One of the frequent questions artists ask me is: How do Huion vs. Wacom tablets compare, and which is better? Let’s find out!
Table of Contents
- Wacom Cintiq 16 vs. Huion Kamvas 16 – head to head!
- Huion vs. Wacom Drawing Tablet Comparison
- Huion Kamvas 16 Drawing Tablet
- Wacom Cintiq 16 Drawing Tablet
- Why is Wacom Better than Huion?
- Is Huion a Good Brand?
- BONUS: List of all Huion Kamvas & Wacom Cintiq models
Wacom Cintiq 16 vs. Huion Kamvas 16 – head to head!
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Wacom
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Huion
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Description: 16 Inch FHD IPS Touchscreen :: Scratch-Resistant Anti-Glare Surface :: 96% Adobe sRGB :: 8192 Levels of Pen Pressure Sensitivity :: Tilt Sensitivity :: Low Parallax :: Windows and Mac |
Description: 15.6-inch FHD Pen Graphics Display :: Fully-laminated screen with anti-glare protector :: New Pen Tech 3.0 Battery-Free Stylus Pen :: 8192 pressure sensitivity levels :: Up to 60 degrees of tilt for easy shading :: 120% sRGB color gamut :: 10 shortcut keys :: Available in 2 colors :: Late 2020 model :: 3-in-1 (2x USB + HDMI) or USB-C connectivity :: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android |
16 Inch FHD IPS Touchscreen :: Scratch-Resistant Anti-Glare Surface :: 96% Adobe sRGB :: 8192 Levels of Pen Pressure Sensitivity :: Tilt Sensitivity :: Low Parallax :: Windows and Mac
15.6-inch FHD Pen Graphics Display :: Fully-laminated screen with anti-glare protector :: New Pen Tech 3.0 Battery-Free Stylus Pen :: 8192 pressure sensitivity levels :: Up to 60 degrees of tilt for easy shading :: 120% sRGB color gamut :: 10 shortcut keys :: Available in 2 colors :: Late 2020 model :: 3-in-1 (2x USB + HDMI) or USB-C connectivity :: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
Huion Pen Display tablets are certainly becoming more and more popular. They are typically much cheaper than an “equivalent” Wacom and – on paper, at least – do the same things.
On the other hand, Wacom is the undisputed heavyweight champ of all things tablet. They have been producing high-quality drawing tablets for artists for more than 35 years and are the de facto choice of professional digital artists, fine artists, designers, animators, studios, and companies large and small.
As a reminder – Pen Display tablets, also known as Display Drawing tablets, are powerful tools that plug into your computer and display your art software – like Adobe, Corel or Procreate – on their own high-resolution screen, allowing you to use a stylus and work directly on your artwork.
People wonder if a Pen Display tablet is worth buying, if it helps and supports the creative process or is just another gadget, which one is the best to buy, and how much they should spend.
My first thought was just to compare the two brands, Wacom and Huion, overall, but I thought it would be more useful for you (and more fun for me) if I instead narrowed it down to a direct comparison of two comparable products.
So I decided to try out what may be the most popular Display Drawing Tablet from Wacom, the Wacom Cintiq 16 Drawing Tablet.
I was intrigued by this model because it is less than half the price of their Pro version with the same size screen.
It doesn’t have as good of specifications as its costlier sibling and is missing a few features, and yet so many people seem to love it, talking a lot more about what it has and does than what it’s missing.
And I was also intrigued by the Huion Kamvas 16 Drawing Tablet, the Huion model meant to compete directly with the Wacom Cintiq of the same size.
For less than half the price, the Huion offers the same or, in some cases, slightly better specifications, more features, and a more complete user interface.
But I have repeatedly seen that specifications don’t always tell the real story, and features are important only as they support my creative process.
That said, I’m going to start this face-off between the Wacom Cintiq 16 and the Huion Kamvas 16 with a chart directly comparing features, specifications, and retail prices.
Then we’ll get into a hands-on assessment.
Which Company Makes the Best Drawing Tablets?
By actually using each drawing tablet – setting up, drawing and painting – I hope to answer a few questions that so many artists seem to have:
- Is Huion a good brand?
