After spending 47 hours researching 28 vinyl cutters, we found that Cricut Maker, Cricut Explore Air 2 and Silhouette Cameo 3 are the best vinyl cutting machines for home use. These machines are specially designed to help you handle all your personal projects with the ultimate speed and precision.
For home vinyl cutting, the Cricut Maker is the ultimate device to consider. It´s almost 10x stronger and more accurate than similar devices. To be honest, for the price, there is no comparison with some of the other commercial cutting machines with the same cutting force.
Best Vinyl Cutting Machine 2024
Affiliate links: Clicking the device names, images or check price buttons will redirect you to the product listing on the appropriate Amazon.com (.co.uk, .de, etc.) / Image courtesy of Amazon
Looking to buy a new vinyl cutting machine?
Silhouette or Cricut?
We know how confusing the search for a good vinyl cutter for a reasonable price is.
These awesome machines are really expensive, so before you start looking for some, you should have an exact idea of what you want to do with them.
Will it be a personal or a commercial cutter?
Do you wanna have Bluetooth-enabled device or just a manual operation is enough?
What’s your budget?
Do you have any space restraints?
You need to ask yourself these types of questions before you invest in a vinyl cutter. Buying the wrong machine could lead to a lot of frustration and failure.
If you have already decided how you want to use it, below is our quick summary of the best vinyl cutting machines in 2024. If you need more help, we also have an understandable guide on this page.
BEST VINYL CUTTING MACHINE UNDER $200
Silhouette Portrait
Type of Cutter: For beginners, low cost | Size: 5 x 16 x 5 inches (12.7 x 40 x 12.7 Centimeters) | Weight: 3.5 lbs (1.6 kg) | Bluetooth: Yes | Max Cutting Width: 8 inches (20 cm) | Max Cutting Lenght: 10 feet (3 meters) | Materials It Can Cut: 100+ | More: Silhouette Studio software CD, 50 exclusive digital designs
For: Low cost – Ideal for sign cutting – Capable of contour cutting – Simple software – Affordable blades
Against: Only for standard vinyl – Poor build
Hobbyists on a tight budget. This is the target audience for Silhouette Portrait. A smaller version of the famous Cameo cutting machine, this device allows you to cut all the fonts and small designs very fast. An ideal entry-level cutter for DIY enthusiasts who are looking for an affordable way to experiment with the potential of a quality vinyl cutting machine.
With a low price, this unit will definitely hurt your budget too hard. But… Don’t expect many useful features you can find on the more expensive premium models. Silhouette Portrait is designed for beginners, who need only basic functions for their home projects.
If your intention is to cut in bulk precise pieces, go for any of the other products we recommended on this list. Silhouette Portrait is small, fast, cheap, and overall an excellent unit that can help you running on your first project within a matter of minutes, but it lacks precision.
Silhouette Curio
Type of Cutter: For deep cuts & embossing features | Size: 17.2 x 5.5 x 7 inches (43 x 14 x 18 Centimeters) | Weight: 10.5 lbs (4.8 kg) | Bluetooth: No | Max Cutting Width: 8.5 inches (21 cm) | Max Cutting Lenght: 6 inches (15 cm) | Materials It Can Cut: 100+ | More: Silhouette Studio software CD, deep cut capability, cuts up to 2mm thick materials, 5 mm clearance, dual carriage
For: Flexibility of expensive models – Easy to master software – Variety of materials
Against: Small capacity – Low cutting force
Sturdy, fast and functional. The Silhouette Curio is labeled as a companion device to other larger die-cutters that lack some functions such as embossing, debossing, piercing, etching, scoring, stippling, deep cutting, and drawing. More than that. It allows you to work with a wide range of materials like foam, leather, rubber, foils, wood, and even metal sheets.
The Silhouette Curio can cut a depth of 10 feet and a width of 8 inches. A great ability is that before it cuts, it gives you a fast reference chart specifying the blade depth and base for each type of material. That´s really great for users who are not sure which material requires which setting.
