Glowforge Pro vs Thunder Laser Nova 35 — Which Should You Buy?

Side-by-side specs, settings, and decision guide. Both have community-tested settings for 35 shared materials.

Glowforge Pro: $7,999 vs Thunder Laser Nova 35: $9,100 — prices as of 2026, check retailer for current pricing.

Where to buy

Buy the Glowforge Pro — check current price & availability

Buy on Amazon →

Affiliate link — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Which one should you buy?

Pick the Glowforge Pro if you want: more cutting power (45W vs 100W).

Glowforge Pro

Price
$7,999

Power
45W

Laser Type
co2

Software

Glowforge App

Buy Glowforge Pro →

Thunder Laser Nova 35

Price
$9,100

Power
100W

Laser Type
co2

158 settings for Glowforge Pro70 settings for Thunder Laser Nova 35

Settings Comparison

Material · Operation	Glowforge Pro	Thunder Laser Nova 35
10mm Plywoodcut	—	15 mm/s · 80% · air assist
2mm Basswood Plywoodcut	25 mm/s · 35% · air assist	—
3mm Baltic Birch Plywoodcut	25 mm/s · 100% · air assist	55 mm/s · 52% · air assist
3mm Basswood Plywoodcut	30 mm/s · 100% · air assist	60 mm/s · 50% · air assist
3mm Black Acryliccut	25 mm/s · 60–70% · air assist	—
3mm Clear Acryliccut	20 mm/s · 100% · air assist	45 mm/s · 55% · air assist
3mm Coloured Acryliccut	15 mm/s · 60%	—
3mm MDFcut	35 mm/s · 65–75% · air assist	35 mm/s · 45% · air assist
3mm Tinted Acryliccut	18 mm/s · 60% · air assist	—
3mm Walnut Plywoodcut	22 mm/s · 100% · air assist	50 mm/s · 55% · air assist
5mm Plywoodcut	12 mm/s · 55% · 2× passes · air assist	—
6mm Baltic Birch Plywoodcut	168 glowforge_units · 100%	30 mm/s · 62%
6mm Basswood Plywoodcut	—	35 mm/s · 65% · air assist
6mm Clear Acryliccut	6 mm/s · 72% · 2× passes · air assist	—
6mm MDFcut	12 mm/s · 100% · air assist	30 mm/s · 70% · air assist
9mm Birch Plywoodcut	4.5 mm/s · 72% · 3× passes · air assist	—
Acrylic Feltcut	65 mm/s · 22%	—
Acryliccut	150 mm/s · 80% · air assist	—
Alder 3mmcut	24 mm/s · 50%	—
Aldercut	300 mm/min · 80–85% · 2× passes · air assist	—
Bamboo 3mmcut	25 mm/s · 50%	50 mm/s · 60%
Bamboo Cutting Boardcut	—	19 mm/s · 75–80% · air assist
Bamboocut	300 mm/min · 90–95% · 2× passes · air assist	300 mm/min · 60–65% · 2× passes · air assist
Basswoodcut	30 mm/s · 55–70% · air assist	35 mm/s · 45% · air assist
Cardboard (corrugated, ~3–4mm)cut	85 mm/s · 42%	—
Cardboardcut	200 mm/s · 40%	250 mm/s · 22%
Cardstock 300gsmcut	80 mm/s · 10%	—
Cardstock (80–110 lb / ~220–300 gsm)cut	110 mm/s · 18%	—
Cardstockcut	250 mm/s · 12%	70 mm/s · 18%
Cedar 3mmcut	24 mm/s · 48%	—
Cedarcut	338 mm/min · 90% · air assist	—
Cherry 3mmcut	20 mm/s · 58%	—
Cherrycut	203 mm/min · 100% · air assist	—
Chipboard 2mmcut	32 mm/s · 28%	55 mm/s · 30%
Copy Paper 80gsmcut	120 mm/s · 10%	—
Cork 3mmcut	34 mm/s · 28% · air assist	45 mm/s · 28%
Cork Sheet 3mmcut	28 mm/s · 35% · air assist	—
Corkcut	250 mm/min · 55%	40 mm/s · 40%
Corrugated Cardboardcut	42 mm/s · 36%	—
Cotton Fabriccut	55 mm/s · 18%	60 mm/s · 15%
Craft Felt 3mmcut	50 mm/s · 15%	—
Denim Fabriccut	48 mm/s · 22%	32 mm/s · 30%
EVA Foam 3mmcut	40 mm/s · 20%	—
EVA Foam 6mmcut	55 mm/s · 26%	—
Faux Leathercut	42 mm/s · 38% · air assist	65 mm/s · 25%
Foam Board 5mmcut	50 mm/s · 28%	—
Foamcut	55 mm/s · 14%	—
Genuine Leather (Veg-Tan, ~3mm)cut	32 mm/s · 42–50% · air assist	75 mm/s · 25–35% · air assist
Genuine Leathercut	25 mm/s · 80%	22 mm/s · 50–55% · air assist
HTV Vinylcut	105 mm/s · 9%	—
Kraft Papercut	300 mm/s · 15%	200 mm/s · 7%
Leathercut	170 mm/min · 100% · air assist	300 mm/min · 55–60% · 2× passes · air assist
Maplecut	15 mm/s · 60–70%	35 mm/s · 38–45%
Mylar Stencil 7.5milcut	80 mm/s · 14%	—
Oak 3mmcut	18 mm/s · 65%	—
Oakcut	169 mm/min · 100% · 2× passes · air assist	—
