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Cricut makes three families of cutting machine: Joy, Explore and Maker. Each family has had several models, and Amazon UK still sells some of the older ones next to the new ones. This guide sorts them out: which series suits which crafter, what the newest model in each series changes, and whether an older machine is worth upgrading. Prices were checked on Amazon UK on 30 October 2026 and do change.
Buying for someone who already has a Cricut? Our Cricut accessories gift guide covers mats, blades, heat presses and materials, and which machines each one fits. For a closer look at one bundle, see our Cricut Explore 5 Deluxe Bundle guide.
Quick answer: which Cricut series?
| Series | Who it suits | What it cuts | UK price on Amazon (30 October 2026) | Latest model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cricut Joy | Beginners, card-makers, labels and small decals | Vinyl, iron-on, card and paper, up to 11.4 cm wide (Joy Xtra: 21.6 cm) | £98.99 to £179.99 | Joy 2 (and Joy Xtra for wider cuts) |
| Cricut Explore | Hobby crafters who want one all-rounder | 100+ materials up to 30.5 cm wide: vinyl, iron-on, cardstock, bonded fabric | £193.13 to £349.99 | Explore 5 (launched February 2026) |
| Cricut Maker | Serious makers working with wood, leather and fabric | 300+ materials, including leather, basswood and unbonded fabric with the right tools | £367.99 (Maker 4). Maker 5 not sold new on Amazon UK | Maker 5 (launched September 2026) |
In short: the Joy is for small, quick projects. The Explore is the one most people should buy. The Maker is worth the extra only if they will cut wood, leather or fabric.
Cricut Joy: small, simple and good for cards
The Joy machines are compact cutters that sit on a desk and set up in minutes. They suit someone new to cutting machines, a card-maker, or anyone who wants labels, small decals and iron-on designs without a big machine on the table.
Joy 2 vs the original Joy
Cricut's Joy 2 replaces the original Joy. Both cut up to 4.5 in (11.4 cm) wide, and up to 4 ft (1.2 m) long with Smart Materials, which feed in without a mat. What the Joy 2 adds:
- Print Then Cut, so you can print full-colour stickers on a home inkjet and have the Joy 2 cut them out. The original Joy can't do this.
- Scoring for fold lines on cards and boxes.
- More materials: Cricut lists 75+ for the Joy 2, against 50+ for the Joy.
- A slightly faster top speed, 5.3 in per second against 5 in per second.
- Universal pens. The Joy 2 uses Cricut's newer universal pens, not the Joy pens.
On Amazon UK the Joy 2 is sold in bundles. The Cricut Joy 2 Essential Bundle was £129.99 and comes with materials for 35 projects (Smart Vinyl, Smart Iron-On, Value Cardstock, Insert Cards and Printable Vinyl, according to the listing). The Cricut Joy 2 Deluxe Bundle was £139.99 with supplies for 55 projects. At £10 more, the Deluxe is the better buy. We didn't find the Joy 2 on its own sold by Amazon UK.
Joy Xtra: the wider Joy
The Cricut Joy Xtra cuts up to 8.5 in (21.6 cm) wide, or 9.5 in (24.1 cm) with Smart Materials, so it handles A4-sized card, wider decals and sticker sheets. It does Print Then Cut, works with 50+ materials, and takes the same pens, blade and foil tool as the original Joy. It needs its own Joy Xtra mats. It was £179.99 on Amazon UK, sold with a starter pack of materials (the listing is titled "Starterpaket", but it is sold and dispatched by Amazon UK).
Older model: the original Cricut Joy (2025) was £98.99. It still works well for vinyl and cards, but skip it unless it's cheap: the Joy 2 bundles add Print Then Cut and scoring for not much more.
Already own an older Cricut? See the upgrade table to check whether the new model is worth it.
Cricut Explore: the all-rounder most people should buy
The Explore machines cut up to 12 in (30.5 cm) wide and handle 100+ materials: vinyl, iron-on, cardstock, glitter card and bonded fabric. They write, score and foil, and do Print Then Cut. For most hobby crafters this is the right Cricut. What it can't do is thick wood, leather or unbonded fabric, which need the Maker's extra tools.
