen.” —The 10 Best Active Styluses

The Psychology Of Writing

    “There may be many links between writing styles and a person's psychological state. Much about a person's personality is said to be displayed in their writing style, and as more studies are conducted into this theory, more links between the two are found. Graphologists say they can determine amazing things about a person - from physiological symptoms such as high blood pressure and ADHD to basic personality types - simply by analyzing their writing.
    “One way in which a graphologist analyzes writing is by looking at letter size. The size of written letters helps determine the difference between an introverted personality and an extroverted one. If the letters are small, taking up less than half of the provided line, the person is more likely to be timid and introverted. Large letters which take up all of the space on the line tend to indicate an outgoing, attention-seeking personality.
    “The way the writer dots their i's may actually tell a graphologist more about their personality than most things. Writers who place their dots perfectly above the letter are said to be the most organized and emphatic. A person who draws a small circle above the letter is said to possess a childlike quality. A high dot indicates a very imaginative writer, where a dash is the trademark of a critical one. A dot which is off to either side of the letter indicates the utmost laziness. These are just two ways in which a writer's mentality actually physically affects their handwriting.” —The 10 Best Active Styluses

Reasons An Active Stylus Is Better Than A Finger

    “Touchscreen technology has come a long way since E.A. Johnson created the first finger-driven capacitive model in 1965. There have been numerous revolutions in touchscreen technology over the years, including the invention of the resistive touchscreen. These touchscreens did not require an external electrical impulse to be controlled, making it possible to use a stylus as the input device.
    “An active stylus takes it a step further, adding an advanced electrical impulse to the body of a stylus. This allows it to operate on capacitive touchscreens. This is not the only benefit of an active stylus, however. One thing to consider is the cleanliness of the touchscreen's surface. The hands are the way we interact with the outside world, and they pick up dirt, bacteria, and oil at every step of the way, from the money used to pay for coffee in the morning to the handrail on the subway. All of this leads to a dirty, potentially harmful touchscreen. Even when the hands are clean, the human body produces oils that can smudge the screen any time you use it. There is no such worry with an active stylus.
    “While the finger may be good enough to do basic functions on a touchscreen such as selecting icons or navigating a webpage, it falls short in many ways. Taking notes with an active stylus is far better than fumbling around with the finger. Some would argue that notes can simply be taken with a pen and paper. This is true, though an active stylus allows the user to quickly save those notes as a small file, which makes it very easy to catalog them or send them to others.
    “Digital artists and designers simply need an active stylus to emulate the fine strokes of a brush or pen. The multiple sensors and gyro-stabilizers in the pen help it determine which way it is being moved, which can create a different stroke or artistic effect as needed. ” —The 10 Best Active Styluses

How iPad styluses work

    “The iPad’s touchscreen is capacitive, which means that to register a touch, it looks for the kind of electrical signals present in your body. (This is why you can’t use ordinary gloves on an iPad.) A capacitive stylus has an electricity-conducting nib (tip) that simulates the charge your finger provides on the screen.
    “But the iPad doesn’t require only a capacitive touch—it also demands that touches be of a certain size. As such, most stylus nibs have to be big enough to fake a finger gesture—usually around 6 to 9 millimeters wide—or they have to fake it with electrical signals.
    “One other potential issue: Sometimes the capacitive-signal requirements change as Apple tweaks the technology in its iPad displays. As Ten One Design CEO Peter Skinner explained to us, “Many iPad models use slightly different electrical signals to sense fingers … it’s why some [6 mm or smaller-nib] styli that worked on an iPad Air wouldn’t work with iPad Air 2. [There’s] no guarantee [current styluses will] work on a future model.”
    “Over the years, manufacturers have come up with many creative—and often strange—approaches to building effective styluses, but the most popular and widely used techniques fall into five categories.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

• Rubber nib ($): This inexpensive option is the original approach for capacitive styluses, designed to imitate a finger. Such nibs originally measured 8 to 9 mm because the first iPad simply wouldn’t recognize anything smaller, but they have since shrunk to 5 to 6 mm as displays have improved. A rubber nib provides more resistance against the screen than plastic or disc nibs, but the bigger nibs often obscure your starting point, leading to poor accuracy. They also occasionally tear with use, though most manufacturers offer replacements. —The Best Stylus for Your iPad
• Mesh nib ($): These fabric-based nibs have been around almost as long as their rubber counterparts, and they offer slightly better resistance on the screen. Unfortunately, like rubber nibs, mesh nibs can be bulky and prone to tearing; you can also encounter slowdowns with that excess resistance. —The Best Stylus for Your iPad
• “Other” nib ($$): This category is dominated by disc nibs, though we’ve also seen capacitive paintbrushes, wands, and more. This type gained popularity thanks to stylus maker Adonit, whose disc tips use a 6 mm clear disc with a metallic center point that gives you finger-size touch input while allowing you to see precisely where you’re drawing. Plastic-disc nibs can be a little finicky to draw with, however, due to their lack of resistance; some models also may drive you crazy with their click-click-clicks as you pick up and put down the stylus. —The Best Stylus for Your iPad
• Active (powered) fine-tip nib ($$$): This stylus type offers a much thinner nib (1.9 mm on average), similar to the tip of a traditional pen. Because the iPad’s screen doesn’t normally recognize inputs this small, these models use an internal battery to supply an electric charge to the tip that lets the stylus fake the diameter necessary for an iPad screen to recognize input. When the technology works correctly, the thin nib offers excellent accuracy and minimal resistance, but it can also produce imprecise lines—Ten One Design CEO Peter Skinner told us that “you may notice the line seems to be offset from the tip.” In addition, it may not work with every iPad, because different iPad models have used different screen technologies. Such styluses also draw a heavy amount of power: As Skinner told us, the “AAA-size battery usually only lasts about 10 hours before recharge or replacement.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad
• Bluetooth-powered nib ($$$$): Originally created to provide Wacom-tablet-style performance and features for artists, Bluetooth styluses include additional hardware for features such as pressure sensitivity, palm rejection, greater precision, and custom buttons. However, Bluetooth styluses are usually the most expensive kind, and because Apple doesn’t provide a way for third-party styluses to provide system-wide support, stylus makers must rely on app developers to add model-specific support within their apps—which means that these features work with only those apps. And because each app supports a particular Bluetooth stylus in its own way, you may find that the stylus works differently in each app, and some features may not be available at all in some apps. —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

    “The Apple Pencil doesn’t follow any of the rules prescribed for other stylus options, because it doesn’t have to—it’s made by the same company that makes the iPad. Apple has system-wide access to iOS, of course, so it has incorporated support for the Pencil everywhere, and the iPad recognizes the Pencil as a completely different input from a fingertip. This is why the Pencil’s palm rejection is so good: The Pencil isn’t faking a finger, so iOS can simply ignore all hand and finger input while the Pencil is within range of the screen.
    “Today, rubber and mesh nibs are the most popular and least expensive options. They offer the surface area and general resistance of a finger in a pen-style body. This design comes at the expense of visual precision, however—even the best 8 mm stylus will feel a bit more clumsy than a precise pen nib.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

How we picked and tested

    “We narrowed our last big search by picking three to five top styluses from each of the five stylus categories described above, based on Amazon popularity, outside recommendations, our own stylus experience, and comparison testing. That gave us 19 models (including Apple’s Pencil) for our first round of hands-on tests. We’d tested some of these models multiple times previously; others were brand-new additions to the field. Since then, we’ve monitored new models as they’ve become available.
    “We put that initial group through three rounds of tests on three iPad models: an iPad Air 2, a 9.7-inch iPad Pro, and a first-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro. (Though we didn’t test with non-Apple screens, all of the styluses but the Apple Pencil and Adonit Pixel should work just fine with the capacitive screen on any phone, phablet, tablet, or touchscreen laptop.) As for the app, we used Apple’s Notes, which provides a good baseline for drawing features without too much overprocessing, along with the Paper app for precision and balance tests. In 2018, we tested the second-gen Apple Pencil with both the 11-inch iPad Pro and the third-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
    “We designed our initial tests to evaluate the four most important characteristics of a great stylus: comfort, resistance, balance, and precision. Though we’ve presented our results grouped by nib style, we tested all of the styluses in random order to prevent acclimation bias.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

