what cutting machine is best for stickers? why I changed from a cricut to a silhouette 

If you're reading this comment definitely go with the silhouette. I have a cricut, and I am honestly very shocked of how finicky it is for the amount of money I've paid for it. I used my cricut to create t-shirts. If you're looking for something to just create fun projects every once in a while, then the cricut may work good for you. However, if you're a business owner and just need things done and create items in bulk - DO NOT GET A CRICUT.

Some feedback from a CNC guy over here. These machines are in fact "tiny cnc machines", instead of using a waterjet or laser or a wood cutting bits, they use a knife. So for someone who understands very well how a CNC device should work, it's easy to see where Cricut and Silhouette cut corners and where they are strong. So the first comment Id make is concerning the noise level - you mention that you think one is better built because the motors are quieter. But in fact Silhouettes motors probably run at a higher voltage which is a reason why they are stronger, more robust. Will last longer. The second issue: what made me return my Cricut is the software. This is where both makes are really bad, although Silhouette is *much* better than Cricut. Design Space is simply an abomination, I couldn't believe how bad it was I returned the machine in 3 days because of it. I was surprised to see you talked so shortly about this. Cricut chose a concept of a software model that is cloud based. The software that runs on your device is just like a shell to wrap the link with the cutter; and enable their website based interface to talk to the cutter. Everything is done server-side. Just awful. And what is the worst possible thing to be dependent on in our modern days? Answer: software. Online software.

So one of the super easy things you can do to make your silhouette quieter while cutting that costs pretty much nothing, is getting a dish drying fabric mat from the dollar store, and putting it under the machine. I really didn't think it'd make that much of a difference but it totally does. So worth it with how loud it is. So with it cutting slightly off during different times of the day, that could be caused by like 2 things. One is light. I highly recommend using a light right above your machine specifically for it. Pause your cut, while adjusting your light and you shouldn't have to waste more than a sheet. I do not recommend relying on natural light at all for it. Sometimes it might read stuff wrong because of glossy paper and reflections, but I don't really use glossy stuff. The second one is dust and it is a big problem, especially if you use coated matte sticker paper. So if you look at your machine and look right near the blade cartridge, you might notice this big black box. That box is actually the thing that sees your registration marks. It has very low vision and literally anything messing with it will mess with your cuts. I have found that if I'm having a heavy cutting day, especially if used with matte paper, the dust will actually get under there. People recommend using canned hair to carefully clean it out. I actually just use a cheap soft nylon brush. Haven't had any issues with it. Okay now I'm just going to say, if you're a person who is actually running a business with a silhouette, buying the business edition of the software is so worth it. Swing Design actually does semi-regular sales on the software so I recommend watching there. The business edition allows you to create your print and cut files in PDF with registration marks which is so worth it for so many reasons. One if your printer goes down you can use a professional printer to print your paper if necessary while still cutting them yourself which saves you pretty decent money. Two you can skip opening up Silhouette Studio if you're just printing out a stack of designs without planning on cutting right then. That also prevents those oops where you might have accidentally altered a print and cut file making any of the sheets you already printed out no longer work. For work flow it's awesome. You can then store your PDFs on a little SD card and print directly from your printer which is very nice if you have it in a separate room. There's some other benefits to the software that improve work flow too. But just for the PDF alone if you're a business it's definitely worth that.

This makes me feel good because I feel that I made the right decision of purchasing Silhouette Cameo instead of cricut. Thanks.

I’ve been seriously researching for months and this was one of the most helpful videos I watched! Thank you for taking the time to help all of us newbies out! ❤️ subscribed!

I'm someone that had a Cricut years ago, and then went to a Silhouette when they first came out. As of 2 weeks ago, I have gone back to the Cricut. I never felt like I had a lot of support with how to use the Silhouette, and I had to learn how to use it all on my own. I love the support for Cricut, and all of the Cricut teachers and classes on RU-vid.

