xTool vs Creality Falcon: Lineups, Software and Who Should Pick Which

xTool and Creality Falcon are two of the brands small shops ask about most. They make similar-looking diode lasers at very different prices, and they take different approaches to software. This comparison maps the two lineups against each other, explains the software ecosystems, and ends with who should pick which.

The lineups, mapped

The brands do not line up model for model, so we grouped machines by what a buyer is actually choosing between.

Specs from each maker’s product pages. Creality lists the Falcon2 Pro at 400 × 415 mm (22W and 40W) and 400 × 400 mm (60W). We have not added the Falcon2 Pro to our database, so its pricing is not listed here.

Head to head: the 40 W diodes

The most common cross-shopping decision is a 40 W diode: Creality’s open-frame Falcon2 40W against xTool’s enclosed S1 40W.

The price gap is not all “brand tax.” The S1 includes an enclosure, flame detection, autofocus and a Class 1 rating, which the Falcon2 would need extra purchases (an enclosure, fume extraction, glasses) and care to approach. On the other hand, the Falcon2 40W includes air assist and a bigger bed front to back, for about $1,000 less. Use the Compare tool to line up any of these machines key by key.

Software ecosystems

Software is where the brands differ most, and it is the part you will live with every day.

xTool: one app, tightly integrated

xTool machines run xTool’s own software. That used to be xTool Creative Space (XCS); xTool’s support site says XCS’s final version, V2.7, was released on June 25, 2025, and that from August 2025 new products “only support xTool Studio.” XCS stays installed if you have it, but new features go to Studio.

What the integration gets you, per xTool’s software page: camera-based layout, rotary previews, a material and parameter library, templates, AI image tools, cloud storage and multi-device management. xTool’s page mentions “Exclusive Benefits” such as premium resources, so some content may sit behind a membership; the page does not list prices.

The catch is LightBurn support. It varies by model and has recently gone backward:

• LightBurn has native support for the xTool D1, D1 Pro and S1, per LightBurn’s documentation. The S1 gets autofocus in LightBurn over USB.
• Other models used xTool-supplied device files with limits. xTool’s own P2/P2S article says LightBurn “supports only the flat material processing functions” and “cannot obtain the images captured by the cameras”; autofocus and pass-through are not supported. On the F1 Ultra, real-time framing, embossing, camera and autofocus features are missing in LightBurn.
• LightBurn’s documentation says that as of June 29, 2026, xTool firmware updates removed LightBurn compatibility from the P2S, P3, F1, F1 Ultra, F1 Lite, F2, F2 Ultra and F2 Ultra UV, and advises users to hold off on updating firmware while the teams work on it.

If LightBurn is a must for you, the xTool S1 is the safest xTool choice today. Check LightBurn’s device page before buying any other xTool model.

Creality Falcon: open GCode plus a free app

Creality’s Falcon2 and Falcon A1 lines are GCode-style controllers. Creality lists three software options: its free Falcon Design Space, LightBurn, and the free, open-source LaserGRBL. For LightBurn, GCode devices fall under the Core license ($99), while galvo and Ruida controllers need Pro ($199), per LightBurn’s pricing announcement.

This openness is Creality’s biggest advantage for experienced users: the huge body of LightBurn tutorials, settings and forum help applies directly. It is not bulletproof. In a December 2025 LightBurn forum thread, a Falcon2 Pro owner reported connection and framing errors after a LightBurn update and switched to Falcon Design Space as a workaround; another user reported the same version working on an identical machine. Treat that as one data point, not a trend.

Safety and setup

Neither brand’s diode lasers can cut clear acrylic: blue light passes straight through it, as xTool’s own acrylic guide explains, and our product data lists “can cut clear acrylic: no” for every diode here. If acrylic is central to your products, read Diode vs CO2 vs Fiber before choosing either.

Our research verdict: who should pick which

Verdict on paper

Who it suits

Consider it if

• Pick Creality Falcon if price per watt matters most and you can safely house an open-frame laser
• Pick Creality Falcon if you already use or want LightBurn and its community settings
• Pick xTool if you want an