Gear guide
Best Silhouette Cameo, Portrait and Curio machines
Picked from Amazon listings, not hands-on tests. How we pick
Top picks at a glance
Compare all picks
Closest match for the job
Silhouette Cameo 5 Alpha: 3 mm materials, 400 mm/s
Materials up to 3 mm thick, including fabric and heat transfer, according to the listing.
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Most for the money on paper
Silhouette Portrait 4: 9 in cutter at 50 dB
The listing states a 9 in cutting width, enough for labels, stickers and small decals.
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Most complete listing
Silhouette Cameo 5 Alpha Plus: 15 in cutting width
The listing states a cutting width of up to 15 in, wider than 12 in craft machines.
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Silhouette machines all run the same Silhouette Studio desktop software, so the real choice is size and tooling. The Portrait 4 cuts 9 inch wide material on a desk. The Cameo 5 Alpha is the 12 inch all-rounder with AutoBlade and print and cut registration. The Alpha Plus stretches to 15 inches, and the Cameo Pro goes to 24 inches with a dual carriage for long vinyl runs. The Curio 2 is the odd one out: a flatbed for thick materials and embossing rather than long cuts. A bad pick here usually means buying a 24 inch machine for stickers, or a 9 inch machine for adult shirt backs. This guide compares each listing on cut width, material thickness, included tools, software and connection, and marks anything the listing does not state.
Compare the picks
- Silhouette Cameo 5 Alpha: 3 mm materials, 400 mm/s
- Max cut width
- Not stated
- Max material thickness
- Up to 3 mm
- Blades/tools
- AutoBlade; cuts, sketches and embosses
- Software
- Silhouette Studio
- Silhouette Cameo 5 Alpha Plus: 15 in cutting width
- Max cut width
- 15 in
- Max material thickness
- 0.5 mm on the electrostatic mat
- Blades/tools
- AutoBlade, sketch pen adapter
- Software
- Silhouette Studio, 100 designs, 1-month Design Store subscription
Silhouette Curio 2: 12x12 flatbed, 20 mm clearance- Max cut width
- 12 x 12 in flatbed
- Max material thickness
- 20 mm vertical clearance
- Blades/tools
- Heat Pen, Engraving Tool and Leather Punch sold separately
- Software
- Not stated
- Silhouette Portrait 4: 9 in cutter at 50 dB
- Max cut width
- 9 in
- Max material thickness
- Not stated
- Blades/tools
- Electric tool options, PixScan
- Software
- Silhouette Studio
Silhouette Cameo Pro MK II: 24 in width, dual carriage- Max cut width
- 24 in
- Max material thickness
- Not stated
- Blades/tools
- AutoBlade 2, pen adapter, roll feeder, dual carriage
- Software
- Not stated
| Pick | Max cut width | Max material thickness | Blades/tools | Software | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silhouette Cameo 5 Alpha: 3 mm materials, 400 mm/s | Not stated | Up to 3 mm | AutoBlade; cuts, sketches and embosses | Silhouette Studio | - | Amazon |
| Silhouette Cameo 5 Alpha Plus: 15 in cutting width | 15 in | 0.5 mm on the electrostatic mat | AutoBlade, sketch pen adapter | Silhouette Studio, 100 designs, 1-month Design Store subscription | - | Amazon |
| Silhouette Curio 2: 12x12 flatbed, 20 mm clearance | 12 x 12 in flatbed | 20 mm vertical clearance | Heat Pen, Engraving Tool and Leather Punch sold separately | Not stated | - | Amazon |
| Silhouette Portrait 4: 9 in cutter at 50 dB | 9 in | Not stated | Electric tool options, PixScan | Silhouette Studio | - | Amazon |
| Silhouette Cameo Pro MK II: 24 in width, dual carriage | 24 in | Not stated | AutoBlade 2, pen adapter, roll feeder, dual carriage | Not stated | - | Amazon |
Facts are taken from each Amazon listing. Prices are checked daily and shown with their date.
The picks in detail
Pick 1 · Silhouette America
Silhouette Cameo 5 Alpha: 3 mm materials, 400 mm/s
See price on AmazonSilhouette's main 12 inch class machine handles vinyl to fabric up to 3 mm thick, with 4-point print and cut registration and speeds up to 400 mm/s. The cheapest way here to leave Design Space behind.