Explore 5 vs Explore 4 vs Explore 3
Cricut launched the Explore 5 in February 2026. Cricut's own comparison says it has the same cutting capability as the Explore 4 and no meaningful speed difference. The changes are about size and setup:
- Smaller and lighter: 30% more compact (19.8 × 4.7 in against 22.7 × 6.2 in for the Explore 4) and about 10 lb against 11.1 lb.
- New tools: a snap-in pen holder, the new Scoring Tool and universal pens. Older Explore pens and the Scoring Stylus do not work in it.
- Mat-free cutting of Smart Materials up to 12 ft (3.6 m) long, as on the Explore 3 and 4.
The Explore 4 itself is up to twice as fast as the Explore 3 when cutting on a mat, at up to 14.1 in per second, according to Cricut. The Explore 3 was in turn twice as fast as the Explore Air 2 and was the first Explore to cut Smart Materials without a mat.
Which Explore to buy, and is the bundle worth it?
The Cricut Explore 5 Deluxe Bundle was £289.99 on Amazon UK and is our pick for most people. It includes starter materials (Smart Vinyl, Smart Iron-On, Value Cardstock, Insert Cards and Printable Vinyl, according to the listing), so the machine can be used on Christmas morning. We didn't find the Explore 5 on its own sold by Amazon UK, so the bundle is the way to buy it there.
The Cricut Explore 5 Ultimate Bundle was £349.99. The extra £60 adds an EasyPress Mini LT heat press (£34.99 on its own) and more materials, with supplies for 135 projects according to the listing. It's worth it if they will make iron-on T-shirts, tote bags or baby clothes. If not, the Deluxe is better value.
The Cricut Explore 4 was £251.36 for the machine alone. It cuts the same materials as the Explore 5 at the same speed. It's larger, but it takes the older Explore pens and Scoring Stylus, which matters if they already own a drawer of them.
Older models: the Explore Air 2 (2024 Limited Edition) was £193.13. Skip it unless it's much cheaper: it can't cut Smart Materials without a mat, and its Print Then Cut works on white materials only. The Explore 3 was only available as an import with extra charges when we checked, so we haven't linked it.
Already own an older Cricut? See the upgrade table to check whether the new model is worth it.
Cricut Maker: for wood, leather and fabric
The Maker machines do everything the Explore does, plus thicker and tougher materials. Cricut lists 300+ materials and 13 tools, including the Rotary Blade for unbonded fabric, the Knife Blade for basswood and chipboard, and engraving, debossing and perforation tips. Buy a Maker for someone who sews, makes leather goods or wants to cut wood. For vinyl and card alone it is more machine than they need.
Maker 5 vs Maker 4
Cricut launched the Maker 5 in September 2026. Compared with the Maker 4, Cricut lists:
- Thicker materials: up to 3 mm against 2.4 mm.
- Wider Smart Materials: 12 in against 11.7 in.
- Smaller and lighter: 19.8 × 7.5 × 4.7 in and 10.9 lb, against 22.1 × 7.1 × 6.2 in and 15.4 lb.
- USB-C and Bluetooth Low Energy instead of USB-A and Bluetooth, a snap-in pen holder and Load & Go material loading.
- Tools: it takes every earlier Maker tool except the Scoring Stylus. Earlier Maker pens don't fit.
Both cut the same 300+ materials with the same 13 tools. The Maker 4 is up to twice as fast as the Maker 3, according to Cricut.
On Amazon UK: the Maker 5 was not sold new when we checked on 30 October 2026; the only offer was a used Maker 5 Ultimate Bundle. The Cricut Maker 4 was £367.99, sold by Amazon. It's the Maker to buy there today, and the 2.4 mm limit covers most leather and basswood projects.
Older models: the Maker 3 and the original Maker still cut the same materials with the same tools. Skip them unless they're cheap. The original Maker has no mat-free Smart Materials cutting. We found the Maker 3 only as an import with extra charges, so it isn't linked.
Already own an older Cricut? See the upgrade table to check whether the new model is worth it.
Upgrading from an older Cricut?
