Best desktop CNC routers for home workshops

Top pick: Genmitsu 4040-PRO. It's the sweet spot for a home shop — a 400 x 400 mm work area big enough for real projects, a rigid all-metal frame, and a huge community behind it, so parts, upgrades and settings for wood, acrylic and soft metals are easy to find. It's also the best-reviewed of the bunch here.

Who the others suit:

• FoxAlien Masuter Pro — if you want to be cutting within minutes; it assembles in about 10–15 minutes and takes both 52 mm and 65 mm spindles.
• Genmitsu 4040-PRO MAX — if you plan to mill harder woods and aluminium regularly; the stronger spindle and extra pass height matter more than the footprint.
• Genmitsu 3018-PROVer V2 — a tidy, pre-assembled starter for engraving, small signs and PCB work on a bench.
• Genmitsu 3018-PRO — the cheapest way to learn the software and workflow before committing to a bigger machine.
• FoxAlien Masuter 3S — a step up in power and speed for small-batch production.
• TwoTrees TTC-H40 — only if you have the space for a metre-scale bed; it's a workshop machine, not a benchtop one.

Skip the very cheap unbranded kits and the low-rated bundles: on a CNC, frame rigidity and support decide whether you get clean cuts.