- Are Wacom tablets worth the money?
- Is Huion better than Wacom?
- Which drawing tablet is a better value – Wacom or Huion?
- Which drawing tablet is best for artists – Wacom or Huion?
I’ll answer one question right now.
Is a display drawing tablet a good tool for an artist? Without a doubt, yes!
So many digital artists feel their work reaches new levels when they can work directly on a good, high-quality image of their creation.
Even traditional artists are surprised by how good the best tablets and styluses feel and how easy and intuitive the process is for them.
Besides, these tablets are unbelievably cool.
Let’s check out the technical comparison in the Wacom vs Huion table below:
Huion vs. Wacom Drawing Tablet Comparison Table
| Wacom Cintiq 16 | Huion Kamvas 16 | |
|---|---|---|
 |  | |
| ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ | ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ | |
| Screen Size: | 15.6″ | 15.6″ |
| Aspect Ratio: | 16:9 | 16:9 |
| Resolution: | 1920×1080 px (Full HD) | 1920×1080 px (Full HD) |
| Contrast ratio: | 1000:1 | 1000:1 |
| Color Gamut: | 90% Adobe RGB | 86% Adobe RGB |
| Displayable Colors: | 16.7 million | 16.7 million |
| Pen Pressure Sensitivity Levels: | 8,192 | 8,192 |
| Pen Tilt: | ±60° | ±60° |
| Weight: | 1.9 KG | 1.5 KG |
| Compatibility: | Windows 7 or later / Mac 10.2 or later | Windows 7 or later / Mac 10.2 or later |
As you can see, the specifications are nearly identical between the two tablets.
But the more you read my articles, the more you will understand that I don’t always put a lot of focus on numbers.
I think specs can be helpful sometimes and misleading at other times, and they may not even quantify what is important to an artist doing his or her work.
So I want this head-to-head comparison of the Wacom and the Huion Display Drawing tablets to be based on just that – an artist doing (in this case) her work.
- How does the tablet feel?
- Does it support and flow with my process, or does it pop me out of my zone and into reacting to problems, wondering why I can’t do something, or – worst of all! – troubleshooting?
- Do I see the tablet, or do I see my artwork?
- Do I ever forget that the tablet is even there?
So, for an artist making art, which Drawing tablet is better – Wacom vs. Huion – the Wacom Cintiq 16 or the Huion Kamvas 16?
Huion Kamvas 16 Drawing Tablet
15.6-inch FHD Pen Graphics Display :: Fully-laminated screen with anti-glare protector :: New Pen Tech 3.0 Battery-Free Stylus Pen :: 8192 pressure sensitivity levels :: Up to 60 degrees of tilt for easy shading :: 120% sRGB color gamut :: 10 shortcut keys :: Available in 2 colors :: Late 2020 model :: 3-in-1 (2x USB + HDMI) or USB-C connectivity :: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
Overall I was quite impressed with the Huion Kamvas 16 tablet. It looks nice, has a good quality fit and finish, and has a great user interface.
The programmable keys allow me to mimic certain software functions, like color or tool selection, stylus or brush size, copy and paste and lots more.
I didn’t think I would use them that much, but once I got comfortable and they came more automatically, these shortcuts were nice. I especially liked and used the zoom bar.
The Huion has many other nice features, like a built-in stand with a fairly wide adjustment range, a pen stand that holds the pen horizontally or vertically, and a combined cable system that needs only one cable to plug in at the rear.
That cable system, and the easily downloadable drivers, made setup a no-brainer, and I was up and drawing in no time.
And how was it drawing with the Huion Kamvas 16?
Quite nice, actually, with good control and accuracy from the pen – both pressure sensitivity and tilt were predictable and useful, and the parallax (the difference between where I draw and where the image appears) is quite low, even to the edge of the screen.
At the same time, I sometimes noticed that I was working with a less expensive pen display tablet.
Every once in a while, for no apparent reason, there would be a little lag between my movement and the image on the screen.
And sometimes – less often, but more disturbing – there was even a gap or break in a line or other detail I was laying down.
