The best vinyl cutters you can buy

Why you’ll love it: The Silhouette Cameo 3 delivers more than expected for its price — it holds two tools at once, can scan and print, and is able to work offline.

The Silhouette Cameo 3 is a super-handy cutter that offers nearly limitless possibilities in creating projects and supports a variety of materials. In fact, with the Silhouette Deep Cut Blade (sold separately), it can slice through materials up to 2 millimeters thick.

This model has a dual-carriage system that holds two tools at once (e.g., two blades or one blade and one pen) for efficient multi-functionality. For example, you can cut card stock with the blade and then embellish it with the pen, in one pass — no need to change tools manually. Simply tell the machine which tool to use.

And there’s more: The Silhouette Cameo 3 has a Print and Cut feature that lets you create a design using the included Silhouette Studio software and print it out. Then, feed the printed design into the cutter for scanning; the cutter then carves out your design.

What users really find convenient is that the Silhouette Cameo 3 doesn’t have to be connected to the internet in order to operate. As a stand-alone machine with Bluetooth, it offers lots of freedom during use.

Hambly Screen Prints, Vinyl Cutting Machines, and The Best Vinyl Cutters highlight the Silhouette Cameo 3 as one of the best budget models, given all it has to offer. 10Techy ranks it second, WireVibes fifth, and Milan Clothing within the top 10 models. Out of more than 430 Amazon reviewers, it earned an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

Pros: Dual-carriage holds two tools, has Print and Scan feature, able to work as a stand-alone machine

Cons: Software takes a bit of studying for some

Buy the Silhouette Cameo 3 on Amazon for $201.95 Buy the Silhouette Cameo 3 from Walmart for $203.95

Why you’ll love it: The Brother CM350 ScanNCut2 Electronic Cutting Machine is perfect if you want to hand draw and scan in your own original designs; it’s also great for quilters.

Fast and portable, the Brother CM350 ScanNCut2 Electronic Cutting Machine comes loaded with 631 built-in designs, including 100 quilt patterns. This model not only cuts these images, but also scans and carves out any original designs you create. With its 300 dots-per-inch scanner, you can scan in practically anything (a magazine clipping, photos, your own drawings, etc.), save it to the machine’s memory, and then cut out its image.

This lightweight model operates as both a stand-alone machine and a Wi-Fi-ready device. The cutter’s design software is CanvasWorkspace, a free cloud-based web application that comes with a library of images, shapes, and fonts. Using this collection as well as the machine itself presents a learning curve that crafters say is well worth climbing in the end.

The versatile Brother CM350 ScanNCut2 Electronic Cutting Machine easily slices through diverse materials with precision and speed to produce intricate designs. Its hardworking German carbide blade can cut materials up to two millimeters in thickness and one user reported cutting through more than 88 sheets of paper in one sitting. Although it cuts through fabric — and even adds a seam allowance in quarter-inch increments for sewing — a few people noted its performance on felt is only so-so.

The Brother CM350 ScanNCut2 Electronic Cutting Machine has a 4.85-inch touch-enabled display for convenient on-device editing. You can see the scanned images on the screen and then make any adjustments. Just use the stylus to resize, reshape, reposition, rotate, and/or combine images before cutting.

Earning an average rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars from more than 270 Amazon reviewers, this vinyl cutter is ranked within the top five models on Best Reviews and within the top 10 models on The Best Vinyl Cutters and 10Techy.

Pros: Worth the investment, scans as well as cuts, great for quilter and sewers

Cons: Library of images fine for some but only basic for others

Buy the Brother CM350 ScanNCut2 Electronic Cutting Machine on Amazon for $234.95 Buy the Brother CM350 ScanNCut2 Electronic Cutting Machine at Walmart for $234.99

Why you’ll love it: Small but mighty, the Silhouette Portrait 2 packs versatility and functionality inside a little machine.

The compact Silhouette Portrait 2 is a fine, fun tool for beginners to dip their toes into the world of vinyl crafting. Sleek, light, and easy to transport, it takes up little space and is convenient for toting around for on-the-go crafting. The downside of its cute size is a restriction on project size. Although limited to cutting 8-inch-wide sheets, this model is great for making decals and stickers.

The Silhouette Portrait 2 is durable and economical, reportedly lasting years under constant use. It comes with an 8-inch cutting mat and an AutoBlade, which cuts cleanly and works well on small, intricate designs. With the Silhouette Deep Cut Blade (sold separately), you can slice through materials up to 2 millimeters thick.

In addition to a Bluetooth adapter, the cutter comes with Silhouette Studio software, 50 exclusive designs, and a one-month Silhouette Design Store subscription. With its Print and Cut feature, the Silhouette Portrait 2 allows you to create a design with the Silhouette Studio software and print it out. You then feed the printed design into the cutter, which scans and cuts it out. Also, PixScan technology allows you to scan and cut your own images.

The Silhouette Portrait 2 is ranked within the top five vinyl cutters on Best Reviews, fifth on 10Techy, and within the top 10 on The Best Vinyl Cutters. Of more than 570 Amazon reviewers, 66% awarded this model 5 out of 5 stars.

Pros: Compact, light, economical, easy to use, custom design functions

Cons: Limited to 8-inch-wide sheets

Buy the Silhouette Portrait 2 on Amazon for $139.99

Why you’ll love it: Straddling personal and commercial use, the USCutter Vinyl Cutter MH 34in is useful for both hobbyists and small-business owners with its large capacity for project size and volume.

Perched on a floor stand, the large USCutter Vinyl Cutter MH 34in accommodates big projects like signs, banners, and automotive and window decals. It has a maximum feed width of 34.2 inches, a cutting width of 30.63 inches, and a cutting length of 96 inches (8 feet). It has a cutting speed of up to 48 inches per second – ideal for high-volume businesses.

Cutting accuracy isn’t sacrificed for speed, though. During operation, the USCutter Vinyl Cutter MH 34in is a bit loud but cuts cleanly. It comes with three blades (one for use and two replacements) and a backlit display for entering commands, controlling speed and pressure, and making adjustments. It also has a pen holder for switching out the knife for a pen and turning the cutter into a plotter. Many users praise this model’s vectorization and tracing abilities.

USCutter Vinyl Cutter MH 34in utilizes VinylMaster Cut software but also can run other popular design software like Sure Cuts A Lot, Flexi, SignBlazer, and SignCut Productivity Pro. Setup and software use are fairly smooth if you follow instructions and watch manufacturer videos. Although some reviewers consider this model to be “entry level” as a commercial tool, others feel that it is best for advanced users.

The included sign-making kit offers plentiful supplies: five 2-by-5-foot rolls of Greenstar vinyl (black, white, red, green, and yellow); two 1-by-2-foot sheets of blank magnetic signs; one 6-by-10-yard roll of TransferRite Ultra Clear 1310G (Grid) Medium Tack Application Transfer Tape; and one 1-by-1-yard roll of TransferRite Ultra 592U Paper Application Tape. This large bundle makes this cutter’s price a decent deal.

The USCutter Vinyl Cutter MH 34in is top rated on Hambly Screen Prints and Best Reviews Guide. It earned a place within the top five models on Wire Vibes and The Best Vinyl Cutters. Of almost 400 Amazon reviewers, 56% award it 5 out of 5 stars.

Pros: Handles large jobs (both in size and volume), cuts and plots, great vectorization abilities

Cons: Loud operation, basic software, incompatible with Mac computers

Buy the USCutter Vinyl Cutter MH 34in Bundle with Sign-Making Kit on Amazon for $379.99