Top laser engravers and cutting machines compared

About Top laser engravers and cutting machines compared

Laser engravers and cutting machines share a shelf and rarely a budget, and this ranking sorts 19 brands on what a buyer actually commits to: the entry price of the machine, what that machine covers, and where the brand will ship it. Entry prices in this category run €86.82 to €963.78, with the median at €156.98. Work area is the widest spread of all, 300 to 1,800 mm, so someone cutting full panels and someone personalising small blanks are shopping from opposite ends of the list. Most machines here are enclosed, at 92.3% of the ranking, and a help centre is the support channel that shows up most often, at 94.7%. Warranty is the quiet divider: the median sits at 1 years and the longest listed run is 3 years. The trade-off to weigh is power against footprint and cash. Stronger laser output tends to arrive with a larger, dearer machine, while the lowest figures belong to compact engravers with the smallest beds. Some brands here sell cutting machines only, others laser engravers only, and a few add printing, so read the product list before the price. Prices quoted in this ranking are machine prices rather than plan fees.

How we picked

Each brand in this ranking is scored on fixed weights, and none of them is brand fame. Cost carries 40% of the score, offer carries 40%, and trust carries 20%. Cost is built from the entry price a brand lists and the work area that price buys, since a cheap small machine and a cheap large one are not the same purchase. Offer is built from the product list, laser power, enclosure, multi colour support and stated speed, so a range that sells cutting machines only is not scored like one that also prints and scans. Trust is built from warranty length, support channels, shipping markets and the legal entity named behind each store. The figures behind those weights come from each brand's own product pages, warranty policies, support pages and shipping policies, together with the recorded range for each field across the catalogue. A field listed as a range is read as a range rather than as a single figure, and a yes or no field is used as stated. Partners that serve your country are listed first in this ranking, then the rest by score.

Our top picks

1. A1. ACMER

   ACMER takes the balanced slot in this ranking: an enclosed chamber, laser power of 100 W, a 400 mm work area and both laser engravers and cutting machines in the catalogue (laser engraver and cutting machine), from $129. Warranty of 1 to 2 years outstrips AtomStack below it, and shipping reaches AT, AU and BE, a wider list than AtomStack manages. The company behind the store is JYGHSDEVC LLC in US, with email, phone, a help centre and a community in support (email, phone and help centre). Against MatterHackers above it, the trade is a complete enclosed machine at a mid range budget rather than the largest possible bed.

   • Price from: $129
   • Largest build size (mm): 400
   • Warranty: 1 to 2 years

   Pros

   • Entry price of $129 keeps an enclosed machine within reach for a first build.
   • Sells laser engraver and cutting machine from one store, while Cricut lists cutting machine only.
   • Warranty of 1 to 2 years, with the longer end above the 1.5 year upper quartile in this category.
   • Support runs on email, phone and help centre, so help can be a written answer or a phone call.

   Cons

   • Warranty of 1 to 2 years falls short of the 3 year longest cover in this category.
   • Entry price of $129 sits above AtomStack's €87.95, so a cheaper first machine exists elsewhere.
   • A 400 mm work area is smaller than the 564.05 mm upper end of the category.

2. S2. Sculpfun

   Sculpfun holds this slot on work area for the money: 830 mm of bed from $99, wider than every brand below it in this ranking, with 70 W of laser power in an enclosed chamber. Shipping is broad at AT, AU and BE, and the store runs on SCULPFUN TECHNOLOGY HK CO., LIMITED out of HK, founded in 2019. The limits: multi colour is not offered, and the catalogue is laser engravers only (laser engraver), so there is no cutting machine to pair it with. Support runs on email, chat and a help centre (email, chat and help centre), without phone or a community, and warranty is 1 years. Next to Creality above it, the choice is laser area over printing hardware.

   • Price from: $99
   • Largest build size (mm): 830
   • Multi-colour printing: No

   Pros

   • Entry price of $99 puts a 70 watt engraver within reach of a first project, ranking 2 of 27 on price.
   • A 830 mm work area ranks 2 of 23 and sits well above the 390 mm typical across the site.
   • The chamber is enclosed, so the beam and the smoke it makes stay in the frame while a 70 watt module runs.
   • The range stays on laser engravers, per laser engraver, while MatterHackers spreads across fdm printer, resin printer and 3d scanner.
   • Support runs on email, chat and help centre, and help centres are the most common channel in this group at 94.7%.

