# Creality Falcon A1 vs A1 Pro (2026): Which to Buy? > Creality Falcon A1 vs A1 Pro: 10 W vs 20 W enclosed diode lasers. Bed size, cutting, autofocus, Wi-Fi, IR metal marking, real prices and which one is worth… - Source: https://laserengraversguide.com/posts/creality-falcon-a1-vs-falcon-a1-pro/ - Markdown version: https://laserengraversguide.com/posts/creality-falcon-a1-vs-falcon-a1-pro.md - Last updated: 2026-10-30 --- - [Home](https://laserengraversguide.com/) - [Guides](https://laserengraversguide.com/guides/) - Creality Falcon A1 vs Falcon A1 Pro: Is the 20 W Upgrade Worth It? Head-to-head # Creality Falcon A1 vs Falcon A1 Pro: Is the 20 W Upgrade Worth It? Updated October 30, 2026 By [Laser Engravers Guide Editorial Team](https://laserengraversguide.com/about/) [How we research](https://laserengraversguide.com/how-we-research/) Prices are approximate and change often, so check the current price before you buy. ## Key takeaways - Both are **Class 1 enclosed** blue-diode lasers with a camera and LightBurn support. Neither needs goggles with the lid shut. - The **A1 Pro** doubles optical power to 20 W and adds **autofocus, Wi-Fi, a touchscreen** and an optional 2 W IR head for bare metal. - The **A1** has the *bigger* bed (381 × 305 mm vs 358 × 268 mm) and costs about half as much, about $549. - Ignore the "80W" and "180W" in the Amazon titles: those are electrical figures. The real outputs are **10 W and 20 W**. - Verdict: the **A1** for mostly engraving, the **A1 Pro** if you cut a lot, want to run it without a laptop, or plan to mark bare metal. ## Our top picks - 1![Creality Falcon A1 10W](https://laserengraversguide.com/_astro/creality-falcon-a1-10w.xF0nr-n8_2h22eC.webp)Best for engraving on a budget: bigger bed, Class 1, camera, about $549[Creality Falcon A1 10W](https://laserengraversguide.com/laser-engravers/creality-falcon-a1-10w/)10 W diode · Enclosed · 381 × 305 mm7.9**$$**$$Mid-rangePrice tier: Mid-range[Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DRVQNYQ1?tag=laserengraversguide.com-20) - 2![Creality Falcon A1 Pro 20W](https://laserengraversguide.com/_astro/creality-falcon-a1-pro-20w.uHe_1xlH_oxTpc.webp)Best for cutting and convenience: 20 W, autofocus, Wi-Fi, touchscreen, about $1,099[Creality Falcon A1 Pro 20W](https://laserengraversguide.com/laser-engravers/creality-falcon-a1-pro-20w/)20 W diode · Enclosed · 358 × 268 mm8.2**$$**$$Mid-rangePrice tier: Mid-range[Check price](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FDFFN85C?tag=laserengraversguide.com-20) - 3![Creality Falcon A1C 10W (AI Camera)](https://laserengraversguide.com/_astro/creality-falcon-a1c-10w.C63djhq__Z2waMOL.webp)Smaller and cheaper: Class 1 with autofocus for coasters and tags, about $379–399[Creality Falcon A1C 10W (AI Camera)](https://laserengraversguide.com/laser-engravers/creality-falcon-a1c-10w/)10 W diode · Enclosed · 150 × 150 mm7.8**$**$$$BudgetPrice tier: Budget[Check price](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5WTQNYH?tag=laserengraversguide.com-20) - 4![xTool S1 40W Enclosed Diode Laser](https://laserengraversguide.com/_astro/xtool-s1-40w.BYUVEG1P_uSsS4.webp)Step up for thick cuts in a Class 1 box: 40 W, about $1,819[xTool S1 40W Enclosed Diode Laser](https://laserengraversguide.com/laser-engravers/xtool-s1-40w/)40 W diode · Enclosed · 498 × 319 mm8.5**$$$**$PremiumPrice tier: Premium[Check price](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQ84BDTX?tag=laserengraversguide.com-20) ### On this page 8 sections - [The specs, side by side](#the-specs-side-by-side) - [Where the Falcon A1 wins](#where-the-falcon-a1-wins) - [Where the Falcon A1 Pro wins](#where-the-falcon-a1-pro-wins) - [What