Whether you’re a professional designer, an entrepreneur, or just a crafting hobbyist, the best vinyl cutter can help you create badges, transfers, stickers and more.
Vinyl cutters have come on leaps and bounds in recent years and now offer a huge array of functions, from scoring and engraving to debossing, foil transfer, and perforation. They can be used with other crafting gear like heat press machines to create shirts, stickers, and even wallpaper, and many models can be paired with laptop or smartphone software for easy, sophisticated results.
We think the Cricut Maker 3 is the best available right now, but we’ve used our expert insight and testing experience to compare the machines below to identify the best vinyl cutter for different needs. We also have a dedicated guide to the best Cricut machines and a roundup of the best laser cutters which are good alternatives.
The quick List
Below is a very brief summary of our top six choices as the best vinyl cutter machines and what sets them apart. Scroll down or you the jump links to read more about our opinion of each or to browse or full selection.
Cricut Maker 3 can use over 300 materials, and is capable of cutting, engraving and scoring. It also makes use of the new Cricut Smart Materials for longer, mat-free cutting. Read more below
The Cricut Explore 3 can handle the same Smart Materials as the Maker 3 but has slightly less power. That means it’s a little slower and it has slightly fewer attachments, but it’s a solid cutter if you’re on a budget. Read more below
This cutter is unique in that it features both a blade and a laser, and can cut, score and engrave with either, or both in the same project. That offers the best of two worlds: speed and incredible accuracy. Read more below
This is a revolutionary vinyl cutting machine thanks to its inbuilt CPU and scanner, which means you don’t need a computer to operate it (or a scanner). You use the simple LCD touchscreen. Read more below
The Cameo 4 is a bit cheaper than Cricut’s Maker 3 while just beating it on power and offering a slightly wider cut area. It has on-board controls for the basics plus Bluetooth and USB. We found the built-in cross cutter keeps vinyl edges nice and neat. Read more below
If you neet to cut on the go, the Cricut Joy is neat and compact. While it’s got a narrower cutting width, it can work on Smart Materials for as long as 20 feet, but it’s worth noting it’s controlled entirely from your phone or laptop
Ian Dean is a journalist who has spent 20 years writing about art and technology. In recent years, Ian has been creating crafts using digital craft machines such as Cricut as well as laser cutters and engravers. Below is Ian’s pick of the best vinyl cutter machines that he has personally tested or has commissioned expert crafters to review for Creative Bloq.
The best vinyl cutter machines in full
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If you need a vinyl cutter that can also cut a range of other materials, the Cricut Maker 3 is the Rolls Royce option. Able to cut anything from vinyl to basswood, it also works with Cricut’s Smart Materials, and you won’t need a cutting mat to use them. This means you can work continuously for up to 12 feet. That’s long enough to make a banner or poster of real scale, and a lot more than the original Maker’s 24 inches.
It’s more expensive than the original Cricut Maker, but it’s also twice as fast. While I don’t recommend this one for people who aren’t ready to make a seriously commitment to vinyl cutting, I’ve found it to be brilliant for large projects and works on over 300 materials. For more information, see our Cricut Maker 3 review and our comparison of Cricut Maker vs Cricut Maker 3.
On a budget, or a beginner? Then the Cricut Explore 3 – the successor to the Cricut Explore Air 2 (see below) – is probably the best vinyl cutting machine for you. Cricut’s Smart Materials allow you to cut projects without the need for a cutting mat. This means you can make cuts up to 12 ft (3.6 m) long in one go.
The Cricut Explore 3 cuts very fast, can cut 100 different materials, and yet it’s quite affordable. It comes pre-installed with a premium fine-point blade, blade housing and an accessory adapter in the machine. You also get a quick start guide, USB cable, a power cord and a sample of Smart Vinyl for a test cut. Just note that this is a mid-range model and not as powerful or feature-rich as the Cricut Maker 3. If you need more professional features, such as being able to cut 300 types of material, then you may find the premium-priced vinyl cutter suits your needs more closely. For more information, read our full Cricut Explore 3 review.
While the best vinyl cutters on this list use a blade, the xTool M1 differs by using a blade and a laser cutter, making it a pretty premium product. It can cut, score and engrave using either blade or laser, or both in one project, and the handy app controls everything. xTool offers a library of pre-designed projects to get up and running with, but I found that once you’ve mastered the basics, it’s easy to create designs in the app, which is similar to Cricut Design Space, or to import files created in other software, such as CorelDRAW.
