Just about any crafting enthusiast has heard of Cricut or Silhouette brand cutting machines. These machines have revolutionized the world of DIY crafts, giving anyone the ability to create custom vinyl decals, cards, home and party decorations, t-shirts, and so much more. They’re invaluable for independent artists and small business owners as well.
Key Takeaway for Cricut vs Silhouette
Cricut is the winner for me. I’ve been a crafter for 20+ years now and I’ve used both extensively. If you’re short on time then just get the Cricut. If you want to know why then read this full article.
The two main manufacturers of these machines are Cricut and Silhouette. There are numerous similarities and differences between these two brands. Is one brand “better” than the other?
This article is going to take you through a comparison, and hopefully, it will help you decide if one or the other is right for your crafting needs.
Cutting Machines: What Can They Do?
The name “cutting machine” seems like an overly simple description for the capabilities of these machines. Both the Silhouette and Cricut machines cut a variety of materials with precision cutting blades.
You can create decals and labels using vinyl, and make customized cards for any occasion with a variety of card stocks and papers. With heat transfer (iron on) vinyl, you can add your own designs to t-shirts, towels, hats, jackets, and just about any clothing item.
Using sublimation paper or pens, you can transform plain mugs and water bottles that are perfect for yourself or as gifts for your friends and family. Some of the cutting machines can even cut thicker materials like bonded fabric, craft foam, felt, and balsa wood. You can use a machine like the Cricut mug press to put images and labels on mugs.
Really, once you start using a Cricut machine or Silhouette machine, your imagination will go into creative overdrive!
Cricut vs. Silhouette Machines: A Basic Comparison
Before getting into the details of what makes Silhouette and Cricut so different (or the same) from each other, here’s a brief comparison of the cutting machines available from each company.
There are currently two Silhouette models of cutting machines being sold on their website: the Cameo 4 and the smaller Portrait 3.
On the Cricut website, you’ll find more models available; the Cricut Explore Air 2, Cricut Explore 3, the Cricut Maker, Cricut Maker 3, and the smaller Cricut Joy.
For the purposes of a fair comparison, we’ll compare the Silhouette Cameo 4 against the Cricut Maker 3. Both of these are the top of the line machines, with the widest varieties of cutting capabilities.
Let’s take a more in-depth look at the similarities and differences of these two machines, beginning with the Silhouette Cameo 4.
Silhouette Cameo 4:
The Silhouette Cameo 4 is available in three sizes; 12 inch width, 15 inch width, and a large 24 inch wide machine. It’s nice to be able to choose machine size based on your crafting space and project needs. The larger sizes are marketed more towards professional designers and small business owners. The features on all three sizes are basically the same.
When you purchase a Silhouette Cameo, here is what is included:
- The Silhouette Cameo 4 machine
- power cable and a USB cable
- a 12-inch by 12 inch Cameo cutting mat
- AutoBlade
- Adapters for the standard blade, premium blade, deep-cut blade, 2mm Kraft Blade, and for the Silhouette sketch pens.
- One month Silhouette Design Store subscription (once you register your machine
- Free version of Silhouette Studio software, with 100 free exclusive designs (available for download)
- Warranty information: one-year parts and labor, limited to USA and Canada only.
The Silhouette Cameo 4 has a sleek, angular design that is going to look good in any craft room. The controls on the machine are a small touch screen that disappears when not being used. The twelve-inch width Cameo 4 model weighs approximately eleven pounds, which is slightly less than the weight of the comparable Cricut Maker.
Silhouette Cameo 4: Cutting Features
The Cameo 4 can cut approximately 100 materials, including a variety of specialty papers, cardstocks, adhesive vinyls, heat transfer materials, specialty materials such as magnet sheets, lightweight wood sheets (such as balsa wood and chipboard), vellum, transparencies, fabrics, craft foam, and faux leather.
The maximum cutting depth for this machine is 3mm, which is more than adequate for heavier specialty materials. This machine has an impressive cutting force of 5 kg.
That’s a full kg more than the Cricut Maker 3. While that much cutting force is great if you’re going to primarily use your Cameo 4 for heavier materials such as fabric, craft foam sheets, and faux leather, it really doesn’t make any difference if your projects will primarily involve cutting vinyl, cardstock and iron-on materials.
Keep in mind that having extra cutting force isn’t always a better option. If your project involves cutting complicated designs on thicker materials, using less cutting force with several passes might give you cleaner, more precise cuts.
It’s important to note that you’ll need to purchase the Kraft Blade or Rotary Blade to successfully cut any thicker materials.
You’ll also need to purchase a separate Pen Holder if you want to use pens or markers to draw or write on any of your projects.
The pen holder is nice, especially since it has adapters that will allow use of pens other than the Silhouette brand. However, the Cricut Maker has a dual carriage feature that doesn’t require the purchase of a separate accessory to use their pens.
The Cameo 4 does have a few nice features that the Cricut Maker doesn’t have. One of the most prominent is the built in roll feeder.
