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Discover the best vinyl cutter machines for making stickers, banners, cards, T-shirts and more. Ppf Template Software
When choosing from the best vinyl cutter machines available today, there's so much choice it can be bewildering. These new digital craft machines can do more than simply cut materials, they can score, engrave and be used with heat press machines to create shirts, stickers and even wallpaper.
Some vinyl cutting machines come with added functions like debossing, scoring, foil transfer, or perforation, and most can be paired with a laptop or smartphone to work with software so you can cut out sophisticated designs without having special skills. One of the newer machines in my list, the xTools M1, even features a laser cutter alongside a traditional blade cutter for extra accuracy and improved speed. I've used the various machines below and generally they're all good but some excel in different areas, so 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.
Below you'll find the best vinyl cutter machines available today. Meanwhile, if it's specifically Cricut you're looking for, you should first read our guides to the best Cricut machines but also take a look at our guide to the best Silhouette machines as these are emerging as good alternatives.
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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 we don't recommend this one for people who aren't ready to make a seriously commitment to vinyl cutting, it's brilliant for large projects and works on over 300 materials. For more information, see our Cricut Maker 3 review, and for a comparison between Cricut models, our article Cricut Maker vs Cricut Maker 3.
While the best vinyl cutters on this list make use of a blade the xTool M1 differs by using a blade and laser cutter. Housed in the same module the M1 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 once you've mastered the basics it's easy to create designs in the app, which is similar to Cricut Design Space, or 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, in my 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 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, the xTools M1 is the craft machine for you. Read my guide to the best xTool machines for more from this brand.
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 less extra costs, the Brother ScanNCut DX.
The Siser Juliet Digital Cutting Machine is the latest digital craft machine to launch, and comes from a trusted brand known for its heat press machine, the Siser Craft Heat Press (read our guide to the best heat press machines). This machine's specs make it a great alternative to Cricut Maker 3.
One of its key design features is the built-in camera for precise cutting and control over your projects. This is complimented by the neat LCD display, which means toy can control this vinyl cutter's pressure and accuracy directly. The Siser Juliet also features adjustable pinch rollers, which means it's possible to adjust the speed and pressure of the cut and experiment more.
As with Cricut, Silhouette and Brother the Siser Juliet uses its own bespoke design app, called Leonardo. This is an easy to use app and is fully usable with other design software such as Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW.
Ppf Pre Cut Program The Siser Juliet is an excellent addition to the digital craft machine market and is on par technically with Cricut, Brother and Silhouette. It may have a more restricted number of add-ons, but out-of-the-box the Siser Juliet impresses.