• Comfort: Recommending a single stylus design and grip for everyone is difficult because some people prefer a thicker body while others want rubberized grips or angled grip surfaces. However, if a stylus cramped a tester’s hand or dug into skin, we dropped it from consideration. Also, if we found it impossible to grip a stylus without dragging a hand on the screen or contorting fingers, we eliminated it. Beyond that, you want a tool that feels good when you write with it. —The Best Stylus for Your iPad
• Resistance: A good stylus offers the right amount of resistance—the friction between the nib (drawing end) of the stylus and the iPad’s screen. If the nib is too slick, you won’t have the line control that you might get with a pen on a piece of paper. If it’s too sticky, you’ll find yourself making erroneous marks or getting sore hands from gripping the stylus more tightly to drag it across the screen. —The Best Stylus for Your iPad
• Balance and weight: A stylus’ weight should be distributed evenly along its body—a stylus with most of its weight at the nib and little at the other end (or vice versa) is uncomfortable to hold and difficult to control. This is especially true for styluses that don’t support palm rejection, which means you have to keep your hand upright over the pen. Weight is also important: A stylus that’s too heavy will cramp your hand over time, and one that’s too light will suffer from the same problems as a slicker pen nib—you won’t have the same control over your lines. —The Best Stylus for Your iPad
• Precision: If you’re handwriting text, you want to be able to write consistently, without overlapping letters or inconsistent vertical spacing. If you’re drawing, you want to be able to ink over the same line precisely and repeatedly. —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

    “In our basic resistance test, our two testers (a lefty and a right-hander) wrote the phrase “The quick brown fox” in sentence case and all-caps. This test gave us a feel for how each of the nibs moved across the screen when trying to make quick, staccato lines. We also recorded the lag for each stylus when drawing a straight line and a curved line in Notes.
    “For our balance and precision tests, we made an inking grid in Paper that required the testers to trace a series of small triangles and a circle, and then to ink a pencil drawing. We performed the shapes test twice for each stylus, first tracing with Paper’s built-in zoom tools and then doing so again at native resolution.
    “Many of the styluses exhibited flaws and rough edges in these tests. To complete the circuit successfully, a stylus needed to trace solid lines, add dots (one of the most difficult tasks for a capacitive stylus), write, and add flair to a pencil sketch—all at different points of the canvas. It’s a test that few styluses perform perfectly.
    “Finally, we used the Notes app and had our testers write the phrase “BIG FONT, SMALL FONT” at four different sizes—the first three at the iPad’s natural screen resolution, and then the tiniest version of the phrase at a 100 percent screen zoom. Although we’d already gotten some writing samples at speed, this handwriting test was a chance to write with more care. Of the 18 styluses we tested in this initial group, only a few proved truly successful here. We were looking for handwriting that somewhat resembled a control test on actual paper, as well as readability at all four sizes, little to no traveling (letters or words moving up or down the screen as the sentence continued), and unwavering line work.
    “Based on these tests, we chose our semifinalists: From the rubber-nib category, we chose the Studio Neat Cosmonaut; for mesh-nib models, the Adonit Mark; for “other” styles, the Adonit Mini; and for powered styluses, the Lynktec Apex Fusion. Among Bluetooth styluses, we tested the Apple Pencil and the Adonit Pixel, assessing both of them as alternatives on an iPad Pro and as potential Bluetooth options for people with standard iPads.
    “We tested these six styluses with our illustration and cartooning experts. Diesel Sweeties creator Rich Stevens has been drawing and illustrating digitally for decades. Girls With Slingshots creator Danielle Corsetto is almost Stevens’s opposite: Though she’s famous for her recently completed webcomic, Corsetto created it largely using ink pens and physical paper, turning to digital tools primarily for cleanup. Each panelist spent a few hours using the semifinalists on a 9.7-inch iPad Pro and a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, drawing in Notes, Paper, Procreate, and GoodNotes. These tests weren’t nearly as structured as our first-round tests; instead, both artists experimented with the tools while engaged in their regular workflows.
    “In summer 2018, illustrator Mike Thompson conducted additional testing, and we put the second-generation Apple Pencil through its paces in the fall.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

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Adobe Ink & Slide

    “If you’re really invested in Adobe apps and the Creative Cloud, Adobe’s Ink & Slide stylus and ruler combo may just be the perfect tools for you. The Ink & Slide connect to any iPad 4 or later, iPad Air, or iPad Mini via Bluetooth LE. It’s also synced up with the Creative Cloud, so every drawing you make or preference you set will be stored in the cloud for you to access on your computer or other devices later. The Ink & Slide also work with Adobe’s Illustrator Line and Photoshop Sketch apps.
    “The Ink stylus has a fine-tip, pressure-sensitive point and feels like a normal pen in your hand. The Ink uses Pixelpoint technology from Adonit for greater accuracy. A status LED on the stylus even shows you what color you chose, so you don’t make any mistakes. The Slide ruler can be used to make perfectly straight lines, circles, and other shapes. Even though it’s a pricier stylus, the Ink & Slide does come with a USB charger and carrying case, and it’s the ideal stylus for serious creatives who are deeply invested in Adobe’s products already.” —Best styli for notetakers

4. Adonit Dash 3

    “The Adonit Dash 3 combines smart and elegant design with a precision tip that measures 1.9 mm and is optimized with slight resistance to make it feel like you're writing on paper. It charges via a simple USB adapter that's magnetized to ensure a solid connection.
    “14 hour battery life
    “Charges fully in just 45 minutes
    “Very well balanced
    “Brand Adonit
    “Model ADJD3B
    “Ship Weight 1.6 ounces
    “Rating 4.7 / 5.0” —The 10 Best Active Styluses

Adonit Jot Touch with Pixelpoint Pressure Sensitive Precision Stylus

    “PROS: A possibility tomake shortcuts tothe most frequently used applications, compatibility with the majority of drawing apps from App Store and ability to work with the wide range of Apple devices make this stylus very versatile.
    “CONS: The battery is built in.
    “OUR VERDICT: Best Pick It is a highly precise digital active stylus that has 2,048 sensitivity levels, which allows making fine lines and adjust their thickness.
    “TIP: Chrome-Plated, Stainless Steel Tip, Pixelpoint Tip: 1.9 mm
    “COMPATIBILITY: iPad 4, all iPad Minis, all iPad AIrs, iPad 12.9 and iPhone 5
    “LENGTH/DIAMETER/WEIGHT: 150 mm/10.5 mm/20 g
    “FEATURES: Palm Rejection, Bluetooth Connectivity, USB Charge, Programmable Shortcut Buttons, Pressure Sensitive, Adobe Creative Cloud Support
    “MATERIAL: Aluminum Body with Rubber Grip” —Best Stylus Pens 2019

    “Tip Features This Adonit stylus has Pixelpoint, a chrome-plated tip made of a stainless steel for its longest possible usage without replacement. This tip is really fine-point of 1.9 mm only, allowing you to experience the incomparable precision when drawing lines of various thicknesses. This unbeatable precision is also explained by its 2,048 grades of sensitivity, the feature usual for styluses intended for use with graphic pads. It should be mentioned that this Adonit device is an active stylus, so you can draw lines regardless of an angle between your hand and the screen. In addition, the stylus has a built-in grip sensor that activates the device as soon as you take it.” —Best Stylus Pens 2019

    “Compatibility and Size Compatibility of this stylus is limited, meaning that it works exclusively with mobile gadgets made by Apple including such popular models of tablets and phones as iPad 4, all types of iPad Minis, all iPad Airs, iPad 12.9 and iPhone 5. We have to note that compatibility parameters of Adonit Jot Touch with Pixelpoint Pressure Sensitive Precision Stylus exceed the producer’s own Apple Pencil by the number of models that can be synchronized with this stylus. Besides that, this device can be used with a great number of various applications for drawing offered by AppStore: GoodNotes, Concepts, Notes Plus, AutoDesk Sketchbook, Astropad, Medibang Paint, Zen Brush 2, Animation Desk Cloud, Picsart Photo Studio, and Tayasui Sketches. The model taken for review is wonderful in terms of comfort and due to its physical dimensions, it will provide you with hours of continuous usage without a hand fatigue. The stylus length is 150 mm, body diameter is 10.5 mm, and weight equals 20 g.” —Best Stylus Pens 2019

    “Features and Material Palm Rejection is one of the major features of the device; this means you can freely place your palm on the screen having no trouble about the accidental input of any data. In this case, the connectivity with mobile devices is done via Bluetooth, assuring fast set-up and substantially high connection stability. It is also worth mentioning that it is the first stylus which can be connected to Adobe Creative Cloud service. You can get access to files and work effectively wherever you are. The power supply from the built-in battery lasts up to 15 hours in case of constant work and one month in a stand-by mode. The battery is charged from USB port of a computer or AC/DC adapter and is fully charged in one hour. A distinctive feature of this stylus is the programmable buttons for shortcuts to the frequently used apps. Also, the stylus is pressure sensitive, meaning that you can adjust the thickness of the drawn lines by the pressure on the tip. The body of a device is made of aluminum, making it light but highly durable, and the rubber band allows for a reliable finger grip.” —Best Stylus Pens 2019