With the roll feeder, you can attach your roll of vinyl directly to the machine, and it will feed directly into the cutting area. This allows you to cut materials such as vinyl, sticker sheets, and heat transfer vinyl without using a mat. When using the feeder, you have a potential continuous cutting length of 10 feet!
On the back of the Cameo 4 is a built in “cross cutter” that allows you, after cutting your project without a mat, to trim your material right off the roll after the machine is done cutting.
Another nice cutting feature is the “pop out” cutting setting that will allow you to cut cardstock and papers without having to use a cutting mat.
When making “pop out” cuts, the Cameo will occasionally lift the blade, leaving tiny portions of the design uncut so your design will still be connected to your paper or cardstock. Essentially, it creates perforations on your project instead of cutting it out.
Once you are done cutting, you simply “pop” the cut piece out of your material! Cricut machines also have this capability, but you have to use a separate “Perforation Blade” for this function.
It should be noted here that while the feeder makes cutting large projects much easier, it doesn’t work as well if your project has smaller, more intricate designs.
Cutting on a mat will give you better stability and control for making fine cuts. The “pop out” cuts are also nice for larger, more simple shapes, but the cut lines don’t always turn out perfectly smooth, and again it doesn’t work quite as well for intricate designs.
There is one more consideration when buying any cutting machine, and it’s something that usually doesn’t come to mind until you’ve already made your purchase and are trying out your new machine.
I’m referring to the noise level. There truly isn’t any such thing as a silent cutting machine. All makes and models will operate with some level of noise. The Silhouette Cameo 4 is loud.
It’s not so loud that you won’t be able to hear a nearby television or music playing, but you’ll probably need to turn up the volume a bit more than you normally would.
The Cricut Maker, comparatively, isn’t silent by any means; but it’s not as noisy as the Cameo 4. If you need a relatively quiet space to do your crafting, this is something you might want to give serious consideration to.
Let’s take a look at the basic functions of the Cricut Maker 3 now, and see how it compares to the Cameo 4.
Cricut Maker 3:
The Cricut Maker 3 is the top-of-the-line model of Cricut cutting machines. It has the ability to cut over 300 different materials, and is compatible with 13 different specialized tools. With the variety of Cricut tools and blades available for the Cricut Maker 3, you can cut, score, deboss, write, draw, and even engrave.
When you purchase a Cricut Maker 3, here is what is included
- Cricut Maker 3 machine
- Premium Fine-Point Blade and Housing
- USB cable and power adapter
- Welcome card, with instructions on how to register your machine online and get started
- Free 30-day trial subscription to Cricut Access (for new subscribers)
- Access to 100 ready-to-make projects with your trial subscription to Cricut Access
- Sample material to do a practice cut.
- Information on the One-Year Limited Warranty
The Maker 3 is a nice-looking machine, with rounded corners and it is available in several colors. The overall design is very “crafter friendly”, with a storage cubby for your small tools such as tweezers, scissors, pens, and the weeding tool. On top, you’ll find a handy slot that acts as a holder for your phone or tablet. The Cricut Maker is a solid machine that weighs 15.4 lbs.
Cricut Maker 3 Cutting Features
The Cricut Maker 3 can cut over 300 different materials. In addition to an assortment of specialty vinyl, cardstock, and iron-on materials, it also easily cuts leather, balsa wood, bonded fabric, foam board, vellum, transparencies, and more. It has a maximum cutting depth of 2mm and a maximum cutting force of 4 kg.
Both of those are slightly less than the power of the Silhouette Cameo 4, but the Cricut Maker 3 still does an outstanding job at cleanly cutting heavier specialty materials.
One thing that makes the Maker 3 stand out against other cutting machines is its versatility. While there are nine specialty tools and blades available for the Cameo machine, there are 13 different blades and tools available for the Maker 3. In addition to the assorted knife blades and pens that both machines feature, with the Cricut Maker 3 you can also purchase a foil transfer tool, a bonded fabric tool, a scoring stylus or wheel, an engraving tool, debossing tool, a wavy blade, and the perforation blade.
These specialty tools bring so much versatility to your crafting experience, but you will probably find yourself using one of the simpler Cricut tools more than anything else; the scoring stylus.
The scoring stylus, or a scoring wheel if you prefer, really is essential if you use your Maker 3 to make greeting cards or paper crafts of any kind. It’s a blunt tool that creates a slightly creased line anywhere you need to fold on your cut piece. With the scoring stylus, you’ll get a perfectly straight, precision fold without weakening your finished project.
Unfortunately, the Silhouette machines don’t have a comparable scoring tool. Instead, there is a “score” option in their design software, but it doesn’t truly score your paper. Instead, the blade will perform a very light cut, only halfway through your cardstock or paper, anywhere you want a fold line. It works perfectly fine, but because it’s a partial cut it does weaken your material a little bit.
The Cricut Maker 3 does have the ability to cut some materials without the use of a mat. You can do this by using Cricut brand Smart Materials.
