Solid alternatives to the Surface Pen and Surface Slim Pen

We're fans of the Surface Pen and the newer Surface Slim Pen. Still, there are plenty of alternative styli out there if you don't fancy Microsoft's official offerings, whether it's because you don't have a Surface or just have your own preferences. Here are some excellent examples.

Hybrid

Wacom Bamboo Ink Plus

Staff favorite

Wacom is a big name in the land of the stylus. The company has been responsible for some of the best pens and drawing pads out there, and there's even a Surface-compatible pen available should the official one from Microsoft not quite do it for you. This pen is a unique option since it supports Wacom's Universal Pen Framework (UPF). This allows it to seamlessly shift between Microsoft Surface devices and Wacom Active ES (electrostatic) hardware.

$139 at Newegg

Premium

Dell Premium Active Pen

The Premium Active Pen is Dell's best digital stylus, offering incredible quality and versatility for a high, but fair, price. This thing supports 4,096 different levels of pressure sensitivity, which is excellent for devices that support styli.

$100 at Amazon $91 at Dell {.end}

Budget

Tesha Surface Pen

Tesha's Surface Pen is an all-aluminum pen that works with Microsoft's latest Surface products, as well as other OEM portable devices. Sporting 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity it allows you to write, draw, and erase without issue. The pen itself takes a battery, with one included to get you started. Much like other pens on the market, there are two buttons on the side. There is one for erasing and the other for a right-click.

$34 at Amazon

Functional

HP Pen

HP's own Pen is quite the stunner. It'll look the part alongside any Surface PC. Not only does it work with Surface devices thanks to N-trig tech, but it also allows for additional functionality with two buttons on the side. This pen does precisely what it says on the tin, as the saying goes.

$62 at Amazon

$52 at HP

Stylish

Adonit Ink

For something a little more stylish, the Adonit Ink is a well-rated stylus that works with Microsoft Surface devices (as well as other compatible hardware). It's USB-rechargeable with a battery life of around 80 hours, and it has a carrying clip for taking it with you on travels. Lastly, there are shortcut buttons for erasing and right-clicking. It's inexpensive, too, making it an enticing option for anyone looking for something a little cheaper than the Surface Pen.

$41 at Amazon

True-to-life

HP Tilt Pen

If you need something that offers a little more than the HP Pen, this Tilt edition may be just what you require. What makes this stylus so great to use is how true to life the experience is, allowing you to naturally draw, write, and doodle away on your favorite tablet Windows PC.

$90 at HP

If we're to make a suggestion

There are numerous alternatives to Microsoft's own stylus, should you wish to try something a little different or need a cheaper replacement. If I had to recommend a single listing in this guide, it would be the Wacom Bamboo Ink because it's one of the better styli out there. It's a unique option thanks to the support for Wacom's own Universal Pen Framework (UPF). This allows it to seamlessly shift between Microsoft Surface devices and Wacom Active ES (electrostatic) hardware.

If you're looking to save some money, however, the Tesha Surface Stylus will let you draw and use a tablet more efficiently when not accompanied by a mouse and keyboard, don't expect to create incredible works of art with it unless you have patience.