The purpose of this article is to guide you in selecting the best tablets for Affinity Designer.
This is for digital artists, graphic designers, illustrators, brand creators, and students who want reliable performance in one of the most versatile vector and raster design applications available today.
If you use Affinity Designer for branding, illustrations, UI mockups, or print layouts, you will find this guide tailored to your needs.
Affinity Designer plays a central role in professional and creative work. It combines vector precision with raster flexibility, allowing you to switch between modes instantly. Yet, many of you have faced the familiar obstacles: sluggish rendering, inaccurate stylus input, overheating tablets, or cramped storage that limits your projects. These issues disrupt creativity and turn an otherwise powerful tool into a source of delay.
The challenges usually include lack of stylus compatibility, insufficient RAM, displays that fail to show true colors, limited multitasking power, and batteries that die midway through editing sessions. For professionals working on layered projects with multiple artboards, these limitations can hold back productivity.
The solution is clear: choose a tablet that matches the demands of Affinity Designer’s dual-engine system. A capable device should run large vector canvases smoothly, handle raster brushes without lag, and provide precise stylus input. With the right choice, you gain the freedom to sketch, refine, and finalize designs without technical interruptions.
We assess the best devices based on clear criteria. The minimum specifications we recommend for Affinity Designer include at least 8 GB RAM, a multi-core processor, 256 GB storage, a high-resolution display of at least 1920×1080 pixels with a wide color gamut, and a stylus that supports pressure sensitivity and tilt.
The first criterion is Display Quality. A sharp, color-accurate screen ensures you see your palettes and gradients as intended. This helps you deliver consistent branding projects, detailed illustrations, and print-ready graphics without worrying about mismatched colors.
The second is Stylus Precision. Affinity Designer thrives on tools like the Pen Tool and the Vector Brush. A responsive pen with tilt and pressure sensitivity transforms how you sketch paths, adjust nodes, and refine curves. It eliminates jitter and allows fine-tuned strokes. Use cases include logo design, detailed illustration, and typography adjustments.
Third, we focus on Performance and RAM. Affinity Designer can handle complex layers, embedded resources, and raster brushes simultaneously. Without strong performance, you experience stuttering while panning or zooming. Adequate RAM and processing power prevent those slowdowns, giving you uninterrupted control.
Fourth is Storage. Vector and raster projects with multiple artboards, linked assets, and high-res exports quickly consume space. Having 256 GB or more prevents constant offloading and keeps your work accessible on-device. SSD storage also speeds up file handling.
Next is Battery Life. Affinity Designer encourages creative flow, often keeping you engaged for hours. A tablet with extended battery power allows you to finish entire projects in one sitting, during travel, or in live client sessions.
Finally, Portability and Build Quality. A slim, lightweight device with a durable chassis lets you take your design work anywhere. This is valuable for students working in classrooms, freelancers meeting clients, or professionals presenting portfolios on the move.
The Following are the Best Tablets for Affinity Designer:
Contents
- Apple iPad Air (5th Generation) with M1 chip, 10.9-inch Liquid Retina Display, 64GB, Wi-Fi 6 + 5G Cellular
- Apple iPad Mini (6th Generation) with A15 Bionic chip, 8.3-inch Liquid Retina Display, 64GB,
- Apple iPad Mini (6th Generation) with A15 Bionic chip, 8.3-inch Liquid Retina Display, 256GB, Wi-Fi 6 + 5G Cellular
- Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th Generation) with M2 chip, Liquid Retina XDR Display, 1TB, Wi-Fi 6E + 5G Cellular, 12MP
- Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th Generation) with M2 chip, Liquid Retina XDR Display, 1TB, Wi-Fi 6E, 12MP
- Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th Generation) with M2 chip, Liquid Retina XDR Display, 128GB, Wi-Fi 6E + 5G Cellular
- Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th Generation) with M2 chip, Liquid Retina XDR Display, 1TB, Wi-Fi 6E, 12MP
- Apple iPad Mini (Wi-Fi, 64GB)
- Apple iPad Mini (Wi-Fi + Cellular, 256GB)
- Apple iPad Pro (11-inch, Wi-Fi, 256GB)
- Apple iPad 10.2-inch, Wi-Fi + Cellular, 128GB -( 8th Gen)
- Apple iPad Pro 3rd Generation (12.9-inch, Wi-Fi, 64GB)
- Apple iPad Pro (12.9-inch, Wi-Fi, 256GB) - Space Gray (4th Gen)
- Apple iPad Pro (11-inch, Wi-Fi, 256GB) - Space Gray (2nd Gen)
- Apple iPad Pro (11-inch, Wi-Fi + Cellular, 128GB)
- Apple iPad Pro 3rd Gen (12.9-inch, Wi-Fi + Cellular, 1TB)
- Apple iPad Air 10.9-inch, Wi-Fi, 64GB - Space Gray
- Apple iPad Pro (12.9-inch, Wi-Fi, 128GB) - Space Gray (4th Gen)
Apple iPad Air (5th Generation) with M1 chip, 10.9-inch Liquid Retina Display, 64GB, Wi-Fi 6 + 5G Cellular |
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| Operating System | iOS |
| Screen Size | 10.9 inches |
| Display Resolution | 2360 x 1640 Pixels |
| Processor | Apple M1 |
| GPU | Apple M1 GPU |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage Space | 64GB |
| SD Card Expansion Slot | None |
| Main Camera | 12 Megapixels |
| Front Selfie Camera | 12 Megapixels |
| Battery Capacity | Li-Ion (28.6 Wh), |
| Connectivity | Wifi, Bluetooth, Cellular |
| Pros | Good performance, Quality Display, Large display, Battery life |
| Cons | None |
Apple iPad Mini (6th Generation) with A15 Bionic chip, 8.3-inch Liquid Retina Display, 64GB, |
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| Operating System | iOS |
| Screen Size | 8.3 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1488 x 2266 pixels |
| Processor | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage Space | 64GB |
| SD Card Expansion Slot | No |
| Main Camera | 12 Megapixels |
| Front Selfie Camera | 12 Megapixels |
| Battery Capacity | Li-Ion, non-removable (19.3 Wh) |
| Connectivity | Widi, Bluetooth |
| Pros | Lightweight, Portable |
| Cons | None |
Apple iPad Mini (6th Generation) with A15 Bionic chip, 8.3-inch Liquid Retina Display, 256GB, Wi-Fi 6 + 5G Cellular |
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| Operating System | iOS |
| Screen Size | 8.3 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1488 x 2266 pixels |
| Processor | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage Space | 256GB |
| SD Card Expansion Slot | No |
| Main Camera | 12 Megapixels |
| Front Selfie Camera | 12 Megapixels |
| Battery Capacity | Li-Ion, non-removable (19.3 Wh) |
| Connectivity | Widi, Bluetooth, Cellular |
| Pros | Lightweight, Portable |
| Cons | N/A |
Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th Generation) with M2 chip, Liquid Retina XDR Display, 1TB, Wi-Fi 6E + 5G Cellular, 12MP |
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| Operating System | iOs |
| Screen Size | 12.9 inches |
| Display Resolution | 2732 x 2048 Pixels |
| Processor | Apple M2 8 Core |
| GPU | Apple M2 10 Core |
| RAM | 16GB |
| Storage Space | 1TB |
| SD Card Expansion Slot | No |
| Main Camera | 12 Megapixels |
| Front Selfie Camera | 10 Megapixels |
| Battery Capacity | Li-Po 10758 mAh |
| Connectivity | Wifi, 5G, Bluetooth |
| Pros | Performance |
| Cons | None |
Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th Generation) with M2 chip, Liquid Retina XDR Display, 1TB, Wi-Fi 6E, 12MP |
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| Operating System | iOs |
| Screen Size | 12.9 inches |
| Display Resolution | 2732 x 2048 Pixels |
| Processor | Apple M2 8 Core |
| GPU | Apple M2 10 Core |
| RAM | 16GB |
| Storage Space | 1TB |
| SD Card Expansion Slot | No |
| Main Camera | 12 Megapixels |
| Front Selfie Camera | 10 Megapixels |
| Battery Capacity | Li-Po 10758 mAh |
| Connectivity | Wifi |
| Pros | Performance, Display Quality |
| Cons | Quite expensive |
Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th Generation) with M2 chip, Liquid Retina XDR Display, 128GB, Wi-Fi 6E + 5G Cellular |