Smart Materials come in a roll with a slightly heavier backing on them. It’s easy to load any smart material into the machine, and they cut beautifully.
Because the backing is slightly heavier than Cricut’s “regular” materials, you can successfully cut more detailed designs with Smart Materials.
Using Smart Materials can save time, also. If you’re making a large number of vinyl decals or custom t-shirts, for example, you can cut them more quickly without having to switch out mats. Just load your roll of vinyl or heat transfer Smart Materials into your Cricut Maker and you can cut them all in no time!
When using Smart Materials, you can cut a continuous length of up to 75 feet! If you use your Maker 3 for vinyl cutting to create classroom or outdoor decorations, the ability to cut long pieces makes the work so much easier.
While the Maker 3 doesn’t have an attached feeder and cross-cut trimmer like the Silhouette Cameo, you can purchase a roll feeder accessory with an attached trimmer separately. Unless you are cutting Smart Materials in very long lengths, you might not even miss having the feeder.
Cricut Design Space vs. Silhouette Studio Software
By now, you’ve probably realized that when it comes to basic cutting functions, there are more similarities than differences between the Silhouette Cameo 4 and the Cricut Maker 3. The real differences between these two machines comes down to the software. You can’t operate either brand of machine without the required software or app, and while both Silhouette Studio and Cricut Design Space are good programs, there are some notable differences.
Silhouette Studio Software
Silhouette Studio Software is Silhouette’s software to create projects & send them to your cutting machine. If you’re familiar with graphic design programs, you probably won’t have much trouble learning to use the Silhouette software.
If you’re unfamiliar with such programs though, you might find it has a steep learning curve at first.
SIlhouette’s software is a desktop-only application; compatible with Windows and Apple operating systems. However, it isn’t compatible with Chromebooks, tablets, smartphones, or any mobile devices. This is a big drawback for crafters who like to use their ipads with their cutting machines. There is a free mobile app called “Silhouette Go”, that allows you to access the designs in your Silhouette library and send them to your cutting machine, but it doesn’t give full access to all the design features.
The Silhouette software has some advanced features available, such as a freehand drawing tool, and a “trace” tool, that isn’t available with Cricut Design Space software. However, you need to purchase one of the paid versions of the software to access these tools.
Silhouette’s software has a total of over 60 design tools, depending on which version of the software you are using. There are four different tiers of Silhouette Studio; let’s take a look at how they compare to each other.
Versions of Silhouette Studio Software
The Basic Edition (Free!), gives you access to ready-made images and projects from the Silhouette Design Store, the ability to work with fonts installed on your computer, the ability to import JPG and PNG images and convert them to “cut and print” designs, use of some design tools to create your own projects, and of course you can send your projects directly to your Silhouette machine.
The next tier of Silhouette Studio Software is the “Basic to Designer” Edition, with a cost of $49.99. With this edition, you get all the features in the free software version, plus rulers and grids to help align your design work and (most importantly) the ability to import and work with SVG and PDF files.
The “Basic to Designer Plus” Edition is the next level, with a cost of $74.99. In addition to all the features in the lower tiers, you’ll also be able to import and work with embroidery file types, and have access to even more design tools.
Finally, the highest tier of Silhouette’s software is the “Basic to Business” Edition, with a price of $99.99. This level really is geared towards professional graphic designers or small business owners. In addition to the features of all other software packages, the “Basic to Business” edition allows you to export your SVG, PDF, and JPG designs, import Ai, CDR, and EPS files, and work with multiple cutting machines at once with the multi-cutter support feature.
All of these costs for the Silhouette software are for a one-time purchase. Additionally, there is a subscription option for the Silhouette store. With the service, you pay a monthly fee to purchase “credits” that you can use in the Silhouette store to buy SVG images and project files.
There are different subscription levels, with the base level being $4.99 per month for 10 credits. Each credit is worth one U.S. dollar, and there is a 60-day credit rollover. After 60 days, any unused credits you have in your subscription will expire. It’s hard to say how many files you can purchase with 10 credits per month since the files vary in price.
Silhouette Studio Software: Do I Need The Paid Version?
If you’re only an occasional crafter or aren’t familiar with using a graphic design program, you can probably get by with the free or the next tier “Basic to Designer” version. You can always start out with the free version, and upgrade to any of the paid versions later.
It’s important to note that the free version of Silhouette Studio greatly limits what files you can access and use. Most projects for cutting machines use SVG (scalable vector graphics) files. These files are easy to modify and allow you to resize without losing any clarity.
There are plenty of great SVG files in the Silhouette Design Store (both free and available to purchase), but you won’t be able to import any SVG files from outside unless you buy the $49.99 software version.
This means that if you create your own SVG custom designs in a drawing program such as Adobe Illustrator, you won’t be able to import them to use with your Silhouette cutting machine using the free software version. There are also a lot of wonderful independent designers who sell their SVG files on websites such as Etsy, and again you’ll need the paid Silhouette Studio software to be able to use these files.
