OMTech 60W CO2 vs Glowforge Basic — Which Should You Buy?

Side-by-side specs, settings, and decision guide. Both have community-tested settings for 58 shared materials.

OMTech 60W CO2: $2,899 vs Glowforge Basic: $3,995 — prices as of 2026, check retailer for current pricing.

Which one should you buy?

Pick the OMTech 60W CO2 if you want: more cutting power (60W vs 45W); native LightBurn support (industry-standard).

Where to buy

OMTech 60W CO2 — check current price & availability

See current price →

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

Where to buy

Glowforge Basic — check current price & availability

See price on Amazon →

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

OMTech 60W CO2

Price
$2,899

Power
60W

Laser Type
co2

Software

LightBurn

Buy OMTech 60W CO2 →

Glowforge Basic

Price
$3,995

Power
45W

Laser Type
co2

Software

Glowforge App

Buy Glowforge Basic →

125 settings for OMTech 60W CO2142 settings for Glowforge Basic

Settings Comparison

Material · Operation	OMTech 60W CO2	Glowforge Basic
10mm Plywoodcut	12 mm/s · 70% · air assist	—
12mm MDFcut	7 mm/s · 75% · 2× passes · air assist	—
2mm Basswood Plywoodcut	40 mm/s · 25% · air assist	25 mm/s · 35% · air assist
3mm Baltic Birch Plywoodcut	28 mm/s · 70% · air assist	20 mm/s · 100% · air assist
3mm Basswood Plywoodcut	25 mm/s · 35% · air assist	300 glowforge_units · 100%
3mm Black Acryliccut	22 mm/s · 60–70% · air assist	20 mm/s · 60–70% · air assist
3mm Clear Acryliccut	18 mm/s · 50% · air assist	500 glowforge_units · 100%
3mm MDFcut	30 mm/s · 65–75% · air assist	28 mm/s · 65–75% · air assist
3mm Tinted Acryliccut	25 mm/s · 52% · air assist	18 mm/s · 60% · air assist
3mm Walnut Plywoodcut	22 mm/s · 48% · air assist	18 mm/s · 100% · air assist
5mm Plywoodcut	15 mm/s · 50% · air assist	9 mm/s · 60% · 2× passes · air assist
6mm Clear Acryliccut	10 mm/s · 60% · air assist	6 mm/s · 72% · 2× passes · air assist
6mm MDFcut	18 mm/s · 55% · air assist	10 mm/s · 100% · air assist
9mm Birch Plywoodcut	7 mm/s · 65% · 2× passes · air assist	3 mm/s · 78% · 3× passes · air assist
Acrylic Feltcut	72 mm/s · 20%	55 mm/s · 28%
Alder 3mmcut	—	20 mm/s · 55%
Bamboo 3mmcut	25 mm/s · 58% · air assist	20 mm/s · 55%
Bamboo Cutting Boardcut	17 mm/s · 80–85% · air assist	—
Bamboocut	25 mm/s · 70% · air assist	120 mm/min · 100% · air assist
Basswoodcut	30 mm/s · 55–70% · air assist	25 mm/s · 55–70% · air assist
Cardboard (corrugated, ~3–4mm)cut	100 mm/s · 35%	85 mm/s · 42%
Cardboardcut	100 mm/s · 15%	180 mm/s · 35%
Cardstock 300gsmcut	110 mm/s · 12%	70 mm/s · 12%
Cardstock (80–110 lb / ~220–300 gsm)cut	130 mm/s · 16%	110 mm/s · 18%
Cardstockcut	120 mm/s · 10%	250 mm/s · 15%
Cedar 3mmcut	—	20 mm/s · 54%
Cherry 3mmcut	—	16 mm/s · 62%
Chipboard 2mmcut	38 mm/s · 44% · air assist	28 mm/s · 30%
Copy Paper 80gsmcut	130 mm/s · 9%	100 mm/s · 12%
Cork 3mmcut	38 mm/s · 25% · air assist	28 mm/s · 35% · air assist
Cork Sheet 3mmcut	—	22 mm/s · 40% · air assist