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|---|---|
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| Operating System | iOs |
| Screen Size | 12.9 inches |
| Display Resolution | 2732 x 2048 Pixels |
| Processor | Apple M2 8 Core |
| GPU | Apple M2 10 Core |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage Space | 128GB |
| SD Card Expansion Slot | No |
| Main Camera | 12 Megapixels |
| Front Selfie Camera | 10 Megapixels |
| Battery Capacity | Li-Po 10758 mAh |
| Connectivity | Wifi, 5G, Bluetooth |
| Pros | Display, Performance |
| Cons | None |
Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th Generation) with M2 chip, Liquid Retina XDR Display, 1TB, Wi-Fi 6E, 12MP |
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|---|---|
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| Operating System | iOs |
| Screen Size | 12.9 inches |
| Display Resolution | 2732 x 2048 Pixels |
| Processor | Apple M2 8 Core |
| GPU | Apple M2 10 Core |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage Space | 256GB |
| SD Card Expansion Slot | No |
| Main Camera | 12 Megapixels |
| Front Selfie Camera | 10 Megapixels |
| Battery Capacity | Li-Po 10758 mAh |
| Connectivity | Wifi |
| Pros | Performance, Display Quality |
| Cons | Quite expensive |
Apple iPad Mini (Wi-Fi, 64GB) |
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| Operating System | iOS |
| Screen Size | 7.9 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1536 x 2048 pixels |
| Processor | A12 Bionic chip |
| GPU | Apple GPU |
| RAM | 3GB |
| Storage Space | 64GB |
| SD Card Expansion Slot | No |
| Main Camera | 8 Megapixels |
| Front Selfie Camera | 7 Megapixels |
| Battery Life | up to 10 hours |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Pros | Performance, Display |
| Cons | NA |
Apple iPad Mini (Wi-Fi + Cellular, 256GB) |
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| Operating System | iOS |
| Screen Size | 7.9 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1536 x 2048 pixels |
| Processor | A12 Bionic chip |
| GPU | Apple GPU |
| RAM | 3GB |
| Storage Space | 256GB |
| SD Card Expansion Slot | No |
| Main Camera | 8 Megapixels |
| Front Selfie Camera | 7 Megapixels |
| Battery Life | up to 10 hours |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth + Cellular |
| Pros | Performance |
| Cons | NA |
Apple iPad Pro (11-inch, Wi-Fi, 256GB) |
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| Operating System | iPad OS |
| Screen Size | 11 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1668 x 2388 pixels |
| Processor | A12Z Bionic |
| GPU | Apple GPU |
| RAM | 6GB |
| Storage Space | 256GB |
| SD Card Expansion Slot | No |
| Main Camera | 12MP Wide camera, 10MP Ultra Wide camera, and LiDAR Scanner |
| Front Selfie Camera | 7MP TrueDepth front camera |
| Battery Life | up to 10 hours |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Pros | Display |
| Cons | NA |
Apple iPad 10.2-inch, Wi-Fi + Cellular, 128GB -( 8th Gen) |
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| Operating System | iPad OS |
| Screen Size | 10.2 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1620 x 2160 pixels |
| Processor | Apple A12 Bionic |
| GPU | Apple GPU |
| RAM | 3GB |
| Storage Space | 128GB |
| SD Card Expansion Slot | No |
| Main Camera | 8 Megapixels |
| Front Selfie Camera | 1.2 Megapixels |
| Battery Life | up to 10 hours |
| Connectivity | Cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Pros | Storage, Price |
| Cons | None |
Apple iPad Pro 3rd Generation (12.9-inch, Wi-Fi, 64GB) |
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|---|---|
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| Operating System | iOS |
| Screen Size | 12.9 inches |
| Display Resolution | 2048 x 2732 pixels |
| Processor | A12X Bionic chip |
| GPU | Apple GPU |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage Space | 64GB |
| SD Card Expansion Slot | No |
| Main Camera | 12 Megapixels |
| Front Selfie Camera | 7 Megapixels |
| Battery Life | up to 12 hours |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Pros | Performance |
| Cons | NA |
Apple iPad Pro (12.9-inch, Wi-Fi, 256GB) - Space Gray (4th Gen) |
