Choosing the Best Electronic Craft Cutting Machine – Compare Silhouette, Cricut and More

August 21, 2021 By Heidi 109 Comments
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Buying a craft cutting machine can be a big decision. There are several different types of cutters on the market and they all have very unique features. Most crafters opt to purchase a Silhouette or a Cricut machine, but there are more options out there. Is Cricut the best cutting machine for you? Would you prefer a Cricut alternative? Your choice will heavily depend on what type of crafts you want to do and what type features you will want in a machine.

Craft Cutting Machine Comparisons and Cricut Alternative

Table of Contents

Choosing the Best Electronic Craft Cutting Machine

I will highlight the unique features of each machine to help to make your decision easier and help you find the best electronic cutting machine including Cricut alternatives. Whether you are deciding Cricut vs. Silhouette or Cricut vs. Brother, read through the following information and decide which machine fits best with your crafting needs.

Cricut Alternative – Silhouette Machines

Silhouette machines are great for the person that likes to design and manipulate their own projects. There is a small learning curve to the Design Studio software, but you can easily change projects to fit your needs by erasing something here and there, adding text or drawing new lines. The Silhouette design store offers turnkey images and projects at a low price, but as you get better, you can easily tweak these projects to fit your needs. You can also cut any font that is installed on your computer. You can work within the free version of the Design Studio software or you can purchase the Designer Edition software upgrade.

The Designer Edition upgrade allows you to cut SVG(vector files) files, unlocks the rhinestone features, has better eraser, knife and shear tools and more. The best part is that you do not have to have an internet connection to use your software. If the internet goes down, you will still be able to use your machine.

Tracing is another unique feature of the Silhouette machines. You can trace and cut images that you upload to your computer. For example, if you have a logo that you want to make “cuttable”, you can use the trace feature to make it into a cuttable file. My husband owns a small business and I was able to trace his logo and create vinyl decals, shirts and more for his business. Another example is if you have an image like a cute panda jpg file that you want to cut out, you can upload it to your software, trace it, and use the “print and cut” feature to print the image. Then you can have your machine cut around the outer edge of the panda. This is one of my favorite features of the Silhouette machine as you can create truly unique projects.

Silhouette has a whole line of machines in different price ranges, sizes, and, with different features:

1. Silhouette Cameo Machines

The Silhouette Cameo is my favorite machine in Silhouette America’s lineup and the Cameos just keep getting better and better. The new and more powerful Cameo 4, which has a 12″ wide cutting area is the newest 12″ model and now there are larger machines that cut 15″ and 20″ wide. All Silhouette machines run off of Silhouette Studio software, which comes with it. The great thing about the software is that you aren’t required to work with an internet connection. You can work offline! You can also purchase the Designer Edition software upgrade if you wish to unlock more designer editing features.

Silhouette Cameo 4– The Silhouette Cameo 4 is the newest machine and it has some impressive new features. This Cameo is stronger and faster than ever. It has 5000 grams of cutting force, which is 1000 grams more than the comparable Cricut Maker (4000 grams), which helps cut through thicker materials. The former Cameo 3 had the capability of just 210 grams of cutting force, so the Cameo 4 is quite an upgrade. As far as speed, the Cameo 4 cuts 3 times faster than the former Cameo 3. It also comes with new tools that the Cameo 3 did not have such as the Kraft and Rotary tools to help with cutting things such as balsa wood, leather, chipboard and more. The exclusive Punch tool is a special tool that helps create weeding points for working with vinyl. These new tools have built-in sensors so your machine can detect which tool is inserted into the holder. How cool is that? The Cameo 4 still can cut up to 10 feet long of vinyl and 12 inches wide, but it now comes with a built-in vinyl roll feeder (new!) with a cross-cutter to cut off your vinyl roll when you are finished cutting.

Like previous Cameo machines, the Cameo 4 has wireless capability, can print and cut and has the ability to “trace”, which is unique to Silhouette machines. The Cameo 4 has a larger clearance (3mm vs. 2mm) for thicker materials like balsa wood, leather, but will still cut things like cardstock, vellum, acetate and paper. It uses the Silhouette Studio software that is included with your machine or upgrade to Designer Edition software to unlock additional features. If you plan to purchase additional machines or want to be able to import and save your cut files in other formats like EPS or SVG, you will want to check out a higher software upgrade than the Designer Edition Software. The Silhouette Studio Business Edition Software will give you even more editing and saving features.