Papercut	300 mm/s · 8%	—
Pine 3mmcut	22 mm/s · 55%	—
Pinecut	304 mm/min · 100% · air assist	—
Plywoodcut	28 mm/s · 60–70% · air assist	35 mm/s · 45% · air assist
Rubber Stamp Blankcut	13 mm/s · 50–55% · air assist	—
Rubber Stamp Materialcut	—	14 mm/s · 82%
Walnutcut	15 mm/s · 60–70%	35 mm/s · 38–45%
Washi Tapecut	160 mm/s · 7%	—
10mm Plywoodengrave	—	250 mm/s · 20–25%
2mm Basswood Plywoodengrave	380 mm/s · 11%	—
3mm Baltic Birch Plywoodengrave	400 mm/s · 25–30%	500 mm/s · 10–15%
3mm Basswood Plywoodengrave	150 mm/s · 40%	400 mm/s · 22%
3mm Black Acrylicengrave	350 mm/s · 18–25%	—
3mm Clear Acrylic (Cast)engrave	440 mm/min	520 mm/min
3mm Clear Acrylicengrave	200 mm/s · 20%	450 mm/s · 15%
3mm Maple Plywoodengrave	400 mm/min	470 mm/min
3mm MDFengrave	450 mm/s · 20–28%	500 mm/s · 10–15%
3mm Mirrored Acrylicengrave	420 mm/min	500 mm/min
3mm Tinted Acrylicengrave	140 mm/s · 20%	—
3mm Walnut Plywoodengrave	350 mm/s · 25–30%	500 mm/s · 15–20%
5mm Plywoodengrave	160 mm/s · 18%	—
6mm Baltic Birch Plywoodengrave	2000 mm/min · 40–45%	—
6mm Basswood Plywoodengrave	—	500 mm/s · 15–20%
6mm Clear Acrylicengrave	120 mm/s · 22%	—
6mm MDFengrave	200 mm/s · 25–30%	450 mm/s · 15–20%
9mm Birch Plywoodengrave	120 mm/s · 22%	—
Acrylic Feltengrave	500 mm/s · 5–8%	—
Acrylicengrave	500 mm/s · 20–25%	—
Alderengrave	371 mm/min · 52%	—
Anodized Aluminumengrave	250 mm/s · 40%	400 mm/s · 15% · air assist
Bamboo 3mmengrave	330 mm/s · 15%	450 mm/s · 16%
Bamboo Cutting Boardengrave	—	350 mm/s · 28%
Bambooengrave	300 mm/s · 30%	500 mm/min · 40%
Basswoodengrave	450 mm/s · 20–28%	500 mm/s · 10–15%
Cardboardengrave	500 mm/s · 10–15%	500 mm/s · 5–8%
Cardstock 300gsmengrave	500 mm/s · 5–8%	—
Cardstockengrave	400 mm/s · 6%	500 mm/s · 5–8%
Cedarengrave	405 mm/min · 45%	—
Ceramic Tileengrave	160 mm/s · 65%	350 mm/s · 50%
Cherry 3mmengrave	310 mm/s · 18%	—
Cherryengrave	371 mm/min · 55%	—
Chipboard 2mmengrave	—	500 mm/s · 9%
Coated / Powder Coated Steelengrave	300 mm/min · 48%	—
Coated Stainless Steel Tumblerengrave	—	450 mm/min · 38%
Copy Paper 80gsmengrave	500 mm/s · 5–8%	—
Cork 3mmengrave	500 mm/s · 5–10%	—
Cork Sheet 3mmengrave	320 mm/s · 12%	—
Corkengrave	—	500 mm/s · 10–15%
Corrugated Cardboardengrave	500 mm/s · 5–10%	—
Cotton Fabricengrave	330 mm/s · 13%	450 mm/s · 8%
Craft Felt 3mmengrave	2500 mm/min · 10–15%	—
Denim Fabricengrave	350 mm/s · 14%	450 mm/s · 9%
EVA Foam 3mmengrave	2000 mm/min · 10–15%	—
EVA Foam 6mmengrave	500 mm/s · 5–10%	—
Faux Leatherengrave	500 mm/s · 5–10%	500 mm/s · 7%
Foam Board 5mmengrave	500 mm/s · 5–10%	—
Genuine Leather (Veg-Tan, ~3mm)engrave	320 mm/s · 12–18% · air assist	500 mm/s · 6–10% · air assist
Genuine Leatherengrave	800 glowforge_units · 55%	400 mm/s · 18%
Glassengrave	300 mm/s · 18%	550 mm/s · 4–7%
HTV Vinylengrave	500 mm/s · 5–8%	—
Kraft Paperengrave	500 mm/s · 5–8%	500 mm/s · 6%
Leatherengrave	170 mm/min · 60%	400 mm/min · 35%
Mapleengrave	270 mm/s · 18–23%	450 mm/s · 8–12%
Marble Tileengrave	250 mm/s · 30%	155 mm/s · 35%
Mylar Stencil 7.5milengrave	500 mm/s · 5–8%	—
Oak 3mmengrave	300 mm/s · 20%	—
Oakengrave	338 mm/min · 60%	—
Paperengrave	500 mm/s · 5–8%	—
Photopolymer Stamp Blankengrave	120 mm/s · 45%	—
Pine 3mmengrave	300 mm/s · 17%	—
Pineengrave	405 mm/min · 50%	—
Plywoodengrave	450 mm/s · 22–30%	500 mm/s · 10–15%
Powder Coated Steelengrave	300 mm/min · 48%	—
Rubber Stamp Blankengrave	240 mm/s · 18%	—
Rubber Stamp Materialengrave	—	260 mm/s · 22%
Slate (coaster)engrave	200 mm/s · 23–28%	550 mm/s · 6–9%
Slateengrave	1000 glowforge_units · 80%	400 mm/s · 55%
Spray Painted Metalengrave	350 mm/min · 45%	—
Stainless Steelengrave	240 mm/s · 58%	360 mm/s · 44%
Walnutengrave	270 mm/s · 18–23%	450 mm/s · 8–12%
Stainless Steelmark	120 mm/s · 70%	—

