Best Vinyl Cutter Machine: You Can Buy In 2023

Whether you’re a newbie or a professional looking for an upgrade, finding the right vinyl cutter can be pretty hectic. For professional output, going for the cheapest option wouldn’t do you any good. You’d need a capable machine to provide a precise cutting for your goods.

To assist you in buying the best vinyl cutting machine, we’ve researched the whole market and came up with 9 of our top picks to ease out the selection process. So buckle up and let’s get started, shall we?

What Is a Vinyl Cutter?

In simple terms, a vinyl cutting machine is a computer-controlled machine that can be used in order to control the movement of sharp blades over the surface of a material, typically a vinyl sheet with a self-adhesive plastic surface.

Through designing shapes and letters, as well as various symbols with a software program such as Adobe Photoshop, the machine can be directed with a computer command to cut the exact layout with the vinyl cutter. As a result, the cutter follows the vector course to smoothly cut the design without any added hassle.

What’s more to this amazing piece is that it can be used for small business items such as tees, crafts, and even for large scale banners and billboards. Such a small piece of machine with such incredible outcomes, right?

9 Best Vinyl Cutter Reviews | 2020

Before we start off with our reviews, make sure to check them out and do your research before you place an order. Keep your requirements in mind when adding them to your wish list and you’re good to go!

1.  Cricut Explore Air 2 in Mint

Cricut has introduced this amazing product to leave everyone awestruck with both its appearance and performance. Let’s dig more into the features that it has to offer.

Considered to be your personal DIY cutting machine, this item can work flawlessly on as many as over 100 different types of materials that include premium vinyl, card-stock, faux leather, and many more. Now you don’t have to run to stores to get your objects cut into designs.

What’s more to this incredible vinyl cutter is how you can create a variety of custom stuff - stickers, home décor, apparel, props, and whatnot! With the help of the Cricut premium fine point blade and housing, LightGrip adhesive cutting mat, and black fine point pen, your custom work has been made easier than ever!

Offering personal software to the Cricut users, the Design Space will allow you to experience an ultimate luxury by creating or designing your own images with it. Alongside, with over 100,000 images, fonts, and designs, you can play around with your imagination and turn it into reality!

So, don’t forget to check out this beauty which is offered a pretty reasonable price.

Pros

• Can be used on over a hundred different types of material
• Comes with a Light Grip adhesive cutting mat
• Cricut premium fine point blade and housing for a precise cut work
• Personal software, Design Space, will give you access to over 100,000 designs

Cons

• Does not come with a proper manual, which can make the users confused

2. Silhouette Black Cameo 4 Starter Bundle

Since we’ve already introduced you to a Silhouette product earlier, let’s start off with another one of their product-the Black Cameo 4 Starter Bundle.

Starting off with how this amazing vinyl cutter doesn’t need any internet connection to get your work started, connect to the Bluetooth and you’re good to go. Along with this, it comes with 4 tool adapters which can be used by Cameo 3, 2, and 1 tool as well.

The built-in roll feeder and the LED touch panel make this product a useful, yet stylish one to have your job done in no time.

In order to stand out in the crowd, this one of a kind vinyl cutting machine is offered with thirty-eight sheets of Oracal vinyl, and six sheets of durable swing design HTV. For extra ease, 24 assorted sketch pens have been added to the set which makes this a steal purchase!

The cutting mat and the auto blade 2 helps in a single tap reset which auto-adjusts to match the cutout works in a matter of few seconds. Compared to the Cameo 3, it has a 3x cutting speed, making it the best budget vinyl cutter for the wide bunch of things it has to offer to its customers.

Swing Design allows the users of this item to create their own designs without any additional charges as well. Then why wait? This is definitely a must-have in your list, that too in a budget!

Pros

• Bluetooth connection features make work easier even during bad internet days
• 3x cutting speed in comparison to the Cameo 3
• Swing Design software package is free for all the users of this product
• Built-in roll feeder for a hassle-free cutting experience
• Additional vinyl materials and sketch pens are provided for a great deal

Cons

• Might be a little tough to operate for the amateurs

3. Cricut Cutter in Rose

Another wonderful vinyl cutting machine by Cricut is this product that is renowned for being one of the finest home vinyl cutters out there.

Alongside being able to cut vinyl decals, this item allows you to work with paper crafts, iron-on, leather crafts, sewing projects, and many more. Endless DIY projects can now be done with this one of a kind cutting machine that comes with powerful blades, top quality pens, and scoring tools. It helps you learn as you go!

Offered with a new rotary blade specially made for fabrics, the gliding and rolling capability of this blade can cut through any sort of fabrics in a well-defined manner. No worries about backing material either.

