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Disclosure: This is a sponsored guide and the Creality store links below carry our partner tracking. We may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. It does not change the price you pay or how we read the lineup.
Short answer: Pick the Falcon A1 (10W) if you are starting out, the Falcon A1 Pro (20W) if your craft is turning into a small business, and the Falcon2 Pro (40W or 60W) if you are running real production. All three are enclosed desktop machines you can drive from a phone, so the choice comes down to power, materials, and how much you cut in a week.
If you have been circling the Creality Falcon range, the hard part is not whether to buy one. It is working out which of the three actually suits your bench. They look like cousins and share the same enclosed, app-driven design, but the 10W A1, the 20W A1 Pro, and the 40 to 60W Falcon2 Pro are aimed at very different makers.
This guide is the lineup view: who each model is for, what it cuts and marks, and where the money goes. If you have already settled on the 20W and want the full hands-on, our deep-dive sits in the Falcon A1 Pro review. Here we keep things at the comparison level so you can pick once and not second-guess it later.
How the Creality Falcon lineup works
A laser engraver fires a tightly focused beam at the surface of a material and burns away a thin layer to leave a mark or cut a path. If you want the physics in plain terms, the short version of how laser engraving works is that the beam vaporizes material rather than scratching it, which is why the edges come out clean.
What sets the current Falcon machines apart from the bare hobby kits people remember is the build. These are fully enclosed CoreXY machines, not open gantries. The box keeps stray light, smoke, and noise contained, and each unit ships with an HD camera under the lid, AI visual autofocus that sets focus to within a fraction of a millimeter, and control from both a touchscreen and a companion phone app. You are buying a sealed appliance, not a kit you square up by hand.
One thing worth getting straight before you read the spec sheets: a blue diode laser does not cut through clear glass, stone, ceramic, or bare metal. It marks and engraves coated or treated surfaces, and bare metals need either a marking spray or the optional infrared module. So when a listing says a machine handles metal or glass, read that as marking rather than slicing clean through.
Falcon A1: the enclosed starter
The 10W Falcon A1 is the entry point, and it is a much friendlier one than the open-frame starters of a few years ago. The enclosure filters the laser light, so Creality positions it as a machine you can run on a desk without goggles, which lowers the bar for first-timers and anyone with kids around.
It is best for hobbyists, students, and anyone testing the waters before committing to a side hustle. On materials it is happiest with wood, leather, paper, cardboard, and dark acrylic. Think coasters, leather keychains, engraved phone cases, bookmarks, and seasonal decorations. It will not push through thick hardwood or mark bare metal, but for personal projects and gifts it covers the ground most people start with.
Falcon A1 Pro: the versatile step up
Step up to the 20W Falcon A1 Pro and the extra power buys you speed and thicker stock. It tops out around 600 mm/s on its CoreXY motion system, covers a 358 by 268 mm bed, and adds materials the A1 leaves alone: thicker wood, denser acrylic, and coated metals. The optional 2W infrared module, around the price of a decent accessory rather than a second machine, is what lets it mark stainless steel and anodized aluminium.
This is the model for growing makers, Etsy sellers, and small shops who have outgrown a starter and want one machine that handles most jobs. Independent reviewers who have run it on the bench peg it at roughly $949 for the basic pack and near $1,099 list, with the IR head adding around $335. Prices move, so treat those as a ballpark and check the store for the current number. For the full hardware breakdown, the A1 Pro review goes deeper than this comparison does.
Falcon2 Pro: production power
The Falcon2 Pro is the heavy hitter, sold in 40W and 60W versions for workshops and commercial use. The jump in wattage means it cuts thicker hardwoods and acrylic faster, and it handles stainless steel, anodized aluminium, composites, and stone for marking work. This is the machine for someone already selling at volume or running a print and sign business.
It is overkill for a hobbyist, and the price reflects that. But if you are doing industrial signage, batch metal engraving, high-volume runs, or precision-cut art, the extra power pays for itself in throughput. The same enclosed, camera-equipped design carries over, so you are not trading safety or convenience for the extra muscle.
Side by side: A1 vs A1 Pro vs Falcon2 Pro
Here is the lineup at a glance. The numbers below are the figures that usually decide a purchase: how much power you get, the work area, and the rough price band. Use it to narrow to one model, then read that model’s section above.
| Model | Power | Best for | Materials | Approx price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcon A1 | 10W blue diode | Beginners, students, gifts | Wood, leather, paper, dark acrylic | Entry level, check store |
| Falcon A1 Pro | 20W blue diode, optional 2W IR | Growing makers, Etsy, small shops | Thicker wood, acrylic, coated metals; IR marks bare metal | Around $949 basic, near $1,099 list |
| Falcon2 Pro | 40W or 60W | Workshops, production, signage | Hardwoods, acrylic, stainless, anodized aluminium, stone | Professional tier, check store |
How to choose the right Falcon
Strip the marketing away and the decision comes down to three honest questions. What are you making, what materials does it need, and is this a hobby, a side income, or a real business? Answer those and the model usually picks itself.
- Hobby and gifts on wood, leather, or acrylic: the Falcon A1 (10W) is plenty, and the enclosed, goggle-free design keeps it easy to live with.
- A craft turning into a small business: the Falcon A1 Pro (20W) gives you the speed and material range to take on paid work, with the IR option open for metal.
- Volume, signage, or commercial runs: the Falcon2 Pro (40W or 60W) is the one that keeps up when orders stack up.
Project ideas to try
Once a Falcon is on your bench, the question shifts from what it can do to what you want to make. The app and saved-project library make it easy to repeat a design, so a one-off quickly becomes a small batch you can gift or sell.
- Personalized coasters, cutting boards, and serving trays in wood
- Leather keychains, wallets, and luggage tags with a clean burned edge
- Acrylic signs, name plates, and layered wall art for the home
- Etched tumblers and glassware using a coating, since clear glass only takes a marked surface
- Seasonal decor, from spooky lanterns and door signs to holiday ornaments and gift tags
The seasonal angle is where these machines earn their keep socially. A weekend of cutting can turn out a full set of themed decorations or a batch of personalized gifts, which is why so many makers buy one ahead of a busy gifting stretch and then keep using it year round.
Laser-safety basics
The enclosure does a lot of the safety work for you. With the lid closed, these machines run as Class 1 laser products, the safest category, because the beam stays sealed inside. The moment you bypass the enclosure or run an open-frame machine, you are back in Class 4 territory, where the beam can damage eyes in an instant, which is the heart of laser safety basics. So the first rule is simple: keep the lid shut while it runs.
Where to buy and current deals
Creality runs promotions on the Falcon range through the year, often with bundle pricing on the A1 series and the Falcon2 Pro. Rather than chase a specific percentage that will be stale by the time you read this, check the official store for the current price and any seasonal offer before you commit. The 2W infrared module for the A1 Pro is usually a separate line item, so factor it in if metal marking is on your list.