The first was no real problem, even if it did jar me a little out of my flow, but the second… Well, you all know that fixing a flowing line doesn’t always work, nor does deleting and redoing it.
The color accuracy representation and the overall look of the monitor seemed to me a tiny bit off.
Speaking of interrupting the flow, I frequently found myself looking away from what I was doing to check the display on my MacBook, which has – it must be said – better and more accurate colors and a more vivid and attractive display.
I didn’t quite trust Huion’s screen to tell me how things looked.
The resolution is lower than more expensive tablets and seemed a little lower than the Wacom Cintiq, but this only mattered with the finest lines, hatching, and detail.
And the screen, which has pretty nice glare-proofing, is a little too slick (or maybe I just need to get used to it) and – even at maximum brightness – a little bit too dark to use in a bright, sunny room or under typical studio lights.
Now, after such a laundry list of little issues, it may sound like I didn’t particularly like the experience of creating on the Huion Kamvas, but in fact I was surprised by just how much I did!
This is quite an affordable display tablet.
The problems I had were either very infrequent and not a big deal (probably not even issues for many artists) or perfectly in line with the price and specifications.
The machine performed quite well and let me fall into the zone most of the time, with great results and very high productivity – especially considering I was just beginning with it.
And I think the more time I spend with the Huion Kamvas, the smoother and more effective the work will become.
While the Wacom Cintiq below is markedly better in several key areas, the Huion Kamvas 16 is highly recommended for the beginning artist or somebody with a limited budget.
I haven’t seen anything else anywhere near this price that comes close.
Wacom Cintiq 16 Drawing Tablet
16 Inch FHD IPS Touchscreen :: Scratch-Resistant Anti-Glare Surface :: 96% Adobe sRGB :: 8192 Levels of Pen Pressure Sensitivity :: Tilt Sensitivity :: Low Parallax :: Windows and Mac
I should mention that I used the Wacom pen display tablet with the optional Wacom Cintiq Adjustable Stand, which adds about 80 dollars to the price and makes this tablet nearly twice as expensive as the Huion Kamvas.
So is the Wacom Cintiq worth the extra money?
Absolutely!
The Huion Kamvas is a wonderful tablet for the money and a substantial bargain, but the Wacom Cintiq resides at the next level of creative tools.
So many of the positive things I noticed while working with Wacom Cintiq may seem small, even insignificant.
But each and every one of them made a big difference – bringing me closer to what I envisioned, keeping me at work without interruption, giving me more control, and making me more confident that what I saw was what I would get.
Back to the stand, it is a strong and well-built metal unit with good adjustability but, more importantly, is very stable.
I didn’t notice the tablet moving, even when it was nearly upright and I was working on the edges.
The Wacom Cintiq already has nice built-in legs, which raise it up a little, but I would highly recommend getting the stand.
The cable set, like the Huion Kamvas, has only a single plug on the tablet, making the Wacom’s physical presence less distracting, as does the ability to turn off the power indicator light on the front panel.
The tablet has heat vents, but I never heard any noise (fan or otherwise) coming from it, and it always ran perfectly cool.
And, speaking of fewer distractions, many of the little issues that I had had with the Huion Kamvas simply did not arise when I used the Wacom Cintiq 16, and I could fall more deeply into my work, getting more done in a given amount of time and doing it better.
For example, while the screen/stylus interaction with the Huion Kamvas was excellent overall – again, especially at its price – the Wacom Cintiq offered a noticeably faster response, better control, no gaps or delays, and a better feel overall.
This last point, the nice feeling of drawing on the Wacom Cintiq, seems to be due to the better surface finish, which offers enough resistance to feel like paper and to help me better control the stylus.
And the stylus itself, the Wacom Pro Pen 2, is Wacom’s best stylus and the same one they include with their top-of-the-line tablets.
It is wonderfully precise and expressive and feels very good in my hand – not just the weight, thickness, and rubberized feel but the quality. I felt like it would last for years and years and was one less thing I had to worry about.
The Huion pen is also really nice to use, but the Wacom Cintiq was at a higher level.
The Wacom Cintiq 16’s screen is brighter, which will make a big difference in a sunny or brightly lit studio.