BEST VINYL CUTTING MACHINE UNDER $300
Cricut Explore Air 2
Type of Cutter: Personal DIY cutting machine | Size: 24 x 9.5 x 9.5 inches inches (61 x 24 x 24 Centimeters) | Weight: 17 lbs (7.7 kg) | Bluetooth: Yes | Max Cutting Width: 12 inches (30 cm) | Max Cutting Lenght: 23 inches (58 cm) | Materials It Can Cut: 100+ | More: Cricut Design Space software and app, German carbide premium blade, pen, cardstock sample, USB cord, power cord, 100+ free images, 50+ free projects, StandardGrip cutting mat
For: Works with over 100 materials – Fast mode – Amazing design, quality build – Cutting strength
Against: Loud – Print Then Cut sizes are limited
The Cricut Explore Air 2 is without a question one of the best craft cutting machines on the market. It looks good, it cuts well, it etches good and draws well. An ideal machine for home use is someone who loves crafts or designing small projects like t-shirts. You can even start a small business around it.
Cricut Explore Air 2 so an incredibly versatile device that can work with over 100 different materials. For example cardstock, fabric, vinyl, metals, foam, or leather. If you cut materials like vinyl, cardstock, and iron, you may work in fast mode.
This mode is faster than any other home craft vinyl cutting machines on the market right now, We think, the Cricut Explore Air 2 is one of the best vinyl cutting machines for t-shirts, ideal for home use.
Silhouette CAMEO 3
Type of Cutter: Personal die-cutting machine | Size: 22.5 x 8.5 x 6 inches inches inches (57 x 21 x 15 Centimeters) | Weight: 13 lbs (5.8 kg) | Bluetooth: Yes | Max Cutting Width: 12 inches (30 cm) | Max Cutting Lenght: 10 feet (3 meters) | Materials It Can Cut: 100+ | More: Silhouette Studio software, USB cable, power cable, 12 inches cutting mat, AutoBlade, Cross Cutter, Dual carriage, 100+ free designs
For: AutoBlade function – Dual carriage – Fast and clean vinyl lettering
Against: Low-pressure blade – Loud
The Silhouette Cameo 3 is not the best die-cutting machine available but with its simplicity an ideal device for both beginners and less experienced vinyl cutters. It builds on the success of the previous models and adds some new features as well as a few design improvements. A small, intuitive and fast machine can cut different materials, but… To be honest, Cameo 3 isn’t the most versatile vinyl machine, as it can only cut thinner materials.
It is specially designed to cut drawing paper, postcards, scrapbooking paper, photo paper, and vinyl. It is able to handle a few other materials but its variety is very limited.
The low-pressure blade has a problem cutting through anything tougher than the chipboard. As we already mentioned, Silhouette Cameo 3 is a machine designed to work primarily with paper projects and lacks functions such as piercing, embossing, or engraving.
USCutter MH721 28in Vinyl Cutter
Type of Cutter: For hobbyist and small business signage makers | Size: 15 x 23 x 23 inches (38 x 58 x 58 Centimeters) | Weight: 46 lbs (20 kg) | Bluetooth: No | Max Cutting Width: 28 inches (71 cm) | Max Cutting Lenght: 5 feet (1.5 meters) | Materials It Can Cut: minimal variety | More: VinylMaster Cut software, Power cable, USB cable, blade holder, floor stand
For: High-quality cuts – Adjustable pinch rollers – A wide range of compatible file types – Cheap – Easy to use
Against: Not compatible with Mac – Difficult assembly process
The size. The first thing you will notice about USCutter MH721. This is a pretty big cutter, but it is logical. The machine cut to around 28 inches wide. We are sure MH721 is not your usually entry-level craft cutter, so make sure you have the space to place it before you buy the machine.
Cuts are precise and customizable, the unit is very easy to use and you get good value for the money. By the way, this is why MH Series is super popular among people. They are mostly cheaper in comparison to other semi-commercial cutters, so we highly recommend this to anyone looking to start out in vinyl cutting.
Sizzix Eclips2
Type of Cutter: For perfect scoring, reliable cutting and small, intricate designs | Size: 26 x 6.5 x 7 inches (66 x 16 x 17 Centimeters) | Weight: 18 lbs (8 kg) | Bluetooth: No | Max Cutting Width: 12 inches (30 cm) | Max Cutting Lenght: 12 inches (30 cm) | Materials It Can Cut: mostly paper, vinyl and fabric up to 0.5mm thick | More: eCAL lite software, 12 x 12 inches cutting mat, 2 cutting blades, blade holder, USB cable, power supply
For: True scoring – Precision cuts – Less waste with Scrap Cut Mode – Auto-select settings
Against: Basic software – No embossing and engraving
The Sizzix Eclips2 is not quite as versatile with materials as its main and more popular rivals and does not have any embossing or engraving features. But its high precision cut, perfect scoring, reliable cutting, and the power to handle small designs, make Eclips2 great for paper crafts, especially card-making.