What the listing offers
- Materials up to 3 mm thick, including fabric and heat transfer, according to the listing.
- 4-point registration with vertical and horizontal correction for accurate print and cut stickers.
- Runs on Silhouette Studio software instead of Cricut Design Space.
Limits to know
- The listing does not state cut width or connection type.
- No engraving or debossing tool is mentioned, which the Maker line offers.
Pick 2 · Silhouette America
Silhouette Cameo 5 Alpha Plus: 15 in cutting width
See price on AmazonA 15 in Cameo with AutoBlade depth adjustment, 400 mm/s speed and one-touch job repeat. A middle step between 12 in craft cutters and 24 in machines.
What the listing offers
- The listing states a cutting width of up to 15 in, wider than 12 in craft machines.
- AutoBlade adjusts blade depth automatically, per the listing.
- One-touch job repeat helps when cutting the same decal several times.
Limits to know
- The electrostatic mat is listed for materials up to 0.5 mm, and roll feeding is not stated.
- The listing includes only a 1-month Silhouette Design Store subscription; check current terms after that.
Pick 3 · Silhouette America
Silhouette Curio 2: 12x12 flatbed, 20 mm clearance
See price on AmazonA flatbed with 20 mm vertical clearance aimed at acrylic, leather and metal engraving, with an electrostatic bed instead of sticky mats. The Silhouette answer to the Maker's thick-material tools.
What the listing offers
- 20 mm vertical clearance fits thick acrylic and leather that roll-fed cutters cannot take.
- Optional Engraving Tool and Heat Pen cover metal and acrylic engraving and foil.
- Automatic tool and material thickness detection, with Bluetooth for wireless cutting.
Limits to know
- Every specialty tool is listed as sold separately, which adds to the cost.
- A 12x12 flatbed, so it does not cut long vinyl or fabric runs.
Pick 4 · Silhouette America
Silhouette Portrait 4: 9 in cutter at 50 dB
See price on AmazonA redesigned 9 in Silhouette with a belt-driven chassis, IPT cut ordering and a listed 1 year limited warranty. A small, quiet start for stickers and labels.
What the listing offers
- The listing states a 9 in cutting width, enough for labels, stickers and small decals.
- IPT technology optimizes cut order so sharp corners and layered cuts do not tear, per the listing.
- A 1 year limited warranty is stated in the listing.
Limits to know
- A 9 in width rules out large shirt backs and wide signs.
- Maximum material thickness and connectivity are not stated in the listing.
Pick 5 · Silhouette America
Silhouette Cameo Pro MK II: 24 in width, dual carriage
See price on AmazonA 24 inch Cameo with a dual-powered carriage and auxiliary rollers for cuts up to 60 feet. An alternative for Maker owners whose real limit is width, not thickness.
What the listing offers
- 24 inch cut width with a 24 x 24 in mat and roll feeder in the box.
- Dual carriage cuts and sketches in one pass, saving a tool swap on multi-step projects.
- Auxiliary rollers keep long cuts up to 60 feet stable, according to the listing.
Limits to know
- No thickness spec is given, so it is not a match for the Maker on wood or leather.
- Software and connection are not named in the listing bullets.
Read before you buy
- Which Silhouette Cameo do I have?Identify your Silhouette Cameo by its label, screen, tool carriages and roll feeder, and see which features and blades each Cameo generation supports.
- Silhouette Studio editions explainedSilhouette Studio Basic, Designer, Designer Plus and Business compared: prices as of October 2026, SVG import, saving SVG, and which upgrade a seller needs.
- Silhouette Cameo vs PortraitSilhouette Cameo vs Portrait compared on cut width, tool options, matless cutting and price, and the projects where the smaller Portrait 4 is enough.
- Silhouette Cameo vs Cricut Maker and ExploreSilhouette Cameo vs Cricut Maker and Explore compared on software, cut width, matless roll cutting and blades, the four things that actually split the brands.
- Silhouette Cameo vs Brother ScanNCutSilhouette Cameo vs Brother ScanNCut: computer-driven cutting against a standalone scanner cutter, compared for fabric, applique, stickers and hand drawings.
More gear: Choosing a machine
Blade & Mat chooses every product independently from what its Amazon listing states. We may earn a commission from the links above. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.