Apple Pencil Alternatives - A Roundup of the Best iPad Styluses

Get your Paperlike here: paperlike.com/BC10
Paperlike free Procreate Brushes: paperlike.com/dynamic-environ...
The Apple pencil is expensive so it's not uncommon for folks to ask me what alternatives are out there that are cheaper and less expensive. Here I walk you through the types of styluses out there and what you can expect.
DISCOUNTS FOR MY PROCREATE COURSES: brad.site/learn/
Styluses featured here (Affiliate links)
Apple Pencil 1: amzn.to/3evGBBu
Apple Pencil 2: amzn.to/3fkuhoJ
Adonit Note + amzn.to/3foZ0kp
Uogic Stylus: amzn.to/309wRra
Logitech Crayon: amzn.to/3j0dFVl
Disc tip stylus: amzn.to/3fq6nZ2
0:00 Start
1:30 How to find out what generation of iPad you have
2:04 Apple Pencils
4:08 Paperlike
4:39 3rd Party Styluses
10:03 Styluses for Older iPads
14:09 The End
EMAIL NEWSLETTER: brad.site/signup/
-----------------------------------------------------
Twitter:
/ bradcolbow
Instagram:
/ bcolbow
Drawing Tech Top 10 lists:
brad.site/
My Drawing and video gear:
brad.site/mygear/

[@AhmedAwad-dm6od]

So you're telling me the big rubber tip stylus I bought from the dollar store is not made for drawing?!?! I think you're right

[@zombaesports61]

Ahmed Awad it works for me so

[@halleyscomett]

@@zombaesports61 it does work, I only use one because I have the iPad Air 2 (aka the worst iPad ever) and they are meant for just replacing your fingers kinda... but smart stylus’ are made for drawing/writing

[@AydmanCuber]

@@halleyscomett I have an iPad mini 2 so

[@AydmanCuber]

And I’m using it to type this

[@Ice_Bear_With.Glasses]

You can still use it for drawing

[@Thedimka]

main advantage of logitech is that it does not need to be paired. so if you have two or more devices, you can use the same one to draw on both without switching or re-pairing

[@housepianist]

The Logitech Pencil is the closest thing to the Apple Pencil in function. It’s a 95% Apple Pencil at 30 to 40 percent less cost.

[@gokulsunilkumar3966]

🤣🤣🤣

[@nicholashung7871]

Where did you get the percentage?

[@Seroxm13]

@@nicholashung7871 his master mind.

[@edgarwho]

No pressure sensitivity = deal breaker for anyone who needs to draw or wants taking notes to feel at least close to normal

[@dania02]

@@edgarwho I mean, I've been using the logitech pen for a couple weeks now, and the lack of pressure sensitivity didn't really bother me as much as I thought it would? I just manually change the opacity and brush size and I'm good to go

[@sloppynyuszi]

That Sonar pen is awesome for old devices lying around the house. It also works on Nintendo Switch. They launched Colours on it and now you can draw on that too.

[@Kawaii_things_q8]

works with the new ones too if u have the audio jack adaptor

[@joelarchary7122]

How much?

[@sloppynyuszi]

Dotsu Candy yeah... but it’s not close enough. If you have an iPad that support Apple Pencil, just spend the extra cash.

[@sloppynyuszi]

Joel Archary around $30

[@rachel-dh4kt]

I have one and it is very faulsey advertised , they say it has palm rejection on the site but it’s just full hand rejection

[@Gl1tchDeclined]

thank you for convincing me that there's literally no alternative to apple pencil lol

[@piperhh5609]

He says you’re welcome!

[@aaronrobinson2121]

Yep, that's basically what I got from this. Unfortunately that's $1000 for the experience. I'm having a hard time with that.