they share](#what-they-share) - [What a working setup costs](#what-a-working-setup-costs) - [Who should buy which](#who-should-buy-which) - [Verdict](#verdict) - [FAQ](#faq) ## Before you choose - [The Best Enclosed Laser Engravers of 2026: Which Are Really Class 1?](https://laserengraversguide.com/posts/best-enclosed-laser-engravers/) - [The Best Laser Engraver for Beginners in 2026: 5 Safe, Easy Picks](https://laserengraversguide.com/posts/best-laser-engraver-for-beginners/) - [Laser Engraver Wattage Explained: Optical vs. Electrical Watts](https://laserengraversguide.com/posts/laser-engraver-wattage-explained/) Creality’s [Falcon A1](https://laserengraversguide.com/laser-engravers/creality-falcon-a1-10w/) and [Falcon A1 Pro](https://laserengraversguide.com/laser-engravers/creality-falcon-a1-pro-20w/) share a body style, a Class 1 rating and a placement camera, but the Pro costs about twice as much. The question is whether doubling the laser power and adding autofocus, Wi-Fi and a touchscreen is worth about $550 more, especially as the cheaper A1 has the larger bed. Short answer: for engraving, no; for cutting and hands-off convenience, yes. Prices are the lowest we saw on Amazon on October 29, 2026; check today’s price before you buy. First, the wattage. Amazon titles call these the “80W” and “180W” Falcons. Those are electrical figures. The listings themselves state 10,000 mW and 20,000 mW of optical output, so this is a 10 W vs 20 W comparison. Our [wattage explainer](https://laserengraversguide.com/posts/laser-engraver-wattage-explained/) explains why the titles do this. ## The specs, side by side | | [Falcon A1](https://laserengraversguide.com/laser-engravers/creality-falcon-a1-10w/) | [Falcon A1 Pro](https://laserengraversguide.com/laser-engravers/creality-falcon-a1-pro-20w/) | | --- | --- | --- | | Price (Amazon) | About $549 | About $1,099 (rotary bundle about $1,012) | | Laser (output) | 10 W blue diode | 20 W blue diode; optional 2 W 1064 nm IR | | Work area | 381 × 305 mm | 358 × 268 mm | | Max speed | 600 mm/s | 600 mm/s | | Laser class | Class 1 | Class 1 | | Air assist | Included | Built in | | Camera | Yes | Yes | | Focus | Manual, stepped focus block | AI autofocus (about 3 seconds) | | Connectivity | USB only | USB, Wi-Fi, app; 4.3-in touchscreen | | Wood cutting (maker claim) | 6 mm, single pass | 10 mm basswood, passes not stated | | Metal | Coated metal only | Marks bare metal (better with IR head) | | Software | Falcon Design Space, LightBurn, LaserGRBL | Falcon Design Space, LightBurn, LaserGRBL | | Weight | 34.3 lb | 37 lb | | Warranty | 1 year | 1 year | | Our score | 7.9 | 8.2 | ## Where the Falcon A1 wins Price. At about $549, the A1 costs half as much as the Pro for the same Class 1 enclosure, camera and software options. That leaves room in the budget for ventilation and materials. Creality also sells it bundled with its Rotary Roller Pro for about $559 or with a desktop smoke purifier for about $603 on Amazon. Either is a better use of $550 than the power upgrade if you mostly engrave. Bed size. The A1’s 381 × 305 mm bed is larger than the Pro’s 358 × 268 mm. It just fits a 12 × 12 in sheet, which the Pro’s 268 mm depth can’t. That’s useful for signs, cutting boards and batches of coasters. Engraving quality per dollar. 