No matter whether you’re a doodler, a note taker, or if you’ve got chunky fingers that are prone to misclicks – a stylus pen could be just what you need.
Not all stylus pens are created equally. Some are two-in-one devices that offer a capacitive end on one side and a ballpoint pen on the other, while others allow you to switch out the size of the rubber stub.
Plus, while most of the picks below are entry-level devices, there are also a couple of alternatives to the top-tier stylus pens, which are ideal for those producing digital drawings. To help you find the best pen for your touchscreen adventures, explore our top picks below.
Meko
Meko Universal Stylus (Two-Pack)
1. Best Buy
$12.95 $29.99 Save $17.04
A simple but excellent design gives you complete control over digital note-taking or sketching.
- Swappable tips
- Great accuracy with ballpoint-style tips
Meko’s pair of stylus pens are ingeniously designed to give you two-in-one control over your touchscreen. Plus, they’re extremely cheap, and the fact that you get two means you have a spare if you’re prone to misplacing things.
On one end, you have a ballpoint-like feel for more accurate control, with clear discs fitted onto the end to allow you to view where your notes are being made.
For sketches or rougher notes, simply flip the aluminium barrel and use the fibre tip, which can also be switched out with more fittings.
Bargains Depot
Bargains Depot Stylus (Four-Pack)
2. Two-in-one design
$10 $13 Save $3
A dual-purpose set of stylus pens that will ensure you never have to use your fingers again.
- You get four pens
- Additional tips included
- Paint is prone to scratches
Bargains Depot offers users the same two-in-one style as other stylus pens, with one end giving close control and another designed for drawing.
Both tips are replaceable, thanks to the 20 additional tips, and the four-pack is available in a number of different colour combinations.
It’s a really neat and affordable way to always have a dual-purpose stylus on hand.
Meko
Meko Stylus Pen
3. Excellent alternative
- Long battery life
- Type-C charging
- Tips wear out fairly quickly
If you’re in the market for a more high-performance stylus, this Meko active stylus does a good job of adding some nifty features to enhance the experience.
The price tag is naturally a bit higher, but, if you value quality over quantity, and have an iPad that released in 2018 or later, you’ll be able to enjoy precise control, palm rejection (meaning you won’t have to wear an anti-friction glove when drawing) and the tilt-to-thicken function.
You will need to charge it, though the battery life is very solid, allowing for 20 hours of continuous use or 90 days of standby time.
Sitake
Sitake 2-in-1 stylus pen (12 pack)
4. Blur the lines
- They work as regular pens too
- Incredibly cheap
- The construction is not very sturdy
If you’re constantly flitting between real notepads and your touchscreen device, Liberrway has a different kind of two-in-one stylus to consider.
Instead of featuring two kinds of touchscreen-ready nibs on either side of the barrel, one is a regular ballpoint ink pen that can be twisted into action, while the other is a regular rubber tip for electronic devices.
This package also represents excellent value, giving you a dozen to lose in bags, in the office or hand to lucky strangers in need.
Kecow
Kecow Active Stylus Pen
5. Alternative active stylus
$17 $30 Save $13
A budget-friendly alternative to expensive stylus pens – one that still gives you top-tier performance.
- Great price
- Palm rejection works
- Fragile charging connector
The Kecow Active Stylus gives those considering the Apple Pencil a budget-friendly alternative – and, while you’ll have to have an iPad from 2018 or later, the company’s stylus pen does offer a couple of neat features.
Palm rejection ensures that you can easily rest your hand on the screen without it interfering, and the 1.45mm tip gives improved accuracy over entry-level pens, which are essentially just wider rubber-style nibs.
You will have to keep it charged, naturally, but battery life lasts around 8-10 hours and it’ll only take around an hour to get back to 100%.
The bottom line: Best stylus pen
Our top pick is the 2 pack of Meko Universal Stylus Pens, simply because it’s a cheap and hassle-free way to start using a pen for touchscreen input. The ballpoint-style disc ends give enough accuracy for most people, while the larger nub gives some flexibility to your penmanship.
Meko
Meko Universal Stylus (Two-Pack)
$13 $30 Save $17
Simple but effective, this pair of stylus pens will get the job done for most people – and they’re available for less than $15.
However, if you’re more interested in digital art, you’ll want something a little more advanced. In that case, we’d recommend something like the Meko or Kecow active stylus for iPad, as they will give you pressure and tilt-sensitive control for more accurate illustration. The downside is that you’ll need a relatively recent iPad for them to work, and you’ll have to remember to charge them.
How we chose these stylus pens
When adding a product to our buyer’s guide, we take a lot of things into consideration, including value for money, durability and functionality. While we haven’t tested everything on this list in-house, we’ve leaned on customer reviews to guide our selections, and we’ve only picked the best options to feature here.
Most of the products on this list are budget-oriented, so while they might not have the most premium look and feel, you certainly get a lot for your money. We’ve mainly focused on capacitive pens with universal compatibility, as they’ll suit most people, but we’ve also included some active pens for those who want to step their game up.
How to choose a stylus pen
With such a variety of stylus pens available, it’s hard to know which one to buy. So, to help you decide, here are a couple of things worth thinking about before making your purchase.
What will you be using the stylus for?
For some people, it’s all about keeping their screen smudge-free. For others, accuracy will be highly important for drawing or hand-written notes. If you know you will need the utmost accuracy, we’d recommend a ballpoint-style stylus, or better yet an active stylus for devices like the iPad. Regular rubber nib stylus pens work great as a finger alternative for day-to-day use but you might find them a little lacking when it comes to the finer details.
Do you need a real pen too?
Some of our top picks are two-in-one designs that allow you to take notes on paper as well as use it with your phone or tablet.
If you’re the type of person that often needs both a pen and a stylus, these can make life easier as you’ll only have to carry one thing with you, definitely worth your consideration.
