How Much Does a Cricut Machine Cost?

On this page (7 sections)

1. What changes how much a Cricut machine costs?
2. Which Cricut model fits your budget and projects?
3. What extra supplies will your first project need?
4. Is a Cricut bundle worth the extra cost?
5. Do you need a Cricut Access subscription?
6. How should you set up and care for a Cricut?
7. How can you avoid spending on the wrong Cricut?

How much a Cricut machine costs depends on the package you choose and what you want to make. Your useful budget is the machine plus anything missing for your first few projects, with room for replacement supplies.

Choose around a real task, such as pantry labels, shirts, cards, or fabric shapes. A machine with more tool options earns its place when those options serve your plans.

What changes how much a Cricut machine costs?

Machine capability, bundle contents, and ongoing supplies shape the total. Compare complete project setups rather than treating the machine as the only expense.

Cutting width determines whether your design fits, while material and tool support determine which jobs the machine can do. Neither a larger machine nor a bigger bundle automatically makes more sense for your crafts.

Separate your budget into 3 parts:

• Starting equipment: the machine, required tools, and any printer or heat equipment your project needs.
• Supplies you use up: vinyl, cardstock, transfer tape, printer ink, and other project materials.
• Optional extras: paid designs, a content subscription, and tools for future crafts.

For an overview of the machine families, use our complete guide to Cricut and craft cutting machines.

How to plan your Cricut machine cost

Price one complete project before building a large supply collection. Write down its finished size, material, cutting tool, and finishing steps, then cross off anything already included or owned.

For a vinyl label, think through cutting, removing unwanted vinyl, and transferring the design. For an iron-on shirt, include the blank shirt and suitable heat equipment as well as the cutting supplies.

Compare packages using that same project list. Bonus materials have little value if they sit unused while you buy different colors or tools.

Which Cricut model fits your budget and projects?

Joy 2 suits small crafts, Explore 5 suits common wider projects, and Maker models suit broader material and tool needs. Choose the family first, then compare the included supplies.

Cricut Explore 5 Essential: for mixed everyday crafts

The Explore 5 Essential suits someone moving between cards, decals, shirts, and stickers. Its 12 in cutting width and support for 100+ materials cover a broad mix of common crafts.

The bundle supplies Smart Vinyl, Smart Iron-On, Value Cardstock, Insert Card Sets, and Printable Vinyl. That variety helps if you want to try several crafts before deciding which materials to keep buying.

Explore 5 works with 6 tools, including a separately sold Deep Cutting Tool for materials such as foam and rubber. Match a planned project to its required tool before assuming the included cutting tool covers it.

Choose this package when you need room for larger designs but mainly work with familiar craft materials. Skip it if every planned project is small enough for Joy 2, or if your plans require Maker-specific capabilities.

Cricut Maker 5 Essential: for cutting and engraving plans

The Maker 5 Essential suits crafters with specific plans for specialty materials or finishes. It supports 300+ materials and 13 tools, with a 12 in cutting width.

The included Premium Fine Point Cutting Tool, Scoring Tool, and Engraving Tool make this package relevant if you intend to use those functions. Other specialty tools are sold separately.

Maker 5 can cut compatible thicker materials up to 3 mm and engrave compatible materials up to that thickness. Thickness alone does not establish compatibility, so match the exact material and task to the proper tool.

Choose it for a planned mix of paper crafts, fabric work, engraving, or other supported specialty projects. Skip it if your wish list stops at labels and simple cards, since unused tool support adds no practical value.

Cricut Maker 4: for a Maker setup with starter supplies

The Maker 4 suits someone who wants broad material support with a starter assortment. Compare its included accessories with Maker 5 Essential before choosing between them.

It works with 300+ materials and supports cutting, drawing, foiling, scoring, engraving, debossing, and perforating. Those supported functions do not mean every tool needed for them comes in the box.

Its sampler includes vinyl, iron-on, cardstock, and transfer tape. This can suit someone exploring materials in small amounts, or someone who wants to choose further supplies around one craft.

Pick Maker 4 when its supplied accessories fit your first projects and its wider capabilities fit your later plans. Skip it if you expect a full set of specialty tools, or if you only need a compact machine for occasional labels.

Cricut Joy 2 Essential: for small projects and shared spaces

The Joy 2 Essential suits small cards, labels, stickers, and simple decals. Its 4.5 in cutting width is the key limit to check before choosing it.

It weighs just over 2 lb and works with 75+ materials. The small body makes sense if you need to put the machine away after each session.

The bundle includes vinyl, iron-on, cardstock, card sets, and printable vinyl. Choose it when those materials match small projects you expect to make often.