[@deeptikumarroy5458]

That's how Apple mints money

[@deeptikumarroy5458]

@@aaronrobinson2121 plus if it's battery is dead(which will be right after the warranty period), it cannot be repaired. It can only be thrown away and you'll have to buy another pencil

[@npc6817]

You know, there are samsung drawing tablets... yeah they're not as good as the apple pencil but they're perfectly fine

[@valeryisfreedom]

Nobody: Adonit stylus: NONE STYLUS NO

[@Rawone]

Adonit stylus is not accepting live

[@pheonix4866]

that cracked me up XD

[@CarrotKlrk]

I have the 1st generation black iPad mini ;-; but I have an iPhone 11plus so imma buy a new ipad

[@MrLuigge]

None stylus, NO!

[@dinozyx]

@@pheonix4866 lmao i see you everywhere (including wof fandom, do you read wof?)

[@katrinajones5780]

Apple Pencil: I’m the best stylus ever. Wacom stylus’s: hold my pen

[@punkyagogo]

In the early 2010s, I used a $7 Dagi disc stylus with my ipad 3 and I actually preferred it way more to my friend's $35 Adonit Jot. In order to get palm rejection, I wore a work glove with the thumb amd index fingers cut off and it worked great. I will say though, we've really come a long way since then. I love my apple pencil and work with it everyday; wouldn't trade it for the world lol

[@user-qx3hg9ff1i]

That's really dumb. You can get millions of apple pencils if you just traded *your* apple pencil. You could also get millions of iPads. DUMB.

[@KadenzJade6447]

@@user-qx3hg9ff1i ?

[@biggestmelaniefaninthevoid]

@@KadenzJade6447?

[@Karthik-jz4nr]

Once upon a time a person said that he would never review an Apple pencil alternatives! But that's okay

[@gisseblanco]

I laughed so hard when he said "this is like when you go to the bank and they don't want you to steal their pens" 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@LmaoMeowz]

I dont care about pen pressure at all and i’ve never used it, so the logitech crayon sounds great to me! Thanks for helping me out :D

[@DavidBabcock_AllYourDarkTeeth]

Sonar Pen! I have one, it works mostly okay. It pretends to be a microphone, and pressing harder simulates a louder sound. That tells the painting app to thicken the line.

[@melissacolcord4959]

I love the expressive nature that you have. I love technology, but lately I feel like my technology is trying to break me down these days. I have and LOVE my iPad pro, and hell yeah on the procreate reference. I look forward to more of your videos. This was my first watch.

[@vyktorkun]

I mostly opened this video cause of the sonar pen, because Colors live for Nintendo Switch is gonna use the same type of pen for their upcoming art program, thanks for checking it out

[@pengin752]

I would just save a little more money for the Apple Pencil

[@Foxfire-chan]

True but if you are starting out and have never digitally drawn I suggest against it. Figuring out if you like digital drawing with well for me it was a third party stylus that was still very good was the perfect way for me to decide if I liked digital drawing

[@pengin752]

Foxfire-chan I have had a third party disc stylus and a Wacom intuous s

[@mirmir8849]

I got the iPad but she will not let me get the Apple Pencil and I got the money

[@jenwithluv4066]

my ipad is not compatible

[@danimatedagain4933]

@@jenwithluv4066 with both Apple pencils?

[@malicahamilton]

I got an iPad Pro 11 2020 and the Apple Pencil 2 I was drawing with it yesterday for hours it’s so much fun ! I’m not good at drawing ... but I hope to be and I like digital drawing a lot more than I expected ☺️🌸

[@nurxmeryem]

Thank you Brad! I just got an Ipad and the Apple pencil is sold out eeeverywhere in my country. I was thinking to give an oportunity to the Crayon. This video was really helpful!! 💕

[@Karthik-jz4nr]

Around Three videos a week! Thanks Brad! But you can take some rest! Also its has been long since the question parrot came !

[@cool24a]

Thank you for creating this Video! It Helps... I have a new IPAD bade model! Was thinking about buying the apple pencil.

