Buying guide · 2 min read
The smallest desktop CNC machines, compared
The 9 compact machines on the site, under about 1 square foot of work area: size, Z, footprint, enclosure and price.
Not everyone has a garage. The smallest desktop CNCs fit on a desk or a shelf and cut pieces up to roughly the size of a sheet of paper. This guide lists the nine machines on this site with a work area under 0.1 m² (about 1 square foot), the site's "compact" size class.
The compact machines
| Machine | Work area | Z | Footprint | Weight | Enclosed | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SainSmart 3018-PRO DIY Kit | 300 × 180 mm | 45 mm | Not published | Not published | No | $159 |
| Two Trees TTC3018 Pro | 300 × 180 mm | 40 mm | 420 × 355 × 280 mm | 6.8 kg net (7.4 kg gross) | No | $199 |
| SainSmart 3018-PROVer V2 | 290 × 180 mm | 40 mm | Not published | Not published | No | $219 |
| SainSmart 3020-PRO MAX V2 | 300 × 205 mm | 78 mm | Not published | Not published | No | $399 |
| SainSmart 3020-PRO Ultra | 300 × 205 mm | 78 mm | Not published | Not published | No | $599 |
| Makera Z1 | 200 × 200 mm | 100 mm | 350 x 470 x 450 mm (13.8 x 18.5 x 17.7 in) | 17 kg (37.48 lb) | Yes | $1,249 |
| Makera Carvera Air | 300 × 200 mm | 130 mm | 500 x 450 x 450 mm | 30 kg | Yes | $1,999 |
| Carbide 3D Nomad 3 | 203 × 203 mm | 76 mm | 17.5" x 19" x 17" | Not published | Yes | $2,800 |
| Makera Carvera | 360 × 240 mm | 140 mm | 580 x 520 x 540 mm | 50 kg | Yes | $4,799 |
What sets them apart
- Price. They run from $159 to $4,799, and the price gap has little to do with size. The cheaper ones are open frames, and the four dearest are all enclosed machines, from Carbide 3D and Makera.
- Enclosure. Four of the nine are enclosed: Makera Z1, Makera Carvera Air, Carbide 3D Nomad 3 and Makera Carvera. An enclosure keeps chips in, which matters more on a desk than in a garage.
- What's included. Six come with a spindle, according to their pages.
- Z height. Small machines often have little Z, which limits how thick a piece can be. The figures above are as published; the work area guide explains what each one measures.
To see whether one fits your desk, the bench visualizer draws a machine's footprint at true scale.
Sources
Machine figures as checked on each maker's page between 1 November 2026 and 4 November 2026. Quotes are copied from these pages.
- SainSmart 3018-PRO DIY Kit: maker's page
- Two Trees TTC3018 Pro: maker's page
- SainSmart 3018-PROVer V2: maker's page
- SainSmart 3020-PRO MAX V2: maker's page
- SainSmart 3020-PRO Ultra: maker's page
- Makera Z1: maker's page
- Makera Carvera Air: maker's page
- Carbide 3D Nomad 3: maker's page
- Makera Carvera: maker's page