Which Adapter?

Right now iPads and the more expensive iPad Pro line-up are some of the best tablets on the market. And with the Apple Pencil, the stylus game has been taken to the next level. The Apple Pencil offers precision and sensitivity so close to using a real pencil and paper that artists and writers are all switching to this new tech. Even just using an Apple Pencil as a stylus makes tablets easier to use and more accessible. But, this amazing technology comes with a hefty price tag and not everyone can afford the extra cost. For this article, we break down some of the best alternatives to the Apple Pencil. Whether you’re looking for a really cheap stylus for casual browsing or a good competitor to the Pencil, we’ve got all of the best options below.

Best iPad Stylus Options

Apple Pencil

Handsdown, the Apple Pencil is the best stylus for an iPad, so we wanted to review it briefly so you can compare it to the other options. Because it’s designed and manufactured by Apple, the Pencil is made to work perfectly with their iPads. It’s designed to look like a pencil with a tapered tip that offers a very precise drawing and writing experience, especially in comparison to cheaper styluses that have big round rubber tips. When you use it with the iPad, there is no lag, it feels like you are drawing directly on the screen with a pen. It also works really well for navigation and generally selecting things on the screen, but if you’re not going to use it for drawing and writing, I would say it’s not worth spending the extra dollars.

There are two big drawbacks for the Apple Pencil: the first is the price. The second is this stylus is only compatible with iPad Pros & the 6th generation 9.7″ iPad released in March 2018. Some people will count this as a downside, but I feel like this is a neutral point. The Apple Pencil has to be charged. Apple boasts a 12-hour battery life, which should easily get you through the day with heavy use. You can charge the Pencil by plugging it directly into your iPad or buy a third party Apple Pencil charging cable.

Compatibility: iPad Pro 9.7″ & 12.9″, 6th Generation iPad 9.7″

Available Colors: White

Wacom Bamboo Fineline 3 Smart Stylu

If you’re looking for a fine tip iPad stylus that is a formidable alternative to the Apple Pencil, the Fineline is the one for you. This stylus connects to your iPad via Bluetooth to deliver a precision you can’t get with cheaper alternatives. As a result, it does need to be recharged with the included USB cable. There is a battery indicator on the stylus and it automatically goes into sleep mode when not in use. The fine tip offers accuracy similar to using a pen, but many users report a delay that can be frustrating. This model does not come with a cap, instead you can twist the tip in and out, which also turns the pen on and off.

While the Fineline is priced lower than the Apple Pencil, it is one of the more expensive alternatives. If you’re just looking for a stylus for navigation, I’d recommend checking out some of the cheaper options below. It’s also only compatible with iOS devices and only works when paired with certain apps, like Bamboo Paper and Inkspace. Some users do complain about accidentally hitting the shortcut button while they’re using the Bamboo Fineline.

Compatibility: iPads & iPhones featuring Bluetooth and iOS8 or later

Available Colors: Black, Blue, Light Blue, White

Adonit Pro 3 Fine Point Stylus for iPad

The Adonit Pro 3 is a slick and reasonably priced alternative to the Apple Pencil. It’s geared at creatives and professionals who need to write, draw, and mark up things on their iPad. The design on this model is a little different from other styluses you may have seen. It features a clear Precision Disc which glides over your iPad screen, while the pen point shows exactly where you’re writing. It works quite smoothly and features a magnetic cap that protects the pen in your pocket or bag. This is an analog stylus, so there’s no charging to worry about and it works with all touch screen devices.

There are downsides with analog styluses. While it has a slick aluminum design and a comfortable grip, you may notice a slight delay when writing, which can be a big problem for artists. Adonit recommends this model for everyday notes and sketching, so it’s great for students or workers to jot down notes. If drawing and art are your main motivations for a stylus, you might want to try the Adonit Pixel Pro–but at that price point, you might as well buy an Apple Pencil if you have a compatible iPad.

Compatibility: All Touchscreens, All iPads, Smartphones, Android Tablets, Touchscreen Laptops

Available Colors: Black, Silver, Midnight Blue, Rose Gold

Cosmonaut Wide Grip Stylus for iPad

The Cosmonaut is different from the other styluses on this list, and it’s very apparent. This tablet stylus is thick, about the same thickness as a dry erase marker. While you may be put off by this at first, it’s actually a great design. The thicker barrel is more comfortable to hold and a great option for kids or people with accessibility issues. It features a round tip perfect for touchscreen navigation or writing and drawing.

