AutoCAD is a popular computer-aided design (CAD) software used by architects, engineers, and designers. In this guide, we’ve rounded up the best tablets for AutoCAD. These tablets are perfect for engineers, architects, and professionals in the construction industry.
The selection criteria for finding the best tablet for AutoCAD include screen size, performance, and compatibility with the software.
On our list are tablets that allow you to model, drag, point, click, and sketch quickly with precision. We’ve recommended tablets with excellent, full PC functionality, coupled with crisp clear display and touch capabilities.
From Apple to Microsoft, we look at the best tablets for AutoCAD in detail.
Best Tablets for AutoCAD at a Glance
| No. | Item | |
| 1 | Apple iPad Pro 12.9 (2020) (Editors’ Choice) | Check Price on Amazon |
| 2 | Microsoft Surface Pro 7 | Check Price on Amazon |
| 3 | Wacom Intuos Pro | Check Price on Amazon |
| 4 | Microsoft Surface Book 2 | Check Price on Amazon |
| 5 | Microsoft Surface Go | Check Price on Amazon |
| 6 | Microsoft Surface Pro 6 | Check Price on Amazon |
| 7 | Microsoft Surface Pro 8 | Check Price on Amazon |
1. Apple iPad Pro 12.9 (2020) (Editors’ Choice)
The Apple iPad Pro is our Editors’ Choice for the best tablet for AutoCAD.
With a 12.9-inch screen, and a 2048 x 2732 pixel display, the Apple iPad Pro 12.9 inch screen is beautiful. It comes with 6 GB RAM which makes it exceptionally fast.
Its whopping 1TB of internal storage space lets you store as many drawings, documents, videos, pictures, music as possible. You may well buy models with lesser internal storage. Available internal storage includes 128 GB, 256 GB, 512GB and 1TB.
As you would expect, it runs one of Apple’s best operating systems: iPadOS 13.4. Because Apple is way ahead of the curve, you will almost never experience any lag when using AutoCAD.
The Apple iPad Pro has been built to handle the power needs of a top-notch tablet thanks to its very outstanding long-lasting 9720 mAh battery.
We love the fact that you can just attach the Apple Pencil which is sold individually to the iPad Pro for charging and even storage. Using the Apple Pencil feels even better than using a pen and paper to draw.
With the iPad Pro’s 120Hz screen, 3D modeling, painting, and drawing is faultless.
If you believe in spending money on tools that make your tasks a lot easier, the Apple iPad Pro is worth considering.
Given its powerful hardware and a responsive pen, the Apple iPad Pro remains the best tablet for AutoCAD.
PROS
- Impressive display
- Excellent audio
- Fast operating system
- Responsive Face ID
- Incredible battery life
- Excellent pen integration
CONS
- No provision for external storage
- No 3.5mm headphone jack
Apple iPad Pro 12.9 (2020) Key Specifications
Display: 12.9-inch IPS display, 2048 x 2732 pixels
Chipset: Apple A12Z Bionic chip
OS: iPadOS 13.4
RAM: 6GB
Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot
Size: 11.04 x 8.46 x 0.23 inches (280.6 x 214.9 x 5.9 mm)
Weight: 1.41 pounds (641g)
Rear Camera: 12MP, 10MP
Front Camera: 7MP
Battery: 9720 mAh
2. Microsoft Surface Pro 7
The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is another good tablet for running AutoCAD.
When it comes to churning out high-end tablets with great performance, Microsoft is still not quite at the level attained by Apple and Samsung. That said, the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is a decent 2-in-1 tablet with pretty good specs.
The touchscreen display is as impressive as what the previous models produced by the Redmond manufacturer parade.
The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 now has a USB-C port, which is a good addition, nonetheless, it is not Thunderbolt 3. There is a USB-A port on the Pro 7.
With regard to CPU, three models are available: Core i3, i5, and i7. The Core i7 variant has a faster processing speed than the Core i3 and i5 models. So, we recommend the Core i7 variant for AutoCAD.
