Glowforge has become more or less synonymous with laser engraving and cutting, with the company’s big white boxes being a popular but pricey way to get into the game. Well, that was until recently with Glowforge introducing Aura, a lower-cost machine providing a somewhat more affordable, if substantially less capable, option for consumers.
Despite having a pretty tight grip on the “posh laser tool for consumers” segment that we don’t really have a better name for, it’s not difficult to find dissenting opinions to the tune that Glowforge might not be the way to go. Why? Because Glowforge products have some drawbacks, and users want more flexibility.
The prerequisite for a constant internet connection is enough to put some off of this premium brand and one of the chief complaints of Glowforge ownership. Look around a little, and you can find other manufacturers offering something awfully similar for less, and often without the limitations some attribute to Glowforge and its products.
So, join us as we take a stroll down this lane of posh lasers and (laser) point you in the direction of the most attractive and capable Glowforge alternatives out there.
| Laser Cutter | Laser Strength | Work Area | Auto Focus | Camera | Market Price (USD, approx.) | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| xTool M1 | 10 W | 385 x 300 mm | Yes | Yes | $1,000 | |
| OMTech Polar | 50 W | 570 x 300 mm | No | Yes | $2,899 | |
| Gweike Cloud RF | 38 W | 510 x 290 mm | No | Yes | $4,199 | |
| Thunder Laser Bolt | 30 W | 508 x 304 mm | Yes | Yes | $4,995 | |
| Flux Hexa | 60 W | 730 x 410 mm | Yes | Yes | $6,995 | |
xTool M1
The xTool M1 is an alternative to what could be described as the black sheep of the Glowforge flock, the new Glowforge Aura.
Glowforge’s Aura broke new ground for the biggest name in laser engraving, but not in laser engraving as a whole. The Aura is a relatively low-powered diode laser machine with a $1,199 price tag. Many big tech outlets that have gone hands-on with the unit have praised it as a more affordable offering, but stepping back to view what’s available today, it’s actually pretty expensive for a diode laser engraver.
Glowforge is a company that sells you on an experience rather than selling you on competitively-priced hardware, and in that particular aspect, the firm is pretty well versed. Other brands are catching up, however, and are making strides with pretty compelling alternatives. Take the xTool M1, for example.
In many ways, this machine (as well as others in this list) are inspired by Glowforge’s approach. Take a look at that minimalist white exterior for a start – all simplicity and elegance, a stark contrast to the simple steel frame looks of many budget laser engravers; they look like they’ve been assembled in a shed.
It’s this clean, sophisticated look that many people would rather be looking at, and it’s this clean, sophisticated look that also subconsciously hints at a clean, sophisticated user experience. That’s why looks are important, see?
At the heart of the M1 lies a 10 W diode laser, a slightly more potent beam than that found in the Glowforge Aura, which xTool claims can go through 10 mm of wood in a single pass. There’s also the potential to install a rotary axis inside the M1, too. But the real party trick here is that the M1 also functions as a cutting machine utilizing a blade. This helpful little addition means you can cut materials that may be unsuitable or even dangerous to cut with a laser engraver – vinyl, for example.
With positively received software in the form of xTool’s Creative Space, and an overall high level of user-friendliness, as well as the little bonuses the M1 possesses, this machine is a logical and highly capable alternative to the new baby Glowforge.
OMTech Polar
Anaheim-based OMTech is known for its budget CO2 laser cutters that it imports from China, inspects, and slaps a warranty on. Offering US-based customer care and the safety net of a warranty makes buying these basic laser cutters a bit more palatable, and the products are highly appealing to people seeking a powerful laser at a low cost.
The Polar is a new type of machine from OMTech, and is likely to be a white label of a Gweike Cloud, another popular Glowforge alternative. There are two Glowforge units (if we don’t include the low-powered Aura) – Plus, and Pro. In terms of specifications, the OMTech Polar is most similar to the top spec Pro.
Contained within its casing is a powerful 50 W laser tube, a full 5 W more potent than the Glowforge Pro’s 45 W offering. In practical operational terms, that might not make a huge world of difference, but what will is the fact that the Polar is LightBurn compatible, and can function entirely offline, something that the Glowforge machines cannot do.