The Cosmonaut stylus does lack an exact tip that may make drawing more difficult for some graphic designers and artists. It was designed to be most similar to writing on a dry erase board, so if you’re doing detailed sketching, consider the recommendations above. But with a wide range of compatible devices and a reasonable price point, this is a great alternative to the Apple Pencil, especially for younger users.

Compatibility: All iPads, Android Devices, Smartphones, Kindle Fire, Capacitive Touch Screens.

Available Colors: Black

Cada Drawing Stylus for iPad

If you’re an artist or want a cheap Apple Pencil alternative that’s easy to doodle with while you take notes in class, the CADA Stylus is a fantastic low priced option. Similar in design to the Adonit, the CADA gives you an accurate pinpoint in the center of a clear accryllic disc, so you always can see where you’re drawing. The spring tip helps drawing feel natural, allowing you to work at any angle.

The CADA drawing stylus is lightweight and features a curved ergonomic design for comfort. While this stylus is great for artists and comes at a fantastic low price, it is not the same drawing experience as an Apple Pencil or the other more expensive options on our list. But it’s great for budget-strapped students.

Compatibility: All iPads, Android Tablets, Smartphones, Kindle Fire, Motorola Xoom Tablet, Samsung Galaxy, Other Capacitative Touch Screens (Does not work with Windows tablets)

Available Colors: Black, Blue, Red, White

AmazonBasics Executive Stylus for Touchscreen Devices

If you’re just looking for a cheap tablet stylus for casual browsing and occasional writing on your tablet or smartphone, this is one of the best deals available. AmazonBasics is Amazon’s private label brand that makes a variety of good quality, low cost tech accessories. At under $10, this stylus is a great value that works find with all iPad models and other capacitive touch screen devices. This pen sized stylus is light and comfortable in the hand and features a clip for easy storage. It has a sophisticated style that’s great for the office or for home.

While they say you can use it for drawing, professional artists will probably find themselves frustrated by the experience. This is a good option for hobbyists using coloring book apps. This is also fantastic for people who feel like they’re “fat fingered” when they use tablets or smartphones. It’s good for typing and fantastic for navigation. Using a stylus like this is good to avoid smudging your screen or covering it in fingerprints.

Compatibility: All iPads, Android Tablets, Smartphones, Any Touchscreen Devices

Available Colors: Black, Blue, Silver

Don’t feel like writing on your iPad? Check out the best iPad keyboards for personal use and school.

Check out these touchscreen gloves so you can use your iPad in cold weather.

iPads and iPhones are quickly becoming full-fledge computing platforms. One thing that’s holding them back is their lack of ports however: even the beefy iPad Pro famously has just a single Lightning connector port and a single headphone 3.5mm jack built in. The good news is there are more and more adapters for iPads and iPhones which allow you to extend their capabilities to connect cameras, wired internet, televisions, projectors, keyboards and more. We’ve rounded up some of the most useful iPad adapters and iPhone connectors.

So let’s jump in and connect some neat stuff to your iOS devices.

USB, Camera, Ethernet, & TV adapters for iPads and iPhones

Apple Lightning to USB Camera Adapter

This is one of the original iPad adapters made by Apple themselves. It plugs into your iPad or iPhone’s Lightning port and offers you a normal USB type A port in exchange. When you plug in this USB adapter for iPad/iPhone you can download photos from your DSLR or other camera by plugging it in just as you would plug it into a computer with its USB cable. You can also plug in a limited set of other USB devices like physical keyboards for typing faster than the on-screen software keyboard that iOS devices have. It’s also possible to plug in musical instruments like USB-connector MIDI keyboards to play music with the GarageBand app.

Apple Lightning to USB Camera Adapter

Here’s a neat iPhone/iPad adapter. It’s a camera memory card reader for iPhone/iPad. You can plug it into your iPhone or iPad and read images directly off of your camera’s SD memory card or micro SD card (sometimes called a TF card). One other neat trick this device has is a normal USB type A port on the other side so you can also use it to read memory cards on to your computer. It even has a fold-out micro USB adapter which lets you plug it into various Android devices that have a micro USB port. If you need to transfer images from a memory card on to a variety of devices, this might be a great choice.

Note that this iPad adapter won’t allow you to connect an iPad to a computer– for that you’ll need a regular old Lightning cable. (See our related articles: The Longest Lightning Charging, Sync Cables for iPhones & iPads and The Best Short Lightning Cables for iPhones & iPads.)

