"Which alcohol markers is the best?" - extended review of 7 brands

For this blog I dived into the world of alcohol based markers. Like the nerd that I am it turned into a big swatch and comparison project 🤓. By the time I'm updating this blog (6 years later) alcohol markers have become mainstream for illustrators and hobbyists a like. So in this blog I'm answering one of the most asked questons: which marker brand is the best? It's a battle between the brands: the pros, the cons and of course the prices!

*I wrote the first version of this post in 2020 and updated it in 2026. Prices may vary, also based on your location. *Another disclaimer in advance: yes, there are many more brands of alcohol markers. To keep this project somewhat manageable (also for my own bank account ;) I will review a selection of brands. Over time I will update this blog post with new brands or new findings.

Enough talking: here are the reviews of the markers, sorted from low to high price:

1. Twin / Chotune makers (dollar stores)

When I first wanted to try alcohol markers, I bought a few Twinmarkers, which are available at stores like Flying Tiger and Action. I believe Chotune markers are also similar to these, just like a lot of ets offered on Temu, AliExpress and Amazon. For just a few euros, I wanted to see if I even liked this type of marker. Given the low price, I didn’t have very high expectations...

Good or bad? To be honest, the markers weren't as bad as I expected. But does it come close to the 'artist quality' the packaging is promising? Definitely not! Is it a nice sets for kids or when your on a budget? Yes, they are. But you will start noticing the difference when you compare them with other brands. It starts with small things like: the colors often don't quit match the cap, no color name on the barrel of the marker, the markers are sometimes skewed and that’s annoying to hold when you’re coloring with them.

Limitations In terms of use? To get an even color you have to use multiple layers. With these markers the color is quickly saturated, it's difficult to add more depth. Blending also doesn't go as smoothly as with the other brands. In short: okay markers to start with, but if you have a bit more budget, I would pass on these.

+ very cheap

- beginners quality

€24,95 for a 50 to 200 marker set // converted €0,49 - €0,15 per marker

2. Ohuhu markers

By now these might be one of the more well-known alcohol marker brands (which definitely wasn't the case yet when this blog first launched). The brand Ohuhu. These markers have the reputation of being the best alternative to the famous Copic markers. So I had to try them and I haven't looked back since. These are my go-to markers!

The sets When I first bought the Ohuhu markers started with a set of 48 markers, but quickly added the pastel- and skintone set to my collection. By now (after a collab with Ohuhu) I've upgraded to the 320 set 🙈. Back in 2020 you could only order sets, but by now you also have open stock of the markers as well as refills available.

The pros So what's so great about the Ohuhu, besides being very affordable? First plus point: included with your markers comes a firm storage bag and a sheet to put behind your paper against bleeding. Second plus: they look stylish and are comfortable to hold.

Even more pros The brush tip is sturdy and all nibs (chisel-, brush- and/or the bullet tip - depending on your set) have a really nice ink flow. Blending and layering is pretty smooth sailing with these markers. I also didn't run into the issues that I had with some other markers, like unexpected ink bleeding (W&N) or dried out nibs due to small cracks in the cap (Copic). Ohuhu seems build to last!

The cons Are there any disadvantages? A few minor ones. There are (again) no color codes or names on the marker, only on the cap. So it’s a bit of a hassle to match all caps and markers at the end of a drawing session. I've added small swatches with stickers to fix this.

I ❤️ swatchen 

Colors don't always match with the color on the cap, so swatching is also really advised. The swatching cards included in the bag aren't printed on marker paper. As a nerd I have an opion about that 😜, so I make my own. Another disadvantage: the storage bags don't have many compartments, so you to color sort them yourself, plus hacks to keep them organized (as I've shown here how to :).

Shop locally By now Ohuhu expended their range of products, including fineliners, acrylic markers, colored pencils, several markerpads and bleefproof sketchbooks. In The Netherlands the brand is sold by the independent owned shop becreativeshop.nl. Since I rather shop there than at the big players like Amazon, I definitely recommend them!

+ very affordable

+ good quality

+ fine ink flow

- small practical things with the color matching and bag organizing

€ 1.99 for individual markers, but about 70ct per marker if you buy the bigger sets

3. Arrtx OROS alcohol markers

After working with Arrtx’s acrylic markers for a while, they asked me if I’d like to test their alcohol markers as well. And if you know me, you know: testing art supplies is my middle name!

The packaging gets high marks

Arrtx scored the most points with their packaging! A nice, sturdy cardboard box with a handy handle. And when you fold the lid all the way open, the box transforms into a nice organizer that lets you access all the markers at a glance. Inside the box are plastic holders, so all the markers stay neatly in place. Absolutely love this!

