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How Wacom vs iPad Pro Compare in 2023

Iva Mikles
How Wacom vs iPad Pro Compare in 2023

One of the questions I get a lot is about standalone drawing tablets – specifically, the two that are probably the main choices of professionals and serious artists: the Wacom MobileStudio Pro and the Apple iPad Pro.

So, in this article, I will share my experience with both of them so you can decide which one to get!

My Pick
Professional Pick
Description:

The best iPad for drawing and Procreate

Apple M1 Processor for next-level performance :: 12.9-inch liquid retina display for superior color, contrast, and brightness :: Light and extremely strong :: Up to 10 hours battery life :: Early 2021 model

Description:

Best Professional Standalone Drawing Tablet

13.3 Inch WQHD Touchscreen Display :: Intel Core i7 :: 16GB RAM upgradeable :: 512GB SSD upgradeable :: Professional artists' choice :: Windows 10 :: Early 2020 model

The bigger model is Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16

My Pick
Description:

The best iPad for drawing and Procreate

Apple M1 Processor for next-level performance :: 12.9-inch liquid retina display for superior color, contrast, and brightness :: Light and extremely strong :: Up to 10 hours battery life :: Early 2021 model

Professional Pick
Description:

Best Professional Standalone Drawing Tablet

13.3 Inch WQHD Touchscreen Display :: Intel Core i7 :: 16GB RAM upgradeable :: 512GB SSD upgradeable :: Professional artists' choice :: Windows 10 :: Early 2020 model

The bigger model is Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16

Table of Contents

The main questions I hear are along the lines of:

and variations on those themes.

So it seemed time to have a face-off between these two heavyweights, and the better drawing tablet may win!

Wacom Tablet vs. iPad Pro Comparison

For this in-depth comparison between the Apple iPad Pro and the Wacom MobileStudio Pro to really be meaningful, we should make sure the two units are configured the same, so we will look at:

My Pick
Professional Pick
Description:

The best iPad for drawing and Procreate

Apple M1 Processor for next-level performance :: 12.9-inch liquid retina display for superior color, contrast, and brightness :: Light and extremely strong :: Up to 10 hours battery life :: Early 2021 model

Description:

Best Professional Standalone Drawing Tablet

13.3 Inch WQHD Touchscreen Display :: Intel Core i7 :: 16GB RAM upgradeable :: 512GB SSD upgradeable :: Professional artists' choice :: Windows 10 :: Early 2020 model

The bigger model is Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16

My Pick
Description:

The best iPad for drawing and Procreate

Apple M1 Processor for next-level performance :: 12.9-inch liquid retina display for superior color, contrast, and brightness :: Light and extremely strong :: Up to 10 hours battery life :: Early 2021 model

Professional Pick
Description:

Best Professional Standalone Drawing Tablet

13.3 Inch WQHD Touchscreen Display :: Intel Core i7 :: 16GB RAM upgradeable :: 512GB SSD upgradeable :: Professional artists' choice :: Windows 10 :: Early 2020 model

The bigger model is Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16

The RAM memory between the two is not the same – the Wacom has 16 GB RAM, while the iPad Pro has only 8 GB.

This may seem like a big difference, but really the iPad is optimized for that much memory and runs all programs and tasks quite well as configured.

Still, we will see if the difference in memory becomes a factor in our section about performance – especially since the iPad Pro cannot be upgraded.

What is Included with Apple iPad Pro and Wacom MobileStudio Pro Packages?

The Wacom MobileStudio Pro does also come with a few accessories, which you will need to purchase separately from the Apple iPad Pro, making the difference in price a bit smaller (though still significant).

Let’s get into what exactly you’ll find in the boxes when you get your shiny new drawing tablet in the mail.

Professional Pick
Wacom MobileStudio Pro 13 with Wacom Pro Pen 2

Best Professional Standalone Drawing Tablet

13.3 Inch WQHD Touchscreen Display :: Intel Core i7 :: 16GB RAM upgradeable :: 512GB SSD upgradeable :: Professional artists' choice :: Windows 10 :: Early 2020 model

The bigger model is Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16

Wacom MobileStudio Pro 13” – What’s in the Box?

My Pick
Apple iPad Pro (12.9″, WiFi, 512GB)

The best iPad for drawing and Procreate

Apple M1 Processor for next-level performance :: 12.9-inch liquid retina display for superior color, contrast, and brightness :: Light and extremely strong :: Up to 10 hours battery life :: Early 2021 model

Edit 2023: If you want absolutely the newest tech to get M2 chip and use Apple Pencil hover feature, get the 2022 iPad Pro 12.9″

Apple iPad Pro 12.9” What’s in the Box?

