Buying guide · 5 min read
Desktop CNC routers over $1,000
Every desktop CNC router in the record priced over $1,000: what the money buys on paper, which leads on each published figure, and what you'll still need.
This page lists every machine in the record priced over $1,000, as each maker listed it on 1 November 2026. There are 22, from $1,249.00 to $10,390.00*. It doesn't rank them or recommend one: it shows what the money buys on paper and points out which machine leads on each published figure. Nobody has tested these machines for this site. Prices marked * are shown without a currency on the maker's page (Sienci Labs LongMill MK3 30x30, Sienci Labs AltMill MK2 4x4, Sienci Labs AltMill MK2 2x4 and Sienci Labs AltMill 4x8); they are probably US dollars, but that isn't confirmed.
What this budget gets you on paper
- Work area: from 200 × 200 mm to 1265 × 2640 mm where published.
- Router or spindle included: 8 of 22.
- Drive: 13 with ballscrews on every axis, 3 with leadscrews on every axis, 6 that don't fully publish it.
- Closed-loop motors: 11 of 22.
All the machines
| Machine | Price | Work area | Z | Drive | Spindle incl. | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Makera Z1 | $1,249.00 | 200 × 200 mm | 100 mm (3.9") | Leadscrew | Yes | 1 year; 30-day returns |
| SainSmart PROVerXL 4030 V2 | $1,399.00 | 400 × 300 mm | 110 mm (4.3") | Ballscrew | Yes | Not published |
| FoxAlien XE-PRO | $1,399.99 | 400 × 400 mm | 95 mm (3.7") | Ballscrew | Not published | 1 year |
| Sienci Labs LongMill MK3 30x30 | $1,400.00* | 813 × 813 mm | 117 mm (4.6") | Leadscrew | No | 365 days from receipt (policy effective 1 Aug 2026) |
| Two Trees TTC6050 | $1,599.00 | 600 × 500 mm | 100 mm (3.9") | Ballscrew | Yes | 1 year |
| SainSmart PROVerXL 6050 Plus | $1,799.00 | 600 × 500 mm | 115 mm (4.5") | Not published | Yes | Not published |
| Makera Carvera Air | $1,999.00 | 300 × 200 mm | 130 mm (5.1") | Ballscrew | Yes | 1 year |
| Onefinity Gen 2 Elite Woodworker | $2,195.00 | 838 × 838 mm | 178 mm (7.0") | Ballscrew | No | Not published |
| MillRight CNC Mega V 2 (19x19) | $2,599.00 | 483 × 483 mm | 133 mm (5.2") | Mixed | No | Not published |
| Carbide 3D Nomad 3 | $2,800.00 | 203 × 203 mm | 76 mm (3.0") | Not published | Yes | 1 year, plus a 60-day damage guarantee |
| FoxAlien CL-4x4 | $2,899.99 | 1220 × 1220 mm | 100 mm (3.9") | Ballscrew | Not published | 1 year |
| MillRight CNC Mega V 2 XL (35x35) | $2,999.00 | 889 × 889 mm | 133 mm (5.2") | Mixed | No | Not published |
| Sienci Labs AltMill MK2 4x4 | $3,160.00* | 1245 × 1245 mm | 140 mm (5.5") | Ballscrew | No | 120 days from receipt |
| Carbide 3D Shapeoko 5.1 Pro 4x2 | $3,550.00 | Not published | Not published | Ballscrew | No | 1 year, plus a 60-day damage guarantee |
| Sienci Labs AltMill MK2 2x4 | $3,890.00* | 1245 × 635 mm | 140 mm (5.5") | Ballscrew | No | 365 days from receipt |
| Next Wave CNC Shark HD520 | $4,250.00 | 1270 × 635 mm | 178 mm (7.0") | Leadscrew | No | 2 years |
| MillRight CNC Mega V 2 XXL (50x50) | $4,449.00 | 1270 × 1270 mm | 133 mm (5.2") | Mixed | No | Not published |
| Makera Carvera | $4,799.00 | 360 × 240 mm | 140 mm (5.5") | Ballscrew | Yes | 1 year |
| Inventables X-Carve Pro 4x2 | $4,995.00 | 1219 × 610 mm | 102 mm (4.0") | Ballscrew | Not published | 1 year |
| Carbide 3D Shapeoko HDM V3 | $5,700.00 | 690 × 610 mm | 145 mm (5.7") | Ballscrew | Yes | 12 months |
| Inventables X-Carve Pro 4x4 | $7,495.00 | 1219 × 1219 mm | 102 mm (4.0") | Ballscrew | Not published | 1 year |
| Sienci Labs AltMill 4x8 | $10,390.00* | 1265 × 2640 mm | 210 mm (8.3") | Mixed | No | 365 days |
Which leads on each published figure
These come straight from the numbers. None of them says a machine is better, only which one has the most or least of something its maker publishes.
