As our personal lives and work environments become increasingly digital, paper notepads and pens are becoming a thing of the past. That said, technological advancements haven’t discounted the widespread appeal and use of putting pen to paper. A digital writing pad for laptops can cater to just this, each offering something unique functionality and design.

These devices give you all the benefits of handwriting without the hassle of handling piles of physical paper. While they don’t replace the feel of a mechanical pencil, the added convenience makes up for it, especially with things like drawing tablets made for digital art.

If you’re looking for a writing tablet that connects to a computer or laptop, you’ll find the perfect companion below. This article reviews some of the top digital writing pad options we’ve tested for laptops. This means the products mentioned either sync with cloud services, connect to your laptop via Bluetooth, work in real-time, or allow for digital capture via a smartphone.

TLDR

Best Digital Writing Pad with Memory

The reMarkable 2 is the best writing pad with internal storage. This digital paper tablet has all the features you’d want from a digital writing pad. The device offers handwriting recognition, cloud software, and internal storage, as well as having an authentic handwriting feel, thanks to a combination of analog and digital components.

For an alternative notepad tablet with memory, we recommend the following:

• Samsung Galaxy Tab S9

Best Budget Electronic Notepad for Laptop

The Rocketbook Fusion Smart Notepad is the best electronic notepad for writing on a laptop if you’re on a budget. This digital writing pad has most of the note-taking functions you’ll need. It has advanced features from the accompanying stylus, like converting written notes to typed text, which you can easily share with colleagues.

Another affordable option among budget notepads is the following:

• UGEE S640W

Best Smart Notebooks

The Moleskine Pen & Smart Writing Set has a great combination of analog and digital elements. This amazing device saves your notes in real time, so there is no need to worry about manually syncing your notes.

Here are a few more contenders in the running for the best E notebook:

• Rocketbook Fusion Smartpad
• Wacom Bamboo Slate Smartpad
• Apple iPad Pro

Best Digital Notepad for Laptop Reviews

From LCD tablets, and computer writing pads to graphic drawing tablets and basic e-writers, here are the reviews for the best pad to write on a computer with.

Galaxy Tab S9 Writing Tablet for Laptop Review — Best Digital Writing Tablet for Laptop

• Pressure Sensitivity: 340 DPI
• Included Stylus: Yes
• Workable Area: 11 Inches
• Battery Life: 12 Hours
• Operating System: Android 8.0 Oreo

Of the Samsung tablets that come with a stylus we have tested over time, the Galaxy Tab S9 is the best one yet. We feel that the S Pen is just right, making the device arguably the best tablet for notetaking and annotating documents. But it also doubles as a drawing pad for creative professionals blending both activities. You can also use it in your everyday life as necessary.

This nifty device isn’t just lightweight and sleek. We like how it’s also got built-in handwriting recognition to convert your notes to text if needed. We found this is super helpful if you are like us and like handwriting notes, but you need to be able to share them as well.

We think with its WiFi capability and cloud support; the Galaxy Tab makes sharing and storing notes seamless and simple, something we appreciate in a digital writing pad. Even without a connection, we could still access our notes due to its internal storage. The S Pen is not as responsive as other styluses, as we found out, but it certainly fulfills its promises.

Compared to the older Tab S7, we felt the AMOLED display greatly improved from the previous LCD screen, which often had glare issues. This was previously a deterrent that led to a preference for analog drawing and writing tablets.

PS: If you’re looking for more than just a digital writing pad, check out these animation tablet reviews to help you out.

UGEE S640W Wireless Digital Writing Pad Review — Best Digital Notepad for Windows 

• Pressure Sensitivity: 8192 Levels
• Included Stylus: Yes
• Workable Area: 100%
• Battery Life: 1 Day
• Operating System: Mac, Windows, Linux, Android

The UGEE S640W is a great wireless writing pad that we loved for its simple and elegant design, multiple colors, and easy integration. This is a rival to the Wacom Intuos but has a much better writing area than that pen tablet or any Wacom writing pad for computers.

We found it easy to set up and connect as it worked straight away, and even when we switched it from one OS to another, there were no issues. From the start, we could tell that the digital notepad with pen was among the best.

We loved the feel of the battery-free pen, something that can make or break a pen tablet, in our opinion. Plus, it had express keys, which you can map to whatever shortcut you need.

Sure, there is no handwriting recognition that allows you to convert your handwritten notes to text, like we tested on another pen tablet. But we still like the simplicity of this design, and you even get a drawing tablet on top of just a standard writing pad for your computer or laptop.

Overall, we didn’t find too many downsides to this pad for a laptop while testing it out. The quality is top-notch, and the details also add a little bit of appreciation for us. In our opinion, this is a pad that we could use for quite some time and not search for another.

Apple iPad Pro 11’ inch Digital Handwriting Pad Review — Best LCD Writing Tablet

• Pressure Sensitivity: No Provided
• Included Stylus: No
• Workable Area: 11 inches
• Battery Life: 10 Hours
• Operating System: iPad OS

We think the Apple iPad Pro is an incredible digital writing pad with so many features that it almost makes up for the high price tag. The Apple Pencil is unparalleled in terms of performance and sensitivity for taking notes and such. Plus, we loved how so many applications can be used to enhance your experience. Another plus for the iPad is that you can use it for more than just note-taking.

