Finding an Apple Pencil at a discount is a good idea if you want a stylus to to take your iPad note-taking or sketching up a notch without breaking the bank. Unlike a lot of Apple products, Apple Pencil deals aren’t all that uncommon, meaning you can often do just that. We’ve even done the hard work of searching all of the major retailers for their best Apple Pencil deals and rounded them up in one place for you. 

Apple’s first-party stylus offers precise pressure sensitivity and pairs with Apple’s tablets for a fluid experience. The Pencil experience comes with a premium price tag, though, so it’s nabbing the Apple Pencil while it’s on sale when you can.

Below is a current breakdown of the best Apple Pencil deals available right now, with a quick look at historic low pricing for both models.

Beyond the Apple Pencil, there are a few great Apple Pencil alternatives that are also worth considering, and there are frequent deals on those which we’ve highlighted farther down the page. 

Best Apple Pencil (1st gen) deals

Apple’s first-gen Apple Pencil was originally released in November 2015 and has stuck around since then. At its debut, it worked only with the first iPad Pro model before support was added to subsequent models. It has a Lightning connector built into the end for charging the Apple Pencil right from your iPad, and has a removable tip that can be changed out after your current one starts to get worn down.

The first-gen Apple Pencil is compatible with all pre-2018 iPad Pro models, the iPad Air 3, the iPad Mini 2019 and all base-model iPads since 2018. It’s also the one to get to use with the new 2022 10th generation iPad. Awkwardly, there are two versions of the first-gen Apple Pencil for sale at most retailers: one with a Lightning adapter and one with a USB-C adapter. Other than the adapter, the Apple Pencil is the exact same so the deciding factor between them is purely how you wish to charge the device back up. The USB-C version hasn’t been on the market as long and tends not to be discounted. Here are the best first-gen Pencil deals you can buy right now.

Apple

The original Apple Pencil has dropped as low as $70 in the past but the best price you’ll find right now is just a few bucks below its retail price. 

Best Apple Pencil (2nd gen) deals

The second-gen Apple Pencil was launched in October 2018 alongside the third-gen iPad Pro, and while it may look similar on the surface there are quite a few differences between the two models. One big difference is that the Apple Pencil 2 charges magnetically while attached to newer iPads, meaning there’s no Lightning connector. The design is slightly refined as well, with one flat side that’s used to charge and a sensor near the tip that enables Double-Tap features.

The second-gen Apple Pencil works with all 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros (2018 and later models), as well as newer iPad Air (2020 and 2022) models and the iPad Mini 6. Here are the best Apple Pencil 2 deals you can get right now.

Apple

Apple Pencil 2 is seeing one of its best discounts right now at few retailers including Amazon and Walmart. It’s $39 off at $90 there, which is just $1 more than its lowest-ever price. 

Read our Apple Pencil 2 preview.

 

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Best cheap Apple Pencil alternatives

While the Apple Pencil offers one of the best experiences when paired with the iPad, it may not be the best choice for everyone. There are a number of cheaper Apple Pencil alternatives that you can take a look at. Here are some of the best ones that are on sale right now.

Sarah Tew/CNET

The Logitech Crayon works with just about every iPad, unlike the Apple Pencil. It doesn’t have the fancy instant pairing or magnetic charging, but other than that it works very similarly to the Apple Pencil for a fraction of the price.

Read our Logitech Crayon preview.

 

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Jamjake

This stylus is a great cheap alternative to the Apple Pencil if you want the overall style of the Pencil without the price tag. It has removable tips, can be turned on and off and even recharges via USB-C. Use the on page coupon for the full savings.

You’re receiving price alerts for Jamjake Stylus Pen for iPad: $30

Adonit

This stylus pen has a nice sleek design and offers a black option that Apple does not currently have for its Pencil models. It offers up to 12 hours of battery per charge, and a 4-minute charge can give you an extra hour of battery life. It uses Micro-USB for charging and can charge and write at the same time. Note that offers may vary by color.

Zagg

Zagg’s Pro Stylus offers an Apple Pencil-like experience without the price tag. It features palm rejection and tilt-recognition tech like the first-party option, offers automatic pairing and even attaches magnetically to the side of your iPad Pro or iPad Air (though you’ll need to charge it via USB-C). It’s 35% off directly at Zagg’s site right now (discount applied at checkout).

You’re receiving price alerts for Zagg Pro Stylus: $45

Apple Pencil vs. Apple Pencil 2: Which should you buy?

The decision here is simple: You have to buy the one that’s compatible with your iPad. Unfortunately, Apple does not let you pick which Apple Pencil you want to use with which iPad. Instead, iPads are only compatible with a specific model of the Apple Pencil. 

As outlined above, the original Apple Pencil works with the first- and second-gen 12.9-inch iPad Pro, 10.5-inch iPad Pro, 9.7-inch iPad Pro, iPad Air 3 and fifth-gen iPad Mini and all of the base-model iPads since the sixth-gen model. If you have a newer iPad Pro, fourth- or fifth-gen iPad Air or the sixth-gen iPad Mini, you’ll need to opt for the Apple Pencil 2. 

If you want to avoid this confusion, you can select from one of the non-Apple alternatives listed above, which generally have broader compatibility.