Blog › What a desktop CNC router costs, from $219 to $3,890
1 November 2026 · 2 min read
What a desktop CNC router costs, from $219 to $3,890
Prices for every machine in the record, what each price band gets you in size, and which ones include something to cut with.
The prices on desktop CNC routers run from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand, and the gap isn't only about size. Here is every machine in this site's record, cheapest first, as each maker listed it on 1 November 2026.
By price band
| Price | Machines | Which | Work area | Spindle included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $500 | 2 | SainSmart 3018-PROVer V2, SainSmart 3020-PRO MAX V2 | 0.6 to 0.7 sq ft | 1 of 2 |
| $500 to $1,000 | 6 | SainSmart 4040-PRO, FoxAlien Masuter Pro, FoxAlien Masuter Pro Max 2x2, SainSmart 4040-PRO MAX, Onefinity Apprentice, FoxAlien Masuter 3S | 1.7 to 3.9 sq ft | 5 of 6 |
| $1,000 to $2,500 | 2 | Sienci Labs LongMill MK3 30x30, Onefinity Gen 2 Elite Woodworker | 7.1 to 7.6 sq ft | 0 of 2 |
| Over $2,500 | 4 | Carbide 3D Nomad 3, Sienci Labs AltMill MK2 4x4, Carbide 3D Shapeoko 5.1 Pro 4x2, Sienci Labs AltMill MK2 2x4 | 0.4 to 16.7 sq ft | 1 of 4 |
Two patterns stand out. Work area grows with price, but not smoothly: several machines between $500 and $1,000 have the same 400 × 400 mm work area, so in that band you're choosing between other things, like the spindle, the motors and the Z height. And above $1,000, most machines in the record don't include a router or spindle at all, so the listed price isn't the price of a working machine.
Price per square foot
Dividing price by work area gives a rough way to compare machines of different sizes. It's my own calculation, not a maker's figure, and it ignores everything except X and Y. On that measure the large gantry machines look cheap and the small enclosed Nomad 3 looks very expensive, because its price pays for an enclosure and a spindle around a small work area. The figure for each machine is on the side-by-side table.
Sale prices move
Many of these prices are sale prices with a higher list price beside them, and they change. One surprise on 1 November: Sienci Labs' AltMill MK2 4x4 page showed $3,160.00 and the smaller 2x4 page $3,890.00. That's what the pages said; I don't know why. Check the maker's page on the day you buy.
Sources
Read on 1 November 2026. Quotes are copied from these pages.