Picking a drawing tablet isn’t just about specs or brands—it’s about how it feels when your pen hits the surface, how natural your workflow becomes, and whether it supports (or blocks) your creativity. We’ve all been there—spending hours comparing models, watching videos, scrolling endless threads on Reddit—just to figure out which one won’t leave us regretting that purchase a week later.
We recently got our hands on three that are constantly thrown into the same conversation: the Wacom Intuos Pro S, the XP Pen Artist 12 Pro, and the Huion Kamvas Pro 13. Each one has its own rhythm, its quirks, and a totally different vibe. One doesn’t have a screen. Another’s all about shortcuts. And one might just be trying to out-Wacom… Wacom. We’re going deep into what each one does, how they feel, and whether they’re actually worth it.
Let’s unpack the details and see which one really holds up when it’s just you, your pen, and the screen.
Design, surface, and screen: the feel matters more than you think
If you’ve ever drawn on glossy glass, you know how much surface texture affects your flow. That’s one of the first things we noticed.
The Wacom Intuos Pro S has a matte, paper-like texture that gives resistance to every stroke, making it feel a lot like sketching on bristol board. It doesn’t have a screen, so you’re drawing blind—well, not blind, but you’re looking at a separate monitor. That can take a while to get used to, especially if you’re switching from a display tablet.
The XP Pen Artist 12 Pro and Huion Kamvas Pro 13 both come with integrated screens, which changes everything. You draw where you look, plain and simple. Both use laminated displays, so there’s less parallax (that weird distance between the pen tip and the actual line). But while XP Pen offers 72% NTSC color coverage, Huion pushes it to 120% sRGB, which is a big deal if you’re doing color work. The Huion just looks richer. More vibrant. Less washed-out.
Physically, the XP Pen feels lighter and more compact, almost toy-like—but in a good way. The Artist 12 Pro is only 11.6 inches with a 1920×1080 resolution, so the density is solid, but things can feel tight if you’re used to a bigger canvas. The Kamvas Pro 13, with a slightly larger 13.3-inch display, gives you more room to breathe, and it’s just as sharp. No stretching. No blur.
Wacom doesn’t offer a display on the Intuos Pro S, and that’s either a plus or minus depending on how you like to work. It makes the unit lighter and more portable, but it also creates a disconnect between hand and eye. Some people love it. Some never get used to it.
Pen technology: where pressure meets personality
Let’s talk pens. Because that’s the heart of the whole thing, right?
Wacom’s been king of this hill for a long time. The Pro Pen 2 supports 8192 levels of pressure and has a buttery smooth response, with tilt detection and virtually zero lag. And it’s battery-free, of course. No surprises here. It’s reliable, accurate, and feels balanced in the hand.
Now, XP Pen and Huion have caught up big time. Both their pens also support 8192 pressure levels, are battery-free, and support tilt. So on paper, we’re talking equals. But in use, you start noticing the tiny differences.
XP Pen’s stylus is slightly thicker and has a rubber grip that feels ergonomic for long sessions. It has a red ring near the tip—aesthetic? Maybe. But it helps with orientation during fast work. The pressure response is snappy, especially for line art or inking. Its 14ms response time makes everything feel crisp and responsive, even during fast flicks and gesture drawing.
Huion’s pen is a little sleeker, maybe too smooth for some. But it’s accurate. It responds beautifully in apps like Clip Studio Paint, especially with brushes that rely on tilt and rotation. The only drawback? Its response time is 25ms, which, yes, is a bit slower than XP Pen’s. You notice it if you’re doing fast sketching or flick-based work. Not a dealbreaker, but it’s there.
Wacom doesn’t list a response time, but it feels faster than both. The delay is basically invisible. Plus, you get a customizable pen button layout, and the software support is flawless. More on that next.
Compatibility and drivers: when “just works” is the dealbreaker
There’s something comforting about plugging in your device and everything… working. That’s where Wacom still holds the crown.
The Intuos Pro S has bulletproof compatibility with everything: Photoshop, Illustrator, Blender, ZBrush, even weird stuff like old Corel Painter versions. You install the driver and boom, done. No random glitches, no pen offset, no weird lag.
Huion and XP Pen? Getting better. Way better. Huion in particular has been killing it with driver updates, especially on macOS and Linux. It’s the only one of the three that officially supports Linux out of the box, which is a big deal if you’re not on Windows or macOS.