In order to simplify sewing and quilting works, this works amazingly as the best vinyl cutting machine for crafts – you just have to choose the pattern and the Cricut Maker will cut and mark it all for you. All you need to do is sew it together into a wholesome piece of art!

Making it convenient for both amateur and pros, the simple design apps can be used to choose your own images and fonts from a vast collection and upload them to get your desired cut out piece.

To make it stand out in the crowd, this item also comes with a docking slot to hold your device along with a USB port to charge as you work. This is definitely a must-have in your wish list!

Pros

• Allows you to work on a variety of materials – vinyl, leather, and even fabrics!
• New and improved rotary blades
• Simple design apps to custom make your own ideas
• Offered with a docking slot and USB port for your tablet or smartphone

Cons

• The Design Space app cloud must be used for each final designs

4. Silhouette Electronic Cutting Machine, CAMEO

If you’re looking for the best beginner vinyl cutter, then Silhouette has just the right product for you- the CAMEO!

Coming in an improved version of its predecessor, this has been equipped with a super-responsive touch screen, a handy on-unit cross cutter as well as a built-in accessory storage system to meet all your demands. Vinyl cutters have never been this easier for amateurs!

This well-known cutting machine is able to do its job on a range of materials, starting from vinyl to card-stock and even a variety of fabrics! Materials falling under the dimensions of 12 inches width and 120 inches in length are applicable to be cut with this machine.

With this, you can precisely create any designs according to your wish. After printing them on your personal printer, you can connect and cut with zero difficulties. Stickers, cut out posters, iron-on patch stickers including many more can be made with this!

CAMEO by Silhouette comes with a cutting mat with 12 inches dimension. Also included with the cutter is a sharp blade for an accurate cut and creation. For custom designing, it also includes preloaded software called Silhouette Studio that includes 100 designs to choose and produce your own dreams.

Through this vinyl cutting machine, cutting and crafting can be perfected to make the ideal product for you. Be sure to check it out!

Pros

• Responsive touch screen
• Built-in accessory storage system
• Can cut a variety of materials – vinyl to fabric, you name it!
• Includes 12-inch cutting mat and a precise cutting blade to create custom needs
• Silhouette Studio software with 100 preloaded designs

Cons

• Users cannot work with materials larger than 12 inches in width and 10 feet in length

5. Vinyl Cutter USCutter MH 34 in Bundle

Just in case you’re looking for the best vinyl cutter for small businesses, this is just the ideal place to land. Let us tell you why.

Renowned as the best seller vinyl cutter for a decade, the performance it provides is unbeatable and trusted by all. It consists of a 34-inch feed width and a cut width of as much as 30 inches.

For those looking for the best home vinyl cutter without any extra hassle of operating, this can be the right option to rely on. Signs, apparel with heat transfer, banners–it can do it all!

Manufactured with three adjustable pinch rollers, the customizable speed options will make your job simpler than ever. It has a superior ball-bearing dual roller system that is used to feed vinyl.

To add on to these, their lifetime free technical support provided all over the US just makes their products more remarkable. More to this is the VinylMaster Cut software to create your own designs and the free vinyl, blanks, and tools that come with it!  What else do you need? So go on and check this out now!

Pros

• Built with a 34-inches feed width with a cut width of 30-inches
• Has three entirely adjustable pinch rollers
• Adjustable speed and pressure features make it a wonderful choice
• Ball-bearing dual roller system makes the machine smoother

Cons

• The software is very basic, so it might not meet professional expectations

6. Silhouette America Curio Crafting Printer

Yet another vinyl cutter by Silhouette to make it to our list is the America Curio Crafting Printer that comes with a bunch of new features to blow your mind.

Besides the advanced stippling features, this machine can also etch through the materials for a fine cut and finish.

It includes varieties of embossing techniques, such as Embossing along the path, Printing and Embossing as well as Scoring and Embossing to make your creations even more fascinating.

With the help of this Curio crafting printer, thicker materials can now be cut without any worries.

The cutting blade has a pretty good depth inducing feature and it can pierce through 2mm dense materials, having a clearance of as much as 5mm. This allows the users to cut through pretty thick substances with the help of the machine.

Silhouette Studio software which is a part of Silhouette’s very own creation enables the users to emboss, stipple, and etch s. The Silhouette Design Store will assist you in the process.

Hence, without any further hesitation, be sure to check out this item. You won’t regret it!

Pros

• New additional features allowing users to stipple, etch and emboss as they go
• 3 types of embossing method for a versatile work output
• Curio’s deep cut blade can cut up to 2mm thick materials with 5mm clearance
• Silhouette Studio software and Design Store allows stippling, emboss and etch

Cons

• Will require you to watch a lot of tutorial videos to get a hold of the machine

7. VEVOR Vinyl Cutter

This incredible vinyl cutter by VEVOR is well known for its versatility and can be used in a wide range of projects.