Sometimes I felt like I was straining just a bit with the Huion Kamvas, but never with the Wacom Cintiq, which always gave a bright, vivid image.
The colors on the Wacon’s screen were also noticeably more “right.”
Despite what the specifications say, colors were more accurate on the Wacom Cintiq 16, closer to my Mac, and offered similar depth and pop.
I am, to be sure, spoiled by my MacBook’s and my iPad’s beautiful screens, but the whole time I worked with the Wacom Cintiq, I was pleased with what I saw.
More importantly, I felt I could trust and rely on it.
Brightness, color accuracy, depth and energy, even resolution, all seemed better on the Wacom – much of this might have come down to the brightness itself, which can least apparently improve these other things.
But it wasn’t entirely down to a brighter screen – the Wacom showed me a little more of what I was doing, giving me a better idea of what I had done and where to go next.
All of these little things (ok, they’re not all little) added up to a creative experience and a creative tool, which was beyond my expectations.
The Wacom Cintiq 16 is not just a beginner tablet but a tablet that will allow a beginner to reach higher levels.
In the comparison in Wacom vs. Huion, it is a drawing tablet that would satisfy and serve well even a professional artist.
Is Huion a Good Brand?
There are a lot of assumptions and opinions about Wacom and Huion tablets posted all over the internet – some conflicting, contradictory, and downright confusing.
In Wacom vs. Huion discussion, people say that Wacom is over-priced, is resting on its reputation and is not worth the money. Others say that Wacom is simply better, that they have been the default choice for professional artists and illustrators and fine artists for many decades now for very good reason.
And people say that Huion can’t compete, that their products are not as well designed and not as well built, and even at lower prices, aren’t worth it.
Others say that they offer amazing value and that in recent years, the quality of Huion products has risen dramatically, even though their prices remain low.
I have spent a good amount of time with both of these tablets, and I would have to say that I agree with the latter opinion in both cases.
I believe that Huion products are very well designed, with features and qualities that will beautifully support artists and their work.
For the money, I would say that the recent Huion products I’ve tried offer amazing value and are an easy choice in their price categories.
And I believe that Wacom Cintiq is better. I’ve said it before, and I will undoubtedly say it again – Wacom just understands artists better than their competitors.
As good as the Huion Kamvas 16 is, the Wacom Cintiq 16 is a noticeably superior product and tool that will more transparently and effectively support and enhance your creative process.
So, my final word is that for the money you absolutely cannot find a better tablet than the Huion Kamvas 16, which offers incredible value and utility for its price.
It is not just the perfect entry-level tablet but much better than you could ever expect.
FAQs – Huion vs. Wacom
Based on my drawing experience, Huion is not better than Wacom. Wacom tablets are expensive, so if your budget is tight, get a Huion drawing tablet. They are great for the price.
Yes, despite their price, Huion tablets are good for drawing. Huion has improved significantly in the past year, so you are getting great value. They don’t match the quality and drawing experience of Wacom tablets, so if you can afford them, get Wacom instead.
From my experience, I’d say 1. Wacom – best quality, stylus, and drawing experience; 2. XP Pen – price and innovation; 3. Huion – price and value.
