Glowforge vs Cricut: A Comparison of Two Popular Laser Cutters

A Glowforge is the best option if you are looking for a professional cutting machine that can work with thick materials and is user-friendly. On the other hand, if you wish to cut thinner materials, the Cricut maker would be a better choice.

You can use it for professional use for growing your craft business as it is a great, affordable cutter. Our goal in this article is to compare Glowforge vs Cricut cutters side-by-side to determine the best one for you.

Also Read: Best Printer For Stationery Business

Glowforge vs Cricut: What’s the Difference?

1. Lasers vs Blades:

With this Glowforge laser machine, you can cut and engrave your materials with a powerful CO2 laser beam. The laser is focused at a specific spot using a precise arrangement of mirrors and lenses. 

To focus the 40 to 45-watt laser beam on that particular spot during the cutting process. The beam heats the particular spot on the material and burns it resulting in a clean and precise cut due to heat.

Contrary to an ordinary cutting machine, the cricut cutting machine uses a sharp-edged cutting tool which is similar to a knife or rotary blade. I would like to compare it to cutting a piece of paper or vinyl with a knife, except that all of the cutting is done automatically using the circuit instead of the knife.

In addition to the Glowforge vs Cricut Maker 3, there are also several tools available that make it possible to cut and engrave your designs on a wide range of materials.

The Glowforge can cut thicker materials in one or more passes than the Glowforge can handle. It is important to note that the Cricut maker can only cut thin materials up to 2.4mm with a deep cutting knife blade, which is in contrast to the Cricut maker.

There is also the option of engraving on most materials, including coated metals with a glowforge. It is very easy to set up the engraving setup on the glowforge machine. You can engrave as well as cut in a single cycle of the device.

This circuit and glowforge both make clean cuts regardless of their cutting techniques. You can’t go wrong with either one if you want high-quality and professional designs. 

Compared to a blade a laser beam gives you a more consistent and clean cut than a glowforge vs. cricut device. Then there’s the fact that it works with a lot more stuff.

2. Precision

Laser beams are more precise while Cricut blades aren’t. It is possible to get clean accurate cuts for most purpose with time. However, the blade edge wear out and your Cricut maker’s cutting precision will decrease.

Glowforge beats Cricut Maker when it comes to laser beams and physical cutting blades. Due to its small laser spot size and repeatable mechanics, the machine is highly reliable. Compared to cricut machines this results in higher precision.

Your design is cut accurately with little to no deviation with cutting machines. You can get a different level of precision using different cutting tools on the Cricut maker. A glowforge laser cutting machine’s precision is mainly determined by laser beam spot size.

There is a 0.2mm spot size on the laser beam of the glowforge cutter. Using this value you can make the most minor cuts on glowforge machines. You will get precise cuts on most materials with this small 0.2mm spot size.

3. Material compatibility:

There are more than 300 different materials that you can use with Cricut Maker 3 making it a versatile tool. It is important to note that all of these materials are thin materials such as leather vinyl cardstock thin foil fabrics etc.

You have a little bit of material flexibility when using a glowforge laser cutter. With this machine, you can cut materials that are thicker and denser like wood plastic, and acrylic. It is also possible to engrave coated metals such as brass aluminum and stainless steel with the glowforge.

In addition to the Cricut maker machines, there is also a line of intelligent materials from Cricut which are guaranteed to work with Cricut maker machines and only require minimal setup and configuration.

Several materials are specially designed for the Cricut maker and you can either purchase them or use what you already have on hand.

The proof-grade materials curated by glowforge are similar to Cricut innovative materials among the materials that can be found in this category are acrylic, leather plywood, hardwood veneer, and draft board.

Different types of machines are better suited or working with different types of materials. As compared to other laser cutters. Glowfroge is better suited to cutting thicker materials like wood plastic and coated metals. 

4. Machine Size 

In terms of size and working area, the glowforge machines are considerably larger than the Cricut machines. The glowforge machine is not portable due to its dimensions of 38 inches by 20.75 inches 965X527X210MM. To support the machines you will need a large and sturdy work table.

A cricut machine by contrast comes in a variety of sizes with the cricut maker 3 measuring up to 22.1 inches x 7.1 inches x 6.2 inches 561x180x157mm. The size of the device is manageable, which means that you can easily place it on your desktop and store it elsewhere when you are not using it.

Due to the larger size of the glow for the laser cutting machine. It can be challenging to use it comfortably in a home environment due to its larger size. If you plan on using the glowforge air filter accessory indoors. You should keep in mind that it is a bulky machine and you may need to allow for extra space for accessories.