Adonit Mark

    “Adonit has been offering affordable and well-built styli for quite a while and the Mark is no different. Quality at a cheap price, it lets anyone with a smartphone, tablet, or touchscreen laptop have access to a solid, all-purpose stylus. The best thing about the Mark is how the stylus feels in the hand — it’s made of anodized aluminum and is smooth, but has a good grip. It’s also has a triangular shape, so it doesn’t roll, which also feels natural.
    “It’s a decent, cheaper alternative for drawing, but we wouldn’t recommend it for note-taking as it’s not precise, being that it is tipped with a mesh. Even when drawing, don’t expect to get accurate strokes while you’re working on the finer details.” —Best styli for notetakers

Adonit Mark

    “A great, affordable stylus Sleek, comfortable, well-performing, and affordable, the Mark is one of the best iPad styluses we’ve ever used, especially for its price.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

    “The Adonit Mark’s triangular anodized-aluminum body fits in your hand as perfectly as a grade-school pencil, and it writes smoothly on the iPad’s screen without offering too much or too little resistance. As cartoonist and designer Rich Stevens explained after testing the Mark, “For the cost of a pizza, it’s definitely worth doing some drawing with it.” Both of our experts cited it as their must-have stylus after the Apple Pencil.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

Budget pick: Adonit Mark

    “The best cheap stylus for most people and most uses is the Adonit Mark. It feels like a high-quality pen in your hand, with an anodized finish that you can’t help but want to touch. Its weight is evenly distributed across its body, allowing you to hold it close to the nib or near the other end and still have control. The Mark’s mesh nib is thicker, more durable, and smoother to write with than the competition’s. And perhaps best of all, this model is one of the most affordable styluses available. It’s also the best option if you have an iPad that doesn’t support the Apple Pencil (any non-Pro iPad before the sixth-gen model).
    “Adonit has long been hailed in the iPad stylus universe for great designs that feel good in the hand, and the Mark is no exception. It doesn’t have the same intricate bodywork as Adonit’s disc-nib options; rather, the curved, triangular design brings to mind grade-school pencils or charcoal sticks, with slanted sides that converge into a cone nose that cradles a 6 mm mesh nib. This cone-shaped nose will be welcome to anyone who uses their fingers close to the nib when writing or drawing.
    “The balance of this stylus is impeccable—centered slightly behind the midpoint of the body—and it feels great for writing and drawing whether you like to grip it at the nib, middle, or end. The Mark’s matte-black (or silver) anodized-aluminum finish provides a satisfying grip, and the coating is enjoyable to touch. If you like fidgeting with your writing implement, you’ll quite enjoy spinning the Mark around in your hand.
    “The Mark really proved itself during our speed and precision tests. While writing or tracing, you can hold the Mark in just about any position and still get good grip and control—and you can easily avoid accidentally rubbing your palm against the screen. This is one of the reasons why the results of the Mark’s handwriting tests looked so natural, even at multiple sizes, and why the shape tracings were so accurate. We can count on one hand the number of styluses we’ve tested with balance like this, and only two others still in production (the Cosmonaut and the Apple Pencil).
    “Of course, the best balance in the world isn’t worth much if a stylus doesn’t perform well or has poor resistance against glass. Going into our tests, I assumed the Mark would fall flat in that regard: For years, every mesh stylus I reviewed ended up either too squishy or prone to tearing, or it felt plain wrong against the glass screen. Though fabric nibs may glide more smoothly across a glass screen, we found many of the nibs to be too soft, making them feel sloppy and imprecise.
    “However, the Mark offers a slightly different mesh-nib experience than previous styluses I’ve used. The nib is clearly thicker and reinforced; though it does bubble if you press on it, its stiffness reminds me more of rubber than pure mesh.
    “Because of the stylus’ nib shape, it’s also very friendly for people who like to write or sketch at an angle. The metal holding the nib balances out the bubbling issue, so it doesn’t feel as if the nib is collapsing when you angle the stylus. On the screen, the nib is smooth, but never in a runaway-train fashion—between the body’s balance and the slight resistance the nib offers, you’re in control of your lines no matter where you grip the tool.
    “After six weeks of testing, the Mark has made us somewhat of mesh-nib stylus converts—at least for this mesh nib.
    “But here’s what shocks us about the Mark: It’s inexpensive. At about $15 at the time of this writing, it’s cheaper than every other stylus we tested, and it’s the least expensive stylus pick we’ve ever recommended. At the same time, the Mark doesn’t feel cheap: One of our illustration experts, Rich Stevens, described its build quality as “feeling like you were getting $50 of stylus.” (He pointed out that by comparison the $60 Lynktec Apex Fusion “also felt like you were getting $50 of stylus.”) If someone had asked us to take a blind guess as to the Mark’s cost, we would have easily pegged it at double or triple its actual price.
    “Rich Stevens and Danielle Corsetto are professionals in their field, and they both selected the Mark as their runner-up pick to the Apple Pencil, and the top choice for average users. “For the cost of a pizza?” Stevens said. “It’s definitely worth doing some drawing with it.”
    “In build, weight, and nib quality, the Adonit Mark is a phenomenal stylus for its price. “If you find you’re hitting [the Mark’s] limits, then it may be worth spending more on the Pencil,” said Stevens. It’ll never beat an Apple Pencil for people who want more precision and pressure sensitivity, but that’s okay. The Pencil is a $100 investment on top of a $300 (or much more expensive) iPad, and you shouldn’t have to drop $400 to do some casual writing or drawing.
    “But the Mark isn’t without flaws. After six weeks of testing and general use, our Adonit Mark’s black anodized-aluminum coating, though beautiful, already has a few surface scratches. They don’t detract in any way from the stylus’ effectiveness, but if you like your gadgets pristine, you might want to skip the black coating. (You’ll likely notice scratches less on the silver version.)
    “We also have some long-term concerns about the Mark’s mesh nib, based on past experience with other mesh nibs. As Nick Guy pointed out in the previous version of this guide, “We also don’t think fabric and mesh nibs are as durable as plastic and rubber nibs. Over just a few weeks of testing, we noticed that the fabric nibs on some of our styluses were starting to fray.” And Wirecutter senior associate editor Michael Zhao has found in the past that “skin oil, which you’ll find on any tablet screen, gets lodged in the mesh, impacting performance over time and making the stylus less reliable.”
    “Though the nib on our Adonit Mark currently shows no signs of fraying or tearing, we wonder if it may be an issue down the line. That said, the Mark’s nib is replaceable, and although Adonit doesn’t currently sell replacement Mark nibs, the company says you can request them through customer service.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

Adonit Mini

    “The Adonit Mini was a runner-up pick in an earlier version of this guide, and it’s still a solid option. It costs a bit less than the Studio Neat Cosmonaut and offers the same kind of top-tier build quality as the Adonit Mark. Adonit makes some compromises with the Mini, however. The most obvious is size: The Mini measures 3.9 inches with the cap on and 4.5 inches with the cap stored at the other end during use, with a slightly smaller diameter of just over 0.3 inch. It also weighs just 13 grams. A little bit of heft goes a long way when it comes to comfort and control, and the Mark simply feels more comfortable and easier to use than the Mini. The Mini also lacks the Mark’s textured grip.
    “Working with disc-style nibs also brings its own set of pros and cons: With a plastic tip, you get the appearance of greater accuracy, but as with thin-nib styluses, that may not always be the case, especially when you’re writing or drawing quickly. Disc nibs also lack the “give” of a soft tip and offer less resistance against the screen than rubber or mesh, and as a result you must position the nib at the proper angle to write or draw correctly.
    “The clack-clack-clack of the tip can also be annoying at times, and the press-lift-press when you’re writing block letters can often result in letters ending up too close together. Rich Stevens found the Mini “fussy” for any sort of drawing and noted that “it felt like something you’d want for Excel [and tapping cells], but not to draw.”” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

Adonit Pixel

    “Adonit is one of the best styli manufacturers in existence, one that recently added the Adonit Pixel to its already impressive lineup. The Pixel stylus is compatible with iPhone 5 and higher, third and fourth-gen iPads, all iPad Minis, the iPad Air, and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
    “Like Adonit’s other wears, the Pixel has a 1.9-millimeter tip instead of a disc, allowing for easy drawing and sketching. The stylus’ tip has improved drag performance as well, to make it feel like you’re writing on paper. A USB dongle also allows you to charge the stylus via your computer, while a host of programmable buttons let you perform a variety of customized actions on the fly. If you’re looking for a blue-ribbon stylus that touts solid functionality across the board, you can’t go wrong with the Pixel.” —Best styli for notetakers

Adonit Pixel

    “Adonit’s Bluetooth option, the Pixel, is a bit of a mixed bag. It’s one of the few Bluetooth styluses that support Apple’s iPad Pro, but it officially works with only the 12.9-inch version; Adonit told us that support for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro will be coming in a software update. In our tests, the Pixel worked well—without pressure sensitivity—on both Pro models in most of the major apps, but getting its bonus features to work on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro was a pain. Several of the Pixel’s supported apps, including Procreate, identified it as an “unrecognized” stylus and refused to enable palm rejection. The plastic nib also required much more pressure against the screen than the Pencil to create variable lines. If you truly need a pressure-sensitive option and have an iPad Pro, you’d be better off saving your $80 toward an Apple Pencil; if you just want a good fine-line stylus, Adonit’s $40 Dash is a much less expensive option. Older iPads are where the Pixel shines: Although it still runs into occasional pressure-sensitivity issues in compatible apps, it remains the best pick for Air 2 users who can’t yet upgrade to an iPad Pro and a Pencil.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