Each row compares an older machine with the newest model in the same series, using Cricut's published specs. Cricut doesn't publish a cutting-force figure, so we compare the maximum material thickness where Cricut gives one.
| You have | Newest in series | Speed | Mat-free Smart Materials | Thickness and materials | Tools and pens | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explore Air 2 | Explore 5 | Much faster: the Explore 3 doubled Air 2 speed and the Explore 4 doubled it again on a mat | No on Air 2. Yes on Explore 5, up to 3.6 m | Both 100+ materials. Air 2 Print Then Cut is white materials only | Air 2 pens and Scoring Stylus don't fit the Explore 5 | Upgrade |
| Explore 3 | Explore 5 | Explore 4 and 5 are up to 2× faster on a mat | Yes on both | Same 100+ materials | Old pens and Scoring Stylus don't fit the Explore 5 | Keep it, unless they cut a lot on mats |
| Explore 4 | Explore 5 | No meaningful difference | Yes on both | Same cutting capability | Explore 5 needs universal pens and the new Scoring Tool | Keep it |
| Maker (original) | Maker 5 | Faster. Cricut rates the Maker 5 at up to 14.1 in per second | No on original Maker (2 ft max length). Yes on Maker 5 | Maker 5 cuts up to 3 mm | Same Adaptive tools, except the Scoring Stylus. Old pens don't fit | Upgrade if they cut long designs or Smart Materials |
| Maker 3 | Maker 5 | Maker 4 is up to 2× faster than Maker 3; Maker 5 up to 14.1 in per second | Yes on both, up to 12 ft | Maker 5 cuts up to 3 mm | Same tools, except the Scoring Stylus. Old pens don't fit | Keep it, unless speed or thicker materials matter |
| Maker 4 | Maker 5 | No speed gain claimed: the changes are size, thickness and setup | Yes on both (11.7 in vs 12 in wide) | 2.4 mm vs 3 mm | Same 13 tools, except the Scoring Stylus. Maker 4 pens don't fit | Keep it |
| Joy (original) | Joy 2 | 5 vs 5.3 in per second | Yes on both, up to 4 ft | 50+ vs 75+ materials, same 11.4 cm width | Joy 2 uses universal pens, not Joy pens | Upgrade only for Print Then Cut or scoring |
| Joy (original) | Joy Xtra | Not compared by Cricut | Yes, up to 24.1 cm wide | Cuts 21.6 cm wide instead of 11.4 cm | Joy pens, blade and foil tool carry over; needs Joy Xtra mats | Upgrade if they want wider cuts |
Who it's for: which Cricut to give as a gift
- A beginner or card-maker: a Joy 2 bundle. It's small, quick to learn, and Print Then Cut makes stickers easy. Choose the Joy Xtra if they want A4-sized cards and wider decals.
- A hobby crafter: the Explore 5 Deluxe Bundle. It handles personalised mugs, T-shirts, party decorations, cards and labels, and comes with materials to start.
- A maker who works with wood, leather or fabric: the Maker 4, with a Rotary Blade or Knife Blade from our accessories guide for the materials they use.
Hidden costs to budget for
- Mats: anything that isn't a Smart Material is cut on a sticky mat, which wears out. A single 30.5 × 30.5 cm StandardGrip mat for Explore and Maker was £9.00 on Amazon UK. Joy Xtra mats are a different size.
- Materials: vinyl, iron-on and card run out quickly. A 1.5 m roll of Smart Vinyl was £8.39.
- Blades and tools: blades dull over time, and a weeding tool is close to essential for vinyl. Maker-only blades such as the Knife Blade cost more than £40.
- Cricut Access: the Design Space app is free and lets them cut their own designs and uploads. Cricut Access is an optional paid subscription, monthly or yearly, that unlocks Cricut's library of images, fonts and projects. Check the current price on Cricut's site before buying it as part of a gift.
Our Cricut accessories guide lists the mats, blades and materials that fit each machine.
Our pick
For most people, the Cricut Explore 5 Deluxe Bundle is the Cricut to buy: the newest Explore, compact, with materials included. Choose a Joy 2 bundle for a beginner or card-maker on a smaller budget, and the Maker 4 for wood, leather and fabric.