The base configuration (that is Core i3), comes with 4GB of RAM and 128GB SSD. If you prefer more RAM, you could go for the 8GB (Core i5) or 16GB (Core i7) model.
For more storage options, pick up the Core i5 version (256GB) or the Core i7 (256GB/512GB/1TB). Remember, you’ll pay more to get the models with more storage and RAM combinations.
The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 isn’t like some tablets with bloatware – if truth be told, you won’t find any bloatware on the Pro 7.
Elsewhere, battery life is not the Microsoft Surface Pro 7’s strong point. Other tablets boast excellent battery performances with good battery capacities.
If a solid battery performance is one of the features you don’t joke with, you may 2019 Apple iPad Air (8134 mAh) or the 2018 Apple iPad Pro 12.9 (9720 mAh).
Overall, the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 remains one of the best tablets for AutoCAD.
PROS
- Excellent display
- Good design
- Improved processing power
- USB-A and USB-C ports
CONS
- Almost the same as the Pro 6
- Average battery life
- Bezels are rather thick
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Key Specifications
Display: 12.3-inch display, 2736 x 1824 pixels
Chipset: Intel Core i7
Operating System: Windows 10 Home
RAM: Up to 16GB LPDDR4x (non-upgradable)
Storage: Up to 1TB SSD
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6: 802.11ax
Size: 11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33 inches (292 x 201 x 8.5 mm)
Weight: 1.74 pounds (790g)
Rear Camera: 8-megapixel camera
Front Camera: 5-megapixel camera
Battery: 5702 mAh
3. Wacom Intuos Pro
The Wacom Intuos Pro Paper Edition is one of the best tablets for AutoCAD deserving of note.
It is shipped with a stand, a Wacom Pro Pen 2, four coloured pen rings and a cable.
With regard to performance, the Wacom Intuos Pro delivers. There is really no annoying lag when drawing. The battery-free, electromagnetic Pro Pen 2 which has 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity works well, too. You can tweak the Pro Pen 2 to suit your needs.
The Wacom Intuos Pro is available in three sizes: small, medium, and large. The small size weighs 0.99 pounds with dimensions 10.6 x 6.7 x 0.3 inches (269 x 170 x 8.45 mm). The medium size is 1.54 pounds and has a 13.2 x 8.5 x 0.3-inch footprint. The Large size weighs in at 2.86 pounds with a 16.8 x 11.2 x 0.3-inch footprint.
As for the many features of the Wacom Intuos Pro, they come with a bit of a learning curve. If you’re willing to put the time in, however, they pay dividends.
The Wacom Intuos Pro’s battery life is very impressive, so expect its runtimes to stretch into the double figures without taking a booster pack along for the ride.
Our only qualm with the Intuos Pro, and this remains minor, is that the Pen’s stand does not grip the Pro Pen 2 firmly.
All in all, the Wacom Intuos Pro remains one of the tablets for drawing. We strongly recommend it as one of the best tablets for AutoCAD.
PROS
- Large screen for drawing
- Excellent value for money
- Decent display
- Affordable
CONS
- Pen stand won’t win awards
Wacom Intuos Pro Key Specifications
Tilt Recognition: ±60°
Pen: Wacom Pro Pen 2
Pen Pressure Levels: 8192
Size: 16.8 x 11.2 x 0.3 inches (430 x 287 x 8 mm)
Active Area: 12.1 x 8.4 inches (311 x 216 mm)
Weight: 2.86 pounds (1.3 kg)
4. Microsoft Surface Book 2
The Microsoft Surface Book 2 is made of aluminium chassis, looks great and comes with a wealth of handy features. It doubles as a tablet and laptop with a detachable screen.
Armed with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 GPU, 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, the Microsoft Surface Book 2 has solid specs making it one of the best tablets for AutoCAD.
It ships with a powerful Intel Core i7 processor. With this, your render and export times will improve noticeably. In addition, the Core i7 will make running special AutoCAD and other drafting software effortless.
