Comparing the xTool D1 Pro, Gweike Cloud and Glowforge Laser Engravers

Diode lasers versus Co2 lasers is a raging debate that I poured gasoline on by publishing my post Which Laser Cutter is Best. Yes, I am going to further inflame the debate today by directly comparing a few different and popular brands: xTool, Gweike Cloud and reigning champ, Glowforge.

To compare these lasers we will need some criteria so I have chosen the following:

• Price
• Power
• Construction
• Ease of use
• Capability
• Safety

xTool D1 Pro

• ^{xTool D1 Pro Review}

The xTool D1 Pro is a diode laser which on paper is pretty typical of the field, but with some marked (pardon the pun) differences in terms of quality. Unlike the competition, the xTool machine is high-grade aluminum construction and the documentation is actually good.

It arrives partially assembled but it is easy and quick to put together and you will be firing off lasers before you know it.

While the model I was sent is the 10W version for this review, there is a very capable 20W option also available. For most purposes, the 10W will suffice, if a little slower for some jobs, but having that extra power if you need it is excellent.

Comparing a diode laser to Co2 is not apples to apples, they work on a different frequency with trade-offs. So a Co2 can’t mark metal without additives but can cut most acrylics. In the diode world some acrylic won’t be harmed very much by the laser but you can mark stainless steel (and with the 20W even cut some thin metals), so choose your weapon well.

Of course where the XTool beats all but the most “off brand” lasers is in price at ~$700-800. Even with the air-assist and other accessories you are still going to come in way under the price of the Glowforge or Gweike. You can purchase from Amazon too, meaning shipping speed and price might be an advantage depending where you live. I would advise you buy the excellent LightBurn for a small additional cost but you can, of course, get up and running with their free software too.

The downside is this is fully open, no ventilation or enclosure, so you will need to have a fan blowing and good ventilation in the room, especially if cutting noxious stinky materials. Keep kids and pets way out of the way, especially any likely to get their eyeballs zapped.

Gweike Cloud

• ^{See also: Full Gweike Cloud Review}

If you want a fully enclosed, ventilated Co2 laser, up until now the easiest and amongst the best value was the Glowforge Basic. Unfortunately for us in the UK, Glowforge now has a deal with a major big box hobby store that apparently involves not selling the Basic at all!

This made me extremely interested in the competition. You might recall for a while I had a Full Spectrum Muse which had some advantages but ultimately was not for me. Part of the reason I couldn’t fully love that machine was the software. Enter Gweike who sent me their Cloud unit to compare with the Glowforge.

Don’t let the Cloud part of Gweike Cloud fool you – you do not have to be connected to the internet to use this machine.

Just like the XTool, you can use the best of class laser software LightBurn. This is a game changer because it means you really own the laser, it can’t be bricked by the brand if you are not connected to the internet! Yes, a couple of Glowforge owners have been remote-bricked after Glowforge believed they came by their machines dishonestly, but for the rest of us when the internet goes down or the remote service glitches that can put a real ding in our deadlines!

The Gweike machine is also extremely competitively priced (~$3150) versus Glowforge, even before you take into account that you get a filter for free which is an expensive add-on at Glowforge.

Add to this the fact the Gweike tube is 50W versus 40 or 45 on the Glowforge, it starts to look an even better deal.

Don’t think the lower price means corners have been cut on quality, quite the opposite. It’s actually all metal construction and feels very nicely built, with smooth linear rails and a premium feel throughout. The laser is even enclosed within the unit (though I know a lot of people do like to see the light show). There is even a pass through slot which in Glowforge world is only found on the most expensive “Pro” machine.

One thing even the Glowforge Pro can’t do is rotary. Yep, Gweike has one of those bad boys too, so Yeti mug engraving is very much in my future.

Laser Comparison Summary

• Price – The XTool has to win on price but you are sacrificing enclosure and ventilation, which admittedly are available to buy at an extra cost.
• Power – It could be all you need is to engrave and to cut occasional thin materials so it comes down to more of a use-case here than it does strictly saying which is best, but I have never met anyone who wishes they had less power in their laser! Gweike has 50w so wins on power.
• Construction – This is subjective and there is nothing at all wrong with the quality of any of these machines but Gweike has been in this business building laser cutters for a long time and it simply shows in the construction of their unit.
• Ease of use – Glowforge still gets the ease of use crown when it comes down to going from zero to lasering confidently. Their browser based software and on-boarding are now extremely well tuned and will be hard to beat by any company for a long time.
• Capability – While the XTool has the flexibility of essentially making material size moot (you could drop this guy on a door or your car and laser), the Gweike having 50W laser and a pass through, with also being able to do rotary, and fully enclosed and vented, puts it above the others.
• Safety – XTool loses points because of being open, I just wouldn’t advise this be used around kids for example, plus I wouldn’t advise being in the same room during long cuts. Having said that, it is possible to stick your hand in the Gweike while it is running so I would say only Glowforge has this one buttoned down.

Model	Price	Power	Construction	Ease	Capability	Safety	Total
xTool D1 Pro	3	1	3	2	1	1	11
Gweike Cloud	2	3	3	2	3	2	15
Glowforge	1	2	2	3	2	3	13

So Which Laser is Best for You?

I can’t tell you which laser you should buy, just rank them as I judge them.

For price you can’t beat a diode laser and the XTool D1 Pro is in my opinion an excellent choice. Out of the diode lasers I have experienced it really feels like a premium option (though it must be said the first diode lasers I tried seemed designed to harm me so the bar was low for quite a while).

If you want to support a USA company then I can’t really suggest anything other than Glowforge or Full Spectrum, but how far that “American Made” monicker goes is really up for debate in reality anyway.

Value for money will really go with the Gweike, especially as my beloved Glowforge Basic is probably not going to be even available in the UK which is where I live now.

One thing Gweike has done right that could tip the balance, however, is making the machine work with LightBurn. This could be a huge game changer.

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Thank you to Makeblock and Gweike for providing the machines used in this roundup. If you buy via my review I might receive a small commission but that does not affect the price you pay and will never influence my opinions in this or any review.