Adonit Pro

    “Our former top pick, the Adonit Pro, remains a stylus worthy of attention—it’s well-built, and it has many of the same features as its sibling, the Mini. But ultimately, as nice as the apparent precision of the disc seems to be, it’s not all that much more accurate, especially when you’re drawing or writing quickly or in apps with any noticeable lag. Like the Mini, the Pro also suffers from a lack of resistance, especially when you’re writing quickly.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

Adonit Pro 3

    “Adonit probably offers the most precise and fine stylus tips of any manufacturer. Although the Jot Script is well-liked for its extra fine tip, it only works with iOS devices, which limits its reach. The benefit of the Adonit Pro 3 is that it works on most touchscreen devices, including iPads and Android tablets. It will probably also work on Windows tablets too, but we haven’t tested that theory.
    “The Pro 3 has a very fine point, which makes it perfect for taking notes. When precision is the order of the day, it doesn’t get much better than this. The Pro 3 looks and feels like a regular ballpoint pen, with the addition of a small plastic disc on the tip to protect the screen. It even comes in several different colors, including a nice rose gold and midnight blue.” —Best styli for notetakers

Adonit Snap

    “The Adonit Snap is a 1.9 mm fine-line stylus that works similarly to the original Adonit Dash, save for a flatter magnetic body. It’s primarily designed for use with a smartphone, and it even comes with a magnetic adhesive for your phone so that you can store the Snap on the rear side of your device. It’s a decent version of a fine-line stylus, but as its primary focus is mobile phones, I elected not to put it through the same tests as our iPad contenders. It’s since been replaced by the Snap 2.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

Adonit Switch

    “While the Adonit Switch may have a low price tag, it certainly doesn’t mean it lacks in style or usefulness. That’s right, the Switch doubles as a stylus and an actual pen. Roll the striped grip-end and a ballpoint pen slips out. Rotate to take off the cap on the other side, and voilˆ, you have a precision stylus.
    “The precision stylus has a disk at the end, allowing for more precise marks on your tablet. It feels and weighs about the same as a normal pen, and can easily be mistaken for one. It can be used to draw, but you’re better off sticking with writing notes with the Adonit Switch. The ball-point pen writes fairly well and adds an immensely useful function if you happen to always carry a stylus around.” —Best styli for notetakers

Adonit Switch

    “Adonit’s other disc-nib model, the Switch, cleverly incorporates a real pen into the tool’s body: Twist the stylus, and an ink tip slides out of the bottom. But the design doesn’t thrill me, and the extra weight doesn’t do the stylus any balance favors in a comparison lineup.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

AmazonBasics Stylus for Touchscreen Devices

    “PROS: This super compact stylus is extremely small and light. It comes with a strap for comfortable carrying.
    “CONS: The tip diameter is too large.
    “OUR VERDICT: A budget option for everyday use, which may be useful for tapping mobile phone screens, for example, when it is cold or after nails done.
    “TIP: Rubber Tip: 8 mm
    “COMPATIBILITY: Compatible with the majority of devices
    “LENGTH/DIAMETER/WEIGHT: 104 mm/8 mm/5 g
    “FEATURES: Convenience Strap
    “MATERIAL: Plastic” —Best Stylus Pens 2019

    “Tip Features The model AmazonBasics Stylus for Touchscreen Devices has a rubber tip allowing you to use it with any touch-screen gadget with a satisfactory precision and sufficient rate of response. The diameter of the tip equals 8 mm that is also sufficient for such tasks as picture transferring or quick text input. The on-screen keyboard is usually too small for fingers; hence usage of a stylus should prevent misprinting. Actually, this is the largest tip among those selected for this review.” —Best Stylus Pens 2019

    “Compatibility and Size: AmazonBasics Stylus for Touchscreen Devices is pretty universal and compatible with many gadgets. The stylus taken for this review can be efficient when used with different touch-screen devices. We have also to mention that the stylus is of a small size, so it can be easily stored in any bag or a pocket for your convenience. The length of this model is 104 mm, the diameter is 8 mm, and its weight makes 5 g.” —Best Stylus Pens 2019

    “Features and Material The special feature of this device is a strap on the rear end of stylus allowing you to attach it to your mobile phone or a tablet. The stylus is also very popular among the ladies after doing their nails or mobile-phone users in a cold season. Speaking of the body material, it is a plastic alloy which is very light. The life durability depends on multiple factors. But if you treat it with a due care, you will have fun using the stylus for a very long time.” —Best Stylus Pens 2019

Best Compatibility: AmazonBasics Stylus

    “Yes, Amazon is throwing their chips into the stylus industry, and with a great introductory stylus that just so happens to be the No. 1 Best Seller in Digital Pens on their website. This stylus is built for use on multiple touch screen devices and provides a smooth writing experience with its weight and design.
    “The AmazonBasics Stylus weighs .2 ounces and measures 4.1 x .3 x .3 inches. Amazon boasts its product’s compatibility with other devices (and can adapt to them) such as the Apple iPad, iPhone, Kindle Touch, Kindle Fire or other tablet devices. And it’s one of the only styluses on the market that comes with a threaded loop at the end of it. The tip is also durable and provides a steady balance. Colors come in blue, black and silver.” —The 4 Best Styluses of 2019

AmPen New Hybrid Stylus

    “The AmPen New Hybrid Stylus is about as basic as a cheap stylus gets. It works, but it’s not special in any way, and you can get something great for just a few dollars more.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

Apple Pencil (1st Generation)

    “The best iPad stylus The best stylus for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, 10.5-inch iPad Pro, 12.9-inch iPad Pro (1st and 2nd Generation), 9.7-inch iPad (6th Generation),10.5-inch iPad Air, and iPad Mini (5th generation).” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

    “If you own an iPad Pro or a sixth-generation iPad, plan to do a lot of writing and drawing, and have the cash to spare, the first- or second-generation Apple Pencil is the absolute best stylus. It blows away its Bluetooth and non-Bluetooth competition alike, thanks to Apple’s proprietary system-wide integration. Its main drawback is that it works only with recent iPads—you can use the original only with the older iPad Pro models, 9.7-inch iPads sold after March 2018, the 10.5-inch iPad Air, and iPad mini (5th generation).” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

Apple Pencil (second generation)

    “The original Apple Pencil may have only debuted towards the end of 2015, but it set a new standard for styli. Not content to rest on its laurels, Apple launched a new generation of the Pencil alongside the newly redesigned iPad Pro range last year. The new Apple Pencil is similar to the last generation, using the iPad Pro’s pressure-sensitive screen to produce incredibly fine lines with variations in gradient as you increase pressure. The side of the tip creates wider strokes, which is great for shading, and the tip can also offer a fine point when you need it. Simply put, it’s a fantastic stylus, and it can now magnetically clip to the side of your iPad Pro, and wirelessly charge there, eschewing the awful charging method of the original Pencil.
    “However, before you jump in and press buy, make sure you have the correct iPad for the job. The second-generation Apple Pencil only works with certain iPads — to date, that includes only the 2018 models of the iPad Pro. If you’re sporting any other Pencil-compatible iPad (including the 9.7-inch, 10.5-inch, and 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the sixth-generation iPad, the iPad Mini 5, and the iPad Air 3), then you’ll have to stick with the original Apple Pencil.” —Best styli for notetakers

Best Splurge: Apple Pencil for iPad Pro

    “What hasn't Apple made? And what’s so appealing about a pencil with their brand on it? For those unfamiliar with the capabilities of styluses, the Apple Pencil presents a broad range of functionalities. If you’re an experienced stylus buyer and want the most bang for your buck, this is the stylus for you (but it's important to note that it's only compatible with the iPad Pro's Multi-Touch subsystem).
    “The Bluetoooth connected Apple Pencil is smart enough to recognize how hard you're pressing on a surface, as well as your shift in angles. The stylus has built in sensitive pressure and tilt sensors that can recognize the physics of your pen wielding. For those running drawing programs, this stylus can vary line weight, create subtle shading and produce a wide range of artistic effects, replicating that of a conventional pencil. Users have noted that the Apple Pen is great for creative control, and if you’re using Photoshop, it’s ideal for touchups and reworking photos.
    “The stylus measures 6.92 inches in length, has a diameter of .35 inches and weighs .73 ounces. Despite being the top-of-the-line stylus, it lacks the basic function of an eraser at the end. Users who are in the middle of drawing will have to suffice with tapping two fingers on the iPad Pro’s screen in order to go back and forth between writing and erasing.
    “This is one of the only styluses on the list that is powered. Plus, it comes with an Apple lightning adapter to charge.” —The 4 Best Styluses of 2019