You may notice that I cheated a bit here – the iPad’s contents looked pretty meager compared to the Wacom, so I put the USB power adaptor and USB power cable on separate lines to pad it.

But the only main differences – which account for 4 line items in the Wacom list – are the pen and the stand. A good adjustable drawing tablet stand can be purchased on Amazon inexpensively, like the excellent Kabcon Adjustable Aluminum Tablet Stand.

But the pen is also not included in the iPad Pro package and is a little more expensive. The standard choice, and a superb stylus for the iPad, is the 2nd Generation Apple Pencil, which is about 125 dollars.

So even if you buy a great stand and excellent Apple Pencil, and a whole case of microfiber cleaning cloths, the iPad Pro is still some 1,100 dollars less expensive than the Wacom MobileStudio Pro!

My Pick
Apple Pencil (2nd generation)

Second Generation Apple Pencil :: Best Drawing and Painting Experience :: Compatible with: iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th, 5th, 4th and 3rd generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (4th, 3rd, 2nd and 1st generation), iPad Air (5th and 4th generation) and iPad mini (6th generation)

So, for all that Extra Money, is the Wacom MobileStudio Pro Better than the Apple iPad Pro?

When answering the big question – which artist tablet is better: the Wacom MobileStudio Pro or the Apple iPad Pro – we should look at five basic considerations:

So, let’s get into some serious, head-to-head competition.

And I guess we can say that since the iPad Pro is the best Apple drawing tablet available, and the MobileStudio Pro is the best Windows 10 drawing tablet available, this is for all the marbles – the World Championship!

In other words, ultimately, we are asking a much bigger question:

What is the Best Standalone Artist’s Tablet Overall in 2023?

How very exciting!

Which Tablet has Better Display – Wacom MobileStudio Pro or Apple iPad Pro?

My Pick
Apple iPad Pro (12.9″, WiFi, 512GB)

The best iPad for drawing and Procreate

Apple M1 Processor for next-level performance :: 12.9-inch liquid retina display for superior color, contrast, and brightness :: Light and extremely strong :: Up to 10 hours battery life :: Early 2021 model

Edit 2023: If you want absolutely the newest tech to get M2 chip and use Apple Pencil hover feature, get the 2022 iPad Pro 12.9″

Apple is notorious for not caring too much about specifications and numbers (kind of reminds me of myself).

While they specifically state the resolution for the Apple iPad Pro, they do not state other important specs like the display’s RGB color coverage (Apple doesn’t even say how much RAM an iPad Pro has!).

On the other hand, while publishing full specifications for all their products, Wacom is notoriously conservative in its figures, and this same RGB coverage figure is a prime example.

Which Tablet has Better Color Reproduction – Apple iPad Pro or Wacom MobileStudio Pro?

Wacom claims only 82 percent sRGB coverage, compared to cheaper Windows tablets which claim up to 120 percent (!).

Still, the Wacom has much better color fidelity, range, and subtlety than those less expensive tablets.

And Apple doesn’t even publish a number, and their color reproduction is as good as it gets.

The color fidelity is as perfect as an artist will ever need.

The range and subtlety of color mean that the effects of colors complement each other, clashing, contrasting, and creating focus, movement, and depth, which comes through with absolute power.

Both screens are superb – the best I’ve tried – for color reproduction, saturation, brightness and contrast, geometry and overall liveliness. I love colors, and they are important in my work (and my life).

Both the Wacom MobileStudio Pro and the Apple iPad Pro give me confidence that I accurately and fully see exactly what I’m doing in my artistic creation in terms of my colors and color palette.

Which Tablet has Better Resolution – Apple iPad Pro or Wacom MobileStudio Pro?

Here’s where we do begin to see a bit of a difference and where we can also see one of the reasons behind a rather interesting phenomenon: Wacom tablets are the primary choice of so many professional artists and working studios, but artists, illustrators, animators, designers, and photographers seem to love Apple iPads much more.

The Wacom MobileStudio Pro has an absolutely beautiful display, and its resolution is a big part.

In all my time working on the MobileStudio Pro, I never once felt like I was missing detail, not seeing something clearly, or wanting more clarity. Even with the most detailed work, the screen was a joy to use and perfectly supported and displayed what I was trying to do.

