Ballpoint Pens vs. Gel Pens A ballpoint pen has an alcohol carrier and a thick oil-based dye ink. This means that while you write, the ink is transferred to the paper through the ball and dries rapidly before the paper absorbs too much of it. A gel pen uses water-based gel ink that is thinner than that of a ballpoint pen. It stays on the page longer because there's less ink overall, but it also dries faster than ballpoint ink. Gel pens have several advantages over ballpoint pens: they don't need to be refilled as often, their ink doesn't run when you pass them along from person to person, and they don't clog up in places like hotel minibars or drainpipes. However, they do cost more and sometimes come with drying time differences depending on the brand. Either way, these are some useful writing tools!