I am new to the sticker making biz, and I am still in the process of choosing a machine. This is super helpful. Thanks for this video :)

I have both the same machines as you and everything you said is spot on, except for me the Cricut alignment is much worse than the Silhouette - the Cricut is consistent, but consistently bad 😅. Looking at older Silhouette machines I feel they have made more effort than Cricut to improve existing features rather than just adding lots of new features. I used my Cricut for crafting for many years without too much problem but as soon as I tried using the print & cut feature to make stickers I wasted a lot of sticker paper and ended up buying a Silhouette and so far I'm glad I did that.

so helpful! I almost decided to buy cricut, but you change my life, silhouette, here I come! Long live to sticker business!

Really nice, well thought out comparison between the machines and their systems! Thank you!

Thank you for this video! I've been trying to decide which machine to go with. You helped make my mind up to go with a Silhouette cameo 4

THis video was amazing!! thank you so much for all the valuable information. And happy sticker making 👾

Thank You! You've just helped me to finally make my decision on which one to buy!

I found this video (actually it was "recommended" as I didn't look for it :)) after I had just bought the Silhouette Cameo 5. Being an Adobe Illustrator guy, it's always nice to know there are others out there that use it. What got me interested in the Silhouette was how so many people talked about how flexible it was and your comments back that up. I also saw that the newer Cameo 5 is much quieter. Anyway, love your journey. Keep it up! The journey is what makes it all worth it.

Just deciding to jump in and finally get started and came across your video. Great information. Thanks :)

Loved this! I am that newbie that is trying to decide which one to get! I have been leaning towards a Silhouette the whole time.... I love videos like this, they really help the new creators out there like me!

This video was super helpful. Thanks for breaking it down for us!

Thanks for this informative video. I can’t decide which to get and this helps! 😊

I want to start my own sticker shop and found this so helpful. Thank you!

Wow! You just stopped me from purchasing a cricut! Thanks gurl!!! This was very helpful!

Thank you so much for this review it has been super helpful in my sticker journey

Thank you!!!! I have been leaning towards the Cameo 4, but was not 100 percent convinced I was making the best decision. I also read about the software upgrade is a one time fee with silhouette and an annual recurring charge with cricut. Thank you for all of your information and experiences. This is a super helpful video!!

Thank you! This is super helpful!

THIS IS SO HELPFUL!!!! I'M PLANNING TO BUY ONE THIS WEEK!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCHHHH

This is such a lovely and detailed video, you really are amazing! It was nice to know a little bit more about both. I absolutely love my Silhouette to pieces, but it was nice to be a li5tle more informed 🥰

Wow i love this video, i already have my cameo 4 and i still learned a lot ❤️ thank you

The video was super helpful, we appreciate your effort

I loved this video from the beginning to the end! i thought I might get a cricut bc it's mostly mentioned in those sticker videos I so far have came across (I'm completely a newbie so my brain is like a sponge now:D ). This was an INSANELY helpful video as it perhaps is the crucial one I needed to make a decision! So much information everywhere (which is honestly amazing) so needed some straightforward guidance which you totally provided, and with trust :) The other comments are also super helpful, thanks for making this video!

Thank you for the informative review and comparison. The volume of noise is a big factor for me as I have been looking for another machine so with so many people saying how loud the Silhouette is I’m guessing I need to check into a different machine and just continue with the hack for the larger surface areas on the paper with the Cricut Maker. I use the hack on my Cricut Joy as well for print then cuts. Thanks again. 👍

Thank you for the information, most insightful analysis

Oh man - I am so glad you did this video - you saved my sticks and ers!

I want to set up a sticker shop on Etsy and I'm over the fence about buying a Cricut or a Silhouette. This video really helped! Thanks for the information.

This is a big help. I'm about to start my business too.

thank you so much for this video, it has been very helpful.

oh... i was leaning towards cricut until the whole mess they got themselves in a few days ago, but your video gives more useful info about their difference than what i read online (like how you can maximize page use with silhouette) now I don't feel bad that silhouette's the more accessible machine in my country lmao thank you so much for making this video!

After seeing so many videos comparing the two brands (not always the same machines) I do kinda feel bad about my choice, the maker. However I am still happy with the machine.... and I’ve only just gotten into the hobby, I feel that the maker fits my needs and has room to grow with me (Shame the software is lacking). I am glad to know that silhouette’s software does export to svg so you can use said software indirectly with cricut. Would prefer it worked directly but this is better than nothing.