Lightning to Ethernet Adapter For iPhone/iPad

If you’ve ever tried to use an iPad or iPhone in a place with terrible Wifi or poor cell signals, you may have thought to yourself “boy I wish I could just plug this thing into the wall to get internet!” Well, with an iPad to ethernet adapter such as this one, you can exactly that. It plugs into the Lightning port found on your iPhone or iPad and provides you with an Ethernet port on the other end. The iPhone adapter cable is 3.3 feet (1 meter) long, and comes in silver. Of course you’ll also still need to supply your own ethernet cable to plug into your router or wall-based ethernet outlet. See our related article: Best Short, Medium and Long Cat 6 Ethernet Cables.

Lightning to VGA Adapter for iPhones, iPads

The VGA standard for projectors and external displays was introduced all the way back in 1987. (Heck, it might even be older than you are!) But still all these years later VGA connectors are common to find for projectors and external monitors. If you need to connect your iPad or iPhone to a device like a projector that only has a VGA input port, you’ll need a Lightning to VGA adapter like this one. It connects to your iPad or iPhone’s Lightning connector and provides you with two ports at the other end: a VGA port and a second Lightning port to plug in your power adapter. Of course you’ll still need a VGA cable to connect the adapter to your projector or external display or other device.

Apple Lightning Digital AV Adapter for Select iPhone, iPad and iPod Models

This adapter lets you plug your iPhone or iPad into an HDMI cable which is connected to a television, external monitor, or digital projector. It’s simple to use: just plug it into the Lightning connector at the bottom of your iPhone or iPad and then plug in your HDMI cable and connect it to whatever device you’re going to display the content on. This is a great cheap alternative to buying a more expensive Apple TV for displaying iPad content on your television.

Frequently asked questions about iPad keyboards:

Will the iPad USB adapter work with this (XYZ) specific device? iPad to USB connectors or iPhone USB adapters work with a limited set of devices. Since there are tons of different types of USB devices– literally thousands– there’s no way for us to say for sure whether or not this adapter will work with specific devices. If you’re unsure whether or not a device will work we recommend you do a Google search to see if you can find other people talking about that particular USB accessory working or not working with a USB to Lightning adapter.

In general people seem to have good luck attaching external keyboards, still cameras, and musical instruments with MIDI outputs. Some other devices may work as well. For some (admittedly a little outdated) examples, see this 2010 Macworld article: iPad Camera Connection Kit connects other things, too.

Do I need to install any special software to make these adapters work with my iPhone or iPad? No. All of the iPad to USB or other types of iPhone adapters listed on this page don’t require you to install any special software or drivers. (In fact, iOS doesn’t even have drivers!) It’s just plug and play for each of these Lightning adapters.

More and more people are using iPads as laptop replacements these days. They’re fast, have amazing battery life and they’re also easy to use. Perhaps the only drawback for everyday use is their lack of a physical keyboard. We’ve done a run-down on the best physical keyboards for iPad which you can attach wirelessly using Bluetooth. Because we’re putting extra attention to durability as well as price, these iPad keyboards are especially good for school use– not just for individuals.

The Best Keyboards for iPad for schools & personal use

Anker Bluetooth Folio Keyboard Case for iPad

Anker, a high tech accessory company founded by former Google engineers, has created one of the most popular keyboards for iPads: the Folio Smart Case. It folds around your tablet and practically turns your iPad into a laptop. With a comfortable keyboard and a 6 rechargeable month battery life between recharges (assuming 2 hours of use every day), this Bluetooth keyboard case for iPad comes in black and dark gray. One nice thing about this iPad keyboard case is that it has a hole for your device’s camera, something not every case offers. When you open or close the case it’ll automatically activate the keyboard once it’s been initially paired. It also acts as an iPad prop so you can view the tablet’s screen while you’re typing without having to set it against anything else.

Note that this particular model is for iPad Air 2 (popular in the education market– many schools have them). However, they also offer other models to fit other iPads:

Anker iPad keyboard case for 2 / 3 / 4

iPad Pro case with keyboard

This is a very popular keyboard case for the 9.7 inch iPad Pro (models for other sizes below). It features an LED-backlit keyboard for typing in the dark (that can be set to any one of 7 different color options!) and it’s even water-resistant in case you spill something on it. This model doesn’t run on replaceable batteries; instead, it has a rechargeable battery that you can plug into any standard USB outlet (comes with a charging cable). The LED-backlit keyboard has an on-off switch luckily since it uses a fair amount of battery. Although if you have the keyboard lighting off, it’ll run for up to 180 hours without a recharge, which is a better life than any laptop (and of course it’s also better than your iPad too). It comes in silver, black, gold, rose gold, and black color options.