Now, moving on to the item, this 34 inches vinyl cutter has a maximum paper feed of 870mm and width of 760mm which is honestly, a great feature.

The adjustable cutting speed ranging from 10mm per second to 800mm per second will allow you to be flexible with your projects. Besides, the 10 - 500g variable cutting pressure is also worth mentioning.

Created with a back light LCD display to keep track of your working progress, this machine also comes with an emergency start and stop function which allows the users to do their work without any worries of mistakes or starting over.

Superior 3 pinch roller system on the vinyl cutter is also adjustable on the guide rail depending on the paper width. The ball-bearing dual roller media system is just an added perk to provide the users with a better and smoother experience.

Moving on to its wide application, this pretty famous vinyl cutter is very much suitable for almost anything – advertising, signs, architectural drawings, and even for automotive décor. Label making feature makes this a wonderful nominee for being the best vinyl cutter for tshirts.

Offered in pretty reasonable pricing, this is highly suggested for those who like to work on a variety of projects from time to time.

Pros

• Works with a maximum feed of 34 inches and a width of 30 inches
• Adjustable speed and pressure options
• Backlight LED with emergency start or stop functions for extra cautions
• 3 pinch roller system and ball-bearing dual roller media system
• Best for a wide application

Cons

• Not compatible with Mac system

8. Silhouette Wireless Cutting Machine

By now, you must be pretty convinced why Silhouette vinyl cutters have made it to our list so much – they are just perfect with both their performance and looks! How can we just resist ourselves not buying them?

These things apart, let us tell you why this particular model was added to our favorites. Ranging from vinyl (well, of course) to paper, fabric, and even card-stock, this machine can work on just about anything with the dimensions of 12 in inches width and 10 feet in length.

Moreover, the wireless feature that it offers is quite impressive we must say. By using their Bluetooth technology, wireless cutting, or plugging into your home computer will definitely decrease your workload by at least ten folds.

Dual carriage for multi-tool use and a pretty high 2mm clearance lets the users cut into thicker materials with zero trouble whatsoever. Being compatible with Print and Cut as well as PixScan technology just keeps adding on to its versatile features.

Known to be the only Silhouette with a self-adjusting AutoBlade, it surely stays true to its work performance. Additional 12-inch cutting mat power cable and USB cable ease the workflow.

Thanks to the powerful Silhouette Studio design software, customers can now custom create their own designs without any hassle and turn their imagination into reality!

In hope that you’re already impressed, don’t forget to check out the product on your own.

Pros

• Works smoothly on vinyl, fabric, card-stock, paper and many more
• Bluetooth wireless technology to connect and work in no time
• Compatibility with Print and Cut as well as PixScan technology
• Dual carriage system with 2mm clearance
• Only Silhouette with self-adjustable AutoBlade

Cons

• The learning curve is a bit more steeper

9. Roland Stika SV-8 Vinyl Cutter

For those who have been looking everywhere for a reliable yet useful desktop vinyl cutter, this one is for you guys.

The Roland Stika SV-8 will permit the users to input 8.5 inch wide media and cut out up to 6.2 inch wide materials. Although very compact, this handy machine is best known for its amazing performance output to make it stand out in the crowd.

Starting from vinyl, twill, and paint mask, this machine can work greatly on heat transfer stickers, reflective vinyl as well as etching material. How great is that!

Sheet adjust levers allow you to handle a wide range of media, both with your Mac and PC systems. Just a simple connection with your USB and you’re good to go. It can tile up to as many as 64 designs cut and printed with the bundled software known as CutStudio.

What's more to this bundled software, is how effortlessly it lets you reduce, re-position, rotate, tile, and even make images of your design. This software will also let you enlarge the pictures, that too, staying true to its crispiness as in the original size.

Trust us; it really does have an amazing payoff compared to the size! So, in case of a desktop vinyl cutter is what you need, go for this one without any further thought.

Pros

• Handy desktop vinyl cutting machine to have you work on the go
• Cuts up to 6.2 inches wide material
• Usable on a variety of materials- vinyl, twill, paint mask and many more
• USB connection for both Mac and PC systems
• CutStudio software will let users edit their own designs and print

Cons

• Comes in Japanese instructions – can be fixable with a simple online search

Things to Consider Before Buying the Best Vinyl Cutting Machine

As you already have gone through our special handpicks for the top vinyl cutting machine, here’s a little guideline to follow for choosing the best one for your job. Let’s move forward and see what things you might have to keep in mind –

Personal or Business Purpose?

The first and foremost thing to decide is whether the vinyl cutting machine you require or wish to buy is for personal use or for commercial purposes.

