Brother ScanNCut vs Cricut Machines

ScanNCut 2 vs Cricut Maker

The ScanNCut 2 is designed for hobbyists and crafters. It’s not exactly a heavy-duty machine and so it’s best used for handling lighter materials, unlike the Maker. Worth noting is that the Maker comes with a powerful knife blade which comes in handy when you need extra-deep blade slices done.

That said, the two machines are similar in the sense that they enable you to design or import designs for cutting. They both boast advanced software features e.g. ready-made designs and built-in fonts. But once again, we think it’s the ScanNCut 2 that has an upper hand as far as versatility is concerned. In particular, it offers three cutting modes i.e.

• Outline detection: Ideal for cutting around the outlines of different shapes.
• Region detection: Ideal for cutting inside and outside lines of a design.
• Line detection: This is the go-to mode when you need only the inside line cut.

As far as power is concerned, it’s the Cricut Maker that rules. It boasts some pretty powerful blades including the rotary blade which slices through heavy-duty materials effortlessly.

What’s more? The Maker has an adaptable tool system which helps you choose the right kind of pressure to use for the material you’re using. This feature removes the guesswork from your die cutting sessions.

Verdict: The winner of this duel is the Cricut Maker. It’s much more powerful and advanced than the ScanNCut 2 though also more expensive.

ScanNCut 2 vs Cricut Explore Air 2

These two machines are quite well-made and ideal for home or hobby use. Right off the bat, the Explore Air 2 stuns with its fast cutting speed. The ScanNCut 2 fights back with its 300 DPI built-in scanner which makes it possible to scan anything including hand-drawn sketches and convert them into usable designs.

So, if you’re looking for versatility and beginner-friendliness, the writing is on the wall, the ScanNCut is much more fun to use. However, if you’re after speed and a wide variety of cutting features the Cricut Explore Air 2 would probably offer a much better deal.

Moving on, the two machines provide you with a 12×12 inch cutting area. The ScanNCut is, however, the lighter one of the two weighing in at 8.6 pounds against Explore Air 2’s 21 lbs. That said, the Cricut cutter is the most compact one of the two with a 6-inch height and 7-inch depth.

Verdict: The battle was closely fought. The two machines are quite well made but each one has its fair share of merits and demerits. So, it’s a draw.

ScanNCut 2 vs Cricut Explore

If you’re looking for a machine that you can comfortably carry to your upcoming die cutting party, the ScanNCut2 will offer you a better deal compared to the Cricut Explore because it’s lighter. Unfortunately, there’s no bag provided for the ScanNCut although you can purchase one separately.

That said, both machines are quite easy to set up even an 8-year-old would easily figure out how to get them up and running.

As far as connectivity is concerned, the Explore can be accessed through USB cabling or a Bluetooth adapter paired up with a computer. However, you must be connected to the internet to come up with any meaningful designs for its use.

That’s, however, not an issue with the ScanNCut competitor. You really don’t need a computer or internet connectivity to design with it all thanks to its 300 DPI scanner. Yet you can still connect it directly to a computer if the need arises through its built-in wireless connection or a USB cable (this has to be bought separately, though).

Verdict: Although the Cricut Explore machine is worth sampling out, we think the ScanNCut2 offers a much better deal with its off-line accessibility features.