The Surface Book 2 has a good selection of ports for connecting to external displays using the DisplayPort standard, lightning-fast external drives, and pretty much any USB peripheral.
The ports on the 2-in-1 are: two USB 3.1 ports, one USB 3.1 Type-C port, two Surface Connect ports, an SD card reader, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
If you are a media pro and a heavy gamer as well, the Microsoft Surface Book 2 will serve you well. Microsoft was smart to put the Xbox Wireless radio which makes connecting Xbox One controllers seamless.
With regard to weight, the Surface Book 2 is lightweight at 4.2 pounds. It comes equipped with a surface pen.
As for battery life, you’ll get around seven hours out of the laptop from a single charge, if not more.
Unfortunately, the Surface Book 2’s speakers remain its Achilles’ heel. The speakers are a bit of a letdown.
That said, the Microsoft Surface Book is still one of the best tablets for AutoCAD.
PROS
- Very powerful specs
- Superb battery life
- Good cooling feature
- Quite lightweight
CONS
- Pricey
- Speakers aren’t the best
Microsoft Surface Book 2 Key Specifications
Display: 13.5-inch, 3240 x 2160 pixels
CPU: 1.9GHz Intel Core i7-8650U
GPU: Intel UHD Graphics 620; Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060
RAM: 16GB LPDDR3
Storage: 1TB PCIe 3.0 SSD
Size: 13.5 x 9.87 x 0.568-0.90 (343 x 251 x 15-23 mm)
Weight: 4.2 pounds (1.9kg)
OS: Windows 10 Pro
5. Microsoft Surface Go
With the Microsoft Surface Go, you get most of the features present in the Surface Pro. The Surface Go is cheaper than the Surface Pro. It is perfect for running AutoCAD.
It can handle any drafting task than can be done on a typical Windows 10 PC. Because it utilizes Windows OS, apps can be installed from the Windows store facilitated by the preinstalled Windows S which can be updated to Windows 10 or Windows 10 Pro.
The Surface Go is a portable and sturdy tablet which can also double as a PC with a keyboard attached. You can write and draw on its surface.
The display is excellent for the price – don’t expect an Apple iPad Pro-like screen!
With regard to speed and performance, this tablet is just OK. However, it is not as lightening fast as the Apple iPad Pro 12.9, Apple iPad 9.7, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4.
Additionally, you can play games (light games, of course) on the device.
The Microsoft Surface Go has a USB-C port and a port for speakers and headphones. It is shipped with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB or 64 GB of internal storage.
The bezels are just perfect for holding the tab when the keyboard isn’t there. You don’t want to worry about accidentally tapping something on the screen.
Like some reasonably priced tablets out there, the Microsoft Surface Go’s battery will not last the whole day, especially if you are constantly streaming videos and playing music. To get the most from the battery each day, we recommend using its battery saving mode and setting the screen brightness to its darkest.
All in all, if you’ve always wanted a productive, flexible tablet for AutoCAD, the Microsoft Surface Go is easily the way to go. It remains one of the best tablets for AutoCAD.
PROS
- Excellent display
- Good design
- Affordable price
- Decent performance and speed
CONS
- Not as good as Apple tablets
- Average battery life
Microsoft Surface Go Key Specifications
Display: 10-inch display, 1800 x 1200 pixels
Chipset: Intel Pentium Gold
Operating System: Windows 10
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 128GB
Connectivity: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
Size: 9.65 x 6.89 x 0.33 inches (245 x 175 x 8.3 mm)
Weight: 1.15 pounds (522 g)
Rear Camera: 8-megapixel camera
Front Camera: 5-megapixel camera
Battery: 3411 mAh
6. Microsoft Surface Pro 6
If you want all the functions of Windows 10 coupled with everything a tablet can do, then go for the Surface Pro 6. It can serve as a tablet as well as a laptop and is perfect for engineers, architects, and professionals in the construction industry who use AutoCAD.