There is an add-on app called “Silhouette Connect” that will send your artwork from Adobe Illustrator and CorelDraw directly to your Silhouette cutting machine. This makes it easy to create “print and cut” stickers of your own original designs. The Silhouette Connect add-on has a price of $19.99.
The subscription service to purchase files from the Silhouette website is affordable but limiting. There’s no good way to know if you would use all the credits you have in your account before they expire, and it’s hard to say how many files you can purchase each month with varied prices.
Cricut Design Space Software
Design Space is the software program used to create projects for your Cricut cutting machines. It doesn’t have as many of the advanced graphic design elements as Silhouette Studio, but most crafters find it much easier to navigate. Most of the functions are fairly intuitive, and there are also easy tutorials on the Cricut website.
The desktop version of it works well with both Windows and Apple operating systems. Unfortunately, Design Space isn’t yet compatible with Chromebook operating systems. In addition to the desktop software, there is also an app for mobile devices. The Design Space app does more than just send projects to your cutting machine. It can perform almost all the functions of the desktop software!
Design Space is free for all Cricut users. You get all the design tools and features with the free version. This means that you can easily upload any SVG file from an outside source to use with your Cricut machine.. If you use graphic design software, such as Adobe Illustrator, you can upload your artwork to your Design Space library without the need of any add-on applications.
Versions of Cricut Design Space Software
With the free version of Design Space, you have unlimited access to approximately 1,000 images and over 250 ready-to-make projects, unlimited use of 15 fonts, the ability to purchase SVG files and projects a la carte from the Cricut website, and the ability to create up to 5 collections in your Design Space library.
There is also a monthly subscription option for Cricut’s Design Space, known as Cricut Access. With a reasonable cost of $9.99 per month, the Access subscription gives you unlimited use of over 200,000 images (this includes the images you have to pay for “a la carte” with the free version), unlimited use of 700 fonts, 10% off the purchase of licensed character SVG files, access to thousands of ready-to-make projects, and the ability to create an unlimited number of collections in your Design Space Library.
Additionally, the Access subscription includes a quarterly $10 coupon for purchases made on Cricut.com, 10% discount on purchases made on cricut.com, and Priority Member Care if you need customer service assistance.
Cricut Design Space: Do I Need The Paid Version?
The free version of Design Space will allow you to use all of the software’s functions. You can use the design tools, upload files from outside the Cricut website, and create new designs all for free!
The only “extra” optional cost would be if you choose to subscribe to Access.
This subscription gives you unlimited use of almost all the images you would have to otherwise pay for individually.
Even if you choose not to subscribe right away, the images and project files are very inexpensive; usually between $1 and $3.
At the price of $9.99 per month, the subscription is a bargain if you find yourself wanting to purchase many files from the website. You always have the option to upgrade to an Access membership at any time.
The savings benefits are a great perk for Access subscribers, also. In addition to the usual 10% discount from their website, Cricut also offers “Access Exclusive” sale items for subscribers. These deals are great, and it would be hard to find better prices for some items.
Cricut vs. Silhouette: What Do They Cost?
A big deciding factor in choosing to buy a Cricut or Silhouette machine is going to be the cost. Both the Cricut Maker and the Silhouette Cameo are considerable investments in your crafting hobby.
Fortunately, both the Silhouette or Cricut machines can be purchased not only from their respective websites, but also from craft stores and even Amazon.com. It’s worthwhile to check for sales from all of these sources.
The regular price for the Cricut Maker 3 is $429.99. Of course, you’ll want to purchase materials and accessories to get started crafting right away. Fortunately, you can buy “bundles” on the Cricut website that offer a cutting machine, basic accessories, and an assortment of materials at a discounted price.
The Silhouette Cameo 4 (12 inch model) has a regular retail price of $299.99. Silhouette does occasionally offer bundles similar to what is sold on the Cricut website, but not on a regular basis.
Accessories and materials for both machines are comparable in price, and they do frequently go on sale. Fortunately, you can take advantage of sale prices no matter which machine you own.
Cricut materials (with the exception of their “smart materials” will work in a Silhouette Cameo machine, and Silhouette materials work great in Cricut machines. There are a number of third-party brands of vinyl and heat transfer materials that work in any cutting machine, too.
In addition to the base price of the machines and materials, you should also factor in the cost of software and subscription services offered by Silhouette or Cricut.
Cricut software is free, easy to use, and has a wide variety of design tools. You don’t have to pay any extra to upgrade for more functionality.
Given how very limited the free version of the Silhouette design studio software is, most crafters will need to pay for the $49.99 Designer Edition. If you enjoy creating graphic designs in programs like CorelDRAW, you’ll also need to purchase the add-on app for your Silhouette Cameo.
For $9.99 a month, an Access subscription will give you unlimited use of thousands of files, compared to the basic $4.99 Silhouette store subscription that gives you 10 “credits” (a $10 value) that expire after 60 days.
