Best Drawing Tablet For Under 100 in 2021

Trying to find the best drawing tablet for under $100 can be challenging. There are so many different types of graphics tablets to choose from. It can be overwhelming and very tempting to opt for the first tablet you stumble across.

Hold fire on that thought. You should ensure that your chosen drawing tablet is suitable for your needs first. We’ve covered all the essentials you need to consider before buying a drawing tablet below.

Size

What size drawing tablet are you after? If you’re looking for a drawing tablet that comes under budget below $100, then you’ll be restricted in terms of the sizes you can opt for. You should aim to choose the largest drawing tablet that you can reasonably afford.

It’s also worth remembering that the area of the tablet you should be most concerned about is the active area. This will be the space that actively works with the pen for you to draw. There’s no point going for a tablet that measures larger than competitive models if in reality they actually have the same active area.

Compatibility

Another important factor to consider is how compatible your chosen drawing tablet is with your computer. Do you have a Mac or a Windows computer? Or do you have another computer which uses a different operating system altogether such as Linux?

Whichever one you prefer, you’ll have to ensure that your drawing tablet will work with it. The good news is that all of the tablets we’ve picked are compatible with both Mac and Windows.

You should also take a look and see whether your drawing tablet is suitable for your dominant hand. There’s no point spending a ton of money on a tablet that’s only suitable for right handed people if you’re left handed!

It’s also worth remembering that you will need drawing software to go with your shiny new tablet. Some of the more well known programs like Photoshop are quite expensive. The Wacom tablets include a 3 month free trial of various EdTech software for you to use. You should also ensure that your chosen tablet is compatible with your program of choice.

If you’re restricted by your budget, two good free options to get you started are Gimp and Krita.

Pressure Sensitivity

One of the most crucial things to think about is how sensitive your chosen tablet’s pen is. You will of course want a tablet that includes the pen with the tablet. The levels of pressure sensitivity will mean the difference between static line art and dynamic shading to name a few. The more levels of pressure sensitivity your chosen drawing tablet is able to offer you, the better.

More varied pressure sensitivity means that you can easily adjust the pressure to suit the lines you need. You can easily adjust your touch for softer lines, or go in heavy for a bolder brush stroke.

What is a Good Cheap Drawing Tablet?

The best cheap drawing tablets are:

• Wacom CTL4100 Intuos Graphics Drawing Tablet
• GAOMON M10K2018 Graphic Drawing Tablet
• Huion Inspiroy H640P Graphics Drawing Tablet
• UGEE M708 V2 Graphics Drawing Tablet
• One by Wacom Student drawing tablet

Should I Get an iPad or a Drawing Tablet?

If budget is your main concern when it comes to choosing the best digital drawing device, you should definitely opt for a drawing tablet. This is because there are so many great options available to you and at such high specs.

However, with an iPad you are paying for the Apple label. While it does have some great features for drawing, you will need to buy an additional Apple pencil, which often costs a third of the iPad itself depending on the model you opt for.

A graphics tablet will be much better value for money if you’re looking for a competitively priced drawing tablet.

Coming out on top is the Wacom CTL4100 Intuos drawing tablet. Wacom is one of the industry’s leading manufacturers of drawing tablets, so you really aren’t compromising on quality just because it’s under $100. The Intuos itself is one of the most highly recommended tablets, so it will be a welcome addition to your artist’s tool kit.

The Intuos includes everything you need so that you can use it straight out of the box. It comes with a battery-free pen that won’t need to be charged. Simply plug your tablet into your computer of choice and it will work. The pen features 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity as well as 2,540 lips. The tablet also comes with 3 month free trials of various EdTech software to get you started.

This tablet is perfect for use with both the left and right hands. It’s suitable for use with both Mac and Windows, so you won’t have to worry about changing your computer of choice in order for the tablet to work. The tablet itself is also slim, lightweight, and compact. You can easily slip it into your laptop bag if you want to take it with you on the go.

Another great contender is the GAOMON M10K2018 drawing tablet. This particular drawing tablet comes in at a competitive price and with a great range of features. It includes the pen you need for drawing, which is battery-free.

The pen comes with a whopping 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity. This means you can draw thinner or bolder lines depending on the pressure you use. This allows you to capture your ideas faster than other tablets which don’t offer as much variation with their pens.

This tablet features an active working area of 10 x 2.5 inches. That will be more than enough room for you to use for your creations. The tablet is compatible with both Apple and Windows computers, making it a great fit for your computer of choice.

A unique feature of this tablet is the touch ring. This can be programmed with your favorite settings so that you can easily access them at the touch of a button. You can easily adjust the zoom on the canvas, adjust your brush, and scroll across the screen. There are also 10 customizable shortcut keys to help you.

If you’re looking for an even more budget friendly graphics tablet, then the Huion Inspiroy H640P drawing tablet is a great shout. This tablet comes with a range of great features but at a more affordable price. This makes it a great fit for beginners who are wanting to dip their toes in the digital drawing waters.

This particular drawing tablet is suitable for use with both Mac and Windows. What’s really interesting about this tablet is that it’s also suitable for use with Android. As long as your device has Android 6.0 hardware or above, then the tablet will be compatible with it. It even includes the OTG adapter that you’ll need to use it on your Android device!

Similar to competitive tablets, the Huion Inspiroy comes with 6 customizable keys. This will make using the tablet even smoother, as you can simply tap the keys to get your favorite settings. The tablet is perfect for use with both left and right hands, and the pen is battery-free. The pen features 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity for more varied creative works.

Next up is the UGEE M708 V2 drawing tablet. This particular model is one of the more affordable options compared to our two top choices and comes with a range of useful features. The UGEE M708 V2 is suitable for use with Mac and Windows. It’s also a great fit for a variety of drawing applications, such as Photoshop and SAI. It’s super easy to set up for using straight out of the box.

This tablet includes the pen you need for your digital drawings. The pen is battery-free so won’t need to be plugged in. It also features 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity for a better art experience. You can easily adjust the weight and opacity of your chosen brush strokes to suit your artwork.

Another great feature of this graphics tablet is that it comes with 8 customizable express keys. You can easily use these for your favorite settings such as scrolling, eraser, zooming in and out of the canvas, and many more. This helps to make the tablet even more user friendly.

If you’ve got your heart set on a Wacom model but don’t want to fork out for a more expensive tablet, the One by Wacom student drawing tablet is the ideal choice for you. This particular graphics tablet includes all the essential features you need for digital drawing. It even includes 3 month trials for various EdTech software to get you started!

The pen comes included with this drawing tablet so you won’t have to spend extra money on it. The pen is battery-free and won’t require charging. The pen is pressure sensitive to give you added precision when it comes to drawing. Combined with the sturdy tablet, you’ll have everything you need for creating beautiful artworks right at your fingertips.

One by Wacom is suitable for use with Mac and Windows computers. It’s also perfect for both left and right hand use. The tablet itself features a compact, slim design for added portability. You can easily slip it in right alongside your laptop in your laptop case.