The Apple iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini have far more similarities than dissimilarities, so it's hard to know which one to choose. One could choose the iPad because it is the most affordable, the iPad Air because it is the largest, or the iPad mini because it is the smallest.

But besides those obvious aspects, each tablet has important differences. So, having used all three, we've put together the ultimate iPad vs iPad Air vs iPad mini showdown to find the Apple tablet that's right for you.

Here's everything you need to know about iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini comparisons.

When you put the iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini side by side, you think, "Wow, Apple has a type." Available in silver, space gray, and gold, all tablets have the same basic look. The back is machined aluminum, the front has a white or black bezel, and a home button taken from an iPhone.

As for size, the 10.2-inch iPad (1.1 pounds, 9.8 x 6.8 x 0.3 inches), 10.5-inch iPad Air (1 pound, 9.8 x 6.8 x 0.2 inches), and 7.9-inch iPad mini (0.7 pounds, 8.0 x 5.3 x 0.2 inches) are still similar rather than different.

The only real difference in their design is that the iPad Air has smaller top and bottom bezels, while the iPad mini has the most pronounced.

As for connectivity, the Lightning charging port and headphone jack are common.

Winner: iPad Air (by virtue of its thinner bezel)

The iPad has long been known for its excellent screen, which makes it the perfect display for your next Netflix or YouTube marathon, no matter what generation or size. As expected, the iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini all have great screens, but which is the best?

According to our colorimeter, the iPad produces 105% of the sRGB spectrum, the Air 132%, and the mini 135%. In our lightgun evaluation, the iPad mini was the brightest at 490 nits, with the iPad (450 nits) and iPad Air (425 nits) trailing behind.

The iPad Air and iPad mini also deserve credit for their panels' True Tone display technology, which automatically adjusts white balance based on ambient lighting conditions, although we never saw any significant gains when TrueTone was turned on, I appreciate that it is at least on-board.

Winner: iPad mini

Certainly, any stylus or Bluetooth keyboard can be used with these three iPads. However, the iPad and iPad Air are compatible with Apple's Smart Keyboard Folio, while the iPad mini is not.

Indeed, most Bluetooth keyboards are cheaper than Apple's, but one cannot argue with the ease of installation and pairing of Apple's keyboard. Nevertheless, this is understandable, as a keyboard that matches the mini's 7.9-inch screen would be terribly cramped.

All three iPads support the Apple Pencil, but we would have liked to have seen support for the second-generation Apple Pencil, which has a better charging method (avoiding connection to the Lightning port). Unfortunately, this version of the Apple Pencil is exclusive to the higher-end iPad Pro models.

Winner: iPad & iPad Air

This round is very easy if you look at the processors on each tablet: the iPad has the A10 Fusion processor (a variation of the chip found in the 2016 iPhone 7) and the iPad mini has the A10 Fusion processor (a variation of the chip found in the 2016 iPhone 7), iPad Air and iPad mini are powered by the A12 Bionic chip with Neural Engine (first seen in the 2019 iPhone XS and XR).

Therefore, it is not surprising that the iPad Air outperformed the iPad in the Geekbench 5 test, scoring 2,519 points to the iPad's 1,429. iPad mini's Geekbench 5 test was not conducted, but its Geekbench 4 score was 11,515, slightly higher than the iPad Air's 11,471. In other words, the iPad Air and mini perform similarly, as would be expected given that they have the same processor.

Similarly, the iPad Air outperformed the iPad in graphics performance, scoring 77,385 points on the Ice Storm Unlimited benchmark, beating the iPad's 38,929 points.

Winners: iPad Air and iPad mini

The iPad has a reputation for good battery life, and the iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini all last considerably longer. But as good as their excellent screens are, one iPad stands out. [This measures how long a tablet can ghost after browsing the web at 150 nits of brightness; both the iPad (11 minutes 58 seconds) and iPad Air (11 minutes 54 seconds) were just under an hour shorter.

While this is concerning, the iPad and iPad Air have larger screens to illuminate, so this difference in time makes sense if each iPad's battery is of similar size. iPad mini's battery lasts longer, perhaps because it has fewer pixels to light up. All three Apple tablets last longer on a charge, but the mini lasts the longest.

Winner: iPad mini

The $329 iPad may be the most affordable of these tablets, but looking at the performance of each tablet, its value proposition is not the best advantage for your money unless screen size and keyboard support are critical factors I don't think it gives you the best bang for your buck.

The $70 more expensive iPad mini, on the other hand, has faster performance, twice the storage, a better selfie camera, longer battery life, and a brighter screen. In terms of the most bang for the buck, the iPad mini is the clear winner.

Winners: iPad (price-wise) and iPad mini (value-wise)

Shockingly, the iPad mini has remained the smaller tablet all along, beating (or tying) its larger sibling in many rounds to take the overall win. Its competitive price means that its wins in performance, display quality, and battery life are overshadowed by the lack of a Smart Keyboard and smaller screen.

Nevertheless, the battery life and screen quality of the iPad and iPad Air are not bad. Shoppers looking for the cheapest iPad or the biggest iPad will not be disappointed.

The iPad vs. iPad Air vs. iPad mini show that bigger is not always better, and sometimes the best things come in smaller packages. But overall, you can't go wrong with any of Apple's mainstream tablets.