Love this video! Makes me more comfortable with buying a machine.. the talking was a little fast tho (so I did choose a lower play speed) I was so happy you talked about the loudness 😆 I was one of the people who requested that on Instagram

You’re a gem! Thank you this really helps

Thank you. This is very helpful.

great and fair review. thanks

Omg thank you so much for this!!

Great and helpful video - Thank you - Which would you pick for stickers?

From a design background, I would agree with the Silhouette software comment. It gives you way more flexibility in designs. I also agree about the aesthetics of the Cricut. It looks like a more expensive sleek machine. I find the Cameo equipment....cheap feeling. If the company could improve the outer design of the Cameo....they would kill it in the market. I was going to buy a Cricut...but now I think I will just upgrade to the Silhouette 4. Thank you for your video.

Cricut lets you do what (it) allows you to do. Silhouette Cameo is like an (open source) you make it do what you actually wish to do... most importantly, you don't have to have an internet access to run Silhouette Cameo.. That's what really matters to me. With silhouette Cameo, you can design whatever you wish to ..and then just have it cut it or sketch it for you. Very simple and effective.

Great video! Many good points

I would love if you did an updated tutorial on making sticker sheets but with a silhouette! I am having so much trouble with mine that I got recently, mostly the cuts always being a little slightly off and I feel like I'm gonna pull my hair out!!

best video out to help me decide

I relate to this video so much!!! I also make stickers and just went from a Cricut Explore Air 2 to a Silhouette Cameo 4!

Thanks for sharing! I actually looked at both of those but went with another option completely...the Brother Scan and Cut! It's interesting how it's not really mentioned by many people. I created kiss cut stickers. You can print out your stickers and scan in the image and then create the cut paths on the Scan and Cut...no software needed!

Absolutely great informative video ... I think I'll pick up the cricut. I will definitely choose quality instead of a few features missing.. Plus that silhouette looks like it came out of a Cereal Box....

super helpful! thank you : )

I bought a Cricut, but now I`m returning due to all Cricut limitations and extra pricey add-ons that you can get for less and more features with cameo!

thank you for your video I'm about to buy a Cricut machine. your video is very helpful

Fantastic info! thanks ! 💚👐💜

Thanks for making this video comparison from a sticker making perspective! I use a Cricut Maker but I've been thinking of gettin a Silhouette if I want to ever get a second machine just for stickers someday. The Cricut can be made to do whatever I want with hacks and I design everything in Illustrator not Design Space but it is annoying such an expensive machine needs all these hacks to do what I want it to. I feel like if its just for stickers, to make the most out of sticker paper everything has to be done with hacks and you have to do some prep to make the Cricut cut accurately. For one thing, the Cricut doesn't always suck in the mat the same way every time. It misaligns about every 4th time it sucks it in. I have to mark my mat, let it suck it in, and then make sure that it lines up with my marks. Otherwise I have to make it spit it out and then suck it back in until it lines up with my marks. That helps make it cut my hack version about 85% more accurately though... but that would be a pain for someone doing high volume sticker cutting I guess.... Also sometimes the second half of the sheet still shifts slightly because I'm at the mercy of how my Cricut felt like moving the mat back and forth as it was cutting...

I couldn't agree more!!!!! 👏👏👏👏

Great video thank you for sharing looking forward to more. SUBSCRIBED

I might invest in a silhouette in the future. I would love to use it for die cut stickers, as I heard it uses the whole paper. The calibration is what I’m having a problem with my cricut right now, but hearing you say the cricut cuts a bit better makes me feel good about it.

Thank you so much! 😁 This was super helpful. Unfortunately I just bought a cricut a week ago and was so confused about the letter size printing on A4. Thought I was doing something wrong. Thanks for clearing it up!

Thank you so much for the video. I was noticing that some sellers could cut more stickers per sheet and I was like How the hell they do that? Now I know… I also felt for the Cricut because is more pleasing to the eye and it’s pink! Two things that actually don’t matter in the long run. For now I’ll use my Cricut but as soon as I get some extra money indefinitely gonna give silhouette a try.