The choice of storage is something we liked, but the fact that we couldn’t expand the memory further was disappointing. We feel that the additional monthly charge of any extra iCloud storage could be unfair to some. This is especially relevant if you’ll be using it as a digital notebook tablet, and note access is really important. However, the cost isn’t too significant to deter us from the iPad and it shouldn’t turn you away either.

Something we didn’t like too much is that the Apple Pencil is sold separately. Admittedly, it is lightweight and works incredibly well, but only with the iPad Pro.

While the LCD screen’s glare issues can affect eye strain, there are tablet covers that can help with this. Once you get over the glare, you’ll be able to take notes in real time accurately and be able to access them later. Overall the iPad Pro is a quality product that lives up to the exceptionally high standards that Apple is renowned for.

A feature that we love about the iPad Pro is that you can use the new Magic Keyboard and effectively transform this digital writing pad into a notepad laptop. So you can have a computer screen of sorts while typing away, saving you from having to carry a writing pad and laptop at the same time.

Moleskine Pen & Smart Writing Set Review

• Pressure Sensitivity: N/A
• Included Stylus: Yes
• Workable Area: 8 x 11 Inches
• Battery Life: 1 Battery required – not included
• Operating System: Any mobile platform

In our opinion, the best feature of the Moleskine writing set is the seamless page-to-screen transfer. Rather than capturing notes with our phones or uploading them manually, we could write freely, knowing everything is being stored digitally. This makes it a standout in contention for the title of best notetaking tablet.

Further, we think that the Moleskine is the most efficient digital writing pad for this reason. Sure, it doesn’t have internal storage, which bothered us a little. But, the companion app negates the need for that altogether. Unfortunately, you’ll have to get a new book once the initial book is full. This left us feeling disappointed as it means paying additional money for new pages, which other writing pads don’t do.

Still, we loved that this versatile and unique writing tool could also record audio, which you can sync with your notes. If you are busy with any online learning, this feature will be greatly appreciated for any notes you are taking. We were also infatuated with its ability to understand over 15 languages, ranging from English to German and more. While testing this, we were surprisingly amazed by how well this worked out.

Rocketbook Fusion Smart Notebook Review

• Pressure Sensitivity: N/A
• Included Stylus: Standard pen can be used
• Workable Area: Entire page
• Battery Life: No battery
• Operating System: N/A

This is one of the most unique writing pads that we tested because it combines digital and analog functionality. If you enjoy taking physical notes like us but also need to be able to save them digitally, this is the perfect notebook for you.

We loved how the Rocketbook Frixion pens use actual ink instead of digital ink, which can be wiped away with a microfibre cloth. While we think this isn’t entirely necessary, it certainly appeals to people who have never used an e-writer before. It was also easy for us to scan our documents to the cloud, wipe the ink, and start afresh.

There are 42 template pages we played around with, including a blank one you can freely sketch in, which can appear quite limiting at first. However, we think the set templates give this digital writing pad a competitive edge. It looks and feels like a physical weekly diary or writing pad that you can grab from any store.

The one catch with this notebook is how you save your documents and notes. We didn’t like that we needed to scan our notes from a smartphone to save them. This can become quite tiresome we think, especially if you are like us and fill your templates up quickly.

Wacom Bamboo Slate Smartpad Electronic Notebook with Pen Review

• Pressure Sensitivity: N/A
• Included Stylus: Yes
• Workable Area: 10 x 13 inches
• Battery Life: Wired
• Operating System: Windows, Android, iOS

The Bamboo Slate Smartpad allows you to write naturally, delivering that paper-like experience we love. It even lets you flip over to the next page, mimicking a real notebook. You can also easily convert handwriting to typed text (but only with a subscription), an additional feature that other writing tablets for PCs do not require.

Like the Rocketbook writing pad above, you must save your notes to your smartphone. But, the process is much less time-consuming as you can save notes as digital files in JPG, PDF, PNG, and SVG formats.

But it also allows you to save notes using the device’s save button, which stores your docs in the cloud. This is a feature we appreciated and something we discovered a little too late after some trial and error.

It is a great pad to combine with a laptop for note-taking, and Wacom has been around for ages, so you can’t go wrong with them. This notepad connects to laptops easily. It is a great addition for anyone looking to move into the digital age and not worry about losing their notebooks in a cupboard somewhere.

This external writing pad for a laptop is also a favorite for those who want a tablet for Photoshop of sorts but are on a strict budget.

ReMarkable 2 Paper Digital Writing Pad for PC Review

• Pressure Sensitivity: 226 DPI
• Included Stylus: Yes
• Workable Area: 3 inches
• Battery Life: A Week
• Operating System: Codex

ReMarkable is an established brand, and we think that a digital paper tablet is a great option for pure note-taking. The price point is high, but this pen tablet has the benefits of active handwriting-to-text conversion and sharing capabilities, as we discovered.