No, Huion can’t use Wacom technology because it’s exclusive to Wacom, and they are direct competitors in the drawing tablets market. Wacom licenses its EMR stylus pen technology to Samsung and Acer, who use it in their 2-in-1 drawing laptops
BONUS: List of all Huion Kamvas & Wacom Cintiq models
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- Huion KAMVAS 13 Pen Display
- Huion Kamvas Pro 13 (QHD+ 2.5K)
- Huion Kamvas 16 Graphics Drawing Tablet
- Wacom Cintiq 16 Drawing Tablet with Screen
- Huion Kamvas Pro 16 2.5K QHD Graphics Drawing Tablet
- Huion KAMVAS Pro 22
- HUION Kamvas Pro 24 4K
- Wacom Cintiq Pro 24
- Wacom Cintiq Pro 32 4K Graphic Drawing Tablet with Touchscreen Monitor
13.3-inch FHD Pen Graphics Display & Pen Tablet :: Fully-laminated screen with anti-glare protector :: New PenTech 3.0 Battery-Free Stylus Pen :: 8192 pressure sensitivity levels :: Up to 60 degrees of tilt for easy shading :: 127% sRGB color gamut :: 8 shortcut keys :: Available in 3 colors :: Early 2020 model :: 3-in-1 (2x USB + HDMI) or USB-C connectivity :: Windows, macOS, Android
13.3-inch QHD+ (2.5K) Pen Graphics Display :: Fully-laminated screen with anti-glare protector :: New PenTech 3.0 Battery-Free Stylus Pen :: 8192 pressure sensitivity levels :: Up to 60 degrees of tilt for easy shading :: 145% sRGB color gamut :: 7 shortcut keys :: Late 2021 model :: 3-in-2 (2x USB + HDMI) or USB-C connectivity :: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
15.6-inch FHD Pen Graphics Display :: Fully-laminated screen with anti-glare protector :: New Pen Tech 3.0 Battery-Free Stylus Pen :: 8192 pressure sensitivity levels :: Up to 60 degrees of tilt for easy shading :: 120% sRGB color gamut :: 10 shortcut keys :: Available in 2 colors :: Late 2020 model :: 3-in-1 (2x USB + HDMI) or USB-C connectivity :: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
16 Inch FHD IPS Touchscreen :: Scratch-Resistant Anti-Glare Surface :: 96% Adobe sRGB :: 8192 Levels of Pen Pressure Sensitivity :: Tilt Sensitivity :: Low Parallax :: Windows and Mac
15.8-inch QHD 2.5K Pen Graphics Display & Pen Tablet :: Fully-laminated screen with anti-glare protector :: New Pen Tech 3.0 Battery-Free Stylus Pen :: 8192 pressure sensitivity levels :: Up to 60 degrees of tilt for easy shading :: 145% sRGB color gamut :: 8 shortcut keys :: Available in 2 colors :: Late 2021 model :: 3-in-2 (2x USB + HDMI) or USB-C connectivity :: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
Graphic Drawing Monitor Pen Display Tilt Function Battery-Free Stylus 8192 Pen Pressure with 20 Express Keys and 2 Touch Bars - 21.5 Inches
NEWEST MODEL: UHD Graphics Drawing Tablet, Full-Laminated Screen Anti-Glare Glass 140% sRGB - Battery-Free Stylus 8192 Pen Pressure and KD100 Wireless Express Key, 23.8 Inch
Creative Pen Display – 4K Graphic Drawing Monitor with 8192 Pen Pressure and 99% Adobe RGB
Creative Pen and Touch Display – 4K graphic drawing monitor with 8192 pen pressure and 99% Adobe RGB
Other articles in the Drawing Tablets series:
- Best iPad for Drawing
- Best iPad for Procreate
- Best Drawing Tablet for Beginners
- Best Tablet for Drawing and Artists
- Best Standalone Drawing Tablet
- Best Animation Tablet
- Best Android Tablet for Drawing
- Best Samsung Tablet for Drawing
- Best Drawing Tablet with Screen for Artists
- Best Cheap Drawing Tablet with Screen
- Best Tablet with Pen Stylus for Drawing
- Best Large Screen Tablet for Artists
- Best Android Tablet for Drawing
- Best Drawing Tablet for Kids
- 7 Best Digital Notepads & Smart Notebooks
- Best Note Taking Tablet
- Best Tablet for Photoshop
- Wacom Tablet vs iPad Pro
- XP Pen vs Huion – Which Tablet is Better?
- Best Drawing Tablet Stand for Artists
- Best iPad Pro Accessories for Artists
- Best Drawing Stylus
Hi, I am Iva (rhymes with “viva”). I am a full-time self-taught artist behind Art Side of Life® and a Top Teacher on Skillshare. I have 15 years of experience in the creative field as a concept designer, illustrator, art director, and now freelance artist, content creator, and art instructor. My goal is to help you get your creative groove on with Procreate and make awesome art through practical classes, tutorials, Procreate brushes, and guides on art tools, supplies and resources. About me »
