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How to choose a craft cutting machine
Five questions decide almost every cutting machine purchase. Answer them in order and you'll usually land on one or two machines.
1. How wide are your projects?
- Up to about 4 in (labels, names, bookmarks): the Cricut Joy 2 is enough.
- Up to 8.5 in (stickers, cards, kids' shirts, mugs): the Cricut Joy Xtra or Silhouette Portrait 4.
- Up to about 12 in (adult shirts, signs, most decals): the Cricut Explore 5, Cricut Maker 5 or Silhouette CAMEO 5 Alpha.
- Wider: see large-format machines.
2. What's the thickest thing you'll cut?
For vinyl, iron-on, paper and cardstock, any machine works. For chipboard, basswood, leather or unbacked fabric, you need a machine and tool made for it. Cricut claims 3 mm for the Maker 5, with the Knife Blade and Rotary Blade. Silhouette claims 3 mm for the CAMEO 5 Alpha and 2 mm for the Portrait 4.
3. Are stickers a big part of it?
Check the print-then-cut area, not just the cut width. The Joy Xtra matches the full-size Cricuts on a Letter page. The Joy 2 is limited to a narrow strip. Details are in print-then-cut size limits and our sticker picks.
4. Which software do you want to live in?
Cricut means Design Space: phone or computer, free SVG uploads, and a paid Cricut Access library. Silhouette means Silhouette Studio: desktop only, no subscription, and a paid upgrade to open SVGs. See software and subscriptions.
5. Where will it live?
A Joy 2 fits in a drawer. A Joy Xtra takes about half the desk space of an Explore 5. A 12-inch machine is about 20 to 22 in wide, and it needs clear space in front and behind for a 24 in mat. A Venture needs its own table or stand.
Still unsure?
Start with our beginner picks. For most people, the Explore 5 is the machine least likely to leave you wanting more in the first year.