We've tracked down the best Apple Pencil prices as and when they go live and put them all into one handy guide just for you. There are two generations of the Apple Pencil and whilst Apple itself doesn't discount them, but we often see some decent deals from other retailers so it's definitely worth keeping an eye out for if you're on the lookout for a cheap Apple Pencil!
To make that easier, we've set up this page to pull in the best Apple Pencil prices from online retailers in your region so help you find a deal. So you know what to base that on, Apple's retail price for the first generation Pencil is $99/£89, while the second generation Apple Pencil is $129/£139. Unfortunately for UK buyers, the RRP of the Apple Pencil 2 has been increased since the release of the latest iPads as it was originally £119 – which means it's more important than ever to keep an eye out for deals! When other retailers run discounts, they're usually only in the region of around $10 / £10 off, but we did see the Apple Pencil 2 down to just $99/£84.99 at Amazon in October. Our below live links will show you the best prices available in your region right now, so make sure to keep an eye on those.
If you're still choosing which stylus to buy for your tablet, or you find the best Apple Pencil prices too expensive, see our pick of the best Apple Pencil alternatives and the best iPad stylus overall. For more general savings, see our roundup of the latest Apple deals.
The best Apple Pencil prices available now
The newer Apple Pencil 2 makes a number of improvements to the first Gen stylus, with a sleek new design and magnetic charging. The flat edge makes it less likely to roll off surfaces, it can magnetically clip onto the side of your iPad for charging and the improved tilt and pressure precision make it feel more natural as if you're drawing with a real pencil.
As the newer of the two devices, the Pencil 2 doesn't come in for reductions as often as its older sibling (below). Even in cheap Apple Pencil deals, savings are likely to be around $10/£10, but we have seen it as low as $99/£84.99 before the price hike at the end of last year. We normally see the best deals during big events like Prime Day and Black Friday, but be sure to keep an eye on the links above for the best Apple Pencil prices.
See our full Apple Pencil 2 review for more on our experience.
The first Gen Apple Pencil was released alongside the first iPad Pro in 2015. The most recent iPad Pros, Air and mini all take Apple Pencil 2, but if you have the basic iPad, this older pencil is still your only option. That means you miss out on some of the improvements introduced on the Pencil 2 above, but you do have the lowest Apple Pencil prices.
We find the Apple Pencil 1 less natural to use than it's upgraded sibling, but it's still a great tool for any digital artist using the base iPad. It charges up by plugging directly into your iPad using the lighting connection (or with a USB-C adapter on the new 2022 iPad). This is also the method for pairing your Pencil to the iPad. It charges quickly – about 15 seconds of charging will get you an impressive 30 minutes of use and fully charged, it has roughly 12 hours of usage time. An advantage it has over its newer counterpart is that it comes with a spare nib in the box, handy in case the original nib wears down over time. The Apple Pencil 1 price from Apple is $99/£89, but see fairly frequent discounts of up to around $10 / £10.
See our original Apple Pencil 1 review for more details on our initial experience with the stylus.
What devices do Apple Pencils work on?
The Apple Pencil 1 was released in November 2015 and is compatible with iPad Air (3rd Gen); iPad mini (5th Gen); iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st and 2nd Gen); iPad Pro 10.5-inch; iPad Pro 9.7-inch; and the iPad, right up to the 9th Gen.
The Apple Pencil 2 was released in November 2018 and is compatible with the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd Gen and later) and the iPad Pro 11-inch (1st Gen and later), the iPad Air (4th Gen and later) and the iPad mini (6th Gen).
You can learn more about the differences between the two styluses in our Apple Pencil 1 vs Apple Pencil comparison.
What does Apple Pencil do?
The Apple Pencil is a versatile digital stylus pen that's perfect for everything from sketching ideas and creating illustrations and paintings to taking notes, editing spreadsheets, annotating or marking up documents. It ranks top of the crop in our guide to the best iPad styluses and is arguably the best general consumer stylus yet designed. It’s fantastic to use, with pressure and tilt sensitivity making it quick and easy to sketch ideas, create stunning images, taking rapid notes and more.
How do you use Apple Pencil with an iPad?
You use an Apple Pencil much like a traditional pencil. It allows you to vary line weight to create realistic and subtle shading, and produce a wide range of artistic effects with impressive accuracy. Drawing feels natural, with no lag to ruin the illusion, and setup is a breeze. You just pop the cap off to reveal a Lightning connector, and plug it into your iPad Pro. (That's also how you charge the first Gen Pencil, while Apple Pencil 2 simply attaches to the side of your iPad and does the work for you).
What programs can you use Apple Pencil with?
The Apple Pencil works with a range of art and design iOS apps including various apps in the Adobe Creative Cloud suite (Illustrator, Photoshop and Fresco are available for iPad), Sketch, Procreate, Affinity Photo and many more. For more recommendations, see our pick of the best iPad Pro apps for Apple Pencil.
Wanting more Apple goodness? Check out our guides to the best iPad Pro cases and best iPad keyboards. We also have a handy guide on how to avoid losing your Apple Pencil.