Thank you for the information

I’ve actually delved into the hell of marks not registering and found out a bunch of things on the Silhouette that caused them. Soon as I fixed those never more. Usually materials and the color of the artificial ambient light can mess it up. Combine those two and it’s a mess. 😭💔 The sensor is red on shilhouette machines and the cricut’s is white, so any warm light will mess up the reading. If the material is too thin and is not marked right in the studio it will probably read wrong. I had so many problems with the paper from online labels. Stuck thick sticker paper on the back of the mat and ✨ wonders✨ It worked 😭💕 i find out that you also have to check the paper to be precisely cut. I don’t why but that one wasn’t exactly 90º in all corners and on one side of the sheet it would cut slightly off by 1.5mm :( it’s easy to adjust by making sure the sheet is stuck over the lines of the mat so it doesn’t misread the contrast as registration marks 😂 I can’t remember more right now

I've been fighting with my Cameo 4 plus for over a year. Cutting two large stickers from an A4 sheet often results in terrible misaligned cuts. I could print 10 sheets and maybe 4 will cut fine. I make labels and if I crowd a sheet with them, it'll cut whatever it wants, however if I space them out and leave out around 1/3 of the design, it'll may e cut 25% accurately, the rest... Who knows? I've sent my machine off to be repaired and it's been replaced but its sitting in the box as I contemplate another machine. My mother has the Brother ScanNCut and the software is terrible, but it's fast, quiet and the cuts are perfect. Waiting for someone to smash all of them together to make the ultimate cutter

Love the video. I too hate cricut design space. I've been crafting for years and I used a software 15 years ago that was unbelievably light-years from DS today. It was very user friendly but could do things DS hasn't even thought of and even Silhouette Studio doesn't do. I like Studio so much better so I'm finding ways to design in Studio and cut on my Maker. There's many videos that show how you can do it.

My experience with cricut is it was always off center, and i don't have that issue with my silhouette portrait 2. The cricut also went through a huge software issue where i couldn't see my file once i uploaded it, which was the final straw for me. I am so much happier with the change to silhouette, plus they have business bonuses and ability to work on files while another file is cutting, and cut syncing if you have more than one machine. But that is my own experience, and i am sure not everyone had the issues i had.

I just did like you and I'm really happy. The truth is that the Cricut is perfect for vinyl cutting but for stickers it is just a waste of time and materials. So now I only use Cricut for vinyl cutting and Silhouette for stickers. And I decided after 9 months by trying and throwing stickers!!!!

Ty helped me make a decision

My Cricut is not at all accurate when it comes to cutting.. it’s consistent, but consistently off :/ That’s actually one of the reasons why I wanted to get a silhouette, because I watched other videos where they said that’s it’s more accurate 🤷🏽‍♀️

I have both , love both and luckily no issues. Touch wood! Cricut has now an easy offset button for stickers too. They made it easier than cameo now. Physically , cricut feels looks and sounds much more durable and premium. Cameo which i do love too is sooo plastic and feels so cheap.thats all. I love cricut for my vinyls and finally now that the offset button is on cricut, i am loving it. which one is better? I like both. I use both for different things.

I understand your pain I have a cricut, myself there very slowly updating there software for the offset tool. I think at the end of the day cricut is more for crafters not just sticker makers where as the silhouette has the right idea for us small shop owners ;)

I have a Silhouette Portrait, but I've been having the most difficult time with it. I can only use the default registration marks when cutting my stickers, which really wastes a lot of the sticker page. What is the minimum setting that you've used and had success with?

Hi Birdie!!! This video is so valuable!! I really needed it. I was contemplating whether I should move to sillouette because Cricut print and cut feature just doens’t work for me, not even once. And the thought of wasting half of sticker paper is so daunting. I really REALLY don’t like wasting paper especially sticker paper. So I tried the full page printing hacks but that required a lot of trial and error! I spent 1 day to produce only one sticker design. Talk about wasting valuable time. But your video really help me to make a decision!