XP Pen is somewhere in between. The Artist 12 Pro plays well with most mainstream software, and the drivers have come a long way. But now and then, you get those random pressure issues—nothing major, just annoying enough to break your flow.
And here’s something we didn’t expect: Wacom is the only one that supports multitouch gestures. Pinch to zoom, rotate with two fingers, swipe to undo—it’s like using a tablet and a trackpad at once. Neither XP Pen nor Huion offers this. Once you’re used to it, it’s hard to let go.
Shortcuts and controls: fingers vs buttons vs wheels
This is where things get spicy. Because each one takes a totally different approach.
XP Pen Artist 12 Pro includes a red dial wheel and 8 programmable buttons, all on the side. That wheel? Super satisfying. It’s tactile and fast—perfect for zooming, rotating, or adjusting brush sizes without touching the keyboard. The buttons are nicely spaced too, so you’re not fumbling.
Huion Kamvas Pro 13 swaps the wheel for a touch bar, which sounds futuristic, but can feel a little finicky at first. It’s responsive enough, but you’ll probably need a day or two to get used to it. The Kamvas also offers 4 express keys, so fewer than XP Pen, but you can remap them however you want.
Wacom’s Intuos Pro S has 6 customizable buttons and a touch ring, plus gesture support. That ring lets you control zoom, rotate, brush size, or even cycle through layers—super handy once it’s configured. Combine that with multitouch and it’s the most dynamic of the three… assuming you can live without a screen.
Portability and setup: who’s desk-friendly, who’s travel-ready?
Let’s be real—most of us don’t want cables everywhere or a device that eats up half our desk.
Wacom Intuos Pro S is the most portable and least cluttered, hands down. It’s light, wireless (if you use the wireless kit), and thin. It doesn’t need a power cable since it draws power from USB, and because there’s no screen, it’s super low-maintenance.
XP Pen and Huion both require power bricks, and multiple cables unless you have USB-C with DP Alt mode. The Artist 12 Pro uses a 3-in-1 cable, which is tidy but still adds clutter. Huion’s Kamvas Pro 13 can run on USB-C if your machine supports it, but if not, expect a few cables on your desk.
Also worth mentioning: both XP Pen and Huion come with built-in stands, which makes them easier to prop up on any table. Wacom doesn’t include a stand because, well, you’re not looking at the tablet while you draw.
Customer support and updates: when things break (and they will)
We’ve all been there—your pen stops responding the night before a deadline. Who’s going to help you now?
Surprisingly, Huion and XP Pen have been quicker to respond and fix things lately. Their support teams are more hands-on, and driver updates roll out regularly, especially after OS updates. Huion’s response time in support tickets is faster than Wacom’s, which feels slower and more formal.
Wacom still solves your issues—but it’s more corporate. You’ll get bounced around, wait longer, and might need to jump through more hoops. Fine if you’re patient. A nightmare if you’re stressed.
Conclusion: it all comes down to what you need
Okay, here’s where it gets tricky. Because each of these tablets is made for a different type of artist. And we’re not going to sugarcoat it: the Huion Kamvas Pro 13 surprised us the most.
It’s got the biggest screen, the best color accuracy, and the same pressure sensitivity as its rivals. The laminated display cuts down parallax, the pen is accurate, and the tilt support makes it perfect for painters and illustrators. Yes, the 25ms response time is slower than XP Pen’s, and yeah, the touch bar isn’t for everyone. But those are tradeoffs we can live with.
The XP Pen Artist 12 Pro nails speed and shortcut usability, and that dial wheel is addictively good. If you’re coming from traditional sketching and need something intuitive, it might feel like home. But the smaller screen and limited color range pull it down a notch if you’re working professionally.
Wacom Intuos Pro S is… Wacom. It’s the most stable, the most refined in terms of software, and the only one with multitouch gestures. But the lack of a screen just feels old-school. 2048 pressure levels is also outdated, even if it doesn’t feel that way in practice.
So who wins? If you want a display, great color, and modern flexibility: Huion Kamvas Pro 13 is the one. If you want speed and simplicity on a budget: go for the XP Pen. If you’re a precision freak who doesn’t care about a screen: Wacom’s still got your back.
But now that we’ve used them all… we’re not switching off the Kamvas anytime soon.