Apple Pencil (2nd Generation)

    “The best iPad stylus A more advanced take on the original, compatible with the 11-inch iPad Pro and 12.9-inch iPad Pro (3rd Generation).” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

    “If you own an iPad Pro or a sixth-generation iPad, plan to do a lot of writing and drawing, and have the cash to spare, the first- or second-generation Apple Pencil is the absolute best stylus. It blows away its Bluetooth and non-Bluetooth competition alike, thanks to Apple’s proprietary system-wide integration. Its main drawback is that it works only with recent iPads—you can use the original only with the older iPad Pro models, 9.7-inch iPads sold after March 2018, the 10.5-inch iPad Air, and iPad mini (5th generation); the second-generation model, with improved performance and easier charging, works only with the 2018 11-inch or 12.9-inch iPad Pro.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

    “If you’re a professional illustrator, calligrapher, or artist, or if you need impeccable handwriting and annotation on glass, you need the Apple Pencil (1st Generation or 2nd Generation, depending on which iPad you have). If you’re an intermediate artist taking the next step, you need the Apple Pencil. And if you like using a stylus to navigate your tablet, you’ll love the Apple Pencil. There’s one caveat, though: the first-generation Pencil currently works with only the iPad Pro models, the sixth-generation 9.7-inch iPad released in 2018, and the iPad Air and mini announced in March 2019. The second generation works only with the 2018 11-inch or 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Our original testing was conducted with the first-generation Pencil, but the second-gen model writes and draws identically, with a few upgrades we address below.
    “It’s well-balanced, it offers phenomenal pressure sensitivity and effective palm rejection, and it has next to no lag in optimized apps and minimal lag in others—and even there, less lag than with any other stylus we’ve tested. It’s also the stylus that convinced our illustration expert, Danielle Corsetto, to purchase an iPad Pro after our testing sessions: As she writes on her Patreon blog, “I’m already drawing way more than usual, because I can draw at any angle, in any lighting situation, and I can use a tool that appears to look like graphite, but won’t smudge in my sketchbook (which is the only reason I don’t draw with pencil as often as I’d like to).”
    “As with many Apple products, the Pencil’s greatest strength is in the company’s hardware/software integration. Because Apple makes the Pencil, as well as the iPad, iOS, and software kits for developers, the Pencil can take advantage of special features (such as side-touch shading, thanks to data gathered from the Pencil’s tilt) that styluses from other makers simply cannot. iOS also identifies the Pencil as an entirely separate tool from a finger, which explains how it achieves such perfect palm rejection: The OS can actually differentiate between the Pencil stylus and your hand.
    “The Pencil is designed with real-world drafting pencils in mind; its length is almost identical to that of an HB art pencil, lack of eraser and all. It’s balanced just as nicely, too, allowing you to hold it wherever it feels natural or comfortable.
    “Thanks to integration with iOS, in apps that have been updated to support the Pencil, you see little if any lag between your Pencil nib and the resulting line. In Notes, this effect feels especially eerie—the app even tosses off tiny graphite fleck indents as you press harder on the screen. If you’re doing a bunch of high-speed zigzags and circles, you might catch glimpses of a trailing line (as shown in the GIF below), but for most tasks you may never notice a delay between your Pencil nib and your screen.
    “Pressure sensitivity for art and writing is still a bit of a mixed bag with the Pencil, depending on the app, as developers incorporate the feature differently. In the best apps, using a Pencil feels nigh identical to drawing on real paper. And unlike third-party Bluetooth styluses, which have pressure sensitivity only in apps that explicitly support each stylus, the Pencil still offers serviceable pressure sensitivity in older or unsupported programs.
    “During our tests, Corsetto described drawing with the Pencil in Paper, Procreate, and the stock Notes app as very natural, and she deemed it the closest to a real pencil she had experienced working digitally. In contrast, she wrote off the Adonit Pixel—our third-party Bluetooth semifinalist—as “like drawing with a much harder lead pencil” in Procreate; whereas the Pencil produced easy lines that she could vary with pressure, the Pixel required very heavy presses to make any sort of line at all.
    “When it comes to writing, the Pencil is no slouch, either: If you plan to write a lot on the iPad or you frequently annotate documents, it’s the only stylus we’ve found that can legibly and reliably write a word at about 10-point size. This means that you can take notes on a full-size document or ebook, even on a 9.7-inch iPad, and not have to zoom your screen (or write in large print).
    “The Pencil may also benefit people who prefer something other than a finger to interact with the iPad’s screen. We spoke with CGP Grey, co-host of the Hello Internet podcast, who has dealt with repetitive strain injury for years. Previous to the iPad, he “found that nothing worked as well for managing that as Wacom pen tablets.” After the iPad Pro was released, Grey found himself moving most of his work to iOS. However, Grey told us, “using the iPad with my hands held like I’m fingerpainting isn’t good for them. It causes strain if I’m working on the tablet all day.” Instead, he uses the Apple Pencil for most of his interactions with iOS, including editing scripts of his videos. “Being able to use the pen to navigate the iOS interface is a huge deal for me.”
    “On the other hand, critics dinged the original Pencil for the lack of a clip and its too-smooth body, and we agree on both counts. You can address both issues with relatively little fuss: Pick up a Micron pen and steal its clip, buy a clip that fits, or buy some gaffer’s tape or a custom skin to wrap around the Pencil body to give it more friction. But these are hack fixes, to be sure. The second-gen Pencil’s matte finish feels a lot nicer, and the Pencil magnetically attaches to the side of the iPad Pro, eliminating the need for a clip.
    “The Pencil’s nib is also not as resistive or soft as it could be. Plastic nibs are usually slippery against glass and tend to make a tiny “tap-tap-tap” sound, and the Pencil is no different. Most high-end styluses—Wacom pens included—are similar in that respect, and the Pencil’s plastic nib doesn’t dramatically worsen the experience of working with the tool. That said, a Pencil with a rubber- or mesh-coated nib would be nice to see.
    “The first-generation Pencil also has a somewhat odd charging arrangement: The tool has a Lightning-connector plug hidden under a magnetic cap at the “eraser” end, and you plug the Pencil into an iPad’s Lightning-connector port to charge the stylus. (This is also how you pair the Pencil with the iPad in the first place.) It looks weird, and it seems as if a bump might break the connector off. Blogger Zach Straley discovered soon after the Pencil’s release that it can stand a surprising amount of abuse—Apple has clearly designed the rear of the tool to absorb force applied to the connector if it’s jostled. If you really want to break your Pencil, you can—but you shouldn’t break your iPad in the process.
    “As strange as having a stylus sticking out from the bottom of your iPad looks, the convenience factor of being able to add roughly 20 percent of the Pencil’s battery life in five minutes is great. Other powered styluses require either a separate power brick or a USB cable (and, of course, a USB power source). You can charge the first-gen Pencil anytime, anywhere, without having to remember any other accessories.
    “The second-generation Pencil charges and pairs through a magnetic connection on the iPad Pro’s right side (or top, if you’re using the tablet in landscape with most cases). This has a few benefits. One, it looks a lot less silly and has nothing to break. Two, the Pencil has somewhere to go when it’s not in use. And three, the Pencil is almost always charged. Unlike with the first-generation Pencil, you can’t charge the second-gen away from the iPad, not that you should ever need to.
    “Another advantage of the second-gen Pencil is its double-tap feature. In supported apps, you can double-tap anywhere on the stylus’ lower third to toggle between settings. By default, including in Apple’s Notes app, that will switch between the drawing implement you’re using and the eraser. Developers can set different settings, such as zooming. The feature works reliably.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

Flaws but not dealbreakers

    “The biggest strike against the Apple Pencil is its price. When the original was announced at $100, it seemed expensive but not exorbitantly so. But when the second-generation model launched at $30 more, it felt like gouging from Apple. Yes, the newer model contains more tech, including its magnetic attachment/charging point and touch sensor. But considering that the iPad Pros it pairs with also went up by at least $150 in comparison with earlier models, there’s a huge price jump.
    “If you start with the original Pencil and move on to a device that uses the second-generation one, you’ll also need to rebuy a stylus, because the old Pencil doesn’t work with the newest iPads (and vice versa).” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

2. Apple Pencil

    “The Apple Pencil has the upper hand among iOS compatible styli because it's designed to work in every part of its native ecosystem. It's also pressure and tilt-sensitive to create a wide range of artistic effects, not to mention it's ideal for taking notes
    “Includes an extra tip
    “Intuitive line weight and shading
    “Only works with ipad pro
    “Brand Apple
    “Model MK0C2AM/A
    “Ship Weight 4.5 ounces
    “Rating 5.0 / 5.0” —The 10 Best Active Styluses

