Best Windows apps for Surface Pen and Surface Slim Pen users 2024

A Surface device, pen, and mouse sitting on a desk.
(Image credit: Workperch, Unsplash)

In the right hands, a pen can be a mighty little thing. The Surface Pen from Microsoft is a digital stylus that changes the way you interact with your Surface device. 

From note-taking to form-filling to digital illustration, the Surface Pen and Surface Slim Pen are mighty tools that only get better when you add some great apps into the mix. Here are some of our favorite apps to use on our Surface devices. 

Bamboo Paper

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The first time you touch your Pen to the screen with Bamboo Paper open, you'll wonder just how they made it seem so much like real paper. Take notes using the six writing tools, add pictures to your pages, and write over them. And share your ideas with others using Bamboo Paper on other platforms.

Sketchbook Pro | $20

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Formerly known as Autodesk Sketchbook, Sketchbook Pro is a fully fleshed-out digital sketching app. Customize the existing brushes, share with others, or import brushes made by fellow artists. Sketchbook features all the bells and whistles that you would expect to find in much more expensive drawing apps, such as layers, animation tools, and support for PSD and TIFF files.

Drawboard PDF | Free

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Drawboard PDF is regarded as one of the best PDF apps available, thanks to an enormous selection of tools. It's a document builder that lets you merge multiple PDFs, has annotations that can be calibrated for scale, and has a large number of grid and line templates. 

Staffpad | $90

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Musicians out there, take notice: StaffPad is an app designed for Surface that makes it incredibly easy to annotate music. As you handwrite your music, it's automatically and precisely converted into an engraved score. Once you finish writing, let StaffPad playback your creation with its full orchestra of instruments.

Sketchable Plus | $20

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Sketchable is a drawing, sketching, and painting app that has been designed with the Surface Pen in mind. Not only can you use Sketchable for notes or to work on existing images and artwork, use it to create an entirely new work of art thanks to its wide array of tools.

CollaBoard | Free

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For those of you commonly involved in team projects, CollaBoard is an app that works with your Surface device and the Microsoft Hub. It's best described as a digital whiteboard that multiple users can contribute to, all in real time. With Skype for Business integration and compatibility with PDF, images, videos, and more, the whiteboard can become the central pivot point of your more extensive project.

OneNote | Free

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Microsoft's free note-taking app syncs across all your devices, but it shines when you add the Surface Pen. Take notes on blank or grid backgrounds, highlight text, or draw pictures using various tools, then easily sync with OneDrive to keep your notes with you wherever you go.

ibis Paint | Free

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ibis Paint is a robust app for digital illustration, compatible with a multitude of devices ibis Paint offers thousands of brushes and material textures, along with features for creating your own manga. This one's only free for an hour each day before you're prompted to purchase the pro add-on. 

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Thanks to most of the above apps having at least some sort of free version or trial period, you can give them a try with your pen essentially risk-free. And don't worry about mixing and matching hardware; the Surface Slim Pen works with older Surfaces. Don't have a Surface Pen? You can always check out these Surface Pen and Surface Slim Pen alternatives.

Wondering exactly where to start with the apps? Bamboo Paper is a lightweight app that delivers a true paper feel while writing. Not only is it great for note-taking and journaling — you can add your own photos to a page — it can also be used to sketch or draw thanks to a custom color palette and a collection of tools beyond just a pen.

If you're more artistically inclined, there are countless drawing apps and Procreate alternatives for Windows, but compatibility between pens and apps can be an issue. The apps mentioned here will all pair exceptionally well with Surface pens, without any concerns for input issues. Apps like ibis Paint and Sketchbook Pro are excellent options with support for Surface pen features like pressure sensitivity and tilt without the need to purchase an additional pen display or drawing tablet.

Cale Hunt
Senior Editor, Laptop Reviews

Cale Hunt is formerly a Senior Editor at Windows Central. He focuses mainly on laptop reviews, news, and accessory coverage. He's been reviewing laptops and accessories full-time since 2016, with hundreds of reviews published for Windows Central. He is an avid PC gamer and multi-platform user, and spends most of his time either tinkering with or writing about tech.

With contributions from