The best iPad alternatives
Our reviewers pick the best iPad alternatives from Samsung, Microsoft, Lenovo and more.
Not everyone is hooked into Apple's ecosystem, which is why the best iPad alternatives are a fantastic way to get similar performance while using Google or Windows accounts. These tablets offer similar functionality, comparable specs and good apps, and often cost less.
We've tested and reviewed every iPad, and we've reviewed a lot of their alternatives too, so we're in a good position to compare the options and pick out the best iPad alternatives for different needs. Below, I pick our favourites, including high-end options, tablets with that run desktop software, budget alternatives and even a specialist iPad alternative for drawing, including models from Samsung, Microsoft and more.
The closest alternatives to iPad are Samsung's tablets, and you can find the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra at No.2 on my list. To get the lowdown on how these range compares to Apple's read our iPad vs Samsung explainer. If you are still considering an iPad, or want to compare the specs of these against those of Apple tablets, see our full iPad generations list for details of all the current models.
The best iPad alternatives in full
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The best iPad alternative overall
01. Microsoft Surface Pro 11
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You need Windows: The full versions of most desktop software won't run on Android tablets.
✅ You want a powerful tablet: This powerful device can handle complex creative and AI tasks.
❌ You're on a budget: tThis isn't the most affordable tablet around.
❌ You don't want to do creative work: If you just want to check emails or watch content, this is overkill.
🔎 Surface Pro 11 offers a compelling Windows tablet experience thanks to a great keyboard, powerful processors, and AI capabilities. ★★★★
What you need to know: Released in May 2024, the new Surface Pro 11 represents a substantial upgrade to Microsoft's hybrid tablet-laptop line. While it might not have the same brand cachet as the iPad Pro, it offers unique advantages for creative professionals who require a full Windows environment.
Design and build: The Surface Pro is nice and lightweight at under 1kg. Available in four colours (black, sapphire, platinum, and dune), its aesthetic in both stylish and professional. The standout feature is the new Surface Pro Flex Keyboard, which can now be used detached from the device: a significant improvement in versatility.
Display: Microsoft offers both LCD and optional OLED screens, with the OLED version promising improved contrast. The display supports up to a 120Hz refresh rate, making it responsive for drawing and creative work. While not quite matching the iPad Pro's display technology, it provides a high-quality visual experience.
Performance: Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus or Elite processors, Microsoft claims the Surface Pro 11 is up to 90% faster than its predecessor. It also includes a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for on-device AI tasks, making it competitive with the latest tablets for both creative and computational work. All this means this laptop truly shines for professionals who need full desktop applications like Adobe Photoshop, offering a genuine laptop-replacement experience that the iPad Pro cannot match. The ability to use a stylus alongside full keyboard functionality is another bonus for designers and artists.
Pricing: Starting at £999, the Surface Pro 11 is competitively priced. The base model includes 16GB RAM and 256GB storage, with top-spec configurations reaching £2,100. The Flex Keyboard, priced at £450, now includes the Slim Pen.
The best iPad alternative running Android
02. Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You want a large-screen Android tablet: This generous display is perfect for multimedia content.
✅ You want AI features: This tab is nicely future-proof.
❌ You require absolute top-tier performance: This isn't the most powerful device on our list.
❌ You're on a tight budget: It's pretty expensive for a tablet.
🔎 Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra offers a premium Android tablet experience with a stunning display and innovative AI features. ★★★★★
What you need to know: Released in October 2024, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra continues Samsung's tradition of creating high-end, feature-packed tablets for discerning users.
Design and build: Marginally thinner and lighter than its predecessor, the tablet features Enhanced Armor Aluminium for improved durability. IP68 water and dust resistance sets it apart from competitors. The S Pen attaches magnetically to the rear, offering 2.8ms latency for a near-natural writing experience.
Display: The 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen is the tablet's standout feature. With a 16:10 aspect ratio perfect for movie watching, 120Hz refresh rate, and 930 nits peak brightness, it delivers exceptional visual quality. Anti-reflective technology reduces glare in bright environments.