We liked how we could store notes on the device or share them via email, so storage was not an issue for us on this writing pad. We discovered how the ReMarkable tablet also supports ebook and PDF formats, which makes for a versatile contender for digital writing pads in our minds.

For us, we think this is the perfect writing pad for someone who likes the feel of traditional writing but wants to come into the modern digital world. Believe it or not, we found that it really feels as if you are writing on paper. We didn’t like how you need to be connected to a network or WiFi to be able to transfer files, as there is no Bluetooth connection.

We noticed that after extended hours of use, it can freeze, and all your progress on your notes will be lost. So, we recommend saving continuously to ensure your notes are always there. You will also need the app on your phone to transfer the files.

Digital Writing Pad Accessories

Digital writing pads come with various stands, covers, and more that make for much better use of these writing pads. Here are some of the best digital writing pad accessories we found.

Lamicall Adjustable Tablet Stand

This adjustable tablet stand can hold your drawing tablets, writing pads, and cellphones. It’s a great companion for using your tablet and laptop at the same time and supports a multi-angle view.

The portable stand can be folded up neatly into your laptop case or bag. It’s also durable, with a rubber tablet or writing pad protector.

ESR Pencil Holder

This adhesive pencil holder sticks to any tablet or e-writer case you use. It’s a great buy if you’re using a writing tablet with stylus compatibility if your device doesn’t have a magnetic grip. The lycra-leather material is sleek and stylish, as well as compatible with several different stylus sizes.

This holder was designed for the Apple Pencil, but no need to worry. Any stylus will fit. It’s all about the details.

Kaitiaki Folio Cover

Taking the Rocketbook on the go is a great thing, but just like any traditional notepad, we need to keep our pens and books organized. We loved this cover folder. It kept everything nice and neat. Everything had a spot and was where it needed to be.

It is a small investment but worth it in our minds with everything we need to be kept in a sleek and fashionable design.

Why Trust Our Reviews

At Pixelsmith, we use and test a variety of products to provide you with all the necessary information to make an informed purchase decision.

In addition to being experts in the field, each member of Pixelsmith has a strong passion for technology, design, and gaming. As such, you can count on us to have tried nearly everything when it comes to digital assets, including the best digital writing pads.

It’s worth mentioning that Pixelsmith does receive payments in exchange for product reviews. We also do not have any deals with companies to provide positive reviews. We have gone out and purchased nearly all the products featured on our site, so you can expect the most unbiased reviews possible.

When looking for the best digital writing pads for laptops, we tested out many different options from leading brands. Each product was tested and reviewed based on our own criteria to help identify the best market picks.

Have any questions about our review process or the products discussed? Be sure to contact us—we look forward to interacting with our fellow techies and creatives!

Digital Writing Pad Buyer’s Guide

Naturally, your preferences and priorities will guide your ultimate decision on which digital writing tablet to buy. Below is a breakdown of key elements to consider when weighing up your options.

Sync Capabilities

If your digital notebook doesn’t have internal storage, you must ensure that it syncs with the applications you need on a day-to-day basis. This is particularly important if you need to save and send documents online. You want to ensure you can upload your notes in the format you need.

Also, keep in mind the operating system the device uses and choose something in your comfort zone.

Advanced Features

In more concrete terms, ‘advanced’ means customizable or versatile. The more you can do with your tablet, the better value for money. Think about the kind of projects you’ll be working on and what tools you’ll need to bring it to fruition.

Some notable features to look out for are programmable hotkeys – these will save you time and you can modify them as needed. Also check for multi-touch displays, which will allow you to scroll and zoom.

Specs

Portability is a key consideration, so get a sense of the weight and dimensions of the writing tablet relative to your phone. If you can sneak it into your pocket, all the better. Look out for the surface area, though, as there are drawbacks in resolution and detail the smaller you go in size. Although these are not as important as for gaming tablets, some good specifications are a must.

Stylus

Even the best writing pad won’t impress without a decent stylus. The whole point of using a digital pad is to retain the natural feel of handwriting. Of course, this boils down to the grip, weight, and size of the stylus (or pen) your tablet comes with.

Pens vary from rubber to metal, with either nibs or actual ink depending on the product. If you like having something tangible to work with, a smart notebook may be more suited to you than a fully digital tablet.

You’ll also need to ensure that either your stylus or your digital memo pad has an app for handwriting recognition. Converting handwriting to text is often needed when sharing notes and documents.

Summary of the Best Electronic Writing Pad

Whether you’re in the market for a digital writing pad for work or for personal use, it’s important that you take stock of your priorities. Consider your needs and how you plan to use the device.

Make sure you understand our buyer’s guide to understand what components to look out for.

This way, you can compare the best digital writing pads and tablets for photo editing and make an informed decision you won’t regret.

Written by Matthew

Matt is about 80% nerd, 10% writer, 10% animal lover. His love for PC’s started at the tender age of 4 and his love for animation and motion graphics fairly soon after. You can normally find him behind a computer screen or playing with his dog Rusty.

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Matthew

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Matt is about 80% nerd, 10% writer, 10% animal lover. His love for PC’s started at the tender age of 4 and his love for animation and motion graphics fairly soon after. You can normally find him behind a computer screen or playing with his dog Rusty.

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