[@bendesignsmedia]

I remember in the old days, the Adonit disk tips were so innovative and the best stylus you could get for your iPad, I think they even teamed up with Adobe on the Ink to make a bluetooth one with no disk that was actually quite good but way to expensive. I was also a big fan of the Pencil by 53 that was a carpenter's pencil style with bluetooth pressure and palm rejection. Then the Apple Pencil came and crushed them all.

[@Elbown]

Users can also find their model by going to settings > general

[@zozo2199]

“It also makes this really cool noise” *FRUSTRATION INTENSIFIES*

[@RynoDBones]

I have the Apple Pencil 2 for mine, and my son uses a cheap-o knock-off that works absolutely fine for him. Then, my mom has a weird one with the round plastic disk on a spring....and she loves it.

[@Karthik-jz4nr]

Music selection AWESOME!

[@rushamnoor6270]

you are the only youtuber whos' reviews I enjoy. Thanks for the help. I hope my stylus is worth it!

[@UnfamiliarEyes]

You can also go to settings in your iPad and tap “about” in general to see what kind of iPad you have

[@UnfamiliarEyes]

@¿sweeze? ????

[@alvint2635]

I got a stylus Goojodoq worth around 20-25 dollars. It works well with my ipad air 3. Little wobble, with palm rejection, just tap on and automatically works. Good for note taking

[@missazumane]

yup! they have a lot of variety based on what tablet you have: you can get one with palm rejection, without, made for ipads compatible with apple pencils, and older generational ipads.

[@itsdomtoo]

you can also go to general and about in settings to find your ipad model

[@karanamkishorekumar7591]

these videos are sooo much better than those smackdown to be honest keep it up brad(i even watched all the ads fully)

[@paucalderon8326]

I’m so happy I ended up buying the Apple Pencil lol. I was between the Adonit and the Logitech one, but they went up in price on Amazon just when I was about to buy them (the Logitech pencil was sold out). And then I compared the price with the Apple Pencil, and it was pretty similar in price.

[@nessboyy2339]

I had recently bought a Adonit dash3 Then to wake up to find out it stoppped working after 3 days I’m happy I found this video

[@elynenadela3996]

curious tho, does any of the apple pencil-looking pencils fit into an apple pencil's sleeves/cases? bc I'd want to buy one for the alternative/dupes

[@oli7237]

I admire your videos! Lots of your videos have helped me. But I'm looking for a stylus for androids. I do have some, but some are the styluses with a disk tip, and others with bulky round ones. Do you by any chance know of any styluses with a tip a bit like the Apple pencil that are still not too expensive and can be used with any android device and app?

[@Someone-ry9di]

Thank you this is the exact video I was looking for

[@hanpratama9603]

Amazing video! You're my inspiration to learn illustration design

[@hayden2707]

Wow brad is the best procreate tutorial guy ever

[@amy4hip]

You can also go to settings go to about and it has info that tells you what generation your iPad is and more

[@pulsatingblueart4670]

Sonar Pen is actually has good pressure quality. The response level on the other hand, is depends on the device. You see, I thought the tip is active (has electricity so the screen could communicate to the tip) but it's not. I tried applying an aluminium/snack wrap on the disk. It doesn't work unless the aluminium connects to your hand. It looks worse, but it works on my lower end tablet (Advani10). I don't know if applying aluminum to your ipad works, but I think it has better results compared to my tablet. However it's no problem with my phone. It's responsive and the pressure works perfectly, even without applying the aluminum. Problem is, compared to the tablet, the phone screen is too small. But still, it works smoothly.

[@Someone-mq8mm]

Thank u, now I know what to get

[@thecrabgod6466]

on the logitech crayon, there may not be pressure, but like on a normal pencil if you tilt it at angles, it does have different line thickness.