Microsoft Surface Pro 6 comes with several internal storage variants depending on your budget and needs. It has 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB storage options. You can go for the 8 GB RAM with Core i5 or 16 GB RAM with Core i7. All versions come preinstalled with Windows 10 Home.
The Core i7 variant with 16GB is just adequate for running AutoCAD.
The display and performance are a lot better than that on the Surface Pro 4. Its display resolution – 2736 x 1824 pixels – is gorgeous and first-rate. You can get roughly 6 to 7 hours of battery life depending on the applications you are running. Using the battery save mode and the suggested brightness settings will make the battery last a day or more.
The Surface Pro 6 is very lightweight and slim, and the audio quality is better than what you would find on most tablets; it is pretty loud and very, very clear. Despite the fact that the Surface Pro 6 has no built-in fan, it rarely gets warm even while running power-intensive applications.
It has four ports: a USB-A port, a headphone jack, a mini DisplayPort and a surface connect port. Surprisingly, the Surface Pro 6 has no USB-C port. It has a MicroSD slot concealed under the kickstand.
Aside from running AutoCAD effortlessly, tasks like using Microsoft Office related programs, surfing the web, taking notes, streaming videos and using programs like Photoshop and Revit can be done on Surface Pro 6 with ease. It is also great for light gaming.
Face recognition for unlocking the device is fast and responsive.
We recommend getting a stylus for drawing on the Surface Pro 6.
The Microsoft Surface Pro 6 has no USB-C port. We don’t see this as a big issue. You could get a USB-C to USB-A adapter if you must connect your USB-C devices to the tablet.
If the absence of a USB-C port does not give you pause, the Microsoft Surface Pro 6 is absolutely worth owning. It is indeed one of the best tablets for AutoCAD.
PROS
- Impressive display
- Excellent performance
- Good battery life
CONS
- Pricey
- No USB-C
Microsoft Surface Pro 6 Key Specifications
Display: 12.3-inch LCD screen, 2736 x 1824 pixels
Chipset: Intel Core i7 (8th Gen)
Operating System: Windows 10 Home
RAM: 8GB/16GB
Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB
Connectivity: Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Size: 11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33 inches (292 x 201 x 8.5 mm)
Weight: 1.73 pounds (784 g)
Rear Camera: 8-megapixel camera
Front Camera: 5-megapixel camera
Battery: 5940 mAh
Notable Mention
The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 has good specs for using AutoCAD without a hitch.
7. Microsoft Surface Pro 8
PROS
- Good display
- Beautiful design
- Works well with external devices
- Excellent Windows 11 integration
- Impressive webcam
CONS
- Stylus and keyboard sold separately
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Key Specifications
Display: 13-inch display, 2880 x 1920 pixels
CPU: 11th Gen Intel i5-1135G7- Intel i7-1185G7
OS: Windows 11
RAM: 8GB/16GB/32GB
Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Storage: Up to 1TB
Size: 11.3 x 8.2 x 0.37 inches (287 x 208 x 9.3 mm)
Weight: 1.96 pounds
Rear Camera: 10MP
Front Camera: 5MP
Battery: 51.5Wh
| No. | Item | |
| 1 | Apple iPad Pro 12.9 (2020) (Editors’ Choice) | Check Price on Amazon |
| 2 | Microsoft Surface Pro 7 | Check Price on Amazon |
| 3 | Wacom Intuos Pro | Check Price on Amazon |
| 4 | Microsoft Surface Book 2 | Check Price on Amazon |
| 5 | Microsoft Surface Go | Check Price on Amazon |
| 6 | Microsoft Surface Pro 6 | Check Price on Amazon |
| 7 | Microsoft Surface Pro 8 | Check Price on Amazon |
Bottom Line
Our picks are the best tablets for AutoCAD. These recommendations are perfect for engineers, architects, and professionals in the construction industry who need robust, fast, and decently priced tablets that just work without issues.