Corkcut	40 mm/s · 40%	800 mm/min · 70–85% · 2× passes
Corrugated Cardboardcut	48 mm/s · 32%	35 mm/s · 45%
Cotton Fabriccut	21 mm/s · 35–40% · air assist	45 mm/s · 20%
Craft Felt 3mmcut	—	40 mm/s · 18%
Denim Fabriccut	22 mm/s · 35–40% · air assist	40 mm/s · 25%
EVA Foam 3mmcut	—	35 mm/s · 22%
EVA Foam 6mmcut	62 mm/s · 23%	45 mm/s · 32%
Faux Leathercut	48 mm/s · 34% · air assist	35 mm/s · 45% · air assist
Foam Board 5mmcut	58 mm/s · 25%	42 mm/s · 35%
Foamcut	70 mm/s · 12%	55 mm/s · 14%
Genuine Leather (Veg-Tan, ~3mm)cut	48 mm/s · 32–42% · air assist	28 mm/s · 45–55% · air assist
Genuine Leathercut	14 mm/s · 60–65% · air assist	8 mm/s · 60–65% · air assist
HTV Vinylcut	115 mm/s · 8%	90 mm/s · 12%
Kraft Papercut	150 mm/s · 8%	280 mm/s · 12%
Leathercut	35 mm/s · 55% · air assist	9 mm/s · 80–85% · air assist
Maplecut	22 mm/s · 48–55%	12 mm/s · 65–75%
Mylar Stencil 7.5milcut	90 mm/s · 12%	68 mm/s · 18%
Oak 3mmcut	—	14 mm/s · 70%
Papercut	150 mm/s · 8%	300 mm/s · 10%
Pine 3mmcut	—	18 mm/s · 60%
Plywoodcut	25 mm/s · 60–70% · air assist	22 mm/s · 60–70% · air assist
Rubber Stamp Blankcut	15 mm/s · 45–50% · air assist	11 mm/s · 60–65% · air assist
Rubber Stamp Materialcut	11 mm/s · 80–85% · air assist	—
Walnutcut	22 mm/s · 48–55%	12 mm/s · 65–75%
Washi Tapecut	200 mm/s · 6%	160 mm/s · 7%
10mm Plywoodengrave	200 mm/s · 15–20%	—
12mm MDFengrave	100 mm/s · 20–25%	—
2mm Basswood Plywoodengrave	500 mm/s · 8%	380 mm/s · 11%
3mm Baltic Birch Plywoodengrave	—	300 mm/s · 25–30%
3mm Basswood Plywoodengrave	350 mm/s · 28%	1000 glowforge_units · 75%
3mm Black Acrylicengrave	350 mm/s · 18–25%	350 mm/s · 18–25%
3mm Clear Acrylic (Cast)engrave	480 mm/min	440 mm/min
3mm Clear Acrylicengrave	250 mm/s · 10–15%	1000 glowforge_units · 40%
3mm Maple Plywoodengrave	420 mm/min	400 mm/min
3mm MDFengrave	450 mm/s · 20–28%	450 mm/s · 20–28%
3mm Mirrored Acrylicengrave	460 mm/min	420 mm/min
3mm Tinted Acrylicengrave	180 mm/s · 16%	140 mm/s · 20%
3mm Walnut Plywoodengrave	350 mm/s · 10–15%	250 mm/s · 25–30%
5mm Plywoodengrave	200 mm/s · 16%	140 mm/s · 20%
6mm Clear Acrylicengrave	150 mm/s · 18%	120 mm/s · 22%
6mm MDFengrave	250 mm/s · 15–20%	150 mm/s · 25–30%
9mm Birch Plywoodengrave	150 mm/s · 20%	100 mm/s · 24%
Acrylic Feltengrave	500 mm/s · 5–8%	500 mm/s · 5–10%
Anodized Aluminumengrave	300 mm/s · 40%	300 mm/s · 40%
Bamboo 3mmengrave	400 mm/s · 15–20%	290 mm/s · 18%
Bamboo Cutting Boardengrave	300 mm/s · 30%	—
Bambooengrave	350 mm/s · 30%	350 mm/s · 30%
Basswoodengrave	500 mm/s · 22–30%	400 mm/s · 22–30%
Cardboardengrave	500 mm/s · 5–8%	500 mm/s · 5–10%
Cardstock 300gsmengrave	500 mm/s · 5–8%	500 mm/s · 5–8%
Cardstockengrave	500 mm/s · 5–8%	400 mm/s · 8%
Ceramic Mugengrave	300 mm/s · 55%	—
Ceramic Tileengrave	180 mm/s · 65%	180 mm/s · 65%
Cherry 3mmengrave	—	270 mm/s · 22%
Chipboard 2mmengrave	500 mm/s · 10–15%	400 mm/s · 15–20%
Coated / Powder Coated Steelengrave	400 mm/min · 40%	300 mm/min · 48%
Copy Paper 80gsmengrave	500 mm/s · 5–8%	500 mm/s · 5–8%
