The Best Laser Engraver for Metal in 2026: Fiber, IR and Diode Options

Metal is where laser types matter most. A blue diode that cuts plywood all day can barely mark bare stainless steel, and it can’t mark bare aluminum, brass, silver or gold at all, because those surfaces reflect its light. Real bare-metal engraving needs a 1064 nm source: a fiber laser, or a lower-power IR module. This guide explains the three routes and ranks the best machines for each, from a $542 IR bundle to a $5,099 MOPA.

It’s research-based: we compared manufacturer specs, Amazon listings and independent reviews, and we haven’t used these machines ourselves. Prices are from Amazon on October 29, 2026. Check today’s price before you buy.

Three ways to laser metal

Fiber (1064 nm, 20–60 W here). The real metal tool. Fiber lasers mark and deep-engrave bare stainless, aluminum, brass, silver and gold, and higher-power units cut thin sheet. MOPA fibers can also make color marks on stainless and titanium. They’re poor at wood and useless on clear acrylic.

IR diode modules (1064 nm, 1.2–5 W). Smaller add-on or built-in heads on diode machines. They mark bare stainless, jewelry metals, dark stone and some plastics, but they’re surface markers, not deep engravers.

Blue diode with coatings or marking spray. Any blue diode engraves powder-coated metal (tumblers), painted metal and anodized aluminum by burning off the coating. On bare stainless, it leaves a slow, low-contrast oxide mark. A marking spray bonds a darker mark to the steel. Bare aluminum, brass, silver and gold reflect blue light, so a diode can’t mark them directly.

Check your exact metal in the material checker: bare stainless, bare aluminum, brass, silver and gold, anodized aluminum or powder-coated metal.

The shortlist

1. xTool F2 Ultra: Best for metal

The xTool F2 Ultra is the best metal engraver we track. Its 60 W MOPA fiber deep-engraves, embosses and color-marks stainless and titanium, and xTool says it cuts 2 mm brass and stainless and 1 mm aluminum. A 40 W diode handles wood (up to 23 mm in multiple passes), leather and dark acrylic, so you don’t need a second machine. Dual 48 MP cameras with autofocus and 15,000 mm/s galvo speed make batch work fast. Tom’s Hardware called it “the best experience we’ve had with metal engraving.” LightBurn 2.2.0 and later is supported.

It’s expensive: about $5,099 for the dual version, or about $4,099 for MOPA only. It’s Class 4, and conveyor and rotary jobs run with the lid open and the interlock overridden, so you need goggles for both 1064 nm and 455 nm (none are included). There’s no air assist, and material presets were thin at review time. Check the F2 Ultra price.

2. ComMarker B4 20W: Best budget fiber

If you mainly engrave metal, such as tumblers, tags, knives and tools, the ComMarker B4 20W is the most affordable established fiber here at about $1,400–1,720. It marks bare stainless, aluminum, brass, gold and silver at up to 15,000 mm/s, and comes with two field lenses (110 mm and 200 mm), a foot switch and 1064 nm goggles. It ships with EZCAD2 and works with LightBurn if you buy the galvo license. TechRadar praised its precision and speed and called it an ideal option for small businesses.

It’s a bare industrial tool. The beam is open, with no enclosure, so everyone nearby needs 1064 nm OD5+ glasses unless you add ComMarker’s enclosure. Its Amazon listing says “Class 1,” which doesn’t match an open-beam marker, so treat it as Class 4. Focus is manual with red-dot pointers. The 20 W source is Q-switched, not MOPA, so there’s no color marking. Engraving depth is around 0.3–0.5 mm per the listing, and deep relief is slow at 20 W. ComMarker lists the B4 as clearance in favor of the B6, so check stock. Check the B4 price.

