Wacom vs. XP Pen vs. Huion – Choose your drawing tablet!

Graphics tablets have become a fundamental tool for most content creators, designers, publicists, editors… They offer unmatched comfort when it comes to editing images, creating your own designs or digitizing analog content. Definitely, the use of paper has its days numbered.

Basically, as its name indicates, it is a tablet that can be used as if it were a sheet of paper, but incorporating all the digital publishing technology. Using a pencil you can make all kinds of touch-ups and access infinite customization options. However, if you are not very familiar with these devices, you may not know which brand to choose or which model best suits your needs.

Wacom, XP Pen and Hunion are the most recognized companies in the field of graphics tablets, so if you are deciding between some of their models, success is guaranteed. Even so, there are differences to take into account: pen pressure levels, resolution, interface…

Each company has its own stamp, but here we are going to make everything clear to you so that you can make the best decision.

Wacom Intuos Pro S vs. XP Pen Artist 12 Pro vs. Huion Kamvas Pro 13 – Comparison Table

In the following table you will find the main characteristics of three models that have won the hearts of users. This can also be useful to see the lines of development that each company follows.

(Slide the table to see all the content)

Wacom, XP Pen and Huion: context

If you are choosing your first graphics tablet, you may have read too much on the subject or too little. These brands may be familiar to you or they may be unknown to you, so it will be good for you to know a little more about them.

Wacom is the most recognized company and the one with the highest prestige among the community. Their products are synonymous with quality, which is why they are a bit expensive. However, the Intuos line of tablets offers cheaper tablets. It seems that Wacom wants to take new users under its wing from the start.

On the contrary, XP Pen represents the combination of excellent features and a lower price that tends to attract newbies to the industry. They also have more sophisticated tablets, but as a rule, Wacom has that section of the public in its hands. More for less could be a good way to define XP Pen.

Huion also stands out for the high quality of its products, although it is very difficult for it to compete with Wacom’s accumulated experience. What is Huion’s strong point? Well, they are aware that it is important to listen to users and incorporate as many updates as possible to keep their tablets up to date, and Huion does this very well.

Software compatibility

Let’s start with the main thing. It is very important that graphics tablets are compatible with the main editing software and that you can use them with each other without the dreaded compatibility problems.

If you want to avoid these problems at all, Wacom is the best option as far as compatibility is concerned. It is the company that can support the largest number of programs, which is a clear advantage, since it provides security to its users.

This does not mean that the rest are weak in this regard, XP Pen and Huion have worked hard in recent years to close the compatibility gap with respect to Wacom. Both companies know that user feedback is key and it is where they are focusing to improve their products.

Let’s not forget that these devices are very focused on professional use, so there is little room for error.

As a general rule, you can use almost all the programs on the tablets of the three companies, although only Wacom guarantees to extract the most from most programs.

What stands out in each brand?

We have already said that each company leaves its own mark on each of its products. This is positive, since it allows to recognize particularities of each brand.

For example, Wacom has in its catalog of tablets the most expensive, although they offer a great resolution, the practical multi- touch function and the experience as a determining factor. By the way, their screens are characterized by having a rougher surface.

XP Pen has focused part of its design on the programmable buttons found on the left side of the device. With this, it intends to gain accessibility and functionality. This is directly related to the way you use the tablet.

Huion is committed to quality devices, compatible with different operating systems and excellent customer service to keep up to date with the needs and updates of their tablets.

Customer Support

If you are not familiar with these products, you may be surprised by the constant references to customer support from these companies.

Are your graphics tablets constantly crashing? Are they very complex to use?

The answer is no, so you can relax. The reason this is such an important section is that, as we have already said, they are devices for professional use that can use a large number of programs and high file traffic. It is therefore vital that any problems can be resolved as soon as possible.

XP Pen and Huion are at the forefront in customer support, as it is a way of bridging the gap between them and Wacom. However, the customer support of the latter is not that it is a disaster, it is simply not as immediate as XP Pen and Huion.

Wacom, XP Pen and Huion: three tablets to consider

Now that we have seen the main characteristics of each brand, we offer you the chance to learn a little more about a graphics tablet from each brand. We will analyze their specifications so that you can get to know both the companies and their devices better.

Wacom Intuos Pro WILL

We have already said that Wacom’s Intuos line is one of the cheapest. As you can see, it is a light tablet with intermediate dimensions.

For example, its active area (zone of use) is 157 x 98 mm, which allows it to be used without major problems. As for the pen, the screen recognizes up to 2048 levels of pressure and also the tilt of the pen.

Its number of lines per inch is 5080 LPI and it has a multi-touch function, which will allow you to use your fingers to enlarge, rotate or move your designs.

However, the Wacom Intuos Pro S does not have a built-in screen, so you will have to connect it with another device to use it. It also does not come with support. But, be careful, it does include a wireless kit to facilitate the connection.

In general terms, it is a basic but high-quality graphics tablet, which can be a very good option for those who want to enter this world.

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XP Pen Artist 12 Pro

Here’s a more sophisticated graphics tablet, with an integrated display and increased screen sensitivity.

The active area is 256.32 x 144.18 mm, which represents an ideal work area. Additionally, this display recognizes up to 8,192 levels of pen pressure and tilt. The number of lines per inch is 5080 LPI.

As we have already said, this model incorporates a screen on the tablet, which makes it more versatile, since you can use the device on its own or by connecting it to a computer/monitor.

Thanks to a new technology, the pen (XP-Pen) works without the need for a battery, so you won’t have to worry about keeping it charged. It is an advantage if you need to use it a lot or if you work in different places.

Finally, its screen offers a 14ms pen response time and has a color gamut of 72% NTSC.

It also includes a stand, so if you’re looking for a versatile graphics tablet, the XP Pen Artist 12 Pro is for you.

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Huion Kamvas Pro 13

Following the line of the previous tablet, we present the Huion Kamvas Pro 13, which also incorporates a screen and offers extensive compatibility options.

Its active area is 293.76 x 154.24 mm, which is the largest of all the comparison. The pencil pressure levels are 8192, which provides the option to apply all kinds of strokes. The screen response time is 25ms, certainly not the fastest on the market.

However, in the interface we do find a characteristic difference compared to the other models, since it is a bar in which you will have to slide your finger to navigate between the different options.

The technology of its pen (PW507) also makes it battery-free.

The fact that it incorporates a screen and has support makes it an all-terrain graphics tablet, which you can take with you without major problems. As if that were not enough, Huion has one of the best customer service in the industry.

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Wacom, XP Pen or Huion: which option do we recommend?

At this point, it is very important that you are clear about the use to which you are going to put your future graphics tablet and, above all, what you expect from it.

If you value quality above all else and want to have a graphics tablet capable of anything, Wacom should be your choice. It is true that their devices have a higher price, but it is a risk-free investment due to the high performance of their tablets.

On the other hand, if you want to make your first designs with a graphics tablet and taking a mortgage is not in your plans, take a look at the different Huion tablets. It’s the right choice as they have superior customer support and place a lot of importance on updates to keep their devices abreast of the latest developments.