Silhouette Cameo Plus 15″– The Silhouette Cameo Plus allows you to tackle larger projects with it’s 15″ wide cutting area and it can cut up to 60 feet long with the built-in roll feeder. This feature is great for producing larger 3D paper projects with a true 12″ width mat or larger vinyl decals using the 15″ wide rollers, especially for those who wish to open a small home business. This machine also has 5000 grams of cutting force, which is 1000 grams more than the comparable Cricut Maker (4000 grams), which helps cut through thicker materials. Like the Cameo 4, the Silhouette Cameo Plus also has a built-in roll feeder, a built-in crosscutter for trimming off materials, it accommodates 3mm of material clearance for thicker materials, it has automatic blade and tool detection with the built-in sensors. It also uses the Silhouette Studio software that is included with your machine or upgrade to Designer Edition software to unlock additional features. If you plan to purchase additional machines or want to be able to import and save your cut files in other formats like EPS or SVG, you will want to check out a higher software upgrade than the Designer Edition Software. The Silhouette Studio Business Edition Software will give you even more editing and saving features.

Silhouette Cameo Pro 24″– The Silhouette Cameo Pro 24″ inch wide cutter is the newest machine and it is the next level up in size. You can now cut as big as a professional, but with the ease of learning the user-friendly Silhouette software. The PRO opens the door to a new world of media, projects, and capabilities for beginners or as an addition to any experienced Silhouette crafter’s craft room. The roll feeders can accommodate rolls of material up to 24″ inches or you can adjust the rollers easily to accommodate other widths of material like 12″ or 15″, depending on the materials that you have on hand and it includes a roll feeder to help materials feed properly. It includes a loading sensor to help you load materials easily and without it getting bunched up or crooked.

This professional-sized machine accomodates a 24″ mat and it includes a platform to support the mat as you are performing cutting jobs. The roll feeder pieces and support platform, nestle together for easy, neat storage while not in use. Like the Cameo 4, the Silhouette Cameo Pro machine also has a built-in roll feeder, a built-in crosscutter for trimming off materials, it accommodates 3mm of material clearance for thicker materials, it has automatic blade and tool detection with the built-in sensors. It also uses the Silhouette Studio software that is included with your machine or upgrade to Designer Edition software to unlock additional features. If you plan to purchase additional machines or want to be able to import and save your cut files in other formats like EPS or SVG, you will want to check out a higher software upgrade than the Designer Edition Software. The Silhouette Studio Business Edition Software will give you even more editing and saving features. The Silhouette Cameo Pro would be a great option for those who are looking at starting a vinyl business.

2. Silhouette Portrait Machine

The Silhouette Portrait Machine 3 has many of the same features as the Cameo like Bluetooth capability and the autoblade, but it has a smaller, 8-inch wide capability, which makes it both compact and lightweight. You can get the Silhouette Portrait 3 machine at a lower pricepoint and it will take up less space in your craft area. However, if you think you will want to do larger 3D projects like boxes or gift bags or cut tall vinyl lettering, you will want a larger machine. The newest Silhouette Portrait 3 machine boasts an 8-inch wide cutting area, cuts up to 60 feet long and automatically detects Silhouette tools for cutting, sketching and more. The clearance is smaller than the Silhouette Cameo, at just 2mm, so it will only cut thinner materials like cardstock or vinyl. It also has Bluetooth capabilities, has the ability to print and cut and uses the same Silhouette Studio Software and software upgrades. It also uses the Silhouette Studio software that is included with your machine or upgrade to Designer Edition software to unlock additional features. If you plan to purchase additional machines or want to be able to import and save your cut files in other formats like EPS or SVG, you will want to check out a higher software upgrade than the Designer Edition Software. The Silhouette Studio Business Edition Software will give you even more editing and saving features.

3. Silhouette Curio

The Silhouette Curio machine is a cool little machine and I believe it is meant to be a machine that compliments either the Cameo or Portrait. It’s cutting area is 8.5 inches wide, but you can feed thicker materials into the machine with a wider clearance area. A higher clearance (5 mm) underneath the roller bar allows you to load thicker materials into the machine. Etch on thicker metal or sketch on wood up to 5 mm thick, and with the 2 mm cutting blade or kraft blade, cut through materials that are up to 2 mm thick. The Curio machine unlocks stippling, etching, debossing, embossing and dual carriage features in the powerful Silhouette Studio design software. If this is your first Silhouette machine, I would recommend the Cameo, but if you want to try some specialty crafts, the Curio is for you.

compare cricut maker and cricut explore air

Cricut Machines Comparisons and Reviews

Cricut’s latest and greatest machines are the Cricut Explore Machine lineup and the Cricut Maker Machines and they blow away the older Cricut Expression machines. They are best known for producing turnkey projects easily and for it’s quiet cutting. Cricut has created a simplified software and you can purchase files directly from them for a minimal cost or you can upload your own SVG files. You can also cut any font that is installed on your computer. It cuts up to 11.75 x 23.5 and it is fairly simple to replicate the projects from the files that you purchase. While the design software is fairly easy to learn, it does now allow lots of manipulation of your own projects. If you are the designer type you will be disappointed with the limited design features of the software. Also note that you have to have an internet connection to use the Explore.