If you do want to use it on other materials, it does have easy-to-use automatic speed and pressure settings, so you can adjust the blade for deeper cutting. To be honest, the precision and strength of the cut are the best you can hope for in this price range.
BEST VINYL CUTTING MACHINE UNDER $400
Cricut Maker
Type of Cutter: For fabric cutting | Size: 22.6 x 7.1 x 6.2 inches (57 x 18 x 16 Centimeters) | Weight: 23 lbs (10 kg) | Bluetooth: Yes | Max Cutting Width: 12 inches (30 cm) | Max Cutting Lenght: 24 inches (60 cm) | Materials It Can Cut: 100+ up to 2.4mm thick | More: Rotary blade, drive housing, 50 free ready-to-make projects, USB cable, power adapter, Fine Point Blade and Housing, Fine Point Pen
For: Adaptive Tool System – Sewing pattern library – Amazing cutting – Unique gliding and rolling action – Great value
Against: Small cutting space – You have to buy a knife blade
Let´s take a look at Cricut Maker, possibly the best home vinyl cutting machine on the market. An incredibly versatile cutter for those who wish to work with a wide range of materials. Over 100 materials can be cut with Cricut Maker, from thin vinyl to thick leather, foam, metal, and fabric.
If you buy a knife blade, it will be able to cut materials up to 2.4 mm thick. With the rotary blade alone, you get a versatile crafting machine with dozens of pre-designed patterns ready for you to create.
It can cut almost every fabric you can think of – silk, denim, canvas, chiffon etc. And the ability to switch easily between tools, use two tools at once, and import a huge range of design files, even the advanced crafters – WOW. We are sure that Maker will fit all your needs.
Brother ScanNCut2
Type of Cutter: For handmade drawings or scrapbook designs | Size: 10.1 x 22.8 x 10.6 inches (25 x 58 x 27 Centimeters) | Weight: 10 lbs (4.5 kg) | Bluetooth: Yes | Max Cutting Width: 12 inches (30 cm) | Max Cutting Lenght: 24 inches (60 cm) | Materials It Can Cut: 100+ up to 2.4mm thick | More: ScanNCut Canvas, 300 DPI scanner, 4.85″ colored LCD touchscreen, 600 built-in designs, USB cable
For: Large LCD touchscreen – Wireless design transfer – Direct connection via USB cable – Scanning color recognition
Against: Expensive – Vinyl cutting restrictions – Basic software
Loved by many crafters, with tons of new features and a wide range of cutting and scanning abilities. Yes, scanning. The Brother ScanNCut2 is perhaps the only home cutter for sale with a built-in scanner. This die-cutting machine has a 300 DPI scanner with a large screen to make working with patterns and customizing cuts more effective.
If you are a person who loves drawing on paper or in scrapbooks, you will like the ability to scan those designs and send them straight into a high precious cutter. ScanNCut2 is built around it – the ability to scan your designs.
Do you need larger cuts for your small business? Than Brother ScanNcut2 is not for you. There are more powerful die cutting machines out there, which can easily handle hardier materials, such as metal and wood and sophisticated designs. However, for paper crafters or sewers who don’t mind working in relatively small sizes, this machine is a good choice.
BEST VINYL CUTTING MACHINE UNDER $500
Cricut Expression 2
Type of Cutter: Personal cutting machine for small craft works | Size: 23 x 9.4 x 11.3 inches (58 x 24 x 28 Centimeters) | Weight: 17.5 lbs (8 kg) | Bluetooth: Yes | Max Cutting Width: 12 inches (30 cm) | Max Cutting Lenght: 24 inches (60 cm) | Materials It Can Cut: 100+ up to 1.5 mm thick | More: Cricut Craft Room software, LCD screen protector, 2 pre-loaded cartridges, stylus, blade assembly, USB cable, power adapter, 800+ pre-loaded images
For: Precise cutting – LCD Touchscreen – No computer needed – 800+ pre-loaded images
Against: Cartridge-based – Can´t create own images – No wireless cutting
The Cricut Expression 2 is old but still such a popular machine for a few reasons. It is still without a doubt a good craft cutter and was a game-changer when it was first released. It is extremely easy to use and what´s more – it cuts great. Two essential elements of a good vinyl cutting machine.