[@brittneyann2639]

To find out exactly what iPad you have, you don’t need to look on the back and research the number. That’s sort of a hassle especially if you have a case on your iPad. An easier way is going into settings, go to about and it will tell you exactly which iPad you have, how much storage, what generation and even size. So if any of y’all didn’t know, now you do! 🤗

[@CES-dh4ut]

I've got a 12" ipad pro from 2017 with the Pencil 1, I'm using it for photo editing in photoshop(sidecar) and some drawing in Adobe Fresco, and I have to admit, it's pretty awesome! The only downside is that stupid lightning charging thingy on it's back, but I've got used to it. I'm using the ipad via sidecar on my m1 macbook pro, and I think it works super nice. I was using a cheap wacom tablet before, and the ipad route does a much better job. I'm wondering if a wacom cintiq would do a better job

[@accentontheoff]

What would you recommend for the iPad Air 2 that could also work with an iPad 8th Gen (my upgrade plan). Thanks for the video.

[@suzakusegura2567]

Would you do a video on styluses for older Android phones and tablets? :) Thanks!

[@sus_dying3540]

Why should he? The samsung tab series should have alternatives but i dont think that the other ones have such a thing

[@rabindrapradhan7901]

Yes budget android tablet with third party active stylus

[@_Ivan123_]

With pressure sensitive

[@barnowl6752]

Does whatever weird corded stylus thing he used work?

[@vakancy]

If your looking for a cheap one go for the Sonarpen

[@saraabraun]

can you do a full review/tutorial on medibang paint for the ipad please??

[@garrettlynn2820]

Can you review Colors Live when it comes out(nintendo switch). It comes with a pressure sensitive stylist

[@sararoche2681]

I like your background waaaaay better now 🤩🤩

[@screwed_up_screwball]

As an android (soon to be apple when I save enough for my first ipad!) user, the fact that procreate responded to the bluetooth pairing of the adonit stylus was "None stylus, no" is hilarious to me

[@reynahellfire2572]

I love the Logitech pencil it’s helped lots!

[@maximman102n7]

The apple pencil stylus also has sensors inside the pencil for pressure sensitivity

[@MonMccool123]

The Uogic Pen looks really cool. Will it damage the screen of an iPad without a screen protector?

[@briannamansbridge9268]

I just wish Apple would do some pencil tips with a slightly rubberized end 😭 used to draw on a galaxy tab and the stylus felt so much better because it was slightly rubberized

[@UnfamiliarEyes]

You can buy silicone covers for the nib

[@skilarbabcock]

I was today years old when I realize Brad was short for Bradly

[@hanskutube]

Need a few options or even a couple of options for alternatives to the pencil 1 that work on an iPad pro 2nd generation....

[@SohelBahjat]

Have you reviewed staedtler pencil? Does it work with ipad?

[@luket9386]

Adobe ink works pretty well in my experience on older iPads

[@lydebird-jade797]

A hand of applause for Brad to buy all of these stylus's just for a vid

[@huibu8987]

500k clicks gonna pay off

[@Nathansomething]

Hey Will a fine liner work on the iPad?

[@godsavethememes4973]

Thanks for the video and greetings from Germany:)

[@laras189]

Amen

[@hell-os]

another way to find out your model: go to settings go into general press about (second option) then it'll say your model, serial code, and other useful information. This way with safe you a lot of time by trying to read the tiny letters.

[@90za73]

For the non-pro IPads I found multiple Gen-1 apple pencils secondhand for 50 dollars so if you don't want to spend 100 dollars then you can always just buy a secondhand one

[@DaxCraft]

I know I have asked this before, but would you consider doing a review of the Renaisser Raphael 520 for Surface devices? As a user, I've found that not many people have done reviews or know what it is and I am curious to know what your thoughts are about it. Thank you and I love your videos!

[@zzngynu]

Edited so the replies make no sense

[@zzngynu]

@Luster_mind I wasn't joking but I recently upgraded and added a q tip.

[@bethsucks7712]

T a k u m i b o o p Lol

[@user-pt5cl2ro6f]

I found one of those pen with a rubber tip and I just covered it with washi or just paper tape so it doesn't stick to the screen. Works well.