Conclusion: Silhouette vs. Cricut
Both the Silhouette Cameo 4 and the Cricut Maker 3 have their strong points.
For overall ease of use, reliability, and versatility, it’s our opinion that the Cricut Maker 3 is the overall better choice in the “Cricut vs. Silhouette” debate.
The Silhouette Cameo and Cricut Maker cutting machines are both quality additions for your crafting needs. When it comes to basic functionality in the Cricut vs. Silhouette debate, the two cutting machines are more alike than they are different. Either machine is a good choice, but it really depends on the type of crafts you’ll use the cutting machine for, and how comfortable you are with the learning curve to get comfortable with the enclosed software.
Most User Friendly: Cricut!
If you’re investing in a quality cutting machine, ease of use is probably a big priority. No one wants to spend huge amounts of time and materials just learning to use their machine! With its comprehensive software and excellent online tutorials, anyone can start creating with their Cricut cutting machine almost immediately.
The larger variety of specialty tools available for the Cricut Maker makes this a much more versatile machine when compared with the capabilities of Silhouette’s cutting machines.
Tools like the rotary blade for cutting bonded fabric, or the foil transfer kit to add shiny accents to your project elevate your crafting capabilities far beyond paper crafts and vinyl cutting.
Best Software: Cricut Design Space
The biggest difference between Cricut Maker 4 and Silhouette Cameo 3 really comes down to the software options. Both software are easy to initially set up. They both have Bluetooth connectivity, which means you’ll need a decent internet connection to use them.
The ability to use any SVG file or even your own images with the free Cricut design software solidifies our preference for the Cricut Maker, especially since you’d have to pay for a premium version of the Silhouette design studio software to do this.
If you’re comfortable with other graphic design programs, you’ll probably love Silhouette Studio. If you’re more of a beginner when it comes to using any design software, you’ll probably feel a little frustrated with the time it takes to learn it, though.
Comparatively, Cricut Design Space has a lot of great functions that are easy to learn. The Cricut software was designed with the home crafter in mind, making it one of the more user-friendly design programs you’ll ever find.
The free Design Space mobile app that allows you to use your machine from a smartphone or tablet gives Cricut a considerable edge over Silhouette. As long as you have your mobile device handy and an internet connection you can work on your craft projects!
Best Overall Value: Cricut
While the Cricut Maker 3 is a more expensive machine than the Silhouette Cameo, it is a sturdy piece of equipment with a reliable reputation. Cricut.com frequently has sales on their machines, and the bundled deals with accessories and materials are a great bargain.
The Silhouette Cameo 4 machine costs slightly less than the Cricut Maker. While Silhouette frequently has sales for their products, usually bundled deals that include tools and materials along with your new Silhouette Cameo machine aren’t available.
By the time you’ve purchased a new Silhouette Cameo and basic tools and materials to get started, and possibly a premium version of their software, you may end up spending the same amount of money (or slightly more) than if you had bought a Cricut Maker.
The Silhouette Cameo isn’t as widely sold in as many craft stores as the Cricut machines, so if you don’t want to buy directly from their website you might have trouble finding one in person.
If you’ve been mulling over buying a Cricut vs. Silhouette machine, hopefully, this article helped to clear up some of the significant differences between these two machines.
If you’re still undecided, there are of course many online videos and reviews that address the Cricut and Silhouette comparison as well.
Both the Cricut Maker and Silhouette Cameo have their loyal users and deciding which option is right for you really depends on what type of crafter you are, and how you’ll use your machine. With either cutting machine, you’ll find yourself spending many enjoyable hours in your craft room, creating beautiful projects for yourself and others.
572
Wow! Great post! I’m so glad I have not made the leap to purchase the cameo 3. My original cameo is still working after all these years. I too have a Cricut explore air and love that I don’t have to fuss with cartridges anymore. I also love that it tells you what color vinyl to cut next!
What font or cartridge is that for the cricut?
She is using fonts from her computer, sequel and mission script. No cartridges needed 🙂
Sorry to be a spelling nerd, but “rein” is the thing you use for horses. “Reign” is the spelling you’re wanting in the title of this post. Thanks for the comparison. I’ve kind of been wanting to upgrade.
Akkkk! Thanks!! You’re welcome. Let me know if you have any questions.
LOVE it!!! I’ve actually never used a Silhouette, but I’ve heard all of these same things! #teamCricut
I reviewed the same Silhouette and the Cricut Explore Air and I felt so differently! I’ve been only using Cricut for years and was sooo frustrated with the online Cricut software. In my opinion, it’s less user friendly–I just don’t get the weird steps to do things and have to keep looking it up. Worse than that it’s painfully slow. It’s so slow that I could rarely get a word from a font the first time because the whole site would jam and I’d have to force the browser closed and start over. And I do NOT like paying subscriptions to access files. I like to buy it and own it…offline. If I did a LOT of cutting, the subscription model would make more sense. Oh, and Cricut has cut files that just seem much nicer than Cricuts. More grown-up files instead of cutesy cheesy stuff. Cricut has more print then cuts. I think all of them are printable. Don’t quote me on that.