Performance: Powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ processor, the Tab S10 Ultra offers impressive Android tablet performance. However, it struggles to match the raw power of the iPad Pro's M4 chip, scoring about half the multi-core benchmarks. Galaxy AI features elevate the tablet's capabilities, offering tools like Circle to Search, Live Translate, and Sketch-to-image, making it particularly appealing for creative professionals and tech enthusiasts. And ecosystem integration allows seamless connectivity with other Samsung devices, including Second Screen functionality and App Continuity.
Pricing: This tablet starts at £1,200/$1,200, positioning it as a premium device competing directly with the iPad Pro. While expensive, it offers a unique Android tablet experience with unmatched screen real estate and innovative features.
The best budget iPad alternative
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You want to limit your spend: This budget-beater is ideal for light creative work.
✅ You want a tablet primarily for note-taking and drawing: Why spend more on a powerful processor?
❌ You need high-performance computing: This isn't up to tasks like image and video editing.
❌ You use professional-grade creative tools: Android is limited to the software it can run.
🔎 Lenovo Tab P12 with Matte Display offers a budget-friendly option for students and casual users, providing a paper-like drawing experience. ★★★★
What you need to know: Released in June 2024, the Lenovo Tab P12 with Matte Display targets budget-conscious users seeking a versatile Android tablet for creative and casual tasks. Battery life impresses too, offering nearly 10 hours of streaming and exceptional standby performance. While not a powerhouse, the Lenovo Tab P12 with Matte Display delivers remarkable value for casual creative users.
Design and build: Exceptionally thin at 6.9mm, the tablet features a sage green casing with curved edges. Despite its large 12.7-inch form factor, it remains relatively lightweight at 610g. The magnetic stylus attachment and optional detachable keyboard (£130) enhance its versatility.
Display: The 3K (2944 x 1840) matte display stands out for note-taking and drawing. While limited to a 60Hz refresh rate and 400 nits brightness, the paper-like finish provides an excellent surface for stylus work. The included Tab Pen Plus offers 4,096 pressure levels and tilt detection.
Performance: Powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7050 processor with 8GB RAM, the Tab P12 is best suited for low-intensity tasks. It excels at web browsing, note-taking, streaming, and light drawing, but struggles with demanding creative applications. The Android operating system limits software compatibility, making it less suitable for professionals requiring specialized desktop applications. However, for students, casual users, and those seeking a portable drawing and note-taking device, it offers excellent value.
Pricing: Priced at £450 for the matte display version, it represents an affordable alternative to more expensive tablets. The included stylus and optional keyboard provide additional flexibility.
The best iPad alternative for drawing
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You want the best drawing experience: This tablet is designed specifically for outdoor art.
✅ You're looking for value: This tablet offers impressive capabilities for an affordable price.
❌ Procreate is essential to your workflow: This drawing software isn't available for Android devices.
❌ You need a high-performance tablet for complex tasks: This isn't a great choice for 3D modelling or video editing.
🔎 XPPen Magic Drawing Pad offers an excellent, affordable drawing experience for artists wanting a mobile creative tool. ★★★★★
What you need to know: Released in 2024, the Magic Drawing Pad is a purpose-built tablet for digital artists seeking a portable drawing solution. It provides a unique alternative to more expensive tablets like the iPad. It isn't perfect, but for artists seeking an affordable, lightweight tablet designed specifically for digital art, it's an compelling option that challenges more expensive competitors.
Design and build: The tablet features a solid metal chassis with a 3:2 display ratio, making it comfortable to hold and draw on. At just 599g, it's remarkably light, and its slim 6.9mm profile makes it easy to carry. The included flexible case offers basic protection and includes a stylus holder.
Display: The 12.2-inch matte anti-glare screen is a standout feature. With a resolution of 2160 x 1440 and support for 109% sRGB, 82% Adobe RGB, the display is vibrant and color-accurate. The micro-textured surface provides a paper-like drawing experience that many artists will appreciate, with minimal glare even in bright outdoor conditions.