But when I get on an Apple iPad Pro Wacom, I can see immediately that this is on a different level.

There is more apparent detail, more gradation in shading, hatching, and other fine details, which are much easier to see. I think I have been more impressed with the display of the Wacom MobileStudio Pro when using it in the past, but in a more head-to-head comparison, I have to say I greatly prefer the Apple iPad.

Perspective is more obvious and effective, relationships between objects more apparent and more powerful, and the whole composition – indeed, the whole image and artwork – seems to snap into place and out of the frame with almost startling clarity.

It sounds like such a dramatic difference, and I guess it is.

Still, I do have to say that I’m talking about the two best artist tablet displays I’ve ever seen. The resolution on the Wacom MobileStudio Pro 13.3-inch screen is also dramatically clear and beautiful.

I think I would be more than satisfied with either drawing tablet, and I’m confident I could do even the most advanced and detailed work with the MobileStudio Pro and iPad Pro.

But, bottom line, I have to give the Apple iPad Pro 12.9 the edge in terms of display quality.

Which Tablet has Better Pen-to-Glass Experience – Wacom MobileStudio Pro or Apple iPad Pro?

My Pick
Apple iPad Pro (12.9″, WiFi, 512GB)

The best iPad for drawing and Procreate

Apple M1 Processor for next-level performance :: 12.9-inch liquid retina display for superior color, contrast, and brightness :: Light and extremely strong :: Up to 10 hours battery life :: Early 2021 model

Edit 2023: If you want absolutely the newest tech to get M2 chip and use Apple Pencil hover feature, get the 2022 iPad Pro 12.9″

I would guess that Wacom has spent a lot of money, done tons of research, and gotten lots of feedback from actual artists, illustrators, photographers, and the like in designing their MobileStudio Pro’s screen and screen-to-surface experience.

The same is true for their wonderful Wacom Pro Pen 2.

And the experience is great.

An exemplary feeling of precision and control here is exemplary, and there is absolutely no lag or space between the nib and the created image – a line, a brush stroke, a bit of shading, an erasure.

The Wacom Pro Pen feels good in the hand. It is a marvel of ergonomics and feels natural, comfortable, and solid.

Yet somehow, I never felt completely free or flowing using the Wacom. Maybe I’m just used to the iPad and the Apple Pencil.

Still, I felt like I could only hold the Wacom pen in one position because of that very same ergonomic design, which limited me in making subtle variations in angle and technique. And in a very unquantifiable way I lost some spontaneity when working pen to screen. It felt like I was in complete control technically, but it didn’t feel very artistic – if that makes sense.

The Apple Pencil feels like I can do whatever I want.

I change my grip, holding method, angle, speed, pressure, and technique without thinking about it, and I can much more easily get lost in creating.

The friction between Apple Pencil and screen is less than with the Wacom, and this probably does mean slightly less precision and control, but in fact, I find the contact between the stylus and screen just right with the iPad Pro, and feel much more in control.

But again, as with the comparison of displays, we are talking about two top-notch artist tablets, and the pen-to-screen experience with both is pretty much as good as it gets.

They are both wonderful tools designed for (and, to some extent at least, by) artists, and both can be said to support artistic creation wonderfully.

But I don’t think my preference for the iPad’s Apple Pencil to screen experience is just because I am an iPad user and therefore used to it.

I would say that the very most technical work may be better done on a Wacom, but for an artist creating the Apple gives a better experience and is more supportive of true, unrestrained creativity.

Bottom line, I have to give the edge to Apple as far as which drawing tablet has the best pen-to-screen experience between the Wacom MobileStudio Pro and the Apple iPad Pro.

Wow, it’s 2 to 0 – do we have a run-away on our hands?

Which Tablet has Better Performance – Wacom MobileStudio Pro or Apple iPad Pro?

Here I will have to reiterate how my articles, like this one – Wacom MobileStudio Pro 13 versus Apple iPad Pro: And In-Depth Comparison – differ from many others on the internet.

I don’t care much about specifications and numbers and am more focused on how a tool works, feels and supports me and my artwork.