   Cons

   • Multi colour is a no for the range, and 50% of this group sit in the same spot, so a two shade design needs separate passes.
   • Warranty is 1 year, level with the 1 median here, and the ranking on cover length is 5 of 20.
   • Support runs on email, chat and help centre only, while 53.9% of brands site wide add a phone line.
   • Only laser engraver are listed, so buyers after a combined printer and engraver basket have to look at MatterHackers rather than Sculpfun.

3. 3. XRshop - Tienda de Realidad Extendida y Gaming

   XRshop closes this ranking, and its position explains why. Its catalogue is virtual reality headsets, controllers and gaming headsets (vr headset, controller and gaming headset), with no laser engraver or cutting machine listed, so a buyer shopping this category looks elsewhere. The making figures read well on paper: an enclosed chamber, laser power of 60 W, a 450 mm area and warranty of 3 years, the deepest cover here alongside Ssimder. Reach is wide at DE, AD and SA, and support covers email, phone, chat and a help centre (email, phone and chat), but the product range is the deciding factor.

   • Price from: €47.95
   • Wireless peripherals: Yes
   • Warranty: 3 years

   Pros

   • Entry pricing from €47.95 sits below the site median of €86.82, so the door is low for a first headset.
   • Warranty of 3 years places the store at 2 in a field of 40, well above the 1 typical across sites.
   • The catalogue mixes vr headset, controller and gaming headset with haptics, drones, action cameras, printers and laser cutting, so one order can cover several hobbies.
   • Returns run 14 days and support spans email, phone and chat, covering email, phone, chat and a help centre.
   • Store categories reach computers, audio and tv, so refurbished gear and cameras sit beside the gaming lines.

   Cons

   • Extended warranty is not offered, so buyers wanting cover past the 3 years term have to look elsewhere.
   • Price from ranks 26 of 47, so it is not the cheapest way into the category.
   • Platforms listed for the haptics vest cover pc, playstation and standalone, leaving Xbox and Switch players to check each product page.
   • A headset-only shop such as Skullcandy carries gaming headset, which keeps buying focused on audio rather than mixed hardware.

4. 4. Cricut: best for top-pick

   Cricut opens this ranking because entry cost and reach line up: cutting machines from $99, sold into AU, AT and BE, among the broader market lists on this list. Support runs on a help centre, chat, phone and a community (help centre, chat and phone), more channels than the brands below it offer, and the company behind the store is Cricut, Inc. in US. The trade-off is what the money covers. The shop lists cutting machines only (cutting machine), multi colour is not offered, the work area of 711.2 mm sits well above the 425 typical here, and warranty is 1 years. Good for vinyl and craft cutting rather than a laser bench.

   • Price from: $99
   • Largest build size (mm): 711.2
   • Multi-colour printing: No

   Pros

   • Entry price of $99 ranks 2 of 27 brands in this comparison.
   • A 711.2 mm build area sits above the 425 median for this category.
   • Support runs through a help centre, live chat, phone and a community forum.
   • Sells in AU, AT and BE, so the machine reaches most major craft markets.

   Cons

   • Multi colour is a no, so each layer needs a separate pass.
   • Laser engraving is not among its product types (cutting machine), which are cutting machines.
   • Warranty of 1 years sits at 5 of 20, below the 1.5 upper quartile here.

5. 5. Creality

   Creality is in this ranking because it bundles making and marking under one account: filament and resin printers, a scanner and a laser engraver (fdm printer, resin printer and 3d scanner), multi colour, an enclosed chamber and laser power of 60 W on a 350 mm bed, with speed reaching 600 mm/s. Entry is $199, above LONGER above it, and support covers email, phone, a help centre and a community (email, phone and help centre) with shipping to US, MX and DE. The company was founded in 2014 and trades as Creality 3D Technology LLC. Against Sculpfun below it, the deciding factor is the printer and scanner side of the range.

   • Price from: $199
   • Largest build size (mm): 350
   • Multi-colour printing: Yes

   Pros

   • The catalogue spans fdm printer, resin printer and 3d scanner, so printing, scanning and laser work stay under one brand.
   • Multi colour printing is available, and 89.5% of brands in the printer ranking offer it too.
   • Support runs on email, phone and help centre, giving phone and a help centre alongside email.
   • Builds of 350 mm match the median build size in the printer ranking, 350.
   • The store sells across US, MX and DE, so the same range reaches buyers in several regions.

