If you are looking for a great drawing tablet, then you won’t be disappointed by Wacom!
Wacom is one of the most well-known manufacturers of drawing tablets and is the first choice of many drawing professionals.
In this comparative review, I will be taking a closer look at One by Wacom and the Intous product line and compare their pros and cons.
I will be looking at things like:
- Active area (interface that you draw on)
- Price
- Unique features
- Included extras
- Connectivity and keys
- Warranty
Note: “One By Wacom” and “Wacom One” are not the same. Click here if you are actually looking for Wacom One Vs Intuos.
All of the tablets compared below are without display. If you are looking for drawing tablets with display click here.
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One by Wacom
One by Wacom is by far one of the most value for money products offered by Wacom. It is the most affordable tablet from Wacom and it is at an incredibly good place for what is offered.
Its size is 210 x 146 mm / 8.3″ x 5.7″ , and an active area of 152.0 x 95.0 mm / 6.0″ x 3.7″.
It has 2048 levels of pen pressure and 2540 lines per inch (“LPI”) which is a measurement for pen coordination and together with pen pressure reflects how sensitive the tablet can be to your input.
Unlike other Wacom tablets, it has no express keys and also no multi-touch capabilities.
The product includes the pen tablet, the pen, the USB cable, three replacement pen nibs, and a quick start guide with a regulation sheet. It also comes with a one-year limited warranty.
Intous and Intuos Pro: Many Different Variants
Wacom’s Intuos line is a product with different tiers to it. There is Intuos Small, Intuos Medium, and the Intuos Pro line, which has different variants themselves.
The specifications are similar initially, but some of them vary while others remain almost identical. All Intuos Pro models share a large list of features that will be listed below.
Intuos Small
Intuos Small has two different versions, one with bluetooth and one without. The difference between the two is minor, so for the sake of convenience (as well as with Intuos Medium) we will be comparing with the Bluetooth versions.
It has a size of 200 mm x 160 mm / 7.9” x 6.3”, and has a battery-free pen with 4,096 levels of sensitivity.
The active area is 152.0 x 95.0 mm / 6.0″ x 3.7″. It comes with three replacement nibs, a start guide, a regulation sheet, a user guide, and a few other odds and ends.
Intuos Medium
Intuos Medium is very similar to the small except it has a noticeable increase in size. It has a size of 264 x 200 mm / 10.4″ x 7.8″. The active area is 216.0 x 135.0 mm / 8.5″ x 5.3″
It comes with everything that Intuos Small does. The main difference is the size and of course the price, as the medium comes with a higher price tag.
Intuos Pro S
Intuos Pro Small has a size of 269 x 170 mm / 10.6″ x 6.7″. The active area is 160 x 100 mm / 6.3″ x 3.9″, and it weighs less than a pound. For the artist or hobbyist that desires a small size over all else, this is a good choice.
This model also includes 6 replacement nibs, 4 felt nibs, a cable, a pen, and a quick start guide. It is by far the cheapest of the pro versions.
Intuos Pro M
Intuos Pro Medium has a size of 338 x 219 mm / 13.2″ x 8.5″, while its active area is 224 x 148 mm / 8.7″ x 5.8″. The Intuos Pro Medium includes everything that the Small does, but it also has four extra color rings and an extra sheet sample card.
It also has a “paper size” similar to A5, a feature that the Small does not possess at all. It’s cheaper than the Pro Small, but a bit less expensive than the Pro Large.
Intuos Pro L
Intuos Pro Large has a size of 430 x 287 / 16.8″ x 11.2″. The active area for this model is 311 x 216 mm / 12.1″ x 8.4″
The Pro has everything that the Medium and Small does, but it is of course larger with a “paper size” of about A4. It’s more expensive than any of the other models here.
The shared features of Intuos Pro are as follows:
- Battery-free pen,
- multi-touch,
- 60-degree pen tilt,
- 8 (6 for the Small) express keys,
- home button, touch ring,
- a large number of available accessories with a 2-year limited warranty
Comparing: One by Wacom vs Intuos S, M, and Pro
With all of that out of the way, it’s time to finally compare the two. Certain things are obvious, such as a difference in price, but it’s also important to try and judge if the extra money is worth it for you.