Nonetheless, just for illustrative purposes and to satisfy the more tech-savvy of my readers, I will include a little comparison chart here with some relevant specifications:

FeatureApple iPad ProWacom Studio Pro 13″
 
2020 Apple iPad Pro (12.9-inch, Wi-Fi, 512GB) - Space Gray (4th Generation)

Wacom Mobile Studio Pro 13
 Apple iPad Pro with a 12.9 Inch Screen and a 512 GB SSD ​Wacom MobileStudio Pro with a 13.3 Inch Screen and a 512 GB SSD
PriceCheck PriceCheck Price
RAM Memory6GB16GB
SSD Storage512GB512GB
CPUA12Z Bionic ChipIntel Core i7
Processing Speed2.3GHz3.3GHz
Graphics ProcessorIntegrated Intel Iris PlusA12X Bionic Chip
Performance Overall⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Screen TypeLiquid RetinaLED
Screen Size12.9″13.3″
Resolution2732 by 2048px2560 x 1440px
RGB Color CoverageUnspecified82%
Pen Pressure SensitivityUnspecified8192 Levels
Screen Overall⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️◐
Screen to Pen Feeling⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️◐
Battery Life10 hours6 hours
Dimensions11 x 8.5 x .25 Inches14.4 x 6.5 x .7 Inches
Weight1.41 pounds10 pounds

Honestly, though, somewhat regardless of what the numbers say, this is one category that I have to call a draw.

I know people are always complaining about their tablets lagging, stalling or even crashing, that they are slow and even frustrating when the person is drawing, painting, or opening and saving files, but I never had these kinds of issues with either of these tablets.

The Apple iPad Pro and the Wacom MobileStudio Pro worked flawlessly, did everything I demanded, ran every program, never slowed down or ran out of memory, written to storage immediately, never lagged when I was using the pen and in general, were wonderfully trouble-free to use.

If there is one consideration, it might be that the Wacom can run “desktop” apps natively – that is, it is essentially a normal Windows 10 computer, and a very powerful one at that, and can run every single current art, and design, animation, photography or other graphics program with perfect performance.

The iPad doesn’t run all the normal Apple OS software, only software designed for iPad tablets. There are plenty of great, top-level professional art programs for the iPad platform, and more coming every day, but still more for the desktop Apple OS platform.

Now we get into a bit of a technical explanation, which is also a great feature of the MobileStudio Pro and the iPad Pro. They are both stand-alone tablets, yes, but they can both also act as Pen Display tablets – that is, they can be connected to a desktop, laptop, or all-in-one computer and act as a second monitor and work area, using their pens like normal on their own screens but displaying and interacting with the software that the PC is running.

And in this mode, using the MacBook’s Sidecar utility and connecting the iPad, I detect a slight, sometimes more than a slight, lag in responsiveness with the iPad pen-to-screen. I don’t ever use my iPad in this way, but if you want to, this may be a consideration.

With the Wacom connected to a Windows PC, there is no apparent lag, and performance is still exemplary.

The bottom line, however, as far as who has the best overall tablet performance between the Apple iPad Pro and the Wacom MobileStudio Pro, I still have to say it’s a tie.

Which Tablet has Better Overall Feeling – Wacom MobileStudio Pro or Apple iPad Pro?

My Pick
Apple iPad Pro (12.9″, WiFi, 512GB)

The best iPad for drawing and Procreate

Apple M1 Processor for next-level performance :: 12.9-inch liquid retina display for superior color, contrast, and brightness :: Light and extremely strong :: Up to 10 hours battery life :: Early 2021 model

Edit 2023: If you want absolutely the newest tech to get M2 chip and use Apple Pencil hover feature, get the 2022 iPad Pro 12.9″

In our head-to-head comparison of the 2021 Wacom MobileStudio Pro 13 and the 2021 Apple iPad Pro 12.9, we’ve already compared the displays and how they look, explored the pen-to-screen experience between the Apple and the Wacom, and discussed the performance as well, all of which add to this last category – overall feeling.

The Wacom MobileStudio Pro is a weighty beast. At just over ten pounds, I could never imagine holding it in one hand and working with the other, and I would even be hesitant to carry it around with me in my rucksack.

This is a bit of a shame, considering it is, first and foremost, a portable, standalone drawing tablet.

The MobileStudio Pro is, without a doubt, a beautifully built product and looks wonderful. Working with its stand, which isn’t great but at least works adequately, the experience is stable, solid, and high quality and everything works perfectly.

And the customizable keys, once you get used to them, are a real treat – intuitive and natural and a real step- and time-saver.

The Apple iPad Pro, on the other hand, has no programmable keys and doesn’t come with a stand. You can get a good stand, like the Kabcon Adjustable Aluminum Tablet Stand I mentioned above, and still have the same kind of stable, solid workstation experience.

