The Best iPad Stylus

We analyzed 37,390 reviews from 33 websites to find the best ipad stylus. Sources included:
WalmartBest BuyNeweggB&H Photo VideoQVC
+28 More

Top iPad Stylus

Best for Most People
Best iPad Stylus Apple Apple Pencil (1st Generation) Stylus
$90 from 3 stores
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Why Consider This:
There are three groups of people that will really love the Pencil: handwritten note takers, designers and photographers, and people who like using styluses to interact with everything. If you like to take handwritten notes, markup PDFs by hand, write down equations, or otherwise produce text without using a keyboard then the Pencil will suit you perfectly.
People Like:
  • Extremely accurate in testing.
  • Easy to pair.
  • Reliable.
People Dislike:
  • No eraser end.
  • Back cap is easy to lose.
  • Tends to roll.
93
Owner Score
8,450 Reviews from 3 Sites
80
Media & Critic Score
2 Media Reviews
Buy On Amazon.com
Best Value
Best iPad Stylus Adonit Note Plus Stylus
$50 from 3 stores
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Why Consider This:
Adonit’s Note+ matches many of the Apple Pencil’s features at a lower price, but it has greater lag and pressure sensitivity and shortcuts have to be supported by individual apps in order to work. It’s compatible with every iPad available in late 2019, supports tilt and palm rejection out of the box, instantly connects, and charges over USB-C, which are all good things.
People Like:
  • Responsive
  • Type-C USB charger
  • Two programmable shortcut buttons
People Dislike:
  • Must be charged
  • Only works on certain devices
  • Special features like shortcut buttons only work in certain apps
87
Owner Score
231 Reviews from 3 Sites
83
Media & Critic Score
2 Media Reviews
Buy On Amazon.com
Top Performance
Best iPad Stylus Apple Apple Pencil (2nd Generation) Stylus
$100 from 10 stores
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Why Consider This:
Apple has overhauled the Apple Pencil with a refreshed design, new features, and better quality. Apple has done a great job with this iteration, but it's still far from a perfect pointing device.
People Like:
  • Flat on one side
  • Stick to iPad for storage
  • Instant pairing
People Dislike:
  • Not flat on all sides
  • No color options
  • Gesture/charging zone complicates ergonomic sleeves
94
Owner Score
26,568 Reviews from 4 Sites
85
Media & Critic Score
2 Media Reviews
Buy On Amazon.com

How Critic.ly Saves You Time

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Unbiased & Unsponsored: Critic.ly aggregates and analyzes reviews from real owners and industry critics. We remove spam, sponsored reviews, and other forms of bias to make sure you get the best possible sense of what people actually think about products.
Our reviews of the best ipad stylus were based on 37,390 reviews from 33 websites.
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How to Find the Right iPad Stylu

Though styluses have been the butt of jokes over the iPad’s lifespan—many of which incorporate Steve Jobs’s infamous dismissive comments—these tools make it easier to draw, sketch, doodle, write notes, and use devices in cold weather, and they help people with accessibility issues that might make touchscreen navigation difficult. A stylus isn’t for everyone. If you use an iPad largely for browsing the Web, watching video, or playing games, you’re likely better off manipulating the screen with your finger. But even if you’re just a casual iPad or iPhone user, a simple stylus might be in the cards for you: When it comes to taking notes, using a stylus to write is faster and easier for many people than tapping away at the iPad’s screen. And most people have been writing since they were young, so it’s hardly a surprise that some would rather write with a pen-type instrument than their index finger. (People who don’t enjoy handwriting have other options, such as a Bluetooth keyboard or iPad keyboard case). And with the right stylus, digital artists can enjoy an experience closer to that of a pencil on paper than they would get by simply using a finger on the tablet’s glass display.

iPad Stylus We Eliminated

We research and analyzed 7 ipad stylus. Here's what we concluded about the ones that didn't make the cut.
Logitech Crayon Stylus
Runner Up
Highly rated (89 owner score, 85 expert score), but a slight notch below the best.
Studio Neat Cosmonaut Stylus
Runner Up
Highly rated (88 owner score, 80 expert score), but a slight notch below the best.
Adonit Note Stylus
Runner Up
Highly rated (87 owner score, 80 expert score), but a slight notch below the best.

Sources & Methodology

Critic.ly uses a combination of machine learning and human editors to help you find the best products.
We start by aggregating and analyzing reviews from real owners and industry critics. We remove spam, sponsored reviews, and other forms of bias to make sure you get the best possible sense of what people actually think about products.
We convert every review to a weight average score from 0 to 100.
For this article, we analyzed 37,390 reviews from 33 sites to find the best ipad stylu.