The short answer: these two are not really rivals. The Glowforge Aura is a 6 W craft machine that teaches you the hobby in an afternoon. The xTool S1 is a 40 W workshop machine that cuts 6 mm plywood. Buy the Aura if you want to make things tonight and never cut anything thick. Buy the S1 if you can already picture selling what you make.
People cross-shop these two because both are enclosed, both are Class 1, and both come up on the first page for “best laser engraver for beginners”. That is where the similarity ends. One has nearly seven times the optical power of the other.
| xTool S1 40W | Glowforge Aura | |
|---|---|---|
| Laser | 40 W blue diode (20 W version also sold) | 6 W blue diode |
| Work area | 498 × 319 mm | 304 × 304 mm (12 × 12 in) |
| Enclosure | Class 1, lid interlock | Class 1, lid interlock |
| Cuts 6 mm plywood | Yes, single pass | No |
| Cuts 3 mm plywood | Yes, fast | Slowly, multiple passes |
| Clear acrylic | No — diode limitation | No — diode limitation |
| Bare metal | No (infrared module sold separately) | No |
| Software | xTool Studio, or LightBurn | Glowforge browser app only |
| Works offline | Yes | No — needs an internet connection |
| Rotary for tumblers | RA2 Pro, optional | Not supported |
| Assembly | None | None |
The one thing that decides it
Ask what the thickest material you want to cut is. Under 3 mm and mostly paper, card, thin ply and leather, the Aura is genuinely the nicer machine to live with — lighter, quieter, simpler. At 6 mm plywood the Aura stops being an option at any speed, and no amount of passes fixes it, because each pass re-burns the kerf and the edge goes black before it goes through.
The software difference matters more than people expect
The Aura runs in a browser, from Glowforge’s servers. That makes setup trivially easy and it makes the machine dependent on a service staying up and staying free. The S1 runs locally and also speaks LightBurn, which is the industry-standard app and transfers to whatever machine you own in five years.
If this is a hobby, that trade is fine. If you are planning to take orders, an offline workflow is worth paying for.
Who should buy which
Glowforge Aura
You want the shortest possible path from an idea to a finished object, you work in paper, card, thin ply, leather and veneer, and the machine has to share a room that is also used for other things. It is the least intimidating laser sold.
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xTool S1 40W
You want one machine for the next five years. 40 W cuts 6 mm in a pass, the bed takes a 498 mm blank, LightBurn works, and an infrared module can be added later for marking metal. It costs more and it is bigger — those are the only two arguments against it.
Check price on AmazonWhat neither of them does
Neither cuts clear acrylic. Neither engraves bare stainless steel. If either of those is on your list, both machines are the wrong answer and you want a CO2 or fiber machine instead.
Questions people also ask
Is the xTool S1 better than the Glowforge Aura?
For capability, yes — 40 W against 6 W, a larger bed, offline software and LightBurn support. For a complete beginner who only wants to make small craft items, the Aura is easier and the extra power would go unused.
Can the Glowforge Aura cut wood?
Thin wood, slowly. It handles veneer, 1.5 mm and (with patience) 3 mm basswood. It will not cut 6 mm stock.
Does the xTool S1 work without internet?
Yes. It runs from xTool Studio or LightBurn on your own machine, over USB or local Wi-Fi.
Which is better for a small business?
The S1, without much argument — bed size, cutting power and offline operation all matter when orders have deadlines. For metal products, neither; you want a fiber laser.