In comparison to other cutting machines, the Cricut maker has a manageable size and weight. If you want to transport it anywhere, you will not need a second person to help you to load and hold the materials on a mat or Cricut roll holder you will have to reserve a small area in front of the Cricut where you can set and load the materials.

As a result of glowforge, you can work on a larger area. A board measuring 11 inches by 19.5 inches can be placed in the machine and cut all at once. It is more convenient to have a larger working area when it comes to batch projects that require extensive design work.

In comparison to the Cricut maker the Cruit maker has a slightly larger cutting area of 11.75(300mm) although its length is only 292mm. Whenever you are using a cutting mat thats when you are using it as a cutting board.

Using smart material and an optional roll holder, cricut maker machines come with the option of increasing the length of this cut. As a result, you will have more flexibility when comes to the work area.

5. Ease of Use

Considering they are massive laser cutters, Glowforge machines might seem overwhelming at first glance. They are specifically designed to make working with a variety of materials easier. People who want to get things done without hassle will find them to be the best laser engravers.

For cutting or engraving, almost no hardware configuration is required since the machine comes fully assembled.

A camera is built into glowforge machines so that cutting progress can be viewed in real time on the screen. Further, the camera system auto-focuses the laser beam. The laser focus doesn’t need to be adjusted manually.

Beginners are new hobbyists will love the circuit maker too compact and sturdy the machine is well packaged. Using a tablet device as a control screen for the Cricut machine you place it on the top.

This helps users through every step. The rotary blade settings are detailed based on your needs. It is also easy to use and has great functionality. Design a wide range of Cricut maker’s projects with it. 

Both cutters have enough functionality and features to make them easy to use. Yet the Cricut maker takes the lead with its easy workflow, powerful software, and manageable size.

7. Price

It depends upon the feature you want, Glowforge vs Cricut offers three different laser cutters. As far as glowforge is concerned there are two types the basic glowforge which is priced at around $3995 and the glowforge plus which is priced at $4995. 

The Glowforge Pro the most expensive version in the glowforge series has a price of 6995 making it one of the most expensive models in the series. Aside from the air filter, there are no accessories included in this price.

Such as an air filter which must be purchased separately. In comparison to the Cricut Explore 3 cutters currently priced at $279 with a price of 379, the latest Cricut Maker 3 is slightly more expensive than its predecessors.

By including additional materials and tools you will be able to customize both cutters following your needs even though the price will increase it will still be considerably less expensive than a Glowforge vs Cricut vs Cricut maker, price, cost, xtool, silhouette, pro, laser engraver, maker 3, alternative, 3d printer.

There is no doubt that even the basic laser cutter from glowforge is 10x more expensive than the top-end cricut cutting machine and this is apparent as soon as you open the box. That doesn’t come as a surprise when you consider that glowforge cutters are capable of cutting a wider range of materials have a larger work area and come with a superior feature set.

The cricut machines on the other hand are budget-friendly the materials are relatively cheap and they have decent features. Also, the paid version of Cricut design space costs a maximum of $119.88 per year, which is a substantial reduction compared to the $600 you would have to pay for the glowforge cutter.

Who Should Get a Glowforge?

The glowforge laser engraver and cutter is a good choice for small business owners who are looking for a reliable laser engraver and cutter that can handle denser materials. 

Glowforge isn’t like budget laser engravers in that it has some features that make it perfect for an approach that is more hands-off than budget laser engravers.

It is very easy to set up jobs without any guesswork if you have a camera built-in and a laser auto-focusing system. For example as a result of the proffered materials. Consistent results can be achieved without the need for any additional calibrations.

Who Should Buy a Cricut?

A circuit maker is an excellent machine for individual use for producing small projects with simple materials. Many Cricut machines are extremely easy to use deliver a great user experience and are designed to help you take your crafting hobby to the next level.

It is also possible to access thousands of projects you can easily creat with your cricut maker machine as well as support from a large maker community. It is easy to see why many DIY makers and hobbyists on a budget would be attracted to the Cricut makers with their sub-$ $500 price tag.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Final Verdict:

Before choosing between a Glowforge vs Cricut machine. It is crucial to identify what type of project you will be working on. In addition to offering cutting performance both cutters can work with a variety of materials.

For consumers who can tolerate the extra expensive and need more material compatibility for glow Forge laser cutter is a better choice.

If you are working with thinner materials you will be better off using a Cricut. For basic projects, it offers a great set of features it’s affordable and is more than adequate. Now that you know the two machines compare and differ which one is your next investment?