Product Comparison: Silhouette Cameo 3 vs Cricut Maker


General Specifications
About the Product
The Silhouette CAMEO® is the ultimate DIY machine. It uses a small blade to cut over 100 materials, including paper, cardstock, vinyl, and fabric up to 12 in. wide. The CAMEO has the ability to register and cut printed materials and is PixScan™ compatible. What does this mean for you? It is our machine that has the largest cutting space and is most versatile in the materials it can cut.
Introducing Cricut Maker - the Ultimate Smart Cutting Machine™. With its expandable suite of tools and advanced Rotary blade and Adaptive Tool System (including Knife Blade and Scoring Wheels1,) Cricut Maker™ gives you the freedom to make virtually any DIY project. It's professional-level cutting performance, accessible to everyone.
Brand
Silhouette
Cricut
Model
Cameo 3
Maker
Origin
China
China
Key Specs
Type
Electric
Electric
Number of Cutting Blades
1
2
Cutting Area
12 in. x 10 ft.
12 x 24 in.
Cut Pressure
8.3 lb/sq.in
8.8 lb/sq.in
Clearance
2 mm
2.4 mm
What customers say about "Key Specs"
Silhouette Cameo 3 Wireless Cutting Machine
  • Auto-blade saves a bit of time and, with my brief experience cutting both glitter paper and card stock, the autoblade settings were accurate.
  • Dual carriage. Ok, I haven't put this through its paces quite yet. I tend to do a lot of straight cutting basic card stock, so I don't often switch to pens, fabric blades, deep cut blades, etc.
  • The only feature they didn't add that I would have loved to have was a wider cut area. Maybe that will come with the Cameo 4, but I'm completely content with this for now.
  • I have had the portrait, figured I'd start off with doing just cards,.. but enjoyed it so much I desperately wanted the cameo's larger width working area.
  • The Cricut machine and online design studio only allow for a cut area of 6 inches by 9 inches! Now, if you're buying expensive sticker paper or vinyl it probably comes in 8.5x11" and everything outside 6"x9" is waste.
Cricut Maker Champagne
  • It is so easy to use and cuts flawlessly. While I don't take it on the go very often, it is fairly easy to transport if needed. It can be paired for use with your laptop, iPad and now your phone. I strongly recommend the Cricut Maker to all.
  • I LOVE the new rotary blade!! That blade plus the new fabric mat are a magical combination. So easy to cut and I love to use it. Plus the fast cut option makes life so easy.
  • That rotary blade is so precise, I was so impressed. It cuts lace and delicate material perfectly. And then really thick synthetic leather, not a problem!
  • The rotary blade is amazing and I've made about 70 mats worth of items with no issues so far, except for a couple times when I didn't clean my mat off well enough.
  • Even with the mats and blades they require and offer NONE of these features would work. The wood was horrible and the leather cut but was frayed and choppy looking so none could be resold.
  • Bought this machine to cut balsa wood as advertised. Cricut has delayed knife blade release twice now - now no definite release in site. I feel their advertising was deceptive - it still says it can cut wood - it can't.
Size & Weight
Height
6 in.
6.2 in.
Weight
8 lbs.
24 lbs.
Width
22.5 in.
22.6 in.
Depth
8.5 in.
7.1 in.
Features
Cutting Materials
Vinyl, Heat transfer material, Cardstock, Photo paper, Copy paper, Rhinestone template material, Fabric
Paper, Cardstock, Vinyl, Fabric, Magnet paper, Photo paper, Copy paper, Vellum, Leather, Felt, Chipboard, Metallic Foil
LCD screen
Yes
No
Built-in Scanner
Yes
Yes
Wireless Cutting
Yes
Yes
Accessories Included
AC adapter, USB cable, AutoBlade, Crosscutter, 12" Cutting Mat, Silhouette Studio install disc
Cricut Rotary Blade + Drive Housing, Cricut Premium Fine Point Blade + Housing, Fine Point Pen, FabricGrip Mat 12"x12", LightGrip Mat 12"x12", USB cable, Power cord, Cricut Access free trial membership, Materials for your first project
Extras
PixScan compatible, Full-color LCD touch screen
Cuts hundreds of materials, from the most delicate fabric and paper to matboard and leather, Expandable suite of tools, Rotary Blade™, with its gliding, rolling action, cuts through virtually any fabric, Sewing pattern library with hundreds of patterns available to choose from, Simple design apps and the ability to use your own designs, Applies up to 4 kg of force
What customers say about "Features"
Silhouette Cameo 3 Wireless Cutting Machine
  • Built in storage is nice enough. It doesn't add much to the overall size (and this version is quite a bit larger than the cameo and cameo 2), so it's good they were thoughtful about how to utilize the added size.
  • Touchscreen menu seems fairly responsive and intuitive.
  • New blade holder. They've switched the old clamp/key turny method of holding the blade (or pen) with a slide mechanism that is SO NICE.
  • The new features are very welcome, but not really as revolutionary as they might seem. I would say, though, the cameo 3 is nicer to use than the original cameo.
  • I like the touch screen feature and the option to cut slightly wider pieces.
Cricut Maker Champagne
  • Only had it for a few days, hooked it up, downloaded software, started using right away. I’m a first time user of any die cut tool so can’t compare to others, but this Cricut Maker is super easy!
  • I have made three quilts with the Cricut Maker and I'm addictied. I have always wanted to make quilts and this machine makes it all possible in record time. The possibilities are endless and Cricut has out done them self with this machine.
  • I was creating projects within hours of unboxing. It was purchased with the intent to start a home/etsy business and in a little over a month, I accomplished that goal.
  • Machine did not connect to my computer. Many technical issues that followed. I had so many issues with this thing. This machine is not for beginners. In order to operate this machine, you have to have internet access.
  • Very poor setup instructions to start. No written instructions included - just a website that - at the time of my setup - was unavailable - and the error was a domain name error.
Warranty / Certifications
Certifications
CE
CE, EAC
Manufacturer Warranty
1 year(s)
1 year(s)
Other Information
Manufacturer
MSRP
299.99 $
Other reviews