Cricut Explore 3 Starter Bundle or EasyPress 3: which one fits your craft?

Display

There isn’t a true display showdown here because these products aren’t built around screens in the same way. The Cricut Explore 3 Starter Bundle is a connected cutting machine that relies on the Cricut Design Space app and your device for control, while the EasyPress 3 also uses app-guided heat settings rather than a traditional built-in display. In practical terms, the Explore 3 wins on overall interface usefulness because it’s the more central creative hub: you’re designing, cutting, and managing a wider range of projects from one machine ecosystem. The EasyPress 3 is simpler and more focused, but it’s not meant to be a general-purpose creative controller.

Performance

This is the biggest dividing line. The Cricut Explore 3 is the clear performance winner if your goal is making things from scratch: it cuts vinyl, cardstock, iron-on, and other compatible materials, and the Starter Bundle gives you a fuller entry point into that workflow. It’s the machine that actually creates the shapes and letters you’ll use for decals, labels, cards, and custom designs. The EasyPress 3, by contrast, doesn’t cut at all; it applies heat evenly across a 9" x 9" surface, making it excellent for transferring designs onto fabric, but only after you’ve already made or bought the transfer. So if you want versatility and a broader project range, the Explore 3 wins decisively. If you only need reliable heat application, the EasyPress 3 performs its narrower job very well.

Build quality and design

Both are recognisably Cricut: clean, user-friendly, and made for hobbyists and small makers rather than industrial use. The Explore 3 is the more substantial piece of kit, designed as a desktop machine that can handle repeated cutting tasks and integrate into a crafting setup. The EasyPress 3 feels more like a specialist tool: portable, lightweight enough to move around, and shaped for pressing garments or blanks with less fuss than a traditional iron. In build terms, the Explore 3 wins for long-term creative utility and a more complete machine feel, while the EasyPress 3 wins for ergonomic simplicity and portability. If you want a single machine that looks and behaves like a core crafting appliance, the Explore 3 takes it.

Battery life

Neither product is battery-powered, so battery life is not a meaningful differentiator. Both are mains-powered tools, which means they’re designed for stable home craft sessions rather than cordless use. On this point, it’s a tie.

Price and value for money

This is where the EasyPress 3 shines. At £153.10, it is £176.89 cheaper than the Explore 3 Starter Bundle at £329.99, and it also has the stronger user rating at 4.7/5 from 567 reviews versus 4.5/5 from 1,397 reviews. If you already own a cutting machine or only want to press finished designs onto clothing, the EasyPress 3 offers excellent value and a lower-risk purchase. However, value is not only about price; it’s also about what you can do with the machine. The Explore 3 is more expensive, but it replaces the need for multiple separate tools if you’re starting a broader craft setup. For all-round value across more project types, the Explore 3 wins. For pure affordability and targeted use, the EasyPress 3 wins.

Game library/features

Again, these are not gaming products, so the closest equivalent is features and creative capability. The Explore 3 has the stronger feature set by a wide margin because it supports a much wider range of maker projects: cutting shapes, text, stickers, labels, cards, and iron-on designs. The Starter Bundle also helps you begin with accessories and materials rather than buying the machine alone. The EasyPress 3’s feature set is narrower but very useful: it provides controlled heat pressing with a 9" x 9" platen and includes a 12" x 12" heat press mat, which is ideal for T-shirts, tote bags, and similar blanks. If you want breadth, the Explore 3 wins. If you want a focused, efficient heat-press workflow, the EasyPress 3 is the better fit.

Overall user experience

The Explore 3 is the better experience for makers who enjoy designing and producing a variety of personalised items. It has a steeper learning curve than a press, but it opens the door to much more creative freedom and is the better long-term investment for a growing craft room. The EasyPress 3 is the easier, more immediately satisfying tool if your goal is simply to apply heat-transfer designs neatly and consistently. Its higher rating suggests users are very happy with its job-specific performance, and the lower price makes it less intimidating. Overall, the Explore 3 wins for complete crafting capability, while the EasyPress 3 wins for simplicity and cost.

Overall summary: choose the Cricut Explore 3 Starter Bundle if you want the more powerful, versatile machine that can cut and create a wide range of projects. Choose the Cricut EasyPress 3 if your main job is pressing iron-on designs onto fabric and you want the cheaper, simpler, highly rated option.