THe wireless on Cricut IS easier to set up. Darn. I had a great review on Amazon with how to get set up etc and Amazon deleted it. 🙁 (because it’s an unverified purchase). But Cameo’s online setup guide IS pretty good, if a bit much to get done.
I had an easier time getting a good cut with Cameo. (Once I figured out the depth. ) With Cricut, I literally spend an hour just trying to get the software to work and to cut what I wanted and I ended up throwing out too much.
I wanted to like Cricut more and I worried that Silhouette software would be “all new” but it was so much easier. One tip is to print the page from the user manual (or set up guide) that has the screen of the software and explanations for what each does.
! Things change. And hopefully Cricut online is better now.
My computer’s being slow today so I’m stopping and not revising this. Hope it makes sense.
I love my Cameo, and wasn’t crazy about the Cricut because of how slow it was to get it working, too. I don’t know about the wireless setup since my hubby does all of that for me (He’s a software engineer, so he’s OCD about programs and files on our computers.), but he liked the features of the Silhouette software a little more after using both. I also love my Mint and and Curio. I feel I made the better choice with my Silhouette after trying out the Cricut. We ended up returning the Cricut.
Thanks for this! I’ve been very happy with my original Cameo and find the software to be very powerful. I also like that you don’t have to be on line to use it!
Thank you for chiming in. This comparison by Heather seems a bit counter-intuitive and biased. I’ve been a graphic designer all of my life, so it blows me away that someone would rave about a web-based software. I would much rather have the control to pick my own fonts and use a program my own computer. I’ve never had a web-based software work better either, not to mention one is at the mercy of the internet.
Also … it is interesting how Heather doesn’t seem to respond to the hard questions, unless it looks like it might sell a Circuit. At one point she says she will research someone’s question and then blatantly doesn’t.
For that reason … I feel I must discount this “review” as overtly biased and I will keep researching.
I am thinking about getting a new cutting machine and these are two I’m considering so I greatly appreciate your comparison review! I’m currently using an original Cricut Expression with SCAL and the Sizzix eClips with the eCAL cutting programs. I’m not really having any issues with either machine or the software, but it’s the noise factor that has me contemplating a new purchase. I have friends who have the Explore Air and I can’t believe how QUIET it is compared to my two machines. Did you happen to notice any differences in the noise level between the Cameo 3 and the Explore Air 2 when you were testing them side by side? Is the Cameo 3 quieter than the Cameo 2?
Thanks for the comparison. I’ve never used either machine and quite frankly find them both a little overwhelming. But I have to agree that the Cricut definitely seems to be more user friendly overall.
Are you still able to use cartridges with the Cricut Explore Air 2?
Rebecca, great question! Yes, you are, it still has the cartridge port. Thanks for asking!
You need to find out what happens with the shapes purchase through cricut when your subscription ends. They go away with the subscription. Silo images are yours to keep!
Thanks for one of the best comparisons I’ve read. I have an old Cricut and a last gen Cameo and have been torn on where to go next.
I have been watching comparison videos on Cricut Explore 2 VS Silhouette Cameo 3. I still do not understand if the Cricut has the capability of using your own designs and printouts like Silhouette. I am also wondering if Cricut has the capability of 10 ft vinyl cutting as does Silouette. Also, are the materials you can use the same with Silhouette and Cricket, I.E. Paper, cardstock, leather, wood, corkboard, cereal boxes, soda cans, metals, foils ? Lastly, can you cut a photo with both machines?
Donna, Those are all great questions. Let me do some research and get back with you on that. I don’t want to lead you astray so I want to double check to make sure I am giving accurate information. Thanks for your questions!!
I don’t know….I feel like this review was a little biased out of the gate. From the get go, it was established that you previously owned a cricut before the silhouette. I think you need to get as acquitted with the silhouette as you have the cricut before you give pros and cons. The price of the machines are nothing to sleep on, people are reading your blog, and I think you are doing them an injustice.
Katrina- That’s a great point. Actually I had a Cricut back in the days of cartridges and used it once and then gave it away. Didn’t love it. I have been an avid Silhouette user for years. I am very well acquainted with the Silhouette software and machines. You can search Silhouette on my sidebar search box and see all of the posts that I have done with the Silhouette. After working with BOTH machines extensively, I feel like the Cricut is the better buy. I agree this are purchases not to make lightly and that’s why I have put years of working with both products under my belt before I even attempted a post of this nature. Thanks for your thoughts though!
@the very beginning, she said that she has been Pro-Silhouette for years.
I had troubles with cutting with my silhouette when I first got it. Kept the original blade way too long. Once I changed it, it cut like a breeze. I wonder now if they do that on purpose so you’ll buy a new blade. Super frustrating. I also have a cricut 2. I’m enjoying my silhouette more and more. Of course I don’t have a new cricut. I just both of my machines to cut more mediums.