Once you know the motive of your purchase, go for handy sized vinyl cutters in case you solely need them for home projects. These are compact in size and can serve the purpose of almost any projects required on a smaller scale.

But if the buy is for business use, then you must keep in mind to get something more sturdy and durable. You’ll need them for years, so go for multiple featured ones rather than focusing on one feature only.

Cutting Depth and Materials

The next thing you need to remember is the usage of your vinyl cutter. Now, as we have already mentioned before that these machines can cut more than just vinyl sheets, hence opt for ones that would even do its job on leather and even wood. That way, you can be on the safer side to make the most out of your purchase!

In terms of materials, try to pick cutters that can cut at least 2mm which would definitely affect your further business expanding plans in a positive way. For working on woods and leathers, be certain to choose a sturdy machine with a good enough clearance thickness.

Driver Motor – Stepper or Servo

Moving on to our last guideline feature known to play a very important factor in your purchase, is the type of driver motor in your vinyl cutter.

Engines of such vinyl cutters are basically of two types – one being a mechanical motor (stepper) while the other is a digital type (servo).

Stepper motor is exactly what it is – a mechanical hand-driven vinyl cutter that works in a slow manner with the help of physical gears. The only advantage these cutting machines have to offer in the 21^st century is its cheap price range.

However, these tend to be less precise, especially for projects which require graphics of fewer than half an inch. Moreover, mechanical vinyl cutters are pretty much loud as well.

Shifting on to digital vinyl cutters or servo motors, smoother and precise work output is guaranteed. Although these can be pretty expensive to some, these are worth every penny! Maximum efficiency is the number one and most important feature it has to offer besides being easy to operate.

Avoid Common Mistakes While Using a Vinyl Cutting Machine

While many of you might be repurchasing or upgrading your vinyl cutters, some of you might feel pretty lost among all these options due to being a beginner. Don’t worry as we have your back!

Using Unsuitable Settings

Always make sure that you have the settings set in the right way. The outcomes and precision of cussting depend entirely on the settings made on the machine, hence be sure to double-check at all costs.

Remember that if your material is coming out with partial cuts, either the speed options were set too high or the pressure wasn’t enough to cut through the material accurately.

Not Properly Stabilizing the Material

To avoid shifting of the material while the cutting process is ongoing, make sure to fix the materials on each of the sides of the blade. This way, the material won’t fall off or shift to one side and the cutting would be smoother.

For instance, while working with papers, use a sticky mat to avoid any sort of difficulties.

Over Exposing the Blade

One more mentionable mistake that most people end up making, even the professionals at times is overexposing the blade without keeping the working material in mind. The wrong perception of many people in this scenario is the greater the blade exposure, the finer and smoother would be the cut.

Nonetheless, in order to avoid affecting the damage sustenance of your vinyl cutter’s blades, always set the blade exposure according to your material starting from paper to woods. Otherwise, besides poor output, the blades will start to get damaged and weak.

Not Doing Test Runs with the Cutter

Yet another common mistake that people tend to make is avoiding test cuts and rush straight into starting with the final piece. This, my friends, is a very wrong approach to vinyl cutters.

For opting to a smart choice, make certain to run a test cut with sample material to see if your settings are done right or not. This way, your machine will be more durable due to less pressure on the blades as well as you will save a lot of cash and material from turning into waste. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best vinyl cutter for beginners?

There are quite a few that are well known for being good for beginners. These include the Silhouette Cameo 4, Cricut Maker vinyl cutter (mostly for crafts) as well as the Roland Stika SV – 8 which is a handy one for desktop use.

What vinyl cutters work with the Mac system?

One of our favorites that work in compliance with the Mac system is the Cricut Explore Air 2. It’s a pretty good cutting machine given its price range and performance.

Which are some of the best affordable vinyl cutters?

The Cricut Explore Air as well as the Silhouette Curio are two recommended vinyl cutters that are very much affordable for those looking for a cheap yet good option.

What is the best free vinyl cutting software?

Inkscape is known to be very popular software that can be used for creating your own designs with ease due to its flexible drawing tools. The best part of it is that it’s free!

Can you cut fabric with a vinyl cutter?

Although its name suggests otherwise, these vinyl cutting machines can not only cut through the vinyl but also through a wide range of materials- fabric, balsa wood, card-stock, and many more!

Final Words

Even though we are at the end of our discussion, we earnestly hope that you learned at least a few things regarding your future buy as well as got a wish list created from our top picks.

Never forget that these vinyl cutters can be a blessing to your creative mind if used in the right way. You can definitely go crazy with your ideas and designs while ending up with some incredible products for both personal and business use.

And make sure to use the free software and put them to good use to ensure your purchase as a good deal.

Just keep our guideline in mind when placing the order for your vinyl cutter and you’ll be good to go. Have a good day and happy cutting!