If you’re trying to decide which iPad to buy, you’ve got four key choices. Do you go for the ultra-powerful iPad Pro, with its cutting-edge silicon and first-class display, or save a little money and go for the almost-as-powerful iPad Air? Or, indeed, you might want to put portability first and opt for the diminutive iPad mini, which has seen the most recent update in the form of the iPad mini 7th Gen – then there’s also the all-rounder basic iPad, which last had an update in 2025.
It can be a little confusing, so we’ve put together this guide. We’re not ranking the iPads or saying which is “best” – mostly because that’s an easy question to answer; it’s the flagship iPad Pro. Rather, we’re looking critically at which iPad is best for which type of user, to help you sort out which is the right iPad for you. For simplicity’s sake, we’re going to mostly focus on the most recent model in each line – comparing every single iPad that has ever been made would be too large a task to be useful! If you’re also looking for a stylus for your iPad, check out our rundown of Apple Pencil 2 vs Apple Pencil 1, Pro and USB-C.