Thank you for this video

The two reasons I bought a Cricut instead were the price and the ton of good reviews I saw. However, I definitely regret buying a Cricut. I've had days in which I calibrate it like 10 times and the cutting is way off so I've wasted a ton of materials just because of that. I've seen so many videos on the Cricut but in rarely if any did I see anyone talking about how badly the Cricut can cut stickers. I've had mine for about a year and I'm looking forward to switch to a Silhouette for my sticker shop.

Both machines are great and there is nothing to compare.

Honestly I always feel sad when I see a friend buying a cricut for stickers :( I use a Silhouette Portrait and it's just so perfect for sticker sheets in particular. I upgraded from a KNK Zing and it was so old and clunky and the Silhouette just makes sense, it's so fast and clean and GOOD. The noise is so annoying though, I can't do much other than listen to loud music and I don't use it after like 9pm at night - so convention prep is limited lmao!

If circuit and silhouette merged there would be a prefect cutting machine

i wish i saw these videos before buying a cricut haha. silhouette is smaller (portrait) but can print larger, i think the only thing i remember was the loudness but like someone else said, you could definitely minimize that by placing a towel underneath the machine

What I wish I had known before I purchased my CRICUT: CRICUT does not allow you to SAVE your designs on your computer’s hard drive. CRICUT doesn’t allow you to DRAG AND DROP directly onto the CANVAS. CRICUT has such a SMALL PRINT THEN CUT AREA. CRICUT AIR 2 will only allow you to cut up to 24 inches, and you MUST use the mat. CRICUT is very limited in the SOFTWARE FEATURES. For these reasons, I too choose to use my Silhouette Cameo 4 over my CRICUT despite how loud it is. And if Silhouette America could have designed or developed the Cameo 4 to be a quiet machine, so many people would be so happy about that. But I still choose it over the CRICUT.

Thank you much

very helpful. I am just now looking into adding a computerized die cutting machine to my mobile makerspace. I already have multiple 3d printers, laser engraver, cnc router, etc. I think , for mostly the same reasons you gave , I'm going to start with the silhouette cameo 4. I might add a cricut maker later on to take advantage of the other tools and features , but for now vinyl cutting and stickers are my primary interest. Thanks for your perspective on this, I found it very helpfull

This was so helpful, thanks! Any reason that’s the Silhouette model you chose ? I’m having trouble understanding the differences between the silhouette models and which is better for stickers and sticker sheets.

The Silhouette has a PRO machine now.... a way bigger print/cut capability. Great for speeding up your productivity.

Hi Birdie :) Super interesting video! I've long debated on which machine I should buy, and after reading many reviews and watching yours I'm thinking of picking up a silhouette! It would me my first time owning such a machine, and I was wondering if you will you make a tutorial on how to use the silhouette?

As a freelancer who uses a cricut for stickers, it's frustrating to find out I missed out on a much better option. The fact that I'm losing money on wasted paper, can't use different pressures on the same board (which I really need), and sometimes the software won't even work at all - plus the machine itself costs more than the silhouette. I'm surprised cricut haven't bothered to solve issues like the max paper size and custom pressure since those are just software adjustments as far as I can tell

Q. Is the cameo able to cut thicker materials? I would like to cut protective film for my mountain bike. What printer do you iuse and can you print on that clear film that sticks to windows and is easily removable.

the issue you had with print/cut with silhouette is what i have issues with on cricut. ugh. i will cut a whole 20 pack of matte sticker paper in the same session on cricut (just pressing the go button, no software changes) and it will cut all of them differently and generally all the ones closer to the bottom of the sheet are very far off cut even with bleed turned on. calibrate all the time and it never helps. i was hoping you'd tell me silhouette was better....

Thanks for this! for the time being I'm probably going to be using x-acto knives and scissors to cut stickers, at least until I can buy a better machine. Didn't like how I'd be paying the cost of a laser printer for smth so inconsistent.