Cork 3mmengrave	500 mm/s · 5–10%	400 mm/s · 5–10%
Cork Sheet 3mmengrave	—	280 mm/s · 14%
Corkengrave	—	4000 mm/min · 35–45%
Corrugated Cardboardengrave	500 mm/s · 5–10%	500 mm/s · 10–15%
Cotton Fabricengrave	380 mm/s · 11%	280 mm/s · 16%
Denim Fabricengrave	400 mm/s · 12%	300 mm/s · 18%
EVA Foam 6mmengrave	500 mm/s · 5–8%	500 mm/s · 5–10%
Faux Leatherengrave	500 mm/s · 5–10%	500 mm/s · 10–15%
Foam Board 5mmengrave	500 mm/s · 5–10%	500 mm/s · 5–10%
Genuine Leather (Veg-Tan, ~3mm)engrave	400 mm/s · 8–13% · air assist	300 mm/s · 14–20% · air assist
Genuine Leatherengrave	250 mm/s · 22%	150 mm/s · 22%
Glassengrave	420 mm/s · 16%	220 mm/s · 22%
HTV Vinylengrave	500 mm/s · 5–8%	500 mm/s · 5–8%
Kraft Paperengrave	500 mm/s · 5–8%	500 mm/s · 5–8%
Leatherengrave	300 mm/s · 18% · 25× passes · air assist	170 mm/s · 30% · air assist
Mapleengrave	350 mm/s · 12–16%	250 mm/s · 20–25%
Marble Tileengrave	350 mm/s · 24%	210 mm/s · 35%
Mylar Stencil 7.5milengrave	500 mm/s · 5–8%	500 mm/s · 5–8%
Oak 3mmengrave	—	260 mm/s · 22%
Paperengrave	500 mm/s · 5–8%	500 mm/s · 5–8%
Photopolymer Stamp Blankengrave	200 mm/s · 35%	120 mm/s · 45%
Pine 3mmengrave	—	270 mm/s · 20%
Plywoodengrave	450 mm/s · 22–30%	450 mm/s · 22–30%
Powder Coated Steelengrave	400 mm/min · 40%	300 mm/min · 48%
Rubber Stamp Blankengrave	270 mm/s · 16%	200 mm/s · 22%
Rubber Stamp Materialengrave	200 mm/s · 30%	—
Slate (coaster)engrave	310 mm/s · 17–22%	150 mm/s · 27–32%
Slateengrave	300 mm/s · 60%	130 mm/s · 80%
Spray Painted Metalengrave	450 mm/min · 35%	350 mm/min · 45%
Stainless Steelengrave	275 mm/s · 52%	200 mm/s · 65%
Walnutengrave	350 mm/s · 12–16%	250 mm/s · 20–25%
Stainless Steelmark	170 mm/s · 75%	170 mm/s · 75%

All OMTech 60W CO2 settings →All Glowforge Basic settings →

Shopping for a OMTech 60W CO2? Check the current price.

See current price →

Shopping for a Glowforge Basic? Check the current price.

See price on Amazon →

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, the OMTech 60W CO2 or Glowforge Basic?

It depends on your use case. OMTech 60W CO2 is 60W co2. Glowforge Basic is 45W co2. See the decision guide and side-by-side specs above.

What materials can both the OMTech 60W CO2 and Glowforge Basic cut or engrave?

Both machines have community-tested settings for 58 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 OMTech 60W CO2 or Glowforge Basic compatible with LightBurn?

The OMTech 60W CO2 works natively with LightBurn. The Glowforge Basic uses Glowforge App. LightBurn compatibility may be possible via a community device profile but is not officially supported.

Is the OMTech 60W CO2 (60W) much faster than the Glowforge Basic (45W)?

Higher wattage typically means faster cutting and the ability to cut thicker material in fewer passes. The OMTech 60W CO2 (60W) cuts thicker material in single passes and engraves at higher speeds than the Glowforge Basic (45W). 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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