In terms of working area, the Polar is also slightly bigger, offering a 570 x 300 mm work area in comparison to the Glowforge Pro’s 495 x 279 mm. Both the Polar and the Glowforge Pro also feature pass-through slots in the back of the machine for longer materials, with the Polar’s 7 mm slot offering the slightest additional clearance over the Glowforge Pro’s 6.3 mm. It should be noted that only the Glowforge Pro offers that pass-through slot too, and that Basic and Plus models don’t feature one at all. Also of note is the Polar’s inclusion of a dedicated port for a rotary module.
There is one area where the Glowforge holds an advantage though, and that’s in the auto-focusing capability. A Glowforge will be able to automatically detect the thickness of the material you’re working with and adjust the focus of the laser accordingly. On the Polar, that falls down to the user; not exactly a big chore, but auto-focusing is certainly a desirable feature to have.
Probably not as desirable as a few thousand dollars, however. And that’s the key difference between the OMTech Polar and the Glowforge Pro. The latter will cost you $6,995, but the former will set you back just $2,900. With integrated cooling and an exhaust fan, a more powerful laser, offline working capabilities, and a full extra year’s worth of warranty, it’s easy to see why the Polar is getting a lot of attention.
Gweike Cloud RF
Gweike has been producing Glowforge alternatives for quite some time now, but the recent introduction of its Cloud RF model is likely to prove to be the most convenient alternative yet.
The firm’s RF model of the popular Cloud uses a radio frequency laser, a type of CO2 laser that is contained in a metal tube and uses radio frequency to excite the gas in the tube, rather than pure electric power. This style of laser has significant advantages over a traditional CO2 laser.
Firstly, it won’t need to be water-cooled. The Cloud RF can run off air cooling alone, saving the trouble of having a reservoir, coolant, tubing, and a pump. The second advantage is that it has a far longer lifespan than a traditional CO2 laser, lasting up to 10 times longer (up to 20,000 hours of use). That means multiple years of use without the need to replace the tube, which typically will need replacing far sooner in a normal CO2 laser.
Like the OMTech Polar and other Gweike Cloud models, the Cloud RF is compatible with LightBurn, the most popular laser software out there, and it can work offline too, which is once again the perfect answer to two of the most popular Glowforge complaints. The RF laser is slightly weaker at 38 W compared to the Glowforge’s 40 or 45 W lasers, but not significantly enough to make a massive difference, and the far longer lifespan of the laser and absence of water cooling more than makes up for it.
The largest drawback to the Cloud RF is perhaps just the price. For the convenience factors the RF laser provides, you’ll be paying a premium. The Cloud RF comes in at $4,199, a good chunk of cash cheaper than the Glowforge Plus and Pro models. For the longer-lasting laser, offline working, LightBurn compatibility, and no water cooling, that price is very tempting, and this laser is an easy alternative to recommend to a Glowforge.
Thunder Laser Bolt
Three cool words coming together to make one big cool thing. Coming into the list for the first time is the Thunder Laser Bolt, a 30 W RF CO2 laser that comes in just a fiver under $5,000.
Like the Gweike Cloud RF featured above, the Bolt utilizes an RF CO2 laser, which brings considerable benefits for enthusiast use, including a lifespan potentially 10 times longer than a standard CO2 laser, as well as doing away with the requirement for a water cooling system. RFs are the neater, tidier, and easier to live with CO2 lasers of the world, and, despite being less Glowforge-like than other alternatives on this list, the simplicity of the installed tube could mean you give it the nod.
Design-wise, we’re looking at something that definitely isn’t trying to square up to the Glowforge’s sleek, shiny visage. In terms of specs, it shapes up pretty well, however, with a 508 x 304 mm work area, auto-focusing, and a camera. Supplied as standard with the Bolt is RDWorks software, which is free to use, but the Bolt is also compatible with LightBurn – one of, if not the community’s favorite laser cutting and engraving control software. That needs paying for, however.