Applydea Maglus

    “The Applydea Maglus has long been loved by users, and on paper it has a lot to offer: removable magnetic tips, a magnetic grip that lets the stylus cling to the side of the iPad, and a well-balanced, machined aluminum body. But in practice, we found the Maglus to be somewhere in the middle of the pack. While the ergonomic grip suits bigger hands, it can feel a little too heavy in smaller ones. The rubber and optional mesh nibs are also some of the larger options available at 8 mm wide, but they don’t provide increased control; instead, in our no-zoom precision testing the Maglus had one of the sloppiest entries, and it wrote over previous letters in our small-size writing tests.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

10. Awinner Pen

    “Lift the Awinner Pen's cap to reveal its micro USB port when it needs a recharge. In the meantime, this handy utensil will last for up to 12 hours of use with any touchscreen device. It even features a clip to keep it at the ready on your shirt pocket or tablet case.
    “No pairing or software necessary
    “Sometimes requires excessive force
    “Fails with thicker screen protectors
    “Brand AWINNER
    “Model AW-8888
    “Ship Weight 2.4 ounces
    “Rating 3.6 / 5.0” —The 10 Best Active Styluses

Best for Beginner’s: BaseTronics Stylus Pens

    “BaseTronics Stylus Pens are inexpensive and a great introductory stylus that's 100 percent compatible with all touch-screen devices, from the Apple iPad 1 and 2, to the iPhone, to the Kindle Touch and Samsung Galaxy.
    “In addition, the .09 tip stylus is said to work decently with writing programs like Evernote. Of course, with its affordable price, you’re not going to find a neuro-system of feeling in it; its value provides enough to not have you see it as a literal touch-screen-stick that you’d find in even cheaper styluses that could end up turning you off to your investment.
    “The pen measures 5.5 x 0.3 x 0.3 inches and weighs .3 ounces and is made of stainless steel aluminum with no plastic parts, giving it the feeling of a real pen. The package comes with two pens, and six replaceable soft rubber tips, so you don’t have worry about losing one, but even if you did, there’s a one-year warranty. Colors come in blue and black, but include an option for an 11-piece set with multiple colors ranging from pink to purple.” —The 4 Best Styluses of 2019

8. Ciscle Digital Pen

    “Available in black, gold, and pink, the Ciscle Digital Pen comes packed in an elegant box and includes a USB charger, a detachable lanyard, and a storage sleeve with an adhesive back for attachment to your tablet case. Its fine copper tip allows for precise control.
    “Lanyard anchors to headphone port
    “Sturdy aluminum construction
    “Tip can scratch screens over time
    “Brand Ciscle
    “Model 4326581405
    “Ship Weight 3.5 ounces
    “Rating 4.3 / 5.0” —The 10 Best Active Styluses

Elago (multiple models)

    “We tested a number of Elago’s styluses, each of which has a different body but the same too-squishy rubber tip. This includes the Stylus Grip (our favorite, if we had to pick one, but we still don’t recommend it), Stylus Slim, Stylus Hexa, Stylus Rustic, Stylus Rustic 2, Stylus Allure Stand, and Stylus Ball.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

Elzo 3-in-1 stylus

    “If you’re looking for an affordable alternative to some of the premium offerings in our roundup, then look no further than Elzo’s 3-in-1 stylus. It’s the perfect low-cost option, as it provides three tips in one slimline body. There’s a soft nanofiber tip for general stylus use, but there’s also a precise disc tip for more accurate work, and a gel pen tip for writing on real paper. It has a solid aluminum body and comes with a soft grip for writing comfort. One of its best features is definitely its compatibility. It works with a multitude of iOS and Android devices including iPads, iPhones, Samsung devices, HTC devices, Motorola devices, and pretty much anything with a capacitive touchscreen.” —Best styli for notetakers

FiftyThree Pencil, digital stylus for iPad

    “Unfortunately, FiftyThree knocked its hardware section on the head in 2016. It’s a real shame as Pencil is one of the best all-around artistic styli around. Using FiftyThree’s own Paper app, you can produce remarkable watercolor paintings, fine line drawings, pen and ink sketches, as well as dynamic comic-book like images with the marker function.
    “FiftyThree specifically designed Pencil to feel solid and comfortable in your hand. It’s shaped like a carpenter’s pencil and even comes in real walnut wood. Pencil even touts a built-in eraser on the end, so you can just flip it around when you want to erase. You can also use Pencil to smudge lines and create a nice blurred effect. Although Pencil works best with Paper, it is also fully compatible with popular drawing and painting app Procreate and Noteshelf. It connects to your iPad via Bluetooth, and once you’ve paired it, you’ll never have to do so again. When it runs out of battery, you can just remove the tip and pop the USB into any standard USB port.
    “As mentioned, FiftyThree no longer makes the Pencil, so it’s hard to find for new. Thankfully, you can find Amazon refurbished units which work just as well.” —Best styli for notetakers

FiftyThree 53PW06 Pencil Digital Stylus

    “PROS: The benefits are endless: a solid body without visible seams, attachable battery delivering power up to one month of autonomous operation, (rechargeable within 90 min), possibility to use a finger to smooth edges and mix colors directly on the page.
    “CONS: It does not work well if your screen is covered with a protective glass.
    “OUR VERDICT: This stylus has a unique tip that allows drawing lines of any thickness without additional adjustments, it also allows immediate erasing or correction using the built-in eraser.
    “TIP: Rubber Ti, Tip Sensor lated in 14kt Gold
    “COMPATIBILITY: iPad 3/4, iPad Mini, iPad Pro, iPhone 3s and above
    “LENGTH/DIAMETER/WEIGHT: 138 mm/15,6 mm/26 g
    “FEATURES: Palm Rejection, USB Charge, Bluetooth Connectivity, Built-in Eraser, Magnetic Snap to Apple iPad Smart Cases and Covers
    “MATERIAL: Walnut” —Best Stylus Pens 2019

    “Tip Features FiftyThree 53PW06 Pencil Digital Stylus features a unique tip consisting of rubber material and ensuring long-lasting usage. We would like to stress that in case of its wear-out, you may purchase more tips separately. The cone-like shape of the tip is designed to draw fine details and lines with the point and broad strokes with the angled edge. We want to emphasize the remarkable precision of work with this stylus which has a special 14kt gold sensor under its rubber tip for fast and accurate reaction.” —Best Stylus Pens 2019

    “Compatibility and Size FiftyThree Stylus is compatible mostly with gadgets manufactured by Apple, including such popular models as iPads 3 and 4, iPad Mini, iPad Pro, iPhone 4s and above. It is also necessary to mention the support of a range of iOS applications for drawing, namely: Paper, OneNote, Adobe Illustrator Draw, Adobe Photoshop Sketch, Astropad Graphics Tablet, Concepts, PicsArt Photo Studio, GoodNotes, Tayasui Sketches, Procreate, Noteshelf, Sketchbook, Mobile Mouse, PDFPen, Notes Plus, Inkredible, FlowPaper, and ZoomNotes. Speaking about convenience, it is one of the most comfortable devices offered on the market. Aside from its stylish appearance, it is well balanced and has a fine grip in any hand. The length of the stylus is 138 mm, its diameter is 15.6 mm, and the weight makes 26 g. All in all, you will be definitely satisfied working with this stylus.” —Best Stylus Pens 2019

    “Features and Material: The distinctive feature of this stylus is the Palm Rejection function, which is responsible for recognition of palm touch to the screen and prevention of incidental input of symbols. Plus! The device is synchronized with mobile gadgets via Bluetooth Smart Wireless connection providing fast and stable data exchange. The attachable battery is charged from any USB port within 90 minutes. This charge is sufficient for up to one month of regular work. One more specific feature of this stylus is the built-in eraser on the opposite side of the tip, which allows bold experiments with your drawings. The errors can be easily corrected or deleted immediately without changing tools. Additionally, it should be noted that this stylus features the magnetic snap that attaches it to Apple iPad Smart Cases & Covers. The exclusive design of the device is expressed by the material used: the solid body is made of walnut (though brushed aluminum and gold body is available too) giving it an elegant appearance.” —Best Stylus Pens 2019

The Friendly Swede 4-in-1 stylus

    “The Friendly Swede offers a stylus that’s adaptable and useful for any digital artist, and comes with four different tips: A paintbrush, a micro-knit fiber tip, a precision disc, and a regular ballpoint pen. The brush tip acts just like a real paintbrush, which makes it perfect for painting, but it certainly won’t work if you want to execute a fine-line drawing. Luckily, you can switch over to the precision disc if pinpoint accuracy is needed. For more regular stylus use, you can use the micro-knit fiber end. Finally, having a ballpoint pen to hand is just useful.
    “It comes in an aluminum finish and looks just like a normal pen, and can be added to any pencil case or just slipped into a pocket. Each of the tips is replaceable, and the stylus comes with several replacement tips. Unfortunately, you’re unlikely to get the same level of pressure sensitivity you’d get from more expensive styli. However, at this price and with this versatility, you can’t really go wrong.” —Best styli for notetakers