If you have spotty internet, using your machine will be an issue. There have also been some computer compatibility issues with some of the Cricut Machines. Check if your computer’s operating system will work with your machine as there have been a few issues with machines not working with some operating systems.

You can cut all sorts of medium such as vinyl, cardstock, paper, chipboard, leather, thin wood and much, much more. The Cricut Explore and the Cricut Maker both have very strong motors and will cut a variety of thicknesses. The ability to cut thicker mediums is one of the main unique features of these machines and it sets them apart from the Cameo and other machines. I am most impressed with it’s ability to cut wood and leather.

Another feature of the newest Cricut machines that sets them apart from other machines is that they can draw and cut at the same time. They have slots for both a blade and pen. This will be a huge time saver if you are making cards and such that require both of these features. The Silhouette also draws and cuts, but you have to stop and change from the blade to pen and vice versa.

1. Cricut Maker Machines

The Cricut Maker 3 Machine-The Cricut Maker 3 has most of the same features of the original Cricut Maker machine. It cuts with 4000 grams of pressure and can cut through leather, chip board, balsa wood and most other materials up to 2.44mm thick. And while the Cricut Explore machines, which cut with 400 grams of force, can also cut thicker materials, such as balsa wood, aluminum, and chipboard, the Cricut Maker can cut them faster, better, and with more precision. Another major difference is how it cuts fabric. The Cricut Maker has a rotary blade attachment that is sold separately. Quilters will love this feature as it allows cutting fabric without needing you to add bonding to the back of your fabric before cutting. To make this feature work, you will need to purchase the Cricut Fabric Mat.

The new Cricut Maker can also do print and cut on colored paper vs. just plain white paper. The most notable change between the original Cricut Maker vs. Cricut Maker 3 is the ability to cut Cricut-branded Smart Materials (Smart Vinyl, Smart Iron-On and Smart Cardstock Sticker Paper) without a mat. These Smart Materials can be fed directly into the Cricut machine’s rollers or you can use the Cricut Roll Feeder/material cutter, that is sold separately, to help feed the materials. In addition, the machine will cut 2x faster when cutting these Smart Materials. Keep in mind that you will have to buy the Cricut-branded Smart materials to make the cutting without a mat and 2x faster cutting speed to work. Also, note that the Cricut Maker 3 does NOT include a mat in the box, but you can purchase it separately, along with additional tools or Smart Materials.

The Cricut Maker Machine has most of the same awesome features of the Cricut Explore Machines, but it cuts with a whole lot more force. With it’s new knife blade, it cuts with 4000 grams of pressure and can cut through leather, chip board, balsa wood and most other materials up to 2.44mm thick. And while the Cricut Air Explore 2, which cuts with 400 grams of force, can also cut thicker materials, such as balsa wood, aluminum, and chipboard, the Cricut Maker can cut them faster, better, and with more precision. Another major difference is how it cuts fabric.

The Cricut Maker has a rotary blade attachment that is included. Quilters will love this feature as it allows cutting fabric without needing you to add bonding to the back of your fabric before cutting. To make this feature work, you will need to purchase the Cricut Fabric Mat. The new Cricut Maker can also do print and cut on colored paper vs. just plain white paper. The Explore Air 2 is only able to detect objects on white paper to cut around them. If you own old Cricut Cartridges from older Cricut machines, you will need an adapter to use the cartridges with this machine while the Cricut Explore 2 has a built-in slot to use cartridges. The cartridge adapter will be out in December of 2017 and will plug right into the USB port. There are a few other smaller differences like the addition of a USB port to charge your phone or ipad and some different storage compartments for tools. Overall, the Cricut Maker is a great machine and a step up from the Cricut Explore 2 or 3.

2. Cricut Explore Machines

Cricut Explore 3 Machine– The Cricut Explore 3 is the newest Explore machine to join the Cricut family. There have only been a few changes from the Cricut Explore Air 2 to the Explore 3 model. The most notable change is the ability to cut Cricut-branded Smart Materials (Smart Vinyl, Smart Iron-On and Smart Cardstock Sticker Paper) without a mat. These Smart Materials can be fed directly into the Cricut machine’s rollers or you can use the Cricut Roll Feeder/material cutter, that is sold seperately, to help feed the materials. In addition, the machine will cut 2x faster when cutting these Smart Materials. Keep in mind that you will have to buy Cricut-branded materials to make the cutting without a mat and 2x faster cutting speed to work. Other small changes include, getting rid of the dial on the machine for cut settings and a few button changes. With the Cricut Explore 3, you adjust those settings in the software now and there is room for a cup holder on one side of the machine for tool storage. Both the Cricut Explore Air 2 and the Cricut Explore 3 share the same tools. Just like the Cricut Maker, another upgrade is that that the Cricut Explore 3 can do both print and cut on colored and white paper. The Cricut Explore Air 2 can only do print and cut on white paper, so this is a great upgrade. Like previous models, the Cricut Explore 3 works with 6 different tools for cutting and embellishing 100+ materials, including cardstock, vinyl, iron-on, glitter paper, cork, and bonded fabric (sold separately). Ideal for everything from everyday craft projects to big-time DIY adventures. If you are using a mat, the cut area is 11.75″ x 11.75″ and note that the mat is not included in the box, it is a separate purchase.