Performance: Powered by an 8-core MT8771 processor and 8GB RAM, the Magic Drawing Pad handles most drawing apps smoothly. The included X3 Pro Pencil offers 16,384 levels of pressure sensitivity, providing nuanced line work. While it may struggle with complex brush simulations, it performs excellently for sketching, inking, and basic painting.
Pricing: Starting at $499.99 / £449.99, this is significantly cheaper than iPad and Samsung alternatives. The package includes the stylus, multiple nibs, and a protective case, offering good value for artists on a budget.
The best 2-in-1 iPad alternative
05. ASUS ProArt PZ13
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You want the best iPad drawing experience: with its OLED screen, 120Hz refresh rate and Apple Pencil Pro support, this is easily the best iPad display for drawing on.
✅ You want plenty of power for other tasks: the M4 chip is capable of much more than drawing, making the new iPad Pro an option for even complex video editing.
✅ You're a professional artist: the latest Pros may be overkill for beginners, but we think the benefits are worth the expense for pros.
❌ You're on a tight budget: This is Apple's most expensive tablet, and drawing on an iPad doesn't require this much power.
❌ You want a compact tablet: The new iPad Pros are very thin, but the 13 incher isn't the most compact for using on the go.
❌ You have an older Apple Pencil: The new iPad Pros aren't compatible with Apple Pencil 1 or 2; only with Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil USB-C.
🔎 iPad Pro 13 (M4) provides a notable upgrade to the top-of-the range iPad, introducing OLED display technology, a faster processor and support for the new improved stylus, Apple Pencil Pro. It's expensive and more than many people will need for drawing, but the crisp, bright display make it the ultimate iPad for creative professionals. ★★★★★
What you need to know: Launched in late 2024, the ProArt PZ13 is ASUS's most compact creative professional tablet, targeting artists, photographers, and content creators who need portability and versatility.
Design and build: A sleek 2-in-1 device with a robust build, the PZ13 comes with a protective camo-green sleeve and keyboard. The tablet weighs just 850g, making it relatively lightweight for its capabilities. Its refined design combines portability with durability.
Display: The 13.3-inch OLED touchscreen is a standout feature, offering 2880 x 1800 resolution with 100% P3 color gamut. PANTONE-validated and incredibly color-accurate, the display is exceptional for creative work, with 502 nits brightness and HDR support.
Performance: Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus processor with a 45TOPS Neural Processing Unit (NPU), the PZ13 excels in efficiency. While not a powerhouse for 3D rendering, it's excellent for photo editing, light graphic design, and video content creation. The most impressive feature is its extraordinary battery life, reaching over 20 hours in testing.
Pricing: Retailing at £1,199/$1,099, the ProArt PZ13 offers exceptional value. Crucially, it includes a stylus, keyboard, stand, and protective sleeve – a significant advantage over competitors like iPad Pro.
The best cheap iPad alternative
06. RedMagic Nova Gaming Tablet
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You want a high-performance Android tablet: Our reviewer was impressed with its capabilities.
✅ You need a budget-friendly creative device: This is one of the most affordable iPad alternatives.
❌ You require a full creative ecosystem: An Apple or Windows tablet will run more software.
❌ You want dedicated drawing features: We'd recommend the XPPen Magic Drawing Pad instead.
🔎 RedMagic Nova offers remarkable performance and value, making it an attractive alternative for budget-conscious creatives. ★★★★★
What you need to know: Released in 2024, the RedMagic Nova Gaming Tablet offers an unexpected solution for creatives seeking a powerful, affordable Android tablet. While primarily marketed as a gaming device, its specifications make it surprisingly suitable for creative tasks.
Design and build: Despite being a gaming tablet, the Nova impresses with its sleek 7.3mm thin metal construction. Weighing just 530g, it's incredibly portable. A unique transparent back strip with RGB lights adds a distinctive flair, setting it apart from traditional tablets.