1. Gouler High Precision

    “Simple to use and highly functional, the Gouler High Precision features a spring-loaded copper tip that allows for pressure adjustments and provides click-like feedback as you use it. It works with nearly all phones and tablets, including most iPads and Samsung devices.
    “Available in black and silver
    “Red and blue charging indicator leds
    “Sturdy built-in clip
    “Brand Gouler
    “Model pending
    “Ship Weight 1.6 ounces
    “Rating 4.6 / 5.0” —The 10 Best Active Styluses

5. Heiyo Capacitive Digital

    “The smart, power saving Heiyo Capacitive Digital boasts up to 30 days of standby time and automatically shuts off after 2 minutes of inactivity, so its 40-hour battery life should last you considerably longer than that. Its replaceable rubber tip measures a fine 1.55 mm.
    “Recharges via micro usb in 4 hours
    “Comes with two spare tips
    “Tends to draw inconsistent lines
    “Brand Heiyo
    “Model HY-Stylus-Amber
    “Ship Weight 4.5 ounces
    “Rating 4.2 / 5.0” —The 10 Best Active Styluses

7. LeTech+ Slim Pro

    “Thanks to its pressure-sensitive tip, LeTech+ Slim Pro lets you adjust line thickness as you draw, mimicking the style of a real brush. It comes with a handy looped carrying case and a USB charger for its two rechargeable batteries.
    “Auto-shutoff after 3 minutes
    “Great choice for taking notes
    “Some units tend to skip
    “Brand letech+
    “Model ASSLIMPRO-BLK-VP
    “Ship Weight 4.8 ounces
    “Rating 4.5 / 5.0” —The 10 Best Active Styluses

Logitech Crayon

    “Logitech’s Crayon replicates most of the Apple Pencil’s features at a lower price. But it’s compatible only with the 9.7-inch iPad (6th Generation), and iPad Air and mini announced in 2019, which limits its appeal. Drawing and writing is comparable to the Pencil experience, including tilt support and wrist detection, but it lacks pressure sensitivity. If you have an iPad model the Crayon works with, and if you want more advanced stylus features but are willing to sacrifice pressure sensitivity, it’s a great choice. Most people should spend a few more dollars on the Pencil, though, and get the full experience.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

6. Lynktec Apex Fusion

    “Digital note takers and artists alike will appreciate the Lynktec Apex Fusion. It's powered by a built-in rechargeable battery that can be charged over 500 times before it needs replacement, so you'll have a long-lasting "ink" supply.
    “Fiber tip glides smoothly
    “Available in four colors
    “Some have burnt out in a few months
    “Brand Lynktec
    “Model LTTG-0016ABK
    “Ship Weight 2.4 ounces
    “Rating 4.8 / 5.0” —The 10 Best Active Styluses

Lynktec Apex Fusion

    “The Lynktec Apex Fusion is the company’s latest tool. The Fusion offers a 1.9 mm mesh nib, an auto-off battery, and easy charging via a Micro-USB port on its body, and its aluminum body is anodized in the same fashionable colors as the 2016 iPad line. The Apex Fusion is a great precision stylus in apps like Notes, but it suffers from greater lag than basic capacitive styluses do.
    “It also runs into major trouble with programs that use custom drawing algorithms or that haven’t optimized their code to work with powered styluses. Our drawing tests in Paper highlighted this behavior: When we drew or wrote slowly with the Apex Fusion, the app would lose the nib’s location and generate wavy, jagged patterns, whereas with other stylus models the app would produce smooth lines.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

MEKO 2 in 1 Precision Series Disc Stylus/Stylii

    “PROS: A set of two pens with protective caps, four transparent disks and two extra tips made of strong fiber adds to the convenience of use. The set is shipped in a stylish case for comfortable and safe transportation and storage.
    “CONS: If the plastic disc becomes dirty, this may decrease sensitivity.
    “OUR VERDICT: Perfectly suitable for drawing accurate calligraphic lines, sketching, and making quick notes. This stylus allows replacing a tip within seconds without any special tools.
    “TIP: Exchangeable Fiber Tip, Diameter: 6 mm
    “COMPATIBILITY: iPad, iPhone, Kindle Tablet, Galaxy and more
    “LENGTH/DIAMETER/WEIGHT: 140 mm/9 mm/24 g
    “FEATURES: 4 Pcs Replacement Disc Tip, 2 Pcs Replacement Fiber Tip
    “MATERIAL: Stainless Steel and Aluminum” —Best Stylus Pens 2019

    “Tip Features This particular stylus is equipped with several tips that you might interchange virtually in a couple of seconds. The main 2-mm tip is made of rubber and has a transparent plastic disk with 6-mm diameter on the top. The disk allows seeing the initial point and all consecutive lines drawn, making it very useful both for drawing and typing. Extra tips are made of a fiber material resistant to heavy use and wear; they also have the diameter of 6 mm. Such tips are commonly used for routine assignments such as menu commands, moving pictures, icons, etc.” —Best Stylus Pens 2019

    “Compatibility and Size The compatibility of MEKO 2 in 1 Precision Series Disc Stylus/Styli is claimed to include such gadgets as Apple iPad 1 and 2, iPhone, iPod, Kindle Fire, Kindle Touch, Motorola Xoom Tablet, Galaxy and Blackberry Playbook Virtuoso Touch. The device is made as an ordinary pen that you are used to, so you will feel comfortable even doing long-lasting jobs. The comfort is also explained by dimensions of the stylus: the length of 140 mm, the diameter of 9 mm and the weight of 24 g.” —Best Stylus Pens 2019

    “Features and Material The major feature distinguishing this model from its competitors is the composition of several styluses. The manufacturer offers the set of two stylus pens with protective metal caps covering the tips during the transportation and storage. Besides, the set includes four additional tips with clear disks and two extra fiber tips. This is important for the efficiency of use as you may always select an appropriate tip for your work. Extra tips also mean longer life of a stylus in general. The stylus is manufactured of the aluminum alloy with stainless steel components, assuming the high durability of the body. The surface of the stylus is covered with rubber in order to improve the grip.” —Best Stylus Pens 2019

Best Budget: MEKO Disc Stylus

    “You’ll find that some styluses have a bulb point that doesn’t make for great note taking. These types of styluses are cheaper in that their design is primarily used for navigation, and not for note taking or drawing. Fortunately, fine-tipped functional styluses don’t have to come with a heavy price tag for their precision functionality.
    “The MEKO Disc Stylus is a stainless steel aluminum fine-tipped stylus with no plastic parts and is one of the favorite styluses on the market. The unit measures 5.5 x .3 x .3 inches and weighs only 1.6 ounces. The package includes replaceable tip ends: a 6.8mm clear disc point, a 2mm rubber tip and a 6mm fiber tip. The clear disc tip allows the pen-wielder to see exactly where your mark is being made to ensure accuracy. The fiber tips are good for standard web browsing, drawing and overall navigation.
    “You won’t find compatibility to be an issue, as the MEKO is designed to work with all capacities of touch screen devices such as the Apple iPad, iPhone, iPod, Kindles, Samsung Galaxy and more. Thanks to its compatibility, price and multiple tip functionality, the MEKO is the best precision stylus on a budget. ” —The 4 Best Styluses of 2019

Meko Universal Stylus

    “Meko’s Universal Stylus is popular on Amazon. Available in one- and two-piece bundles, it pairs a mesh tip on one end with a clear disc tip on the other, and comes with replacements for both. The fiber tip feels slick on the iPad’s glass screen, but it’s quite accurate. Members of the Wirecutter staff were split on whether they preferred that slick feel, or the slight drag from Adonit’s Mark, with the latter earning a bit more support. If you don’t like that drag though, the Meko stylus is a good, affordable option.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

Meko Universal Stylus

    “The second-generation Meko Universal Stylus is poorly weighted, making it uncomfortable to use.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

3. Moko Universal

    “The Moko Universal features an innovative double-ended design that allows for a wide range of applications on virtually any device. Its fine point is ideal for precise drawing or taking notes, while its wider mesh tip works just like your finger for more general tasks.
    “Helps keep devices fingerprint-free
    “Easy access on-off button
    “Available in three metallic finishes
    “Brand MoKo
    “Model pending
    “Ship Weight 1.8 ounces
    “Rating 4.9 / 5.0” —The 10 Best Active Styluses