Calibration, once, resolves the issue often cited. Extremely simple, clearly recommended, only needed once then done.

i switched to a bother scan n cut from a cricut maker. i have a much easier time with my workflow going from Photoshop and printing to scanning stickers in the scan n cut. I also dont have any limits on the size sheets i cut. i havent invested in the print and cut feature yet because its additional to unlock in the software, but ive gotten by without it so far. also editing right on the touch screen and fine tuning is amazing. the only thing i like better is the visual appeal of the cricut and the cricut mats which i actually just taped ontop of my scan n cut mat. lil hack to get use out of my old stuff

Thank you for this informative video! I've had my Cricut Explore 3 since October 2023 and I'm already exasperated by the amount of wasted paper due to the limited print area. I come from a tech background and it was pretty apparent right away how poorly designed the software is. For example - only able to upload one image at a time? Having to cancel all the way back to the canvas when you want to cancel a cut? No ability to create subfolders for saving images/projects. The UI isn't intuitive. And after this last update, this app is a memory hog! Searching for images/projects is so slow, too, and I have business-class internet. But I am opening a sticker shop and wanting to do an easy-peel die cut sticker is impossible. I don't need time-consuming hacks - I need solutions. I'll keep the Cricut coz I think it's a good machine. It's just not suited to what I want to do with it. I wish the UI was more like Illustrator, too. I appreciate your assessment of the two machines and I think already the choice is clear. I hate the wasted paper/laminate sheets and all the wasted time the fooling around trying to get settings right when the settings are 'fixed.' Have a great holiday season and good luck with your shop! 🙂❤

Did they update the circuit software to a bigger max? I’m trying to decide which one to buy. If anyone knows how they compare now in size I would greatly appreciate an answer. But great video Ty very much

im now testing out the silhouette studio and was so amazed by what it can do t-t it allows me to see the tracing before i cut the stickers and that's something cricut doesnt allow me to do t-t i bought the portait tho hehe to test it out but if it's working good, i will sell my cricut maker off and say goodbye to cricut for real AHAHHA

Okay hi! I own a customized poster, photocards & polaroid shop. And was thinking of expanding to sticker and other krafts. Now, I was intending to buy maker 3 bc of it's versatility but it's too pricey. My option is explore 3. But I've been contemplating so much. Until I noticed some sticker shop in insta uses silhouette cameo. Now I'm here. Silhouette is really tempting esp the feature of no limit size cut. And the photo papers I use are a4 300 gsm. Now, I need your advice! I've very new to this. And I've been dying to buy cutting machines as it's very very hard to cut polaroid manually. The golden question is where should I invest?

Rn sales on Amazon show the Cameo 4 Vs Cricut Explore 2 at $299.99 vs $169.99 (if I get the mint color). I could care less what color it is 🤣 but for the price difference, I may just try the Cricut out first. Great video (:

Thanks for the great comparison, you are lovely by the way. I recently sold my Cricut Explorer Air 2 because I could never get it to print then cut. I tried the hack way and it never lined up. Have you tried using a cold lamination then cut with the Cameo 4?

The silhouette sounds great but I can't fully fork out the $400 for the machine... I like that cricut has a bit of an "affordable" version for people like me who wants to get into sticker making.

Brother Scan N Cut for stickers all the way.. so much easier to just print on sticker sheet, scan, and cut..

Hi I came across your video while trying to figure out to go with an Explore Air 2 or Cameo 4. Although the air is more affordable, I feel like the cameo will be more beneficial in the long run. I'm a pin maker and wanted to start making stickers and this video of yours has been really helpful. If you don't mind a noob asking questions. What would be a good printer you'd recommend to go with the cameo 4? (I do plan to test with heat transfers and sublimation transfers so not sure if that will affect anything as well) thanks in advance ❤️

I'm researching the Maker 3 and Silhouette Cameo 4.... for various craft projects with my kids.... one is to make stickers, and paint masks to mask off designs, for our RC cars... Do you have any advice on what materials or type of printing, would make the most durable and water resistant stickers? Thanks for the video, I'm really leaning toward either the Cameo 4, or possibly one of the larger ones....have to consider the size of the machine and what workspace we will set it up in... I've just started my research, so am definitely subscribing to your channel and going to see what other info I can find on there.... Thanks for this video! Cheers