10 W is plenty for engraving wood, leather, slate, anodized aluminum and powder-coated tumblers, and both machines are rated to the same 600 mm/s. [Creative Bloq’s reviewer](https://www.creativebloq.com/creative-inspiration/digital-crafting/creality-a1-falcon-review) spent a month with it and called it an ideal laser for beginners on a budget. The costs show up in daily use. The A1 is USB-only, so a laptop has to stay plugged in for every job, and Creative Bloq wished it could run any other way. Focus is manual: you set it with the included stepped block each time you change material. And cutting tops out around 6 mm of wood in a pass, per Creality. Creality’s own listings disagree on whether it cuts black acrylic at all, so don’t buy it for that. ## Where the Falcon A1 Pro wins Cutting power. Twice the optical power cuts thicker stock in fewer passes. Creality claims 10 mm basswood and 8 mm black acrylic “with fewer passes” without saying how many. [Gadget Review](https://www.gadgetreview.com/creality-falcon-a1-pro) cut 9 mm cedar in a single pass in its testing. If you make layered signs, boxes or ornaments from 6 mm plywood, the Pro will finish jobs that take the A1 several slow passes. No laptop, no focus block. The Pro has a 4.3-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi and app control, so you can send a job and walk away from the computer (though never from the laser). AI autofocus sets height in about three seconds. Over hundreds of jobs, that saves real time and removes a common beginner mistake. A path to bare metal. A tool-free swap to the optional 2 W 1064 nm IR head lets the Pro mark bare stainless, brass, aluminum and some plastics properly. Amazon’s IR bundle was about $1,151 on October 29, 2026. Without it, the 20 W blue diode leaves only a slow, low-contrast mark on bare stainless. The IR beam is invisible and blue-diode glasses don’t stop it, so keep the lid closed and use [1064 nm goggles](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078J3JS39?tag=laserengraversguide.com-20) if you ever work with it open. The Pro’s software and connectivity have rough edges. Gadget Review notes user reports of spotty Wi-Fi and buggy Falcon Design Space, though its own reviewer had no Wi-Fi problems. Creality acknowledges reports that the A1 Pro [can’t be manually focused in LightBurn](https://www.crealityfalcon.com/blogs/product-reviews/review-creality-falcon-a1) and suggests jogging the Z axis as a workaround while it works on a fix. ## What they share Both are Class 1 enclosures with safety stops (the Pro adds flame and tilt detection), so nobody in the room needs goggles with the doors shut. Both have air assist, a camera for drag-and-drop placement and LightBurn support, which the xTool M2 and Glowforge Aura lack. Both use a blue diode, so neither cuts clear acrylic or engraves bare glass (see [what materials a laser can cut](https://laserengraversguide.com/posts/what-materials-can-a-laser-cut/)). Both still need ventilation: run the exhaust hose out a window or use a purifier. Our [ventilation guide](https://laserengraversguide.com/posts/laser-engraver-ventilation-guide/) explains the options. The same accessories fit both: the [Creality Rotary Roller Pro](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DHD27N4F?tag=laserengraversguide.com-20) for tumblers and glasses, and the A1-sized [Creality honeycomb bed](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F4QQGHDM?tag=laserengraversguide.com-20). Creality’s 500 × 500 mm honeycomb doesn’t fit. ## What a working setup costs The machine price isn’t the whole bill. Here’s roughly what each looks like with the add-ons most owners end up buying, at the Amazon prices we saw on October 29, 2026: | | Falcon A1 | Falcon A1 Pro | | --- | --- | --- | | Machine | About $549 | About $1,099 (or about $1,012 with rotary) | | Rotary for tumblers | About $559 bundle, or about $114 separately | Included in the about $1,012 bundle | | Bare-metal marking | Not available | About $1,151 bundle with 2 W IR head | | Honeycomb