   Cons

   • Starting price ranks 11 of 27 brands, so cheaper entry points sit elsewhere.
   • Build size ranks 13 of 23 on the same measure, which leaves the biggest machines to other brands.
   • Support runs on email, phone and help centre with no live chat listed, so quick answers wait on email, phone or the community board.
   • MatterHackers adds cutting machines to fdm printer, resin printer and 3d scanner, so jobs outside printing and laser need a second supplier.

6. 6. Creality

   Creality appears in this ranking on the strength of its printing side and a compact enclosed laser. The catalogue covers filament and resin printers, a scanner and a laser engraver (fdm printer, resin printer and 3d scanner), with multi colour, entry at $199 and laser power of 60 W, matching Creality above it. The difference is work area: 300 mm sits at the bottom of 300 to 1,800 mm in this ranking, so panel sized sheet goods are out of reach. Support is email, phone, a help centre and a community (email, phone and help centre), the same set as the Creality 3D Technology listing, and the store trades as Creality Co., Ltd.. Choose it when printing leads the hobby and the laser is the occasional extra.

   • Price from: $199
   • Largest build size (mm): 300
   • Multi-colour printing: Yes

   Pros

   • Breadth: fdm printer, resin printer and 3d scanner covers FDM printers, resin printers, scanners and laser engravers, where fdm printer and 3d scanner stops at FDM printers and scanners.
   • Multi colour printing is offered and enclosed models sit in the same range, so buyers chasing either feature keep a single supplier.
   • The laser line includes a 60 W engraver, so printing and engraving arrive through the same catalogue.
   • Support covers email, phone and help centre, so a machine that stops mid print has a phone route as well as written answers.

   Cons

   • Build size of 300 mm is modest for oversized work, and Creality ranks 18 of 23 brands on that measure.
   • Creality's fdm printer, resin printer and 3d scanner ends at laser engravers, while fdm printer, resin printer and 3d scanner also includes a cutting machine, so sheet and vinyl cutting sit with another seller.
   • On price from the brand sits mid field at 11 of 27, so the entry price is fair rather than the cheapest on the table.

7. W10. WeCreat: best for WeCreat

   WeCreat makes laser cutters and engravers, including what it describes as the world's first auto-lifting laser cutter and engraver. The brand says its machines are designed to take the complexity out of creativity.

What to look for

Entry price and what sits behind it

Start with the entry price, then read what it buys. The median machine in this category starts at €156.98, the lower quartile at €92.20 and the upper quartile at €194, with the cheapest and dearest listings at €47.95 and €963.78. Some listings here are quoted in euros and the rest in dollars, so read the currency alongside the figure.

Working area against the work

Bed size decides whether a design fits. The median work area in this ranking is 425, the lower quartile 350 and the upper quartile 564.05, with the full spread running 300 to 1,800 mm. A small bed suits blanks and jewellery, a large bed suits sheet goods and panels.

Enclosure and where the fumes go

Most machines in this category are enclosed, at 92.3% against 7.7% that are not. An enclosed chamber matters most in a shared room or a small workshop, because it contains the smoke and the moving head, and it lets you keep the machine closed while the job runs.

Support you can actually reach

A help centre is the channel that appears most, on 94.7% of the ranking, followed by a community on 78.9%, email on 68.4%, phone on 52.6% and chat on 26.3%. A phone line and live chat matter most once a job stops mid cut.

Warranty cover

Warranty is a real separator in this category. The median is 1 years, the lower quartile 1 and the upper quartile 1.5, and the full spread runs 1 to 3 years. Read the term carefully where it is listed as a band rather than a single figure.

Where it ships

Reach varies widely across the 19 brands compared here. LONGER lists US, MatterHackers US and CA and XRshop DE, AD and SA. Check your own country appears in the list before you order, since a market list is the one limit a machine cannot work around.

Frequently asked questions

Top laser engravers and cutting machines compared by country

• Australia
• Canada
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Netherlands
• Spain
• United Kingdom
• United States

Brands compared head to head

• ACMER vs Sculpfun
• ACMER vs XRshop - Tienda de Realidad Extendida y Gaming
• ACMER vs Cricut
• Sculpfun vs XRshop - Tienda de Realidad Extendida y Gaming
• XRshop - Tienda de Realidad Extendida y Gaming vs Cricut

The data behind this ranking

All data and the CSV