It doesn’t require a computer, so it can be moved from place to place. It’s decently powerful, and it can cut tons of different materials. However, you cannot design your own custom designs. The Cricut Expression 2 is purely cartridge-based, so if you need a machine that allows you to make your own images, this device will limit you, as you can only use it with purchased Cricut images and cartridges.
BEST VINYL CUTTING MACHINE UNDER $1000
USCutter TITAN 2
Type of Cutter: For professional signmakers and small businesses | Size: 38.5 x 17.2 x 13.6 inches (98 x 43 x 34 Centimeters) | Weight: 59 lbs (26 kg) | Bluetooth: Yes | Max Cutting Width: 28 inches (71 cm) | Max Cutting Lenght: 25 feet (7.6 cm) | Materials It Can Cut: Adhesive vinyl, heat transfer vinyl, cardstock, paint mask stencil, laminate, sandblast mask, low & high intensive reflective material | More: VinylMaster Cut software, Carriage with 4 wheels, blade holder, pen holder, 3x blades, USB & serial cable, spare fuse
For: Precise cutting – Easy to use – Silent – Fast
Against: Basic software – Very expensive
Firstly, this is not a machine for casual hobbyists. Only after you decide that you would like to make more professional designs, then this is the vinyl cutting machine that you should get. It has the ability to create a wide range of patterns thanks to its design and cut software, allowing you to give in to the whims of even the most demanding of clients.
Its laser point helps in contouring cuts around graphics, with a high precision axis for greater accuracy in cutting. You can also manually contour cuts with this vinyl cutter.
Vinyl Cutting Machine Buyer´s Guide And FAQs
What Is Vinyl Cutting
The vinyl cutting means creating a design in a software program and using a special machine (vinyl cutter) to cut out your design with the use of the blade on sheets of vinyl.
After the work is done, you have to remove all vinyl waste from the paper-backed sheet and put the final design on you want (card, wall, book, t-shirt, etc.).
Vinyl Cutting Machine
That’s an easy answer. A vinyl cutter is a computer-controlled machine utilized to trim vinyl or other material into various shapes and letters. On average, they look and even behave like printers. Yes, the cutter is almost the same size as a computer printer, but unlike the pen reproducing your work onto printer paper, vinyl cutters are using a blade to finish your design into various materials.
Vinyl cutting machines are also known as die-cutters, plotters, and craft cutters because they can do more than just cut vinyl designs.
The high-quality machines can cut into cardstock, reflective, tissue paper, paper, or thermal transfer material. You should always read the description of each vinyl cutter you want to buy and read about the materials you are able to use. Because some of these devices can even work with aluminum or wood.
What is the Best Vinyl Cutting Machine
Vinyl cutters come in two major categories – personal and commercial. You have to determine in which of these categories you fall to get most of your investment.
Personal Vinyl Cutting Machine
People who are after a home vinyl cutter are most likely after devices that are:
- Small enough for a home office
- Easy and quick to use
- Versatile in functionality
- Reasonable price
- Can handle small objects
Commercial Vinyl Cutter
Businesses will be using these machines for a variety of jobs for their clients. The professional vinyl cutter is large, and expensive, with the ability to cut large designs, and different materials and make more jobs at one time.
- Large
- Expensive
- Fast
- Can handle multiple sophisticated tasks at one time
- Are more precious, and work without errors
- Can work with different materials
Always keep in mind that because a machine can handle bigger designs, it doesn’t mean it is better. Invest in a big vinyl cutter only if you are sure you will need it for bigger designs.
Important Things To Consider Before Buying Vinyl Cutter
Price – We will repeat it. Buying a vinyl cutting machine is a huge investment. Most of the units on our list cost around $300. Choose wisely if you need to pay extra for better blades or wireless compatibility.
Printing Size – Most home vinyl cutters can cut up to 12 inches in size. If you have to cut larger objects, you have to pay more for a business cutter.
Machine Size – We know that the size of the cutter is also an important factor for you. Therefore we include detailed dimensions of each machine you can find on our top 10 list.
Included Software – You can’t do much without software. It is essential to use proper programs to design the object you want to cut. Of course, some high-quality vinyl cutting machines come with their own software with few pre-made templates, but mostly the included software is useless. Our favorite is Adobe Illustrator.
Materials – The math is simple. The more materials the cutter can handle, the better. Always look for a unit that can work with the materials you want to use for your designs.