[@zzngynu]

@@user-pt5cl2ro6f thank you I'll try it out asap

[@lyra3263]

just Peachy I have question, Can this work for a IPad 5th gen (not mini)

[@pukydog666]

You should have reviewed the wacom sketch 1 or 2, supposedly works on older ipads

[@xsonia9210]

I got an Apple Pencil 1 for Christmas and it will drop connection on my 7th gen iPad. I already tried all the fixes Apple support mentioned and nothing worked. Going to just return it and so here I am trying to find an alternative.

[@SCP--ud7fc]

No one : Brad : literally making everyones quarantine 10000 times better

[@keithtarrier4558]

I am in my 6th month... with out youtube and people like Brad... I would be in a straight jacket now.

[@itsbritneybyotch7471]

@@keithtarrier4558 😂

[@jg1296]

I watched another video you have to power on then off I believe he said right before pairing and it should work. It was...Teoh Yi Chie

[@israelsalgado5551]

Hey Brad do you recommend iPad pro for Comics/manga?

[@JZT97]

hello, when will you review the huion kamvas pro 24 and the new kamvas 22 plus?

[@AidaMay]

How often do you need to change the apple pencil tip when using Paperlike ?

[@roochiecooch]

Oh man haha. @ 13:31 you were assessing the sensitivity and response of the stylus for the older iPads that actually draws some data and/or possibly power from the headphone jack. Don't know if the IPad is wired to send any low voltage through the headphone jacks, Some devices do but I don't know which. Anyways where you said I want my "d" to look like a "d" I couldn't help but laught because you can clearly see how it followed your pen tip absolutely perfectly. I have a habit of watching things in 0.25x speed playback (I blame the pandemic) and just analyzing things when I'm bored. Which is A LOT lately! Anyways, I'm not saying you did a bad job reviewing or any of that. I just found it a little funny that in that one case it was actually your mechanical movements that were the problem and not the registration of the stylus tip.Anyone could easily do the same and not realize it in editing, especially if you are like many of the more recent KZbinrs who don't edit your own videos. I also don't blame them, it's a lot of work if you're already creating content at times. So there it is lol. I found that funny so I brought it to your attention. I noticed one other thing when I was watching it at 1/4 speed playback. The input lag on that plug in stylus was actually decent for an old one. The newer ones definitely have a much more instant appearance of the lines on the screen appearing. Still that other stylus is a bit old. So good on them for making it work with a setup we'll probably never see again. A plug in stylus lol.

[@LemonDust13]

have you done one of these for android? just curious 🙂 which one/what you use and prefer

[@nathanhansen6384]

You should review the lenovo idea pad flex 14! Its got super good price to performance and it comes with a pen :)

[@TheHitman644]

does Logitech Crayon will work on my Toshiba Satellite laptop??? it's built with touch screen.

[@gyle1877]

What stylus is the best for ipad 2? Anyone?

[@blakflower6792]

9:05 What is its name and does the eighth generation support iPad? Please respond quickly.💔

[@lucajramirezb]

very epic brad.

[@hecjvaldez]

Hi Brad!! Could you make a Procreate Pocket stylus video?

[@aanika2045]

EARLY!!!!!!! And 100th like, can you make a video on different stylus for microsoft devices?

[@dash_board2026]

Brad Kan you list a laptop for Animation yet can be used in online school

[@charles8679]

I love a ipad pencil called AZX, I bought it from Amazon months ago, it doesn't have that annoying tapping sound of my 1st generation Apple pencil. AZX one is more smooth, compatible with all iPad/iPad Pro from 2018 till 2020, and it's cheap, and the weight is just fine. The Apple Pencil 1st gen is just too heavy for me.

[@MMAchinee]

If U still use KZbin pls respond: does it hold pressure well and does the iPad pick it up

[@O-B-I-E]

Does the paper like screen protector ruin the tip of the stylus?