Two minor design flaws in the marker itself? Just like with many other brands, the color numbers are only printed on the cap, because that’s cheaper to produce. But that cap? With Arrtx, it doesn’t fit onto the back of the other cap. As a result, you end up with loose caps lying around and can’t always tell which cap belongs to which marker. 

Second, the difference between the brush tip and the other tip—with the caps on—is very subtle. If you look closely, the chisel tip has a very small raised edge. Yes, there are also icons on them, but they’re only on one side of the triangular marker. When you’re drawing, you want to be able to grab the right tip at a glance. With other brands, for example, the distinction is more clear by the shape of the cap or a colored rim around the tip. I know, these things might seem like nitpicking, but for me, they do make a difference when drawing.

The marker, blending, and more

The marker itself has a great firm yet flexibel brush tip. The blending works well, too. I do feel, though, that when you apply a lot of layers, the result can get a bit blotchy with some colors. Or there's an ink build up and it forms a shiny layer. But overall, the markers work great!

Color selection 

Another advantage of this set? It includes both midtones and a few dark colors, as well as a pretty wide selection of light pastel shades. So if you love those soft colors, but also want the other shades for contrast? This is a great choice! Thanks to the light colors, you can also build up multiple layers without it immediately becoming too dark. How many layers? Check out this Reel!

However, I do have some critic on the color selection in this 90 set. For example, there are a lot of red, pink, and beige shades in this set that are very similar to one another. The same goes for a few shades of brown that are almost indistinguishable from each other. Meanwhile, when it comes to the green colors, for instance, I really feel like there’s one or two shades missing between light green and the other green markers. And there’s only one shade of orange. I think this is an area for improvement.

Limitations I also find that the depth of the colors is sometimes a bit limited. One advantage of alcohol markers is that you can create multiple shades with a single marker by layering the same color multiple times. With these Arrtx markers, it seems like you reach that limit a bit faster than with brands like Ohuhu, Winsor & Newton Promarkers, and Copic. But honestly I’ll need to work with them a bit longer to confirm this impression, so I might come back on this one.

Final verdict?

Well, you just can’t avoid comparing them to my favorite brands. Will this Arrtx set come out on top? Not entirely. It's a close call, but when it comes to blending, color build-up, and ease of use, Ohuhu and Promarkers just feel a bit better to me. Maybe that’s just because I’ve been using them for years and am used to them. Because is this Arrtx set still a really great set of alcohol markers? Absolutely!

Arrtx OROS 90 set available at Be Creative or Amazon/Arrtx - €79,95 = 0,99 ct per marker

4. Not a favorite: Chameleon markers

In my search for markers I also came across the Chameleon markers. These have a system with not only regular markers, but also so called 'color tops' that you click on top of your original marker. The colors then blend into each other, allowing you to create a nice gradient. I figured I tested these while I was at it.

The brush nibs from Chameleon are initially very firm, but become softer because the tip quickly starts to fray a bit, especially when you put a color top on it. In the manual they say that this fraying is intentionally, so the brushtip will feel more and more like a real brush. To be honest, this feels a bit like nonsense to me. With the fraying you lose the option to work in fine detail. And the brush nib is the smallest of all the alcohol markers I have tested. So it's not like you can color in huge areas with it.

Bonus or gimmick? Then the color tops. Marketing wise this might seem a smart choice, because Unique Selling Point. But in reality it's a gimmick instead of a plus. First of all: you can blend alcohol markers with each other anyway (on paper or nib-to-nib). You don't need special color tops for that. Secondly: if you specifically want the color of a certain color top, you first have to blend it into another marker, you can't use the tops individually. Which is just such a hassle. It takes more time. More different caps of multiple markers to put on and take off. Constantly looking for the right combination. So my conclusion: it's a no for me.

Chameleon - €3,80 á €6 per marker, depending on the set

5. Winsor & Newton Promarkers

When I first wrote this blog Winsor&Newton Promarkers were my favorite brand. I still rank these highly - but I'll explain why they shifted to second place. Back in 2020, because I liked the Promarkers a lot, I approached Winsor&Newton for a collaboration around my online courses Winsor&Newton then spoiled me BIG TIME and completed the marker set I already owned to their full collection Promarkers. Of course I still have this set in my studio and will probably never part with it.

Winsor & Newton quality

Why? The markers, like most W&N products, offer great quality at a good price. The ink flow is juicy, the colors are beautiful and the biggest plus? From all the alcohol marker brands I've tried these markers have the most evenly coloring result. Where Copic and Ohuhu can have a slight speckle on paper, Promarkers creates full colored strokes. They are available in sets as well as open stock, so you can always restock your favorite colors.

