PixCut S1 vs Cricut Maker 5 vs Canon SELPHY CP1500

These three machines get cross-shopped constantly, and they are three different tools. The Cricut Maker 5 is a cutting machine: it cuts vinyl, cardstock, leather and, with a separate inkjet printer, stickers. The Canon SELPHY CP1500 is a compact photo printer: it prints lovely 4x6 photos and can print onto pre-cut sticker sheets, but it cannot cut a shape. The Liene PixCut S1 is an all-in-one sticker printer and cutter: it prints, laminates and cuts custom-shaped stickers in one automated workflow. If stickers are what you want to make, this guide sorts out which machine, or which pairing, gets you there, with the competitor details taken from Cricut's and Canon's own pages and major US retailer listings.

Three Machines, Three Jobs

The Cricut Maker 5 is the newest flagship cutter, released September 4 with bundles starting at $349. It handles materials up to 3 mm thick, cuts with real precision, and does not print anything. Stickers on a Maker 5 use the Print Then Cut workflow: a separate inkjet printer prints the sheet with registration marks, and the Cricut cuts around the printing. Cricut is also entering the sticker printer category itself this month, and that separate story, the StickerPix line arriving September 25, gets its own full treatment in PixCut S1 vs Cricut StickerPix.

The Canon SELPHY CP1500 is a dye-sublimation photo printer, about $210 at retail with a 108-print ink and paper bundle. It prints 4x6 photos at 300 x 300 dpi with a protective overcoat, connects over Wi-Fi, AirPrint, USB and SD card, and Canon offers pre-cut sticker sets for it in fixed card-size formats: full credit-card stickers (KC-18IF), square stickers (KC-18IS) and sheets of eight mini stickers (KC-18IL), 18 sheets per set, loaded through Canon's card-size paper cassette (PCC-CP400), sold separately. What it cannot do is cut, so every sticker takes the shape of the sheet it was printed on.

The Liene PixCut S1 starts at $279.99 with paper in the box. It prints at 300 DPI using a four-layer dye-sublimation process, including a final protective overcoat, then automatically kiss-cuts around each design, so a photo of your cat comes out as a cat-shaped sticker. The free app carries more than 50,000 templates plus AI background removal, and Bluetooth 5.0 holds connections with up to three devices.

Side by Side

Prices checked in September 2026 and may change by retailer, bundle and promotion.

Read the sticker row and the pattern is clear enough: the Maker 5 covers the cutting half of the job, the CP1500 covers the printing half, and the PixCut S1 covers both in one box.

Making One Sticker on Each Machine

On the PixCut S1, the whole thing is one workflow. Pick or design in the app, tap print, and the machine prints the sheet, laminates it and cuts around every design before it comes back out. Nothing needs aligning, because nothing changes hands between steps.

On the Maker 5, a sticker is a two-machine project. Your inkjet prints the designs with registration marks around the page edge, the sheet goes onto a sticky mat, and the machine's Print Then Cut sensor finds the marks and cuts. It works well when calibration is accurate, and the transfer between machines is the step where cuts can drift off the artwork. The output also depends on your inkjet, since the Cricut never touches the printing.

On the CP1500, sticker making means loading one of Canon's pre-cut sticker sets (square, mini or full credit-card size) into the card-size cassette and printing your photo onto it. The result looks good, dye-sub with an overcoat, and the shape is whatever the sheet dictates. Round photos, custom outlines and die-cut looks are off the table, because there is no cutting anywhere in the machine.

One pairing question comes up a lot: can a SELPHY feed a Cricut? It isn't a workflow Cricut supports. Cricut's Print Then Cut guide asks for a color home printer and recommends inkjet, its printable sticker materials are made for inkjet printers only, and it notes that non-Cricut materials with high-gloss finishes can throw off the sensor scan. The CP1500 prints onto Canon's own pre-sized dye-sub media with a glossy overcoat, which sits outside all of that. Cricut doesn't say the two can never work together, but if Print Then Cut stickers are the plan, an inkjet is the printer Cricut builds the process around.