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|---|---|
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| Operating System | iPad OS |
| Screen Size | 12.9 inches |
| Display Resolution | 2048 x 2732 pixels |
| Processor | A12Z Bionic |
| GPU | Apple GPU |
| RAM | 6GB |
| Storage Space | 256GB |
| SD Card Expansion Slot | No |
| Main Camera | 12MP Wide camera, 10MP Ultra Wide camera, and LiDAR Scanner |
| Front Selfie Camera | 7MP TrueDepth front camera |
| Battery Life | up to 10 hours |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Pros | Performance, Display |
| Cons | None |
Apple iPad Pro (11-inch, Wi-Fi, 256GB) - Space Gray (2nd Gen) |
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|---|---|
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| Operating System | iPad OS |
| Screen Size | 11 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1668 x 2388 pixels |
| Processor | A12Z Bionic |
| GPU | Apple GPU |
| RAM | 6GB |
| Storage Space | 256GB |
| SD Card Expansion Slot | No |
| Main Camera | 12MP Wide camera, 10MP Ultra Wide camera, and LiDAR Scanner |
| Front Selfie Camera | 7MP TrueDepth front camera |
| Battery Life | up to 10 hours |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Cellular |
| Pros | Storage |
| Cons | NA |
Apple iPad Pro (11-inch, Wi-Fi + Cellular, 128GB) |
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|---|---|
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| Operating System | iPad OS |
| Screen Size | 11 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1668 x 2388 pixels |
| Processor | A12Z Bionic |
| GPU | Apple GPU |
| RAM | 6GB |
| Storage Space | 128GB |
| SD Card Expansion Slot | No |
| Main Camera | 12MP Wide camera, 10MP Ultra Wide camera, and LiDAR Scanner |
| Front Selfie Camera | 7MP TrueDepth front camera |
| Battery Life | up to 10 hours |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Cellular |
| Pros | Display, Performance, Storage |
| Cons | None |
Apple iPad Pro 3rd Gen (12.9-inch, Wi-Fi + Cellular, 1TB) |
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|---|---|
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| Operating System | iOS |
| Screen Size | 12.9 inches |
| Display Resolution | 2048 x 2732 pixels |
| Processor | A12X Bionic chip |
| GPU | Apple GPU |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage Space | 1TB |
| SD Card Expansion Slot | No |
| Main Camera | 12 Megapixels |
| Front Selfie Camera | 7 Megapixels |
| Battery Life | up to 12 hours |
| Connectivity | Cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Pros | Storage, Display Quality |
| Cons | None |
Apple iPad Air 10.9-inch, Wi-Fi, 64GB - Space Gray |
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| Operating System | iPad OS |
| Screen Size | 10.9 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1640 x 2360 pixels |
| Processor | A14 Bionic chip |
| GPU | Apple GPU |
| RAM | |
| Storage Space | 64GB |
| SD Card Expansion Slot | No |
| Main Camera | 12MP back camera |
| Front Selfie Camera | 7MP FaceTime HD front camera |
| Battery Life | up to 10 hours |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Pros | Performance, Display Quality |
| Cons | None |
Apple iPad Pro (12.9-inch, Wi-Fi, 128GB) - Space Gray (4th Gen) |
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|---|---|
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| Operating System | iPad OS |
| Screen Size | 12.9 inches |
| Display Resolution | 2048 x 2732 pixels |
| Processor | A12Z Bionic |
| GPU | Apple GPU |
| RAM | 6GB |
| Storage Space | 128GB |
| SD Card Expansion Slot | No |
| Main Camera | 12MP Wide camera, 10MP Ultra Wide camera, and LiDAR Scanner |
| Front Selfie Camera | 7MP TrueDepth front camera |
| Battery Life | up to 10 hours |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Pros | Battery, Performance |
| Cons | NA |
This list of best tablet for Affinity Designer, has the key specifications and features, in addition to the pros and cons.
You should also take a look at the Best Tablets for Illustrators and Sketching in addition to the Best Tablets Adobe Illustrator.
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