Note that since iPad Pros come in different sizes you’ll need to choose a keyboard case that fits your model. If you don’t have the 9.7″ iPad Pro, you’ll want to check out these alternatives for different sizes:

Keyboard Case for 12.9″ iPad Pro

Anker Bluetooth Ultra-Slim Keyboard

In some cases (pun intended) you might not want a full iPad keyboard case– you might just want the keyboard itself. For instance, if you already have an iPad case that you’re happy with or you you only want to use a Bluetooth keyboard for iPad under certain circumstances. Here’s a model for that scenario: it’s an ultra-slim Bluetooth keyboard for iPads (or iPad Air, iPad Pro, iPad Mini or even devices like iPhones or Galaxy Tabs or Macs & Windows PCs).

It connects to your device using the normal Bluetooth pairing protocol. Runs off of standard AAA Batteries for 3 months of life before you’ll need to replace them. This wireless iPad keyboard also features a neat auto-sleep mode where it automatically turns off after 30 minutes of inactivity. Although this model is a black iPad keyboard, they also offer a iPad keyboard in white.

Frequently asked questions about iPad keyboards:

Will every iPad case with keyboard fit every iPad?

Nope! iPad Minis are quite small and iPad Pros come in different sizes, so you’ll need to make sure that whichever keyboard case for iPad that you get is the right size for your tablet model.

Does any Bluetooth keyboard work with iPad?

Since the iPad uses the standard Bluetooth specification, any regular old Bluetooth wireless keyboard should work with your iPad. However you’ll want to make sure that if you do get just a regular old Bluetooth keyboard, it doesn’t require a special USB dongle to pair it with your computer. If you have a Mac desktop like an iMac for instance, there’s a good chance it came with Apple’s standard wireless Bluetooth keyboard. You know, the one that looks like this:

If you want to, you can pair that with your iPad by going into Settings on the iPad, choosing Bluetooth and then turning it on. Then you’ll see a list of all “discoverable” devices (like your keyboard when it’s switched on) which you can connect to. Your iPad will then give your a special code to type on your keyboard and once you type that in, you’ll be paired and ready to use your physical keyboard with your iPad.

Can I use a normal USB wired keyboard to plug into my iPad, or do I have to use a wireless Bluetooth keyboard for my iPad?

Many people don’t know this but there actually is a way to use a regular old USB computer keyboard with an iPad. In order to plug it in however you’ll need Apple’s Lightning to USB connector dongle which plugs into your iPad’s Lightning port and gives you a USB port to plug in either a camera or a keyboard (or a few other types of peripherals like USB pianos for recording in the GarageBand music app).

Why would a person want a keyboard for an iPad?

Many people find physical keyboards much more comfortable to type on as opposed to a glass screen on a tablet where you can’t quite feel where the keys begin and end, and they have no physical feedback to let you know that you’ve pressed them. Plus a keyboard on a screen is often more cramped than we’re used to, even on small laptops with small keyboards.

The main reasons people cite for wanting to use a physical keyboard with an iPad are the following:

• Speed – It’s easier to type quickly on a regular physical keyboard than it is on a glass screen without physical keys
• Accuracy – For most people it’s still easier to type in a highly accurate fashion when you can feel the keys beneath your fingertips
• Comfort – Because of the larger size of a physical keyboard and the ergonomics of typing on a flat surface it’s more comfortable for many people to use a physical keyboard with an iPad instead of typing directly on the screen

Some people may wonder, what is the point of typing on an iPad instead of a laptop when you’re adding a physical keyboard to your tablet anyway?

That’s a fair question but some people prefer to get serious writing done on an iPad because they like that it offer several features. Here are the pros and cons of using an iPad for writing:

• Constant autosaving – This is built into iOS
• Distraction-free writing environment – It’s easy to get distracted on a computer when you can open so many things at one time but since iPads have rudimentary multitasking it’s easier to feel like you’re sandboxed in so you can focus on the task at hand
• Amazing battery life – Because of their modern design, iPads have incredible battery life that no laptop can match
• Size, weight, and portability – Even with an external iPad keyboard case, these tablets are still often lighter and smaller than even compact laptops are