- Largest published work area: Sienci Labs AltMill 4x8, 1265 × 2640 mm.
- Tallest published Z: Sienci Labs AltMill 4x8, 210 mm (8.3").
- Lowest price per square foot of work area: FoxAlien CL-4x4, about $181 per sq ft (my calculation; it ignores everything but X and Y).
- Includes a router or spindle: Makera Z1, SainSmart PROVerXL 4030 V2, Two Trees TTC6050, SainSmart PROVerXL 6050 Plus, Makera Carvera Air, Carbide 3D Nomad 3, Makera Carvera and Carbide 3D Shapeoko HDM V3.
- Ballscrews on every axis: SainSmart PROVerXL 4030 V2, FoxAlien XE-PRO, Two Trees TTC6050, Makera Carvera Air, Onefinity Gen 2 Elite Woodworker, FoxAlien CL-4x4, Sienci Labs AltMill MK2 4x4, Carbide 3D Shapeoko 5.1 Pro 4x2, Sienci Labs AltMill MK2 2x4, Makera Carvera, Inventables X-Carve Pro 4x2, Carbide 3D Shapeoko HDM V3 and Inventables X-Carve Pro 4x4.
- Closed-loop motors: SainSmart PROVerXL 4030 V2, FoxAlien XE-PRO, Sienci Labs LongMill MK3 30x30, Onefinity Gen 2 Elite Woodworker, MillRight CNC Mega V 2 (19x19), FoxAlien CL-4x4, MillRight CNC Mega V 2 XL (35x35), Sienci Labs AltMill MK2 4x4, Sienci Labs AltMill MK2 2x4, MillRight CNC Mega V 2 XXL (50x50) and Sienci Labs AltMill 4x8.
- Most complete spec page (fewest of drive, linear guides, controller, footprint, weight and warranty missing): Makera Z1, 0 missing.
What you'll still need to budget for
- A router or spindle for Sienci Labs LongMill MK3 30x30, Onefinity Gen 2 Elite Woodworker, MillRight CNC Mega V 2 (19x19), MillRight CNC Mega V 2 XL (35x35), Sienci Labs AltMill MK2 4x4, Carbide 3D Shapeoko 5.1 Pro 4x2, Sienci Labs AltMill MK2 2x4, Next Wave CNC Shark HD520, MillRight CNC Mega V 2 XXL (50x50) and Sienci Labs AltMill 4x8, which don't include one. See router or spindle.
- Design and toolpath software for SainSmart PROVerXL 4030 V2, FoxAlien XE-PRO, SainSmart PROVerXL 6050 Plus, FoxAlien CL-4x4, Sienci Labs AltMill MK2 4x4 and Sienci Labs AltMill MK2 2x4, whose pages don't name any.
- Bits, clamps and some way of dealing with dust. No page in the record includes these in the base price.
More detail is in what's in the box and what a desktop CNC router costs.
How this page is made
It's generated from the same data as the machine record every time the record is rebuilt, so it changes when a maker changes a price or a spec. The figures above that aren't on any maker's page (price per square foot and the "most complete" count) are my own calculations from the published ones. There are no affiliate links, and nothing here depends on whether a maker pays anyone. Before you buy, check the maker's page; prices change often. Compare the first four side by side.
Sources
Read on 1 November 2026. Quotes are copied from these pages.
- Makera Z1: maker's page
- SainSmart PROVerXL 4030 V2: maker's page
- FoxAlien XE-PRO: maker's page
- Sienci Labs LongMill MK3 30x30: maker's page
- Two Trees TTC6050: maker's page
- SainSmart PROVerXL 6050 Plus: maker's page
- Makera Carvera Air: maker's page
- Onefinity Gen 2 Elite Woodworker: maker's page
- MillRight CNC Mega V 2 (19x19): maker's page
- Carbide 3D Nomad 3: maker's page
- FoxAlien CL-4x4: maker's page
- MillRight CNC Mega V 2 XL (35x35): maker's page
- Sienci Labs AltMill MK2 4x4: maker's page
- Carbide 3D Shapeoko 5.1 Pro 4x2: maker's page
- Sienci Labs AltMill MK2 2x4: maker's page
- Next Wave CNC Shark HD520: maker's page
- MillRight CNC Mega V 2 XXL (50x50): maker's page
- Makera Carvera: maker's page
- Inventables X-Carve Pro 4x2: maker's page
- Carbide 3D Shapeoko HDM V3: maker's page
- Inventables X-Carve Pro 4x4: maker's page
- Sienci Labs AltMill 4x8: maker's page