Brushnib preference Any drawbacks? The markers aren't refillable, so they're less durable than Ohuhu and Copic markers. And the reason why they were disrupted from first place by Ohuhu markers? I prefer working with a brushmarker and the tip of the Promarker is thick, but too flexibel for my taste. When you put pressure on it, the tip of the nib flicks up. If Winsor&Newton would provide a more firm tip, these would be an even bigger competitor again! The set I own mostly consists of the chisel-and bullet nib combination. If those are your preferred nibs to work with (or if you actually do prefer a more flexibel brush nib), these are a great, high quality buy.

+ good price/quality ratio

+ nice smooth result

+ large choice of colors

+ available separately

- not refillable

- would prefer a firmer brush tip

€ 3.85 per marker (open stock sale), down to €3,07 from the 96 set

6. Tombow ABT PRO markers After the cheap Twin Makers, the Tombow ABT PRO markers were the first professional brand I started working with. Because I made several workshops and tutorials for Tombow, I gathered a good collection of colors for testing as well.

Doesn't beat the competition Although I still think these are okay alcohol markers, they aren't in my top favorite compared to other brands. The main reason? The price and the ink flow. At around €4 these markers cost more than Winsor&Newton and as much as the cheapest variant of the Copic markers (the 'student priced' Ciao marker). If the quality would be distinctly better than in other brands, I'd understand the higher price point. But personally I don't think they're better than Ohuhu or W&N Promarkers. Mostly because they have less ink in the (smaller) barrel and the ink flow is on the dry side, they often need multiple layers for an opaque coverage and blending is a bit less smooth.

A familiar feeling Nevertheless, the Tombow PRO marker also has a few nice advantages. First of all, the marker lies comfortably in your hand due to the narrower barrel. It feels totally familiar if you're used to ABT dual brushpen, because the size of both the markers and the brush tip is the same!

Since the marker is more narrow than other brands (also with a smaller chisel tip), you can deliver more detailed work. In short: if Tombow would drop in price and have a better ink flow, they would go up in my book.

+ fine brush tip

+ great for detailed work

+ available separately

- dry ink flow - higher price

Around € 4 per marker (open stock sale)

7. Copic markers

Here we are, arriving at what used to be the undefeated champion of alcohol markers. For decades Copic has been the go-to for architects, product designers, art students and world wide fans. But with the growing market of alcohol markers, they’ve now got some very serious competition. For this blog I couldn't resist trying the Copic markers. I know: it is a tough job. Why? First of all, the Sketch markers (the professional quality brush marker) come in no less than 357 colors. Yeah, that makes selecting your favorite colors a challenge doesn’t it? I think I spent at least an hour at my local art store.

In-depth investment Secondly, I allowed myself to buy a maximum of 10 markers. Why the limitation? Well, these are the most expensive markers on earth. I bought them while they were on sale, but normally these markers cost about €6 to €8 PER MARKER. Ouch.

The nibs of the markers are replaceable and all markers are refillable. With a refill of €8.26 you’re supposed to be able to refill the markers 5 to 6 times. In the long run the price of your marker will drop considerably. But still...ouch.

Worth the price? So the number one question: are they worth their price? Well, if you can afford it, they might. My first impression was definitely good. The ink flows well, blending and layering is no problem at all. I also got gifted a small set by a client, so I had more colors to try.

An issue But when I grabbed these markers a few months later, several markers had completely dried out! Even though I had the cap firmly closed. It means I have to buy new nibs and a refill to get them working again. Looking into this I read online that this is a known issue. Apparently the cap is either not closing well enough or small cracks in the cap can occur (sometimes hardly visible to the eye). And that should NOT be an issue if you're the most expensive marker on the market.

So if you'd ask my advice (and many of you often do), I would choose Ohuhu or Winsor&Newton Promarkers over the price of Copics.

+ a high quality marker

- the price

- several dried out markers

Now let's start drawing

"So what paper should I use with alcohol makers?"

The second most asked question after which brand is the best: which paper should I use? Check out my previous blog where I wrote about paper for alcohol markers. Would you rather work in sketchbooks than on separate sheets of paper? In this blog you can read about the different sketchbooks I tested!

"One more question: how exactly do you draw with alcohol based markers?"

I think I can better show than tell you! I have multiple online courses with alcohol markers, but these are in Dutch 🇳🇱 You can find them (and more) here.

PS 1 - The links in this article are affiliate links. Do you want to buy the markers? It would really help me if you order using these links! It won’t cost you anything extra, but I’ll earn a small percentage of the sales made. Which will help me writing more of these blogs.

PS 2 - Do you want to see a big (almost) scientific comparison of many more marker brands? I definitely recommend watching these vlogs of the Australian Jazza (part 1 and part 2). I