[@johnw9177]

How to tell what kind of iPad you have? Or, go to settings. Click general, then "about". You'll see it there also.

[@Neo-dq5zz]

what about non apple compatible options? I have a Zenbook pro duo, similar to the X version you have and I also think the pen is terrible. What are my options? I have the Lenovo active pen 2 that comes with the yoga 920 and they do not respond with each other

[@sophrose_x]

I'm really really struggling to find a pressure sensitive stylus with palm rejection that works on an Ipad Mini 4 in Procreate. Do you have a suggestion?

[@nurpawinda5254]

NONE i'm done i just saving money for apple pencil coz i just bought a loooot stylus and waste money

[@harper3261]

What do you recommend for the iPad eighth generation .

[@astroaudrey]

13:54 Simple. MOVE THE CORD ABOVE OR BENEATH THE SCREEN EDIT: I have a SonarPen and I really enjoy it, it's about 20 bucks although it doesn't connect at all if you use an adapter to plug it into a device that doesn't natively have a headphone jack. The pressure sensitivity levels and respond rate are a lot higher and there's decent palm rejection with compatible apps (medibang paint connects horribly) like for example I Samsung so I use iBisPaint X, so, for writing I would never recommend it but if you're on a budget for digital drawing I TOTALLY recommend it for your artwork. Although, another budget option for drawing if you want to get into digital drawing but haven't bought yourself a tablet yet, if you have a Nintendo Switch, you can buy a physical cartridge of Colors Live which comes with a natively supported Colors SonarPen, which is decent. You can upload those drawings straight from the app online and to social media.

[@superiorpanda6449]

Any stylus for the 4th generation iPad?

[@valevm2770]

Do you know if any of the pens works in goodnotes?

[@Kay_Emm_]

I have the Adonit Note and I love it!

[@aracelipagola488]

Is it a good option for drawing? 👀

[@Kay_Emm_]

Araceli Pagola Very! Nothing (like nibs) gets in the way, although it doesn’t have pressure sensitivity. That’s the only con really compared to the Apple Pencil. There is very little latency, to the point where it can’t be noticed.

[@minasoran9942]

Can u do a review about styluses for touchscreen laptops

[@romanrendon6059]

i got the logitech pencil thinking i had a newer model, turns out i had a ipad mini 4 and it doesn't work...

[@ravenwomack7511]

I love your videos!

[@strawberry_roze4803]

How do you charge a Apple Pencil 2 with a case like an otterbox? Or just a thicker case?

[@tatsuga1]

could you recommend a stylus for ipad air 1st generation which would work with procreate please

[@richardevison7637]

Would the Apple Pencil work on the apple 9.7 pro

[@themindlessarea6346]

I actually made my own pencil with a tutorial I saw at the channel of ibisPaint and it has work like a charm

[@DarkPlayerV2]

Can you send a link to the vid cause most of diy’s I see are basically the same thing

[@jacksonkemper5822]

I’d appreciate that too ty

[@beyoutifulsunshine]

Love your drawing

[@hoodie7066]

My mum just gave me her old iPad and I’m loving so far! She even let me use her Apple Pencil :3

[@dinolaurier]

ok

[@Foxfire-chan]

For any of you down below as a beginner digital artist let me give you my 2 cents. My old iPad was a second generation iPad mini (old by some standards yes but bear with me) the Bamboo fine liner by Wacom is a cool third party stylus that works with it. I really liked the stylus and it’s battery life is better than my newer stylus the Apple Pencil. I forget but I think I tried the Apple Pencil with it for fun and if I remember correctly it did work?!?!? Don’t take that for complete word though. Anyway the bamboo fine liner works on my iPad 10.2 as well and yes the Apple Pencil génération one works with the iPad 10.2 . Hope this can help some people if they wanted to know specifics

[@user-qg5jw1kb3r]

How is Logitech crayon for a complete beginner digital artist?