bed | About $69 | About $69 | | Venting (duct fan + 25 ft duct) | About $90 + $19 | About $90 + $19 | So a rotary-equipped A1 with a honeycomb bed and a proper duct run lands around $740, against about $1,190 for the same setup on the Pro. That roughly $450 gap is the real price of the upgrade. You can skip the duct fan if a window is close, and the A1’s purifier bundle (about $603) is the alternative for rooms you can’t vent. ## Who should buy which Buy the Falcon A1 if you mainly engrave gifts, signs, coasters and tumblers, you don’t mind a USB cable and a focus block, and you’d rather spend the savings on a rotary, a purifier or materials. It’s the better value. Buy the Falcon A1 Pro if cutting is a big part of what you make, you want to run jobs from a touchscreen or phone, or you plan to add the IR head for bare-metal tags and jewelry. Check the [rotary bundle](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H2DSTM88?tag=laserengraversguide.com-20), which was cheaper than the bare machine on Amazon on October 29, 2026. Creality’s own store had the A1 Pro on sale for $879 that day, so compare before you buy. Consider something else if space is tight and you only make small items: the [Falcon A1C](https://laserengraversguide.com/laser-engravers/creality-falcon-a1c-10w/) is Class 1 with autofocus for about $379–399, but its bed is only 150 × 150 mm. If you want to cut 15 mm-plus stock inside a Class 1 box, the [xTool S1 40W](https://laserengraversguide.com/laser-engravers/xtool-s1-40w/) is the step up. If the easiest possible first laser matters more than LightBurn, compare the [xTool M2](https://laserengraversguide.com/laser-engravers/xtool-m2-10w/) at about $499. ## Verdict For most first-time buyers who engrave far more than they cut, the Falcon A1 is the smarter purchase: the same Class 1 safety, camera and LightBurn support, a bigger bed and about $550 left over. The Falcon A1 Pro earns its price if you cut regularly, want autofocus and wireless control, or want an easy route to bare-metal marking, which is why we name it our best-value enclosed laser. See where both rank in the [best enclosed laser engravers](https://laserengraversguide.com/posts/best-enclosed-laser-engravers/), or run your projects through the [laser matcher](https://laserengraversguide.com/tools/laser-matcher/). ## Don't guess. Calculate. - [🎯 Laser Matcher](https://laserengraversguide.com/tools/laser-matcher/): which lasers fit your projects - [🧪 Material Checker](https://laserengraversguide.com/tools/material-checker/): what each laser can cut - [💰 Profit Calculator](https://laserengraversguide.com/tools/profit-calculator/): cost, price and payback - [📊 Compare every laser](https://laserengraversguide.com/laser-engravers/): sortable spec table ## Frequently asked questions ### What's the difference between the Falcon A1 and A1 Pro? The A1 Pro has a 20 W diode instead of 10 W, AI autofocus instead of a manual focus block, Wi-Fi and a 4.3-inch touchscreen instead of USB only, and supports an optional 2 W IR module. The A1 has a slightly larger bed and costs about $549 against about $1,099. ### Is the Falcon A1 Pro really 180W? No. '180W' in the Amazon title is an electrical figure. The listing itself states a 20,000 mW (20 W) optical output. The Falcon A1's '80W' is likewise a 10 W optical laser. ### Can the Falcon A1 or A1 Pro cut clear acrylic? No. Both use a ~455 nm blue diode, and clear acrylic lets that light pass through. Dark opaque acrylic is possible on the A1 Pro; Creality's own listings disagree on whether the 10 W A1 cuts acrylic, so treat that as unconfirmed. For clear acrylic you need a CO2 laser. ### Do I need the IR module on