The M1 is around the size of a large printer, or two Cricut Makers sat side-by-side, and will fit on most average-sized craft tables. A lid keeps any dust inside and you can connect an air filter, which is recommended. A ‘riser’ can be added to double the height of the work area and a rotary engraver enables you to engrave pens and even glass vases. As I noted in my full xTool M1 review, I found this is an essential addition.
So, the M1 can do pretty much everything a Cricut can do, but with the added option of faster cutting and engraving with the laser. A downside is everything must be placed inside the 15 x 12 inches work area, so it lacks Cricut’s Smart Material lengths or the Glowforge Pro’s passthrough; this expensive laser cutter features a more powerful CO2 laser module but is also twice the size. (Read my Glowforge Pro review for more on that.)
On the upside, xTools M1 offers the best of both worlds: it can speed up you cutting, offer incredible accuracy, and can engrave and cut thicker woods and plastics without the need for new attachments. If you’re looking for a unique alternative to Cricut, I suggest giving this serious consideration (read my guide to the best xTool machines for more from this brand. You might also want to see our pick of the best laser cutters).
The Brother ScanNCut DX range is a revolutionary vinyl cutting machine that can do everything a Cricut Maker 3 can do, but without the need for a PC or tablet or a scanner. This is a self-contained craft cutting machine with a larger cutting area (11.7-inches) and 3mm Auto Blade that can cut most materials out-of-the-box.
Just like the Cricut Maker 3 you can cut fabrics, cards, metals and woods with the Brother ScanNCut DX as well as attach a pen for drawing out designs. In our review of the Brother ScanNCut DX2200D review, a Disney-branded model with extras, we found this vinyl cutter comes into its own when creating fabric designs as it will add seam measurements to your designs automatically – it means you can scan in a pattern, seams are added, and then you can feed material in and it cuts everything to fit… all on one go. If you’re a sewer or quilter the Brother ScanNCut DX is essential.
There’s an LCD touchscreen on the Brother ScanNCut DX that enables you to use a pre-programmed design or even create designs right there without a PC, but there is an app to use on PC or tablet too and designs can be sent to the Brother ScanNCut to adjust. As it hosts so much tech, the Brother ScanNCut DX is more costly than the Cricut Maker 3, and if you’re happy to use a PC and external scanner then you may want to opt for our No.1 machine. But if you want to get crafting out-of-the-box with fewer extra costs, the Brother ScanNCut DX is a nice choice.
With a 3-millimetre clearance, the Silhouette Cameo 4 works on all sorts of material, from vinyl to leather. It’s perfectly suited to working on t-shirts because of its generous cutting width, ideal for larger logos and images. In many ways there’s not much to separate the Cameo 4 from its rival the Cricut Maker 3, except the out of the box the Cricut can cut 300 materials and the Cameo 4 100.
Don’t let that figure fool you however, as they can both cut the main materials you’ll need, it’s when you get into the variants of foils and metals that Maker 3 comes out on top – though you will likely need to buy extra blades to achieve this. The big difference is in blade pressure and power, the Cameo 4 pips the Maker 3 here, which means technically Silhouette’s machine is more handy out-of-the-box. But, again there’s nuance… Maker 3 uses a fast motion to overcome a lack of power, which can create cleaner cuts.
You can control the Cameo 4 using Bluetooth or a USB connection, but there are on-board controls too, which will let you master the basics without having to unlock your phone. The built-in cross cutter will keep vinyl edges neat, ready for your next project.
Whether you opt for the Cameo 4 over the Maker 3 will likely come down to price and which deal is best at the time you buy, and also consider the broader ecosystem of add-ons – Cricut has some excellent accessories and materials. Note that I’ve placed Cameo 4 is a little low on this list purely because it’s so similar to Maker 3 – xTool M1 and Brother ScanNCut are very different approaches to digital crafting. Read our Cricut versus Silhouette for a more in-depth comparison.
More of an accessory than a proper vinyl cutting machine
The Cricut Joy is specially designed for vinyl cutting. While it’s got a narrower cutting width, it can work on Smart Materials for as long as 20 feet, making it suitable for banners or repetitive tasks without too much supervision. You won’t even need a cutting mat when working with Cricut’s own materials, meaning it can go on and on. It’s neat and compact, and looks pretty cute, too.