One vs Intuos S
These two are the closest in price and function, but even here the gap is wide–and it’s only going to get wider. The Intuos S, even though it is normally priced higher, is actually smaller.
It has Bluetooth, but for many people, that isn’t an advantage. It is a minor difference in size, but it is noticeable, especially considering it’s the cheaper model that’s bigger.
Other aspects favor the Intous S, but not too wildly. It has far more pressure levels, boasting 4,096 compared to One, but for many entry-level artists, 2048 should be enough to start with. The Intous S is equipped with express keys, which the One does not include.
The question is: for the average person, is this worth the difference?
For some, the answer is probably no.
If you’re considering buying something like One by Wacom to get a really cheap, entry-level pen tablet, the One clearly comes out on top.
One vs Intuos M
Some of the differences here are starting to add up a little bit more, and it’s starting to get harder for the One to still come to bat against the Intuos M.
The screen size and active area are much bigger this time: with a difference of two inches plus in both categories. That’s far bigger, and even a layperson would notice the size difference between the two models.
Intuos Medium also has several other categories where it is far ahead of One by Wacom: features like 4,096 levels of sensitivity, Bluetooth 4.2, customizable express keys, and more.
If you’re going to spend more on a pen tablet, Intuos M is the starting point where the money starts to make a bigger difference.
One vs Intuos Pro (Small, Medium, Large)
Wacom’s Intuos Pro line is a product with three different tiers to it. We covered the specifications above in greater detail, and now, we’re going to pit One by Wacom against each tablet to try and get a bigger picture of how far One by Wacom’s value can reach.
Intuos Pro Small has a ssize of 269 x 170 mm / 10.6″ x 6.7″. The active area is 160 x 100 mm / 6.3″ x 3.9″, and it weighs less than a pound. For the artist or hobbyist that desires small size over all else, this is obviously the choice.
It costs a lot more than One by Wacom, and even though it comes with more accessories, it’s hard to justify that price increase without any huge additions to make up for it. One by Wacom beats out Intuos Pro Small in my opinion.
Intuos Pro Small has Bluetooth Support, express keys, and a touch ring–but the main purpose of drawing isn’t changed much. That isn’t enough to justify the price difference.
Intuos Pro Medium has a size of 338 x 219 mm / 13.2″ x 8.5″, while its active area is 224 x 148 mm / 8.7″ x 5.8″. The Intuos Pro Medium includes everything that the Small does, but it also has four extra color rings and an extra sheet sample card. It also has a paper size of half-letter/A5.
Here, One by Wacom finally starts showing some of its weaker points. Intuos Pro Medium is a far better drawing tablet in both sizes as well as the various features that it offers.
The price difference has only climbed at this point, as Intuos Pro Medium is even more expensive, but you are getting a lot for your money. Intuos Pro Large has a size of 430 x 287 / 16.8″ x 11.2″. The active area for this model is 311 x 216 mm / 12.1″ x 8.4″. The Pro Large has everything that the Medium and Small do, but the active area is larger, at a size of letter/A4.
One by Wacom is blown out of the water by Intuos Pro Large. It features a vastly larger drawing area, a plethora of features that One by Wacom does not possess, and more accessories for the buyer. It is, of course, even more expensive than the other Intuos tablets.
At this point, it’s very much a consideration of price versus long-term use: do you think you’re going to buy another pen tablet in six months after you buy One by Wacom when you decide to get more serious about art, or is it truly a casual activity for you? Is it worth spending that much money on?
Conclusions
One by Wacom is an incredibly value-filled product, offering a tremendous amount for the small price that it asks. Other, more expensive models may have quite a bit to offer, but unless they can stand up to what they’re asking for, it’s simply a large price difference.
The difference really starts to crack around Intuos Medium both the normal and pro variant.
Final verdict:
If you’re going to buy the Intuos Pro Small or Intuos Small, you might be better off with getting One by Wacom.
If you’re considering buying Intuos Pro Medium or Intuos Medium, think about whether the extra size and options are worth it to you, and if it might be worth getting the largest option: Intuos Pro Large.
The Pro Models do have more features than the regular models, but certain things stay very similar, such as screen size, active area, support of certain features, and more.
With the price difference being as much as it is (Intuos Small and Intuos Small Pro) it’s arguable whether or not you need anything else when you’re trying to buy a basic, entry-level tablet.
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