All Glowforge Pro settings →All Thunder Laser Nova 35 settings →

Ready to buy the Glowforge Pro?

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, the Glowforge Pro or Thunder Laser Nova 35?

It depends on your use case. Glowforge Pro is 45W co2. Thunder Laser Nova 35 is 100W co2. See the decision guide and side-by-side specs above.

What materials can both the Glowforge Pro and Thunder Laser Nova 35 cut or engrave?

Both machines have community-tested settings for 35 shared materials. The settings table above lists every material with side-by-side speed, power, passes, and air assist values for direct comparison.

Is the Glowforge Pro (45W) much faster than the Thunder Laser Nova 35 (100W)?

Higher wattage typically means faster cutting and the ability to cut thicker material in fewer passes. The Glowforge Pro (45W) cuts thicker material in single passes and engraves at higher speeds than the Thunder Laser Nova 35 (100W). For raster engraving the difference is smaller because surface engraving is limited by mechanical scan speed.

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Settings are community-contributed and may not reflect your exact machine configuration or material batch. Always test on scrap first. Some links are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

What Makers Say

★★★★★5.0· 6 reviews

View all on Etsy →

★★★★★

"Used it with a Glowforge — engraved beautifully with no changes. I will be purchasing more digital downloads from this shop."

— Anna

★★★★★

"I was struggling with lining up my NFC business cards. I was able to not only line them up much better but also do multiple cards at once — making that job so much easier."

— Camp

★★★★★

"Excellent quality and design. Cut clean and neat!"

— LYNN

★★★★★

"Great jigs. Appreciate the time saved not having to build this from scratch!"

— Bruce

★★★★★

"Excellent quality. Item as described. Expectations exceeded."

— Michael

★★★★★

"This template made my slate coasters so much easier. 4×4 coasters from Michaels drop in easily and are easy to remove. Def worth it."

— chris

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