What a Sticker Costs

The PixCut S1's running cost is one line: refills at $42.99 for 72 sheets with cartridges included, which lands near $0.60 a sheet.

The Maker 5 route stacks up separately: sticker paper at $23.99 to $29.99 for 50 sheets at Cricut's own prices, plus your inkjet's ink, plus waterproofing materials where needed. Cricut Access is optional, since Print Then Cut runs without it. The Create Sticker tool that automates sticker layout is the exception: you can preview it for free, but cutting a Create Sticker project needs a subscription, $9.99 a month on the monthly plan.

The CP1500's photo economics are strong: the KP-108IN ink and paper set runs about $42 at Best Buy and Office Depot for 108 prints, which is roughly $0.39 per 4x6 photo. The sticker sets are a separate purchase at 18 sheets each, the card-size cassette is one more, and the shapes stay fixed however much you spend.

Which One Should You Buy

Buy the PixCut S1 if stickers are your main project. Custom shapes, laminated output, one machine, one running cost, and a free app doing the design work. Planner sheets, water bottle batches, candy seals, a craft-fair table: this is the tool shaped like that job, and our full buying guide covers the wider field.

Buy the Maker 5 if your crafting goes well beyond stickers. Vinyl decals, iron-on shirts, cardstock builds and engraving are exactly what it exists for, and none of that is PixCut or SELPHY territory. Sticker making works on it too, as a multi-step workflow with an inkjet in the loop.

Buy the CP1500 if 4x6 photos are the real goal. As a photo printer it is a good machine at a fair per-print cost, and the fixed-size sticker sheets are a pleasant extra rather than the main event. If photos are what you print most, a dedicated photo printer is the right call, and that can be the SELPHY or our own Amber line.

Own two of them already? A Maker 5 plus an inkjet is a working sticker setup, and so is a CP1500 for fixed-shape photo stickers. The PixCut earns its spot when custom shapes, fewer steps or the per-sheet math start mattering at your volume.

FAQ

Can the Cricut Maker 5 print stickers? No, it cuts them. No Cricut cutting machine prints, so the Maker 5 needs a separate inkjet printer and the Print Then Cut workflow to produce a sticker.

Can the Canon SELPHY CP1500 make stickers? Yes, in fixed shapes. Canon sells pre-cut sticker media for it in square, mini and credit-card sizes, and the printer fills them with dye-sub photo prints. It cannot cut, so custom shapes are not possible on it.

Which machine is cheapest for making stickers? For custom-shaped stickers, the PixCut S1 keeps it to one line item: refills work out to about $0.60 a sheet, with printing, the protective overcoat and cutting all covered. The Maker 5 route pairs sticker paper at roughly $0.48 to $0.60 a sheet with your inkjet's ink and any subscription you add, so its total depends on your setup. The CP1500 is the cheapest per plain 4x6 photo at roughly $0.39, with its sticker sets sold separately in fixed shapes.

Can I use a SELPHY printer with a Cricut for Print Then Cut? It isn't a supported pairing. Cricut recommends an inkjet for Print Then Cut and makes its printable sticker materials for inkjet printers only, while the CP1500 prints on Canon's own fixed-size dye-sub media. For Print Then Cut stickers, an inkjet is the safer match.

Is dye-sublimation better than inkjet for stickers? For photo detail and gradients, dye-sub holds an edge, since color goes down in continuous tone rather than sprayed dots. Both the PixCut S1 and the CP1500 print dye-sub; the difference between them is that one cuts and laminates for sticker work, and the other is built for photos.

Conclusion

Match the machine to what you plan to make. Stickers point at the PixCut S1, the one machine that prints, laminates and cuts them. A craft room full of vinyl and iron-on points at the Maker 5. A photo habit points at a photo printer, the CP1500 among them. All three are capable tools, and the wrong one for your projects will still be the wrong one at any price.

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