Cricut Explore Air 2 Wireless- Gone are the days where Cricuts only cut with cartridges. Users can enjoy cutting and drawing up to 2 times faster with the Explore Air 2 wireless Cricut machine. It is easy to select fast mode to speed up your cutting! The cutting speed is the biggest difference between the Explore Air Wireless 1 & 2. The Cricut Explore Air 2 Wireless machine has bluetooth capability that is built-in and the user can manipulate and cut images wirelessly from a PC, Ipad or MAC, just like the regular Cricut Explore Air Wireless. Cricut Explore Air 2 works with 6 different tools for cutting and embellishing 100+ materials, including cardstock, vinyl, iron-on, glitter paper, cork, and bonded fabric (sold separately), with a mat cutting area of 11.75″ x 11.75″. Be sure to check if your PC or Mac’s operating system is compatable. Certain operating systems do not work with the Cricut Explore machines. If you are looking for machines like Cricut, but cheaper, this older model may be a great option.

3. Cricut Joy Machine

Cricut Joy Machine– The newer Cricut Joy Machine is a tiny compact machine meant for smaller projects. I love that it takes up less space in the craft room, just 8.4 x4.3 inches. This machine is the perfect size to create a quick card or to make a small vinyl decal or labels for your pantry. The cutting mat that is included is just 6.5 x 4.5 inches or you can cut without a mat if you are using the Cricut Joy Smart Materials, which feed directly into the machine. Cricut Joy can make continuous cuts up to 4 feet and repeated cuts up to 20 feet using Cricut smart materials. (Available in Vinyl, HTV Iron On, and Label Vinyl varieties.) No cutting mat needed. Just load and go. The Cricut Joy is compatible with the cutting and writing blades/tools and can cut up to 50 different types of materials. The Cricut Joy is great for those who don’t attempt larger projects. The price point is low, but if you want to make larger vinyl cuts, you will need to use the Cricut-branded Smart Materials.

Brother Cutting Machines – Alternative to Cricut

Brother has come out with a few cool machines over the years that rival the Cricut and Silhouette. Because of its scanning technology, it is unique in its class. It can scan just about anything and easily create cut lines around your scan. This machine is great for people who hand sketch designs and want to die cut them or want to die-cut stamped images and it’s superior as far as detecting and cutting both inside the lines and outside the lines of a design. The Brother machines use steel blades with Japan Design Quality, this blade will ensure you always get the best cut and they offer a variety of mats for different materials such as delicate papers, fabric, thin metals, and more. These machines are perfect for quilters and stampers!

1. Brother ScanNCut SDX 85

The ScanNCut SDX 85 is the newest and most notable machine from Brother and it comes with some cool new upgraded features from previous Brother cutters. Brother offers the only series of home and hobby cutting machines with a built-in scanner. It comes with an autoblade and autocut features where the machine will detect the thickness of the material you are cutting and adjust itself on it’s own-no fiddling with settings if you choose. This cool machine will cut paper, fabric, vinyl, balsawood, leatherette and so much more and it cuts up to 11.7″ wide and, like the Silhouette, 3mm in thickness. These machines are compatible with the the 12×12 mat or the 12×24 mat (sold separate), scanning mat (sold separate) or purchase the vinyl roll feeder separately to cut up to 6 feet long of vinyl without a mat.

Stampers can scan in stamps and die cut them and quilters can scan patterns and cut fabric. It is also great for hand-drawn sketches. The scanning feature is by far, the best feature of this machine. It is so easy to cut out printed decals or precision cut around detailed artwork by scanning and having the machine cut around your image. If you wish to cut fabric, check out the sold separately Brother ScanNCut Fabric Mat, Fabric Blade Holder and Fabric Blade. The ScanNCut SDX 85 is already wireless, which is a great feature that makes downloading designs and software updates easy. You can manipulate files with the free Canvasworkspace or send files wirelessly to the machine. I also love the easy-to-use 3.47″ touchscreen LCD display for manipulating files. Overall, this machine has some cool features. If you want more freedom to design, then maybe check out Silhouette or Cricut.

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