Nomad Flex

    “If you’re looking for a paintbrush instead of just a stylus, then the Nomad Flex may be the tool you need for your iPad. The brush is made of aluminum and has synthetic bristles, which make it feel more akin to a real paintbrush. The Flex will work perfectly with apps such as Paper or Procreate, but in an app like Penultimate, a traditional stylus would be more appropriate. Nomad’s offering includes a plastic carrying case inside the box, too, so you can safeguard the brush from unwanted abuse.
    “How does it compare to other brushes? The Flex is going to feel thinner and lighter than 4-in-1 pens like The Friendly Swede, and the Flex’s bristles will feel “mushier” by comparison — but which you prefer is going to come down to personal preference. Another great thing about the Flex is that it is compatible with iPads, Android tablets, and Microsoft’s Surface lineup. The brush also comes in a variety of colors, including charcoal, pink, silver, blue, and red.” —Best styli for notetakers

Pogo Connect 2

    “For iPad owners, Ten One instead offers the Pogo Connect 2, the second iteration of the company’s Bluetooth stylus. The Pogo Connect was one of the first pressure-sensitive styluses available, and the second generation supports drawing in multiple apps along with a bevy of different tips to customize your drawing experience. But it’s been almost two years since the Connect 2 was released, and as such, its official support extends only to iPads of a similar age: The iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 are as fancy as this stylus gets. It’s an all-around solid Bluetooth stylus for those tablet generations, but newer offerings from other companies, such as Adonit’s Pixel, do the job better at a lower price—or in the case of the Pencil, they blow the Connect 2 away in pressure sensitivity, palm rejection, and control.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

Sensu Solo

    “Rounding out the unusual-nib category are those styluses fashioned after a watercolor brush, such as the Sensu Solo. The Sensu (which also comes in a combination rubber-nib-and-paintbrush version) suffers from the way the iPad senses touches. It’s awfully fun to use the Sensu to “paint” after inking with the Pencil, but unlike with a real paintbrush, you can’t change your brushstroke based on how much of the brush you apply to the canvas—it’s limited to the preset size you chose in your app (or one that the app chose for you). If you have the money for a secondary stylus that feels fun, we’d recommend a Sensu, but it shouldn’t be any artist’s primary pick.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

Studio Neat Cosmonaut

    “The Cosmonaut stylus may look huge and bulky, but it’s actually the ultimate stylus for whiteboard and marker artists. This stylus won’t give you the thinnest line you’ve ever seen, but it will give you a nice, solid line. The Cosmonaut is easy to grip and it certainly isn’t delicate, so it can take a knocking in your bag without suffering any ill effects.
    “It’s a short, squat, round rubber stylus with no other defining features. It really looks like a fat, black crayon. The Cosmonaut seems like the perfect stylus for those of you who like to diagram lectures and take notes in a visual style. It works with both Android, iOS, and presumably Windows tablets. The Cosmonauts’ creators say it should also work on any touchscreen.” —Best styli for notetakers

Studio Neat Cosmonaut

    “The Studio Neat Cosmonaut has a larger body and nib than every other modern stylus option we’ve seen. But it’s this bigger size that makes it a perfect choice for kids, people who have trouble gripping smaller pens, and anyone who wants the equivalent of a dry-erase marker in their iPad arsenal. The Cosmonaut’s rubber-coated aluminum body is sturdy and balanced; it feels great in the hand of a child, adult, or senior. It’s a big tool, and although its balance and resistance allow you to do excellent line work, you have to trust in the Cosmonaut’s nib precision—the stylus’ chunky body often blocks your view of the area you’re working on. For zoomed-in illustrations, loose sketching, or big writing, however, the Cosmonaut is a delight to work with.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

Ten One Design’s Pogo Stylus

    “We had similar balance and nib issues [see Wacom Bamboo Solo review] with Ten One Design’s Pogo Stylus: Although slightly heavier and better-weighted in the hand than the Bamboo Solo, the Pogo Stylus still feels too flimsy for writing on iPad-size screens. (This criticism is perhaps not lost on Ten One, which is marketing this iteration of its long-running stylus primarily for use with the iPhone.)” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

9. Tripen Fine Tip

    “The Tripen Fine Tip mimics the feel of a real pen on paper, so it's a great choice for those adjusting from more traditional forms of drawing or writing. It runs on a single AAA battery, which cuts down on the headache of waiting for a recharge.
    “Up to 12 hours of battery life
    “Available in blue or gray
    “Not compatible with all devices
    “Brand Tripen
    “Model pending
    “Ship Weight 0.6 ounces
    “Rating 4.4 / 5.0” —The 10 Best Active Styluses

Wacom Bamboo Stylus Pen

    “PROS: The stylus is sold in various colors and is manufactured from high-quality materials that assure high durability. Carbon fiber tip is 25% smaller than similar tips provided by competitors.
    “CONS: The stylus is not very long, hence may not suit some users.
    “OUR VERDICT: Reasonable Price A nice option of a stylus with ideally balanced body assures convenience and comfort if used for a long time constantly; tips can be replaced saving your costs.
    “TIP: Exchangeable Carbon Fiber Nib, Diameter: 6 mm
    “COMPATIBILITY: iPad, iPhone, Smasung, Lenovo, and others
    “LENGTH/DIAMETER/WEIGHT: 87 mm/9 mm/12 g
    “FEATURES: Bamboo Paper Apps, Protective Cap
    “MATERIAL: Brushed Aluminum” —Best Stylus Pens 2019

    “Tip Features Wacom Bamboo Stylus Pen represents one of the best examples of passive styluses which have no need for use of batteries. The stylus has a carbon fiber tip with a relatively good resistance to wearing out. The tip is exchangeable, so you will not need to buy a new stylus if something is wrong with the tip. With the diameter of 6 mm, the tip boasts a relatively good rate of response and precision. The tip of this type allows comfy and efficient usage of the screen navigation of your mobile device, including making quick notes and records.” —Best Stylus Pens 2019

    “Compatibility and Size Looking at the compatibility of Wacom Bamboo Stylus Pen, the Web site of the manufacturer states that it is compatible with almost all tablets, pads, smart-phones, and PCs equipped with the touch-screen technology. We would like to mention its good compatibility with iPad and iPhone 4 in particular. The dimensions of this stylus are as follows: length is 87 mm, diameter is 9 mm and weight is 12 g. It is worth mentioning that this is one of the most compact and ergonomic styluses proposed on the market.” —Best Stylus Pens 2019

    “Features and Material Bamboo Stylus differs from other ones because of its compatibility with the original application for drawing and notes Bamboo Paper and possibility to use this program with iOS, Windows Mobile, and Android systems. Working with this application, you can exchange your masterpieces with other users and have access to your works from any place on the Earth owing to Wacom Cloud Service. Another distinctive feature is the metal cap protecting the tip during the transportation and storage. The body itself is made of the brushed aluminum that is good for its durability and lifespan. Finally, the body surface is milled, which makes the stylus even more elegant.” —Best Stylus Pens 2019

Bamboo Solo

    “Longtime tablet leader Wacom has been making rubber and Bluetooth styluses for the iPad for a few years, but 2016 saw the company change to mesh nibs for its standout products, the Bamboo Solo and Bamboo Duo (the latter of which includes a traditional pen nib in addition to a digital stylus tip). Unfortunately, not only do the mesh nibs feel flimsy and have way too much squish when you draw on the screen, but the weight balance of both styluses has changed, too, which left us thoroughly unimpressed.” —The Best Stylus for Your iPad

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Best tablets for styli

    “As laptop-tablet hybrids grow increasingly popular — just take a look at the numbers for both the iPad Pro and Microsoft’s Surface lineup — so does the use of styli as an accessory. Samsung’s latest tablet-laptop is the Galaxy Tab S4 which boasts powerful performance, the versatility of Android, and a 10.5-inch, HDR-ready AMOLED display. It’s big and clear, and it’s a great portable canvas to work with. Samsung also offers the S Pen as an accessory, which offers decent performance when it comes to taking notes.
    “Microsoft’s Surface Pro 6 also supports an official stylus, and it certainly delivers on performance. It’s powered by Windows, so it can use the same programs as your desktop Windows PC, and it comes with support for Microsoft’s Type Cover. The Surface Pen is powerful too, with support for triggering Cortana, excellent pressure-sensitivity, and a built-in eraser. However, it’s worth remembering this still counts as an addon for Microsoft, so you’re looking at another $100 for the Surface Pen.
    “Our last recommendation, the updated iPad Pro range, needs little introduction. You have the choice between two screen sizes — 11 inches and 12.9 inches — and those massive displays are fantastic to draw on. The updated Apple Pencil is obviously the perfect accessory for it, thanks to its pressure-sensitive screen. If you’re looking to save some money though, then the updated iPad Air, iPad Mini, and the 9.7-inch iPad are cheaper — and just as capable — alternatives for budding artists, even if they only support the first generation Apple Pencil.” —Best styli for notetakers

open source specification

    This is an open source specification for one component in a tool set.

    If you are interested in the tool set you mat want to start at tool set overview page.

    Those who aren’t accepted by society are invited to participate in our open source project to create a digital pen.