Back then, Wacom was the only choice for artists. However, they were expensive, especially their display tablet lineup. Only artists working in studios could afford them.
The digital art world changed when Huion and XP-Pen began to compete with Wacom by providing pen and display tablets at a cheap price.
Now, artists looking for a drawing tablet have multiple choices from Wacom, Huion, XP-Pen, Xencelabs, Ugee, and more.
I will compare Huion and XP-Pen to help you decide which brand is better for your needs.
Table of Contents
Huion and XP-Pen: Brand Overviews
Huion was established in 2011. For their pen and display tablet technology, Huion uses a UCLogic digitizer.
XP-Pen was founded in 2005, so it’s older than Huion. XP-Pen was merged into Ugee in 2019. XP-Pen uses Ugee’s digitizers for the EMR technology in their drawing tablets.
Although both companies have been around for a while, they only started to become popular in 2017. That year, even though they sold affordable drawing tablets in China and Europe, many artists complained about bugs and line jitter.
However, by 2020, the software and drivers for their drawing tablets had improved significantly. They have become popular among artists in North America, Europe, and Asia. So, they have become a global brand only below Wacom.
For more information, check out All Drawing Tablet Brand Ranked.
Product Range Comparison
Huion and XP-Pen both offer a wide range of pen and display tablets. Here is an overview of their latest product lineups:
Pen Tablet
Huion Pen Tablet Lineup:
- Inspiroy 2 S, M, L
- Inspiroy Dial 2
- Inspiroy KeyDial
- Inspiroy H950P
- Inspiroy Giano
- Inspiroy Ink
- Inspiroy HS: HS611, HS610, HS64
All Huion tablets are budget-friendly drawing tablets. They share similar features, with models released after 2021 featuring Huion Pen Tech 3.
XP-Pen Tablet Lineup:
Budget
- Deco M, L
- Deco Fun S, L
- Star G960S & Star G960S Plus
- Star G940S V2
Premium: Deco Pro Gen 2
In contrast to Huion, XP-Pen offers more premium tablets to compete with the Wacom Intuos Pro.
XP-Pen Deco Pro Gen 2 utilizes the X3 Pro smart stylus and offers up to 16K pressure sensitivity.
If you want a large drawing tablet, the XL size option is larger than the Wacom Intuos Pro Large.
Comparing the pen tablet lineups of Huion and XP-Pen, XP-Pen is better because it offers a premium pen tablet for professional artists.
Display Tablet
Huion Pen Display Lineup:
- Kamvas Pro 13 (2.5K)
- Kamvas Pro 16 (2.5K)
- Kamvas Pro 24 (4K)
- Kamvas Pro 16 Plus (4K)
- Kamvas Pro 16 (4K)
- Kamvas Pro 24
Huion offers a range of pen tablets and graphic tablets, from small (13 inches) to large sizes (24 inches). The Kamvas Pro 24 is Huion’s premium display tablet, featuring the latest stylus technology and 4K resolution.
XP-Pen Display Tablet Lineup:
- Artist Pro 16 (2nd Gen)
- Artist Pro 14 (2nd Gen)
- Artist 10, 12 and 16 (2nd Gen)
- Artist Pro 16
- Artist Pro 16TP
- Artist 24 Pro
- Artist 22R Pro
- Artist 12 Pro
- Artist 13.3 Pro
- Artist 15.6 Pro
XP-Pen display tablets, including the XP-Pen Artist and XP-Pen Artist Pro, have been updated in the Gen 2 versions.
Not only bug fixes, these newer models feature a display resolution of 2560 X 1600, a better color accuracy with color gamut coverage of 118% Adobe RGB and 117% DCI-P3, and come equipped with the X3 PRO Smart Stylus, which has 16K pressure sensitivity.
Unlike Huion, XP-Pen does not offer display tablets with 4k resolution. So, for those seeking a high-resolution pen display, Huion is the better choice.
Ultimately, XP-Pen excels in pen tablets, while Huion is superior in pen display tablets.