Above we made a list of the bestselling vinyl cutters on the market. These machines are great for people wanting to create their own crafts without buying professional business devices. Take a closer look at their features, pros or cons, and perhaps make the first step to buy the best vinyl cutting machine for the money in 2024.
What Everything You Can Make With A Vinyl Cutter
Before you buy the best possible machine matching your needs, you should understand what can you make with it. Simply put, it depends on your imagination. Below we give you a few examples:
- T-shirt transfers
- Cards
- Labels
- Tickers
- 3D objects
- Car wraps
- Vinyl Decals
Of course, these were just a few examples. Need more? 34 Cool Things You Can Do with Your New Vinyl Cutter – makezine.com
What Kind of Business Can You Have
These machines come in a variety of sizes and shapes, and they are designed to manufacture commercial-grade products.
You should always keep in mind that just a vinyl cutter is not enough, you will also need a computer and software where you can design images you wish to print. With the right software, you can use your machine even to open a small business.
T-Shirt – A cutter is one of the key pieces of equipment you need to start your own T-shirt business. A combination of printer/cutter, computer, and heat press is essential. After the design has been cut, a heat press is used to apply the design to the front of T-shirts, jerseys or jackets.
Vinyl Lettering – Custom lettering can be applied to indoor walls, cars or signs. With a cutter, you can offer your customers a variety of fonts and sizes.
Banners – What about making large banners for special occasions? Weddings, parties or reunions. If you want to step into this business, create your own website and show future customers your ideas.
Magnets – With the correct software, you can create small and interesting refrigerator magnets for individual customers.
Again, this was just a few ideas. Many cheaper vinyl cutting machines are designed for common users. They don’t offer so precise cutting or larger printing surfaces. But these cheap cutters are still great for hobbyists – for small designs.
How Does Vinyl Cutter Machine Work?
A newbie in this field may have an issue to understand how the vinyl cutting machines work. Let´s take a closer look at these awesome devices with this pretty nice video.
How To Choose A Good Vinyl Cutting Machine
One important thing you have to know. These machines are expensive. Even on our list of best vinyl cutting machines in 2024, we have most of the devices at a price of around $300. So, before you buy one, ask yourself a few questions.
What Size Will You Cut
If you already looked at some vinyl cutters, you have certainly come across the fact that they have a wide range of cutting widths. From small 6-inches cutters to huge 64-inch machines.
The most common cutting width of standard vinyl machines for normal users is between 9-12 inches, which should be good for small crafts makers or usual hobbyists.
You should know the size of the final product you want to design, but if you aiming to have a small company, you may have bigger machines to offer a variety of products to your customers.
What Cutter Offers The Best Quality
It is simple. If you need precious cuts, you have to pay more. In short, expensive vinyl cutting machines are usually better. Don’t expect high professional standards from a device that costs around 200 dollars.
We don’t include the best commercial vinyl cutters on our top list, we were looking for devices with the best vinyl cutters for small businesses or home crafters. All models above are still great for less complex cutting and what’s most important, they are praised by many satisfied users.
What Software Do You Need
The vinyl cutter comes with its own software (in most cases), that is used to make basic designs or to fill pre-made templates. This is all a beginner needs. If you need more help, you can read this article – Best vinyl cutting software (Free & Paid)
For advanced designs, you need better software. Don’t worry, we have the 3 most popular tools for you
- CorelDraw
- Adobe Illustrator
- AutoCAD
Take a look at this video – How to Create Artwork for Vinyl Cutting – Adobe Illustrator Edition
Do You Need Inspiration
God bless YouTube. This website is full of useful tutorials and DIY channels you should watch and follow.
Need video tips?
- Cut and apply vinyl decal
- How to Make Your First Decal With the Silhouette Cameo 3
- How to Make Stickers
- Stickers – How to make real vinyl stickers
- How to Make Planner Stickers With Silhouette Portrait
- Let’s Talk About Cutting Tools
What Another Equipment I Need To Start Vinyl Cutting
Computer, software, and vinyl cutting machine. Absolute essentials. What else do I need?
MORE INFORMATION
We hope this guide helped find the best vinyl cutting machine to fit your needs. Thanks for reading and here are some popular articles from the Nechstar:
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by Nechstar team. We aim to highlight products and services you might find interesting, and if you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners, including Amazon.
Clicking the device names, images or check price buttons will redirect you to the product listing on the appropriate Amazon.com (.co.uk, .de, etc.), where you can find the updated prices, customer reviews, and more product details.
*All prices mentioned above are at the time of publishing.