If you know the programs and the iPad itself, you can work with onscreen commands, scrolling, zooming, and such almost as easily and quickly as the Wacom’s programmable keys allow, but not quite.

I would imagine that in a studio or office, if it were your main or only working digital art tool, the Wacom might feel a little more substantial, and in that work environment, it might, in many ways, offer a better overall experience.

But the Apple is close, and it offers a much, much better overall experience as a portable, stand-alone art tablet – also because the Apple iPad Pro has much better battery life, which is woefully short on the Wacom MobileStudio Pro.

The Apple iPad Pro is also a beautifully built product, looks beautiful and just exudes quality, feeling so solid and substantial and yet super-light and slim.

Using it as a hand-held art tablet, on a bus or train, in a park, at a café, anywhere in your house, or around your studio is an absolute joy. And I don’t even know it is in my Rucksack. I can’t tell you how freeing it is to have such a superb tool at hand all the time!

Bottom line, comparing the overall user experience between the Wacom MobileStudio Pro and the Apple iPad Pro, I have to give a clear edge to Apple. And as a portable, standalone tablet, the difference is even greater and clearer.

Should You Buy an Apple iPad Pro or a Wacom MobileStudio Pro?

Before announcing a winner, I should mention some other benefits of each machine:
Additional Benefits of the Wacom MobileStudio Pro:

Additional Benefits of the Apple iPad Pro:

In the 2021 Battle Royale to Determine which is the Better Standalone Artist Tablet, the Winner Is…

The Apple iPad Pro!

My Pick
Apple iPad Pro (12.9″, WiFi, 512GB)

The best iPad for drawing and Procreate

Apple M1 Processor for next-level performance :: 12.9-inch liquid retina display for superior color, contrast, and brightness :: Light and extremely strong :: Up to 10 hours battery life :: Early 2021 model

Edit 2023: If you want absolutely the newest tech to get M2 chip and use Apple Pencil hover feature, get the 2022 iPad Pro 12.9″

The Wacom MobileStudio Pro and the Apple iPad Pro are the two best standalone artist tablets, or Pen Computers, on the market today.

And so, if you are firmly entrenched in the Windows platform, I wouldn’t necessarily defect and buy an iPad just because it is, I believe, a better overall tablet (not to mention much less expensive). Well, I might, but not necessarily.

Because either way you go, you will be thrilled with your new drawing tablet, and you’ll have a tool that will serve and support you in everything you want to do as an artist.

But if you’re already an Apple user, or you’re not completely decided about, or faithful to, one world or the other – Apple or Windows – I strongly recommend you purchase the new iPad Pro 12.9 inch tablet over the Wacom MobileStudio Pro 13.

You can get the best configuration Apple makes, with the largest SSD storage drive, and even deck out your new iPad with some wonderful and useful accessories (like the Apple Pencil 2, the Magic Keyboard, and the Apple AirPods Pro wireless headphones) and still save hundreds and hundreds of dollars.

And, bottom line, you’ll have a better drawing tablet and a better traveling companion wherever your art or life takes you!

FAQs – Wacom vs. iPad Pro

What is better: iPad or Wacom?

Apple iPads and Wacom graphics tablets are both excellent choices and are widely used by professional artists, illustrators, animators, and fine artists. Wacom MobileStudio Pro is the standard choice for the best studios and production houses worldwide. Because it runs Windows, it has more art software available, making it a more competent art tablet.

Is iPad Pro Better than Wacom Cintiq?

Comparing the iPad Pro to the Wacom Cintiq is a bit like comparing apples to oranges – they are both superb, professional-level art tablets. Still, the iPad Pro is a standalone tablet, while the Wacom Cintiq needs to be plugged into a computer. Apple and Wacom have incredible screens and a great screen-to-pen interface, offering a great creative experience.

Are there better tablets than Wacom?

There are many excellent alternatives to Wacom drawing tablets, for example, XP-Pen and Huion. Honestly, though, although these and other brands can offer amazing value and are perfect choices for any budget-minded artist, the Wacom art tablets are still the best on the market and the standard choice for top-level commercial and fine artists – especially the superb Wacom MobileStudio Pro.

I hope my comparison helped you to get the best standalone drawing tablet for your needs and you will have a lot of fun doing digital art!

Visit my blog – Art Side of Life – for more buyer’s guides, articles, online courses and many other resources – the perfect site for any artist!

Other articles in the Drawing Tablets series:

Iva

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 »

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