the A1 Pro? Only if you want crisp marks on bare stainless, brass, aluminum or certain plastics. The 20 W blue diode marks coated metal well but leaves a slow, low-contrast mark on bare stainless. Amazon's A1 Pro + 2 W IR bundle was about $1,151 on Oct 29, 2026. ## Sources - [Creality: Falcon A1 vs. A1 Pro, key differences explained](https://www.crealityfalcon.com/blogs/product-reviews/review-creality-falcon-a1) · checked 2026-10-30 — Spec tables for both models (10 W, 381 × 305 mm, USB only vs 20 W + optional 2 W IR, 358 × 268 mm, touchscreen, Wi-Fi, AI autofocus); notes reports that the A1 Pro can't be manually focused in LightBurn. - [Creative Bloq: Creality Falcon A1 review](https://www.creativebloq.com/creative-inspiration/digital-crafting/creality-a1-falcon-review) · checked 2026-10-30 — Called the A1 an ideal laser for beginners on a budget; focus with the included stepped block for each material; wished it could run without a wired computer. - [Gadget Review: Creality Falcon A1 Pro](https://www.gadgetreview.com/creality-falcon-a1-pro) · checked 2026-10-30 — Cut 9 mm cedar in a single pass; users report spotty Wi-Fi and buggy Falcon Design Space, though the reviewer had no Wi-Fi problems. ## Get new guides by e-mail One short e-mail when Laser Engravers Guide publishes a new guide. No spam, no sharing your address, and you can unsubscribe in one click. E-mail address New posts only · Unsubscribe anytime · [Privacy](https://laserengraversguide.com/privacy/) Our #1 pick Best for engraving on a budget: bigger bed, Class 1, camera, about $549 ![Creality Falcon A1 10W](https://laserengraversguide.com/_astro/creality-falcon-a1-10w.xF0nr-n8_ZAOBpI.webp) ### [Creality Falcon A1 10W](https://laserengraversguide.com/laser-engravers/creality-falcon-a1-10w/) 7.9 - 10 W diode - Enclosed - 381 × 305 mm Beginners who want a goggles-free enclosed laser with a big bed and a placement camera for under $600. $$$$ Mid-range Price tier: Mid-range base bundle on Amazon [Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DRVQNYQ1?tag=laserengraversguide.com-20)[Read the full review](https://laserengraversguide.com/laser-engravers/creality-falcon-a1-10w/) [🎯 Not sure which fits? Match a laser to your materials, space and budget in 30 seconds.](https://laserengraversguide.com/tools/laser-matcher/)[🧪 Can it cut that? Check any material against diode, CO2 and fiber lasers.](https://laserengraversguide.com/tools/material-checker/) ## Keep reading [Enclosed ### The Best Enclosed Laser Engravers of 2026: Which Are Really Class 1? The best enclosed laser engravers of 2026, and which are actually Class 1. Falcon A1 Pro, xTool S1, M2, P3 and more, plus lidded lasers that are still Class 4. Updated Oct 30, 2026](https://laserengraversguide.com/posts/best-enclosed-laser-engravers/)[Beginners ### The Best Laser Engraver for Beginners in 2026: 5 Safe, Easy Picks The best laser engravers for beginners: enclosed Class 1 machines with cameras and simple software, from the xTool M2 to the Falcon A1C, plus what to skip. Updated Oct 30, 2026](https://laserengraversguide.com/posts/best-laser-engraver-for-beginners/)[Explainer ### Laser Engraver Wattage Explained: Optical vs. Electrical Watts Why an "80W" laser engraver can be a 10 W laser: optical vs electrical watts, misleading listing titles, CO2 tube ratings and why types don't compare. Updated Oct 30, 2026](https://laserengraversguide.com/posts/laser-engraver-wattage-explained/) Best for engraving on a budget: bigger bed, Class 1, camera, about $549 Falcon A1 10W $$$$ Mid-range Price tier: Mid-range [Check price](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DRVQNYQ1?tag=laserengraversguide.com-20)