Under the action of cutting fluid and cutting tools, wood, metal, and jade gradually take on the shape of crafts…
Today, manufacturers are scaling down large CNC machines found in factories into desktop devices, making them popular maker tools and consumer-grade products, just like 3D printing and laser engraving.
It is reported that there are now nearly 10 desktop CNC companies in China, with entrants ranging from entrepreneurs with diverse backgrounds to “veterans” from specialized fields who are expanding into the consumer market.
Market Buzz Attracts Players from Multiple Sectors
Falling prices and tiered product positioning
In the past, CNC machine tools were typically workshop equipment costing hundreds of thousands or even millions of yuan.
Today, the price of desktop CNCs manufactured by Chinese companies has dropped to the 10,000-yuan range, and their overseas crowdfunding campaigns have been quite successful.
Liangketree prices its entry-level product at 450 yuan.
Shoppers can buy Zhuowu Times’ Z1 on Chinese e-commerce platforms.
The brand sells its base model for around 8,000 yuan, while it prices the four-axis version at 9,799 yuan.
Shuma 3D’s WM-100 has an official mainland China price of 59,800 yuan. Meanwhile, the early-bird price for its overseas crowdfunding starts at $5,899.
Of course, behind these significant price differences lie vast disparities in the capabilities of different products, each targeting distinct user groups.
Booming overseas crowdfunding performance
The market has shown tremendous interest in desktop CNC machines.
In 2025, there were a total of seven projects on the overseas crowdfunding platform Kickstarter that reached $10 million, two of which were in the desktop CNC category.
One was the Z1 from Zao Wu Times, which launched in late October 2025 and raised approximately $10.24 million from 7,000 backers in 45 days;
The other was the C500 from Chaojiang Technology, which launched in November 2025 and also ultimately surpassed $10 million in crowdfunding.
Records continue to be broken. On August 11, 2026, Infinite Workshop’s five-axis machine, the K1, went live;
On August 28, the company announced that the crowdfunding total had surpassed $4 million.
On September 10, Shuma 3D’s second-generation desktop five-axis machine, the WM-100, launched on the same platform, raising over $2 million in less than five hours.
Talent composition and industry participants
Many founders of desktop CNC companies have backgrounds in the DJI ecosystem.
Wang Hao, founder of Yongquan Innovation, previously served as the product lead for DJI’s LiDAR division;
Half of his team comes from consumer hardware companies like DJI and Yunjing, while the other half hails from industrial CNC systems such as Siemens and HNC.
Infinite Workshop was founded by several former core members of DJI. Additionally, key members of teams like Kaiwu Jiangxin also have ties to the DJI ecosystem.
The sector also features professional players:
Shuma Electronics, the parent company of Shuma 3D, is the world’s largest manufacturer of key-cutting machines and was one of the first desktop CNC manufacturers to begin deliveries;
Tuopu CNC, known as the “first commercial space stock” on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, has also launched the TF500, a desktop aerospace-grade true 5-axis CNC product.
Wide Range of Applications, but Products Still Need Refining
Who buys desktop CNC machines?
A Beijing Daily reporter learned from several industry insiders that desktop CNC users are mostly studios, small shops, freelance designers, hardware R&D teams, and school laboratories.
Shuma 3D has delivered over a thousand units. The company stated that its clients cover multiple industries.
These clients include developers working on robotics, robotic arms and dexterous grippers.
They also involve brain-computer interface companies, biological laboratories, and machine tool research institutes.
In the eyes of many buyers, desktop CNC machines are not just toys, but productivity tools.
Mr. Wang, a musical instrument maker and one of the earliest users of Shuma 3D’s XM-100, uses the desktop CNC machine to machine parts for handmade musical instruments.
“If I were to use traditional handcrafted methods, making a product with a similar texture would cost about 10,000 yuan.
By using a desktop CNC machine, the cost drops by 90%—it only costs 1,000 yuan.”
“Zishu,” a programmer who loves cave diving, uses a desktop CNC to machine components for his diving equipment.
In the past, to make a small part, Zishu had to design a blueprint, send it to a factory for machining, and then travel to the factory himself to test its watertightness.
Since becoming the owner of a desktop CNC machine, “Zishu” can complete production right at home and even sell the parts he machines to fellow enthusiasts; he has already sold more than 20 products.
However, current desktop CNC machines still face issues with temperature control, heat dissipation, and insufficient precision.
Additionally, noise and vibration deter some potential buyers.
Riding the Wave of Consumer-Grade Creative Manufacturing
Benchmarking against 3D printing: optimistic market forecasts
Industry professionals are generally optimistic about the sector’s prospects and are eager to compare it with 3D printing.
An executive at Shuma 3D predicts that the future market size of desktop CNC will be no smaller than that of 3D printing.
“CNC can carve natural materials such as jade and wood, whereas 3D printing is more costly when it comes to printing with metal materials,” he said.
He believes that CNC machining is an integral part of manufacturing, and many users who own 3D printers would not be averse to purchasing a desktop CNC machine for finishing work.
Zhang Qiuxi, founder of Zao Wu Times, has previously expressed a similar view, noting that the desktop CNC industry has the potential to reach annual shipments of one million units—a market that may rival that of 3D printing.
Research firm FMI projects in its industry survey that the global desktop CNC market will reach approximately $1.29 billion by 2025 and expects it to grow to $1.89 billion by 2035.
Core driving factors and hidden constraints of consumer-grade subtractive manufacturing
Jiang Han, a senior researcher at Pangu Think Tank, believes that desktop CNC has indeed tapped into the trend of consumer-grade creative manufacturing.
“In the past, industrial CNC was out of reach for ordinary consumers.
Now, with falling prices, AI lowering the barrier to entry, and the development of the global maker ecosystem, there is genuine demand for these products,” Jiang Han said.
However, in Jiang Han’s view, desktop CNC essentially involves transferring the relatively mature subtractive manufacturing capabilities from the industrial sector to desktop consumer scenarios.
He made the following comment. Whether the product can truly enter the mainstream market in the future hinges on one key factor.
Companies need to solve the practical pain points ordinary users meet in the usage process.
The market cannot rely only on hardcore enthusiasts for long-term support.
Tiered competition and upcoming industry shakeout
Regarding the current competitive landscape, with nearly ten companies entering the market at once, Jiang Han believes the industry will not simply be a case of “everyone sharing the pie,” but will gradually form a tiered competitive structure.
“It is highly likely that two or three leading manufacturers will emerge from the first tier.
With their mature crowdfunding experience, capital backing, and technological expertise, they will be the first to secure a loyal core user base.”
At the same time, manufacturers targeting niche scenarios still have room to survive.
For example, companies focusing on entry-level products, five-axis functionality, or the processing of specific materials are likely to establish a competitive advantage in their vertical fields.
However, in the long run, the industry will still undergo a shakeout.
Jiang Han believes that companies lacking core software and algorithmic capabilities—and relying primarily on hardware specs—will easily be squeezed out of the market as price competition intensifies, and ultimately, not many players will remain in the industry.