I think it’s great that you put together this comparison. I agree the Silhoutte 3 has issues, hence why I’m keeping my Silhoutte 2 till the company works out the software bugs on the 3. Honestly, I’ll probably wait till they come out with the 4, hoping it will be less bulky.
But I have to laugh about the vinyl. I hardly know any designers that use Silhouette or Cricut vinyl! It fails greatly in comparison to Oracal 651 (permanent vinyl) or Oracal 631 (temporary vinyl) – As far as I’m concerned Silhouette or Cricut vinyl is not worth spending money on. Though, I personally have had great success with Cricut glittered HTV when I’m in a pinch and run out of Siser EasyWeed HTV.
I really appreciate you comparing the 2 machines…I’m going to stick with my Silhoutte 2 because I’m crazy in love with it and have made a thousand of my own designs that I have readily available on my laptop anytime I need them.
Thank you!
I completely agree with you on the vinyl choices both of those vinyls are terrible and I think either one of them could make the machine fail on its own!
I would like to see a comparison between the cricut air 2 and the brother scan n cut 2 650
I have a cameo 2 and I will say I’m a huge fan of it if I could have three more of them I would. I wasn’t a huge fan on the cricut cartridges and that’s why I chose it, with that being said I think silhouette made a jump to quickly in to uncharted territory with the Bluetooth on the three and I will say I won’t be upgrading for that exact reason.
I love.my Cricut, but hate the print and cut size.Any idea if this will change?
Thanks for the review! I always thought the cricut cut quieter, but i love the flexibility of the silhouette software design functions and haven’t made the switch. Does the cricut have the capability to move the letters around, weld them in funky places and edit individual cut points? And can I put bubble outlines around the designs I make to give them a mat look? Thank yoy
I am silhouette cameo 3 owner and the reason the machine didn’t cut correctly is because you didn’t select auto blade in “advanced” in the cut settings. It’s annoying that you have to do it everytime with the 3 but for some reason it defaults to the ratchet blade not the auto blade. With that said, I switched from a cricut explore air to a cameo 3 when the new cameo was released and in my opinion the cameo is a far more superior cutting machine than my cricut explore air.
Hi Heather! Thank you for this great review. My birthday is coming up and the hubby wants to get me a cutting machine so research has been necessary! I appreciate not only your written review, but the videos were super helpful. Seeing the process in real time was great. I can’t wait to get my cricut!
Thanks!
I’ve had the Explore for 3 years. Not once have I had an issue with the software being slow. That happens when the user has a slow internet connection, is working with a very complicated design or is trying to print the cut an entire page of writing, has downloaded way too many fonts or had uploaded a file that wasn’t created correctly. If they try a different project other than the one giving them a problem it usually works. And way too many people don’t actually have the internet speed they’re paying for.
I spoke with cricut today, they told me to download the software and play with it first , it was going to be the best way for me to see if it was going to work for me and the software was free.
I’m not sure if this was addressed or not but Can you use your tablet with either of these machines as I no longer have a laptop?
Thanks
Nikki
Nikki the Cricut works great with a tablet or smartphone!
My first cutting machine is a silhouette cameo and I love it! I ordered the explore air 2 for mother’s day and it is on the way. I am not ditching my silhouette but just wanted to have the best of both worlds. I wanted the greater cutting force of the explore. KNK zing or KNK force would have been nice, but it was a little too expensive for a hobby machine.
I played extensively with the Design Space and I am not impressed. Although I could see appeal for those who are a little bit intimidated by the advanced feature and complexity of Silhouette Studio. If you could afford to have both, that would be a nice option. But if you are trying to pick one over the other, I think this is not a very valid comparison and you should look at other reviews. I never had a problem cutting vinyl with my cameo. I have the cameo 1. For the cameo 3, you should change your blade settings to automatic . Ratchet blade is the default, so unless you pick it, even if you pick the right material, the blade will not adjust and be at the setting where it was last. I am not sure if that step was not done or it was just not shown in the video. Also to improve this experiment, in a more scientific comparison, you should only change one variable.. the machine. So it would give a more accurate comparison if the vinyl used are the same for both machines.
Thanks for this. It helped me make my decision on which machine to buy. Being someone that has used the Cricut now for quite some time, can you tell me what accessories would benefit me to purchase when I purchase the machine? What are good things to have on hand if I want to do a little side business work with it?
Thanks for your time!!
Does anyone have any issues with either machine connecting to an iMAC?
Do you still need to use cartridges with the new cricut? Can you do a design from an online picture?
Karla, no need for cartridges anymore with the new machines. YES, you can do a design from an online image… Isn’t that cool!
All I ever read is how wonderful Cricut is. Just purchased an Explore Air from Cricut, and the software is so bad and slow, I’m sending it back to Cricut. The machine itself seems nice – I made the sample project and it was amazing and fast. It went downhill from there once I downloaded the Design Space software. What should have taken me 15 minutes to create, ended up being 3 hours with constant clearing of cookies, history, uninstall-reinstall software, etc. I’m sending it back. Can’t crate much but I’m sure the machine is nice.