Because it’s controlled entirely from your phone or laptop, the Cricut Joy vinyl cutting machine isn’t a good choice for those who would prefer to push physical buttons. But this is a big advantage of the Joy over some of its larger vinyl cutting machines – it can be run from a mobile, tablet or even one of the best Chromebooks for Cricut. This is a smart portable craft cutting machine to take to a friend’s house for an afternoon of fun.
In her Cricut Joy review, our writer loved this little craft machine commenting, “if you want to create cards, stickers and heat press templates the Cricut Joy is a quick and easy gadget to have in your craft closet”. It’s size limits what you can do, but also means the Joy can be stored and accessed quicker – it’s a nice entry-level cutting machine or companion to a Maker 3.
The highlights of this new vinyl cutter is the built-in camera and the neat LCD display, which we found offer precise control over pressure and accuracy. It t also has adjustable pinch rollers, so it’s possible to modify speed and pressure and experiment more.
Most crafters will want something that’s not too cheap and nasty, but also won’t want to pay top dollar for a premium cutting machine. In which case, the Cricut Explore Air 2 is the perfect middle ground. This is an older model of the newly release Explore 3 (above) and as such you’ll likely find some good deals.
Short on space? The Silhouette Portrait 3 is a lower-cost portable machine with an in-built roll feeder, and it weighs about the same as the Cricut Joy despite being a lot more equipped for different materials. Silhouette is often pitted as a Cricut alternative, and this is an excellent example.
The best vinyl cutter machines used to be predominantly die-cut models, with manual cutters that were only as good as the dies you buy. These days, models from Cricut and Silhouette mean you can have endless fun printing different vinyl stickers for use on cards, labelling, making banners, and even on clothing.
Cricuts are the most popular, but the Cricut vs Silhouette debate is still pretty active. Silhouette machines are often just as capable, and a lot cheaper than Cricut, but they lack the sturdy design with generous in-built storage.
When choosing, think about the size of the projects you’ll be working on. While cutting width is a big factor, machines that don’t need a mat will mean you’re not limited on the length of your project. Cricut models that use the brand’s Smart Materials can go for as long as 12 feet, and that includes the nifty Cricut Joy. My advice is consider what you need the machine for and choose the one that best suits your needs, which needn’t be the most expensive.
When we test vinyl cutters and other craft machines, we not only examine what a product can do, but also the value it represents. Our writers are crafters, some pf them professional, so they know what’s needed from a new cutting machine, and they test each product in the context of the type of work it is used for in the real world. In this case, we used the machine to cut vinyl for real craft project, evaluating each machine for capacity, speed, easy of use, and value for money.
While some vinyl cutting machines are hefty and not ideal for moving away from your crafting space, others can be transported to any place you may want to use them, and they’re also a lot more storage-friendly. In our view, the best portable vinyl cutting machine is the Cricut Joy. It’s neat and compact, and although that means a narrow cutting width, it can work on Smart Materials for as long as 20 feet, making it suitable for banners.
What are the differences between Cricut and Silhouette machines?
Generally both machines are evenly matched, but I would say the Silhouette Cameo 4 has more pressure in its blade mechanism than the Cricut Maker 3 so it can brute force cuts, while the Maker 3 uses a series of cuts to achieve the same result. Cricut has a broader range of accessories and blades, which means if you invest then Maker 3 can cut more. Read my guide, Cricut vs Silhouette for a deep dive into the two brands and vinyl cutting machines.
Do you need a computer to use a vinyl cutter?
For electrical vinyl cutting machines like those in my list, then generally yes. These craft cutting machines have apps that run on Mac and Windows and Android versions that can run on mobiles, tablets and Chromebooks. The alternative is the Brother ScanNCut range that features an onboard CPU and touchscreen, so technically you don’t need a computer with these machines.
Which vinyl cutter is better, Cricut or Brother?
I love the Brother ScanNCut because its a complete system with a built-in scanner and CPU, and it’s a powerful craft cutting machine that can do almost everything with few hidden costs. It also plots and adds seam allowances into designs, so is perfect for sewers. Cricut is great too but I find you need to spend on extras to achieve more – but Maker 3 is very easy to use and can be used with Cricut’s excellent heat press machines, the EasyPress 3 and Mug Press.
Best overall
Best budget
Best premium
Max tech
Best large
Best portable