3. xTool F1 Ultra: Metal and wood in one enclosed box

The xTool F1 Ultra is our pick for shops that engrave both metal and organic materials. A real 20 W fiber handles bare metal (the Amazon listing says it cuts 0.3 mm stainless, 0.4 mm brass and 0.2 mm aluminum), and a 20 W diode handles wood, leather and dark acrylic. The 220 mm-square field is large for a desktop fiber, a 16 MP camera fills batches automatically, and the enclosed cover filters both wavelengths. Make: liked it a lot, with gripes about fiddly laser alignment and a fixed bottom plate that makes jigs harder.

It’s still rated Class 4, LightBurn 2.2 supports it only on current xTool firmware (and not xTool’s cameras), and there’s no MOPA color marking. At about $2,499 it’s half the F2 Ultra’s price. Check the F1 Ultra price, or compare it with the LaserPecker LP5, which offers fiber plus diode in a lighter 6 kg kit but costs more and needs its enclosure to reach Class 1.

4. xTool F2: Best portable metal marker

The xTool F2 pairs a 5 W IR laser with a 15 W blue diode in a 4.6 kg galvo. The IR marks bare stainless, gold, silver and titanium, so it suits engraving dog tags, jewelry and phone cases at a market stall. Maker Hacks engraved steel dog tags and aluminum items with it. A 50 MP camera with autofocus handles positioning.

At 5 W, the IR is a marker, not a deep engraver. The field is 115 × 115 mm, it’s Class 4 (eyewear for both 455 nm and 1064 nm), and it runs xTool Studio (LightBurn support is preliminary). About $1,219. Check the F2 price.

5. Creality Falcon A1 Pro with 2 W IR: Enclosed diode with a metal option

If metal is occasional and wood is the main job, the Falcon A1 Pro is the enclosed route. It’s a Class 1, 20 W diode machine with camera autofocus, and a tool-free swap adds a 2 W 1064 nm IR head for bare metal and plastics. Amazon sells the A1 Pro + 2W IR bundle for about $1,151, against about $1,099 for the machine alone. Creality also lists stainless as diode-engravable, but that’s a slow dark mark; use the IR head for anything you’ll sell. Check the A1 Pro price.

6. Creality Falcon A1C with 1.2 W IR: Cheapest bare-metal marking

The Falcon A1C with its 1.2 W IR module is the cheapest way here to mark bare stainless. The IR head marked bare stainless and dark stone well in reviewer testing. The A1C 10W + 1.2W IR bundle is about $542, or you can add the IR module later for about $239. It’s Class 1, but the bed is only 150 × 150 mm, and blue-diode goggles don’t protect against the IR beam if you open the lid. Check the A1C price.

What about blue diodes that “mark bare metal”?

The xTool M2, xTool S1, Falcon A1 Pro, Atomstack A20 Pro V2 and Longer Ray5 all list stainless steel as engravable with the blue diode alone. In practice, a blue diode marks bare stainless slowly and with low contrast compared with IR or fiber. It’s fine for a one-off, but not for a product. If you already own a diode, a marking spray gives a darker, permanent mark on stainless. For coated tumblers and anodized aluminum, any diode does a good job, and black anodized aluminum cards (about $21 for 15) make cheap test pieces.

Eye safety for 1064 nm lasers

Fiber and IR beams are invisible, and reflections off shiny metal are the main hazard. Open-beam and Class 4 machines need eyewear rated for 1064 nm, such as Cloudray 1064 nm goggles (about $39). Dual-laser machines need protection for both wavelengths; check the OD rating on the listing. Our safety guide covers the rest, including fume extraction for coated metals.

Which metal laser should you buy?

• Metal is your business, including color or deep engraving: xTool F2 Ultra.
• Metal only, smallest budget for a true fiber: ComMarker B4 20W, while stock lasts.
• Metal and wood or leather in one enclosed machine: xTool F1 Ultra.
• Markets and pop-ups: xTool F2.
• Mostly wood, occasional metal, needs Class 1: Falcon A1 Pro with the IR head.
• Cheapest bare-stainless marking for small items: Falcon A1C with IR.

For tumblers specifically, see the best laser engraver for tumblers. Diode vs CO2 vs fiber explains the laser types in depth.