Laura-
That’s a bummer! When did you try and do this? Cricut just totally changed their software and launched Design Space 3. It no longer uses Flash and it works much better. I can get you in contact with someone that can help you out if you’d like.
Heather
I have never owned either of these machines, but have been considering purchasing one. So I’ve been researching on which would be better of the two. It’s been so hard and confusing. I just get it figured out and decided on one and then I read reviews on oh no how the other is the best way to go. So I’m right back to square one of not being any closer to knowing which of the two is the better.
I realize it’s a preference thing to a point. I get that. But I need the one that will save me most money in the long run. As my funds are very limited and I can’t afford much waste. Buying this is to help me make money so I need to keep waste down as much as I can. As all do too. I’m just stating my situation. Nobody wants to waste things lol. Or have high cost.
But thank you all for your input. And the videos were great!!!!
I have never used a cutting machine. Sewing has always been my thing. But I’m ready to venture out! I plan to use it for small projects, t-shirts, etc. however, my husband owns a business and I am wondering if either of these machines would allow me to cut his logo? For some reason I thought the silhouette could but the cricut couldn’t but I don’t know enough about them to be sure I am understanding the software, pixscan etc correctly.
Thank you! Loved your post.
To be fair, I own a Cameo 3 that I received in a fab bundle for Mothers Day from my family. The bundle included a Mint machine, which I really like. Anyway, I just went through a bunch of diagnostics with mats and blades and I wonder if you might not have had your autoblade inserted properly, as it looked like there was a tiny gap between the blade and the housing. This was one of my many issues when the machine wasn’t cutting properly. I’m glad all issues were resolved, as I really enjoy my Cameo, including its scan and cut feature. I will agree that Silhouette vinyl is defective and have wondered why they don’t just partner with someone like Oracal in order to sell a decent product. At any rate, overall I am pleased with my machine and Silhouette’s customer service. I wish you all the best with your Cricut. Happy Crafting!
I have friends who have both machines. Of course they each claim theirs is the best ( Cricut or Silhouette). I have always seen more information about Cricut. I am looking to purchase a machine but don’t know which to go for. My questions are….cricut…can it be used offline? Is it the one that can cut like a bazillion (Yes exaggeration) different types of materials? And last but not least, can I create my own designs on my computer and it cut them?
Thank you in advance for your help.
Hi! Thanks so very much for this comparison. I have had a cameo for several years and I also feel like I have to baby it to make it work. However I love the designs in the store. My husband just got me a Cricut Maker, and it’s amazing on how Cricut has upped their game (I was all Cricut when I first started scraping, but slowly grew to outgrow it). Is there anyway to keep or use your silhouette designs in the design space? Just wanted to say thanks for the info!
I’m right there with you Nicole. I out grew the older Cricut rather quick and now I adore my Cricut Maker. Sadly, you can’t transfer designs from the Silhouette software into Cricut Design Space. However, I know for a fact that Cricut is working really hard to add new inventory to their shop all the time.
Heather
Is this post sponsored by Cricut? Just wondering!
As a matter of fact, it’s not. It was soon after that I started working with Cricut because of my love of the machine.
I want to buy either a Circuit or a Silhouette Cameo to use only for scrapbooking-making borders, titles, perhaps figures. I will not be cutting vinyl or other types of materials except cardstock. So which machine is better for me?
Ruby, for your projects, I would say that the Cricut Explore Air 2 would be the best fit.
Best wishes,
Heather
Heather, almost pushed the button this morning on the Cricut but hesitated. I know absolutely nothing about either machine. I want to do some “cut files”, the source I want them from says I can do this on the Silhouette, does that mean only the Silhoette or is it possible to use the Cricut. Hope I do not confuse you
Linda- I would hands-down go with Cricut. I have extensively used both machines and Cricut is superior. To answer your question, you can use cut files for either Silhouette or Cricut as long as they are svg or png files.
Wow, what an outstanding comparison! Thank you so much for all the effort you put into this. My question for you is have you ever used the Brother Scan N Cut, and how does it stack up to the Cricket. I have ruled out the Cameo, but the Scan N Cut needs some attention before I decide. Please let me know if you have used it. Thanks.
I was looking at your pictures and it looks to me like you didn’t get your blade in all the way on the Cameo. No wonder it failed. If you don’t put it in all the way, it is going to fail. There shouldn’t be any gap. Sometimes it happens because people don’t move the locking mechanism all the way out or don’t push it all the way in or they just don’t push the blade all the way down. I love my Silhouette because I don’t have to work with Design Space. So many times I have seen people all upset because they can’t use their Cricut. Also, I think Cricut Vinyl/HTV are both pretty comparable. They are both crappy.
I am torn between Cricut Air and the Silhouette Cameo? I do mostly cards some scrapbooking.
I had a Cricut before I lost in a house fire.
Thanks,
Sylvia G.