Silhouette Studio vs Cricut Design Space: 5 Things to Know (2023)

If you're considering buying a cutting machine but can't decide between a Silhouette CAMEO and a Cricut Explore or Maker you should also consider the software: Silhouette Studio vs Cricut Design. 

In this blog post, we'll look at the two different software programs to help you understand the differences and the similarities. 

Do Silhouette Designs Work with Cricut? How to Use Silhouette Software with Cricut

If you're wondering can Silhouette designs be used on Cricut the answer is...YES! 

There are several different ways you can use Silhouette Designs with Cricut and this tutorial will explain how...and why you may want to design in Silhouette Studio and cut with Cricut. 

Is it Cost and Time Effective to Switch from Cricut to Silhouette?

Cricut's now-reversed decision to require users to pay $9.99 a month if they want to upload more than 20 designs into Cricut Design Space a month - has caused some Cricut users to eye Silhouette. 

But is the switch to Silhouette worth it now or in the long run?  Let's take a look at what you get with Silhouette vs Cricut and Silhouette Studio vs Cricut Design Space and the time and monetary investment it may require.

Please note this blog post was written prior to Cricut's decision to reverse course and abandon their announced plan to limit uploads to users, however the information and comparison between Cricut Maker vs CAMEO 4 and Cricut Design Space and Silhouette Studio remains relevant. 

Silhouette Portrait vs Cricut Joy: Price, Specs, Features Comparison

The cute, portable, and brand new Cricut Joy will be going on sale in just a few days. Since it was announced in early February I have received a lot of questions about if Silhouette will come out with something similar.

The question has kind of surprised me since the smaller, portable Silhouette Portrait was actually my first cutting machine six years ago.  So...my answer is: they already have ;)  Let's take a look at a side by side comparison of the Silhouette Portrait 2 vs Cricut Joy.

Silhouette Studio for Cricut: How to Make Silhouette Software Work with Cricut

If you're wondering if Silhouette Studio is compatible with Cricut...the answer is yes!

Silhouette Studio is a much more robust design software than Cricut Design Space and that, along with not needing Wifi to use the software, has a lot of Cricut users swapping software programs.

Hack for Using a Cricut Mat with Silhouette CAMEO

Lots of Silhouette crafters have tried, or at least have thought about trying, Cricut cutting mats with their Silhouette CAMEO.

I don't honestly recommend it - but since the Cricut mats are less expensive and are slightly more rigid than the Silhouette mats - a lot of crafters at least want to give them a try.

Cricut EasyPress Review (and a Beginner Tutorial)

The Cricut EasyPress is quite literally one of the hottest new things to hit the market for crafters who work with heat transfer vinyl, rhinestones, and custom transfers.

The Circut EasyPress is a cross between an iron and a heat press.  It had me equal parts excited and skeptical so as soon as I saw it hit Amazon a few weeks ago I ordered one. (You may also want to price check at Swing Design where they also sell it.) I mention that because - like you - purchasing the $149 Cricut EasyPress allows me to be the consumer who paid their hard earned money on this craft gadget.

Silhouette Design Store SVGs: The Low Down On If You Need Them

You may have noticed that the Silhouette Design Store recently started offering the SVG file type as an add-on when purchasing Silhouette Studio designs from the online store.

When I saw this had I had to scratch my head wondering - why would you want or need to buy an SVG from the Silhouette Design Store if you're already buying the .Studio file.  After all, the SVG format isn't offered as a stand alone, you can only add it on when purchasing the .studio format of the same file. 

Silhouette CAMEO vs Cricut: Which Is Best For You?! (Honest Pros and Cons from the Pros!)

I get asked a decent amount about the differences between the Silhouette vs Circut.  I'm always kinda like, "I can talk to you all day (every day) about Silhouette, but, um, I hear that the Circut Explore does this but..."

Let's just be real here for a second: I.don't.know.enough.  I may know the Silhouette machines like I know my kids' bad habits, but I don't know a darn thing about the Cricut machines other than what people tell me.  That's not very useful for someone who's trying to answer the question: "Should I buy a Silhouette or Cricut?"

While I have absolutely no doubt I could give you a 100% honest answer about the pros (powerful software, works offline, cuts up to 10') and cons of Silhouette (lacking customer support, some accessories and supplies are poor-ish quality), that's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about major differences between the Silhouette CAMEO and the Cricut... and who better to ask than those who have both machines?

Silhouette CAMEO 3 with (Optional) Bluetooth and AutoBlade Coming in 2016 (& Full List of New Products)

Silhouette America announced Friday it will be releasing the Silhouette CAMEO 3 which can be used with a new Silhouette AutoBlade (auto-adjusting cutting blade) later this summer!  The CAMEO 3 will also come with optional Bluetooth. Both products are scheduled to be released in August 2016.  

The AutoBlade technology, which allows the Silhouette cutting blade to auto adjust its depth depending on the material being cut, can only be used with the new CAMEO 3.  The Silhouette AutoBlade is a huge step for Silhouette as it will compete directly with Circut's SmartBlade.  A group of bloggers I interviewed recently, who use both the Cricut and the Silhouette, all mentioned the Cricut SmartBlade as one of the biggest (and only) advantages Cricut has over the Silhouette CAMEO.

The Silhouette CAMEO 3 Bluetooth bundle will include the new cutting machine, power adapter, USB cord, cutting mat, AutoBlade, and Bluetooth adapter (for the CAMEO 3 Bluetooth edition).

The CAMEO 3 Bluetooth Bundle will retail for $299. The MSRP on the Silhouette AutoBlade is $12.99.

Silhouette America also announced a long list of new and newly improved products all of which are slated to be released between August and October 2016.

In addition, Silhouette America announced several upgrade and add-ons to the design software including Silhouette Studio 4.0 which will be used with the new CAMEO 3, Silhouette Studio 3D and updates to the Silhouette mobile app.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing products through my links, I receive a small commission. That's what helps fund Silhouette School so I can keep buying new Silhouette-related products to show you how to get the most out of your machine!

Thanks for coming to class today at Silhouette School.  If you like what you see, I'd love for you to pin it!

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