Skip Joy 2 if your usual designs need a wider cutting area. Splitting a design into pieces adds alignment work, and it is a poor substitute for enough width when large designs are your main goal.

What extra supplies will your first project need?

Budget for the whole process, including steps after cutting. Tools and materials vary by craft, so use a short checklist instead of buying a general accessory pack.

• Adhesive vinyl: suitable vinyl, a way to remove unwanted pieces, and transfer tape when the design requires it.
• Iron-on projects: suitable iron-on material, a compatible blank, and heat equipment that meets the material's instructions.
• Cards: cardstock, a suitable cutting mat, and a compatible scoring tool if your design needs scored folds.
• Printed stickers: printable material, access to a compatible home inkjet printer, and ink.

A Cricut cuts around printed images; it does not print them. Our Print Then Cut guide explains that workflow before you commit to sticker supplies.

Also allow for waste while learning. Start with a small quantity of one material so a mistaken setting or wrong material choice does not leave you with a large unused pack.

Is a Cricut bundle worth the extra cost?

A bundle is worthwhile when its useful contents replace supplies you would otherwise buy. Count the tools and material types you need, rather than judging value by the total number of pieces.

Cricut estimates supplies for up to 65 projects with Explore 5 Essential and Maker 5 Essential. Joy 2 Essential includes supplies for up to 35 projects.

Those estimates use an average project size of 4 x 6 in. Larger designs, layout gaps, and discarded cuts change how far the materials go.

Check the colors and material types against your plans, too. If you're still weighing the hobby itself, read is a Cricut machine worth it? before choosing a larger package.

Do you need a Cricut Access subscription?

No, Cricut Access is optional. Design Space is free, with free content available, while a subscription adds more content and certain features.

Start by finding designs for your first projects in the free options. If you only need a few additional designs, compare buying those separately with paying for ongoing access.

Keep recurring content costs separate from material costs so you can see what each crafting session actually uses. Our guide to whether you need Cricut Access helps with that choice.

How should you set up and care for a Cricut?

Prepare the workspace and begin with one simple cut. Explore 5, Maker 5, and Joy 2 require a compatible Bluetooth device and high-speed internet, so check those requirements before arranging your craft area.

Leave clear space for material to move through the machine. Measure that working space as well as the shelf or desk where the machine will sit.

Use the setup instructions for your model, then choose the correct material and tool settings. Cut a small sample before committing a full sheet, especially with an unfamiliar material.

For iron-on, check the material's loading and mirroring instructions before cutting. For printed stickers, follow the print workflow and calibration instructions rather than treating the printed sheet like plain vinyl.

Keep scraps away from moving parts and follow the care instructions for each mat and tool. Store mats with their protective covers where supplied, and keep blades secured away from children.

How can you avoid spending on the wrong Cricut?

Choose for the work you will repeat, with a clear reason for every extra capability. The common mistakes are buying too little cutting width, assuming supported tools are included, and collecting supplies before choosing projects.

Use these decision rules:

• Choose Joy 2 Essential if your regular crafts are small and easy storage matters.
• Choose Explore 5 Essential if you want wider everyday projects across vinyl, iron-on, cardstock, and printable materials.
• Choose Maker 5 Essential if its included scoring and engraving tools match work you plan to do.
• Choose Maker 4 if you want Maker capabilities and its starter assortment better matches what you need.

For someone else, start with their available space and favorite crafts. Our Cricut gift ideas can help you narrow that choice.

To decide how much a Cricut machine should cost for your needs, build the budget around your next 3 projects. Use what you can make with a Cricut to define them, then follow our guide to choosing between Joy, Explore, and Maker to select the right machine.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Cricut machine cost?

Your total depends on the machine package and the supplies your projects require. Compare the machine, missing tools, starter materials, and any optional paid content together.

A bundle offers useful value when you will use its contents, while a wider material range matters only if your plans need it.

Do Cricut machines come with materials?

All four packages here include materials. Cricut estimates supplies for up to 65 projects with Explore 5 Essential and Maker 5 Essential, or up to 35 with Joy 2 Essential, based on an average project size of 4 x 6 in.

Maker 4 includes a materials sampler and starter tools.

Do you have to pay for Cricut Access?

No, Design Space is free to use, and Cricut Access is optional. The subscription provides additional content and certain software features, while some content is available to buy separately.

Start with the free options, then decide whether the designs you actually want justify a recurring payment.

What extra costs should I plan for with a Cricut?

Allow for materials, replacement cutting supplies, and any tools your chosen projects need beyond the bundle. Printed stickers also require a compatible inkjet printer and ink, while iron-on projects need suitable heat equipment.

Check what you already have before adding accessories to your order.