Display: The 10.9-inch 2.8K resolution display with a 144Hz refresh rate provides crisp, smooth visuals. At 550 nits brightness, it offers vibrant colors and sharp details, making it suitable for light creative work, photo editing, and media consumption.
Performance: Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor with 16GB RAM, the Nova delivers impressive performance. Its dedicated cooling system ensures sustained performance, making it capable of handling graphic design apps, light video editing, and multitasking.
Pricing: Starting at £439 for the 12GB/256GB model and £559 for the 16GB/512GB version, the RedMagic Nova offers exceptional value compared to more expensive creative tablets.
How to choose the best iPad alternatives
When choosing the best iPad alternatives, the first thing to do is to establish what you're going to use it for, as this will determine which features you need. If you're just going to be using the tablet for a light browsing and maybe some streaming, your needs will be different than if you are planning on using the tablet as your main work tool and need to run resource-intensive apps. Once that's established, here are some criteria to consider.
Screen size: The size of a tablets screen is expressed in inches, referring to the diagonal distance between two corners. So, a 14-inch tablet means a tablet with 14 inches between the top left and the bottom right of the screen. A larger screen gives you more space to work with – useful for creative work and great for watching movies. However, it also means the tablet is physically larger and heavier, which impacts portability.
Screen resolution: The higher the screen resolution, the more detail it is able to display and the better your content will look.
Screen brightness/colour: A higher level of brightness, expressed in nits, will make your screen easier to see in a variety of conditions. Generally 300 nits is acceptable, 400 nits is good and anything above 500 is excellent. You may also see reference to a screen's coverage of various colour gamuts, such as sRGB, DCI P3 and Adobe RGB, etc. The higher the percentage of these spaces, the richer and more accurate colours a screen can display.
Stylus compatibility: If you're planning on drawing or doing other creative work on a tablet, having a compatible active stylus like the Apple Pencil is a must.
How we test the best iPad alternatives
At Creative Bloq, we regularly review tablets from a range of different manufacturers. We will spend a significant amount of time with any tablet we review, and test it against a series of benchmarks designed to assess how well it performs.
We run different productivity apps, creative programs, browsers and games on the tablet (where possible) to see how well it is able to cope with such tasks. We look at screen quality, measuring brightness and refresh rate. We try out any compatible accessories available to us such as styluses and stands, and we also look at the physical design of the tablet to assess whether it is convenient to use, easy to carry and robustly constructed.
FAQs
What are the best iPad alternatives for drawing?
iPads have been gaining popularity as drawing tablets for amateurs and professionals alike – but many are understandably put off by the cost, especially when you consider the extra $100 or so for an Apple Pencil.
There are plenty of tablets that can work as iPad alternatives for drawing – the key is to make sure you get one with an active stylus. This means a stylus that can communicate with the tablet electronically (rather than essentially being a pointed stick), and can therefore offer vital artistic features like pressure sensitivity, palm rejection and tilt sensitivity.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab range is a good place to start, and we like the XPPen Magic Drawing Pad since this was made specifically with drawing in mind. If you specifically want a dedicated device for drawing without other features, see our guide to the best drawing tablets.
What is a good iPad alternative for toddlers?
Kids love tablets – but you may not want to give them something as expensive and breakable as an iPad. There are plenty of kid-friendly tablets out there that offer features like parental control settings and content restrictions. Amazon's Fire Kids range is a great place to start, offering a number of tablets specifically designed for little ones.
Are Android tablets a good alternative to iPads?
Absolutely! While the Android interface still isn't as smooth and well-integrated on tablets as Apple's iOS, the Android ecosystem offers a level of choice and customisability that Apple simply can't match.
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Ian Dean is Editor, Digital Arts & 3D at Creative Bloq, and the former editor of many leading magazines. These titles included ImagineFX, 3D World and video game titles Play and Official PlayStation Magazine. Ian launched Xbox magazine X360 and edited PlayStation World. For Creative Bloq, Ian combines his experiences to bring the latest news on digital art, VFX and video games and tech, and in his spare time he doodles in Procreate, ArtRage, and Rebelle while finding time to play Xbox and PS5.
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