3 Best Cutting Machines of 2026
Top choice
This machine offers easy-to-learn software, smooth cutting, a large image and project library, and strong community support. It’s also the most beginner-friendly model we’ve tested.
The Cricut Explore 4 cuts cleanly and is easy to use, and its software is great for guiding beginners through their first projects. Cricut customer service is excellent if you need troubleshooting, and the company offers an extensive list of YouTube instructional videos.
It makes precise cuts. In our testing the blade settings of the Explore 4 were very accurate. It made perfectly clean cuts on cardstock and vinyl, and the designs we made using the pen tool were accurate, as the inner strokes lined up perfectly. And the Explore 4’s cuts were as clean as those from the more expensive Maker 4 in every test.
The software is easy to use, even for complete beginners. Cutting machine software makes or breaks a beginner’s experience, and in our testing, Cricut’s software was the most intuitive. The company’s Design Space suite has a large on-screen workspace and well-labeled icons, making it easier to navigate than Brother’s Silhouette Studio and CanvasWorkspace.
You can quickly find your existing projects or start something new, or you can choose a project from the Cricut store with just a few clicks. When you draw instead of cutting, the software displays all the Cricut pen colors, so you can get a clear idea of your finished project.
Explore 4 comes with access to over 3,000 free images. For $10 a month, a Cricut Access subscription lets you use almost everything in the company’s catalog (some fonts and images cost more), expanding your selection to more than 1,500,000 images. You can use these images for commercial purposes, within the limits of the company’s Angel Policy, which is similar to the Creative Commons license but with additional restrictions.
You can use the machine wirelessly from any device. The Design Space app is also available for smartphones and tablets (iOS, Android), and this mobile version works with all of our options.
The mobile app is a simplified version of the desktop version, but you can still browse all the projects in the library and filter by the type of device you have. It then goes through the cutting process step by step.
Cricut bundles are generally a good value. Inside the box you get a premium fine-point blade, a light machine grip mat, and a selection of starter materials for practice projects. But the included materials are only enough for a simple practice project, and you’ll need to get more cutting materials quickly.
The company offers a variety of packages that focus on the types of projects you plan to do. These bundles include extras such as tools, cutting mats, paper cutters, extra blades, different types of blades, and starter craft materials such as vinyl and cardstock.
The bundle gives you everything you need to do the projects you have in mind, and reduces the chances of missing a particular tool to complete a project.
Cricut customer service is reliable, helpful, and quick to respond. In the previous round of testing with our previous picks, the Explore 3 and the Maker 3, we encountered a few connectivity issues while testing both devices. Every time we contacted Cricut customer support, we never had to wait more than 10 minutes to get through to someone, and each representative was able to resolve the issue. They even went so far as to send us some consumables while we were troubleshooting.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
It’s not as quiet as our choice. While the Explore 4 is as precise as the Maker 4, it’s louder, making an audible noise as it moves the blade from position to position. If you have a dedicated craft room, this noise may be negligible, but if you plan to have the machine running in the main living area, it can be annoying. In our test space in one apartment, the Explore 4 sat on a bookcase next to our desk, and the beeping was loud enough to cut through the noise-canceling headphones.
The software can be limiting for people who want granular control over their projects. One of the things we love about the Cricut software – its simplicity – is also one of its drawbacks. Unless you’re using basic shapes like circles and squares, the Cricut software isn’t designed to help you create your own images. If you want to create complex designs and be able to customize them, we recommend the paid Business Edition of Silhouette Studio (around $50 at this writing). This powerful software allows you to save designs in SVG format for use on any machine. Alternatively, you can use Adobe Illustrator, but at this writing that requires a $35-a-month subscription.
The auto-edit feature eliminates a lot of things. If you upload a project that requires cutting several pieces and use the auto-arrange feature, Design Space leaves more space between the pieces. This results in a lot of leftovers and waste. To save on materials, it is better to arrange the composition of the parts on the cutting mat yourself.