Feature Comparison
Pressure Sensitivity
Huion and XP-Pen have equal pressure sensitivity. Even though the XP-Pen boasts 16 K pressure sensitivity, after 4K sensitivity, there is a diminishing return. So it doesn’t matter that much.
According to my test, 8K and 16 K pressure sensitivity is just a gimmick. I never see the benefit of high-pressure sensitivity from Wacom, Huion, and XP-Pen.
Software Compatibility
Huion and XP-Pen are compatible with popular drawing apps like Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, Krita, Medibang, and Paint Tool SAI.
But remember that only drawing tablets released after 2020 from Huion and XP-Pen are compatible with popular digital art software.
One of my friends faced a complaint when she was trying to use Clip Studio Paint on Huion Kamvas Pro 16. The pressure sensitivity needs to be manually adjusted to make it less buggy. She doesn’t face this issue with Photoshop and SAI. So maybe this is just a rare, specific bug on the CSP or Huion driver.
Stylus
Both Huion and XP-Pen utilize battery-free styluses. The difference is that Huion uses UC Logic Digitizer while XP-Pen uses Ugee digitizer for the technology behind the EMR.
They are equal in performance. The only difference is that Huion’s stylus is a bit heavier than XP-Pen’s. So it depends on preference.
Both Huion and XP-Pen also provide free backup nibs as replacements when you buy their tablet.
Reliability and Support
Both Huion and XP-Pen are reliable brands. In real-world tests, line jitter on new Huion and XP-Pen tablets is rare, marking a significant improvement from earlier models and nearing the quality of Wacom.
Their drivers are stable, and updates are quickly released when new bugs appear. They are compatible with Windows 7, 10, 11, MacOS X El Capitan (Mac OS 10.11.6) or later, and Linux.
Regarding warranties, both Huion and XP-Pen offer a limited 1-2 year warranty, though the duration may vary depending on the region where the tablet was purchased. Of course, you need to take care of your drawing tablet properly so it can last longer.
Note that neither brand covers warranties for accidental damage, including liquid damage.
Cost Comparison
If we compare the pricing of Huion and XP-Pen drawing tablets, they are similarly priced. Most of their pen tablets are priced between $50 to $200, and their cheapest display tablets, sized around 12 to 13 inches, start at about $200.
For more information, refer to The Best Drawing Tablet Less Than $200.
Additionally, discounts on Huion and XP-Pen tablets are more common, unlike Wacom, which is more expensive and rarely reduces its prices.
But there is an exception. You can easily find used Wacom drawing tablets at a reasonable price. But, Selling used Huion and XP-Pen tablets at an affordable price is harder.
This is because they are still catching up with Wacom, and buyers often prefer to purchase new, more affordable tablets from Wacom rather than older technology from Huion or XP-Pen.
FAQs for Beginners
How do Huion and XP-Pen compare against industry leaders like Wacom in quality and price?
Huion and XP-Pen, compared to industry leader Wacom, are not relatively as high in quality. In our brand ranking, Huion and XP-Pen are ranked as ‘A’ brands, while Wacom is categorized as an ‘S’ brand.
However, many professional artists use Huion and XP-Pen to create their art. Even though they are not as good as Wacom, they can still do 99% of the job.
Do Huion and XP-Pen offer beginner-friendly learning tools or tutorials?
Yes, Huion and XP-Pen offer beginner-friendly learning tools or tutorials. You receive an instruction manual with every Huion and XP-Pen drawing tablet purchase.
This manual covers installing the driver, connecting the tablet to your devices, adjusting sensitivity, updating the driver, and more.
Additionally, for more tutorials, you can visit their websites:
Huion: https://support.huion.com/en/support/home
XP-Pen: https://www.xp-pen.com/faq
Conclusion
Huion and XP-Pen are pretty comparable. Both brands are widely used by artists in various fields, such as animation, illustration, and digital art.
If you’re looking for a good Wacom alternative, both Huion and XP-Pen are good choices, depending on which is cheaper and available in your region.
I prefer XP-Pen over Huion because it offers professional pen tablets comparable to the Wacom Intuos Pro. But for a display tablet, Huion is the better choice.