The Bolt should have no issues at all comfortably cutting materials such as wood, acrylic, leather, glass, tumblers, MDF, and rubber, while it will also engrave the likes of anodized aluminum. Thunder Laser also provides a reassuring 2-year warranty and lifetime support for the Bolt from US-based representatives.
So, while it might not be the most direct of Glowforge’s competitors, it certainly has more than enough about it to be considered a more than viable alternative.
Flux Hexa
Flux is no stranger to the production of high-quality laser cutting and engraving products. Its smallest offering, the Beamo, was a hit here at All3DP, and the company also produces the popular Beambox and Beambox Pro models that offer more punch and more space to work in too.
The biggest and most potent offering in the Flux posse is called the Hexa, and it is also the biggest machine in this list, with dimensions of 1110 x 670 x 273 mm and a weight of 58 kg.
That obviously means the Hexa will need a big space and the helping hand of a friend or family member (or two) to get the Hexa set up where it’ll be working. But the advantage is you get a whopping big work area to play with, 730 x 410 mm to be precise, a considerable amount more than the Glowforge Pro’s 495 x 279 mm area. There’s a maximum depth of 125 mm too.
You also get a substantially more powerful CO2 laser, as Flux has equipped the Hexa with a 60 W tube, a full 15 W more than the top-of-the-line Glowforge Pro’s laser, which means quicker, more efficient work and better cutting capabilities. According to Flux, the Hexa is perfectly comfortable cutting through materials north of 10 mm thick. Autofocusing helps make some of the setting up process in working with the material a little easier too.
There are a couple of downsides to the Hexa, however. One is that there’s no compatibility with the popular LightBurn software. Flux’s machines run exclusively on its own proprietary Beam Studio software. Despite its undoubted excellence and many useful features and intuitive UI, users already familiar with LightBurn may be frustrated to have to get to know a whole new piece of software before getting to work with the Hexa.
Secondly, there’s the price. $6,995 will need to be exchanged to get one of these, the same price as a Glowforge Pro. That’s not necessarily a bad deal, but with rivals offering similar packages for less, it’ll really come down to whether or not you need a vast work area and the extra potency of that powerful 60 W laser.
Other Machines
There are, of course, plenty of other types of laser engraving and cutting machines out there. Laser engravers and cutters come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can vary in price from a few hundred, up to many tens of thousands of dollars. For obvious reasons, we tend to focus our lenses on the more affordable offerings in the range of the average consumer.
Diode laser engravers are often far, far cheaper than the CO2-powered Plus and Pro models from Glowforge. They do however lack the pure punch a CO2 laser can provide, and are often best suited to working with materials on the softer side. Think paper, cardboard, cork, and the like. For cutting, they’re less efficient and will take longer to do the work, if they have the punch to complete the work in the first place. A good example of a diode laser engraver might be something like a Sainsmart Jinsoku LC-40, or an Ortur Laser Master 3, both of which feature in our guide to the best laser engravers currently going.
If you’re looking for a pure CO2 laser without the user experience that the Glowforge-esque machines bring to the table, then there are options out there for you. A 40 W OMTech is one such option, costing a fraction of the price of the OMTech Polar and any Glowforge product. Hardcore laser enthusiasts and long-term users will tell you that’s where the value in the market is, and they may well have a point, but user experience is very important to a lot of people and particularly in different working settings.
Still, if that is the way you want to go, and you’re prepared for what might be a more arduous user experience, then you can easily pick up a powerful CO2 laser for a fraction of the price of a Glowforge.
What's Changed?
The little list below details our update pathway, and shortly mentions the things we’ve discovered, fixed, etc, etc. Have a wee glance if you’re curious.
October XX, 2023: Into the list for this update slides the xTool M1, a capable alternative to that new Glowforge Aura, and the Thunder Laser Bolt, an RF CO2 laser-packing rival to the Glowforge Pro. As with all updates, we’ve also checked pricing and availability, found things to be slightly more expensive than they used to be, sighed, and pressed publish.
License: The text of "The Best Glowforge Alternatives of 2023" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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