Whether you are a beginner or have been crafting for a while, you have probably heard of the wonders a Cricut can bring to your crafting experience. This Cricut comparison chart gives you a closer look at the features of its best-selling machines–the Cricut Maker, Explore Air 2, and the EasyPress2–and why you need them in your craft room.
Cricut Comparison Chart (2020)
| Model | Cricut Maker | Cricut Explore Air 2 | Cricut EasyPress 2 |
 |  |  | |
| Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
| Why It’s the Best | It’s incredibly powerful, fast, and can be used with the most tools and materials | It’s a more budget-friendly cutting machine perfect for crafters who do not cut thick materials | For those who like customizing crafts, this portable heat press works great on iron-on vinyl and heats up fast |
| Max Cutting/HeatingSize | 12 x 24 in | 12 x 24 in | 9 x 9 in (other sizes available are 6 x 7 in and 12 x 10 in) |
| Colors | Blue, Lilac, Champagne, Mint, White, Rose | Blue, Cherry Blossom, Matte Black, Twilight, Mint, Persimmon, Rose | Raspberry, Mint, Rose, Vanilla Pearl |
| Software | Design Space | Design Space | N/A |
| Included Tools | Rotary Blade, Fine Point Blade, Fine Point Pen, 12″ x 12″ FabricGrip™ and LightGrip machine mats | Fine-Point Blade, Fine-Point Pen, 12″ x 12″ LightGrip machine mat | Safety base and materials for practice projects |
| Compatible Tools | All the tools available for the Explore Air 2 plus the following: Rotary Blade Knife Blade Single Scoring Wheel Double Scoring Wheel Wavy Blade Perforation Blade Fine Debossing Tip Engraving Tip | Fine Point Blade Deep Point Blade Bonded Fabric Blade Scoring Stylus Cricut Pens | N/A |
Cricut Maker
The cream of the crop of Cricut machines
The latest die cutting machine from Cricut, the Cricut Maker provides significant upgrades from its predecessor that make it worth switching to this newer model. With up to 4000 grams of downward cutting force, it is 10x more powerful than the Explore Air 2. Using its compatible blades, the Maker lets you cut through leatherette, balsa wood, chipboards felt, fabric, and other materials that are up to 2.4mm thick.
The Maker is also compatible with more tools than most machines in the market. Among the favorites of many crafters are the knife blade for thicker materials, double scoring wheel, wavy blade, perforation blade, and more. Since the new Cricut has an Adaptive Tool System, you can enjoy the future tools that Cricut will release for the Maker. Three new tools were released in 2019 alone so we can expect more to come in 2020.
If you want to know more about how the Cricut Maker fares against other cutting machines, check out this comparison chart.
Cricut Explore Air 2
The more budget-friendly Cricut cutting machine
Although not as powerful as the Cricut Maker, the Explore Air 2 is still one of the best cutting machines highly recommended in the crafting community. With up to 400 grams of cutting force, the Explore Air 2 can still cut through vinyl iron-on, cardstocks, paper, and heated and bonded fabric with great precision.
As the Explore Air 2 uses Design Space like the Cricut Maker, you will also get access to Cricut’s vast library of fonts, images, and design projects. Just like the Maker, Explore Air 2 can be connected via Bluetooth so you can design and cut wirelessly. If you do not cut thick materials that often, the Cricut Explore Air 2 is still a solid cutting machine choice.
You may check out our Cricut Maker and Explore Air 2 comparison chart here for a more detailed review.
Cricut EasyPress 2
The latest heat press by Cricut is light, user-friendly, and produces professional results
The Cricut EasyPress 2 will be a great companion to your smart cutting machine if you like customizing shirts, hoodies, bags, pillows, kitchen towels, and a lot more. It is available in three sizes– 9″ x 9″, 6″ x 7″ and 12″ x 10″–so you can choose which size best fits your most common projects.
Compared to the EasyPress, its predecessor, the newer heat press can heat up to 25 percent faster and set the temperature for as high as 400°F. If you like using Infusible Ink, this temperature setting will work better. Cricut’s heat plate design ensures heat is delivered evenly throughout its plate to create professional heat-transfer results in seconds.
If you often customize crafts, the Cricut EasyPress 2 is definitely a solid heat press choice. You can learn more about how the EasyPress 2 fares against the EasyPress through our comparison chart here.
Verdict
A combination of a Cricut smart cutting machine and EasyPress will significantly enhance your crafting experience
Cricut Maker
Cricut Explore Air 2
Cricut EasyPress 2
Investing in a Cricut, whether it’s the flagship Cricut Maker or the EasyPress 2, is undoubtedly worth your money. Cricut is highly recommended by its craft experts for its ease of use, powerful cutting features, and wide array of compatible tools and materials.
If you see yourself needing more advanced cutting techniques in the future, the Cricut Maker is the ultimate crafting companion. For intermediate crafters, the Explore Air 2 can cut through vinyl iron-on, cardstock, and around a hundred materials and gives you access to tens of thousands of images and fonts to design with. Meanwhile, the EasyPress 2 is a fantastic complement to either of the aforementioned cutting machines.