S Pen vs alternative smartphone styluses

One of the things that sets the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra apart from its cheaper S25 siblings is its S Pen. Creatively short for “Samsung Pen”—not “Samsung Stylus Pen”, meaning “Samsung S Pen” is a tautology—the S Pen is a digital stylus in the vein of the Apple Pencil. Basically, it gives users another way to interact with their phone display that doesn’t involve potentially grubby mitts.

You’ll still benefit from an S25 Ultra case, but you may have less of a need to get an S25 screen protector if your main objective is to avoid fingerprints (though you still should). But if you lose your S Pen—or want a backup or an alternative—you don’t need to faithfully stick to a first-party pick when there are some great third-party stylus alternatives out there.

First and foremost, you want to ensure your would-be S Pen alternative is compatible with your Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra or other Samsung Galaxy devices. S Pens use electromagnetic resonance (EMR), which supports features like palm rejection and pressure sensitivity. One of the other perks of EMR technology is potential compatibility with touchscreen laptops, including models from Acer, Asus and HP.

If you plan on doing a lot of digital drawing, seek out S Pen alternatives that prioritise pressure sensitivity, palm rejection and tilt recognition. Bluetooth isn’t an essential feature for basic stylus use, but it can lend itself to extra versatility, like button inputs and air commands. For an all-rounder inclusion, keep an eye out for low latency for more responsive inputs; the lower the latency value, the more seamless the experience.

Sure, look is important, but this is more about the practicalities of an S Pen alternative. Some offer a magnetic attachment to keep them snapped to compatible devices. Others are purpose-built for specific cases, while others still mimic the look of traditional pens or pencils.

Ideally, you want a cheaper price for an alternative stylus than the cost of an S Pen. Samsung charges between $80 and $100 for its range of S Pens. You can find cheaper (or pricier) versions on Amazon, including the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold S Pen Edition for under $30. While budget is important, expect to pay around $80 or more for an S Pen alternative with plenty of features.

The S Pen is compatible with a range of Samsung devices:

• Samsung Galaxy Tab A (8.0, 9.7 and 10.1)
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S (S3 and later, except S5e)
• Samsung Galaxy Tab Active series
• Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and later
• Samsung Galaxy Book series
• Samsung Notebook 9 Pen and 9 Pro
• Samsung Chromebook Plus, Pro and Galaxy
• Samsung Activ Tab 3, Tab 5 and Tab 7
• Samsung Galaxy Note series

Note that S Pens reportedly are not compatible with other touchscreen stylus-capable devices, despite having similar technology, but that’s not necessarily the case for third-party styluses.

As long as you stick to an EMR stylus, you should have dozens of S Pen alternatives to choose from, ranging in price and functionality. Because the S Pen is purpose-built for compatible Samsung devices, there may be missing advanced features like air commands. Similarly, if you opt for a non-Bluetooth version of an S Pen alternative, you shouldn’t expect to use your third-party stylus as an ad hoc remote control.

Note that third-party S Pen alternatives aren’t necessarily cheaper than Samsung S Pens, just check out our round-up below for some $80 options. Still, the more you pay, the better the experience you should expect, either in comfort, performance, features and/or extras like included replaceable tips. If you want to avoid fingerprints on your Samsung screen, consider an S Pen alternative with an included thicker tip on the top of the stylus that can control regular touch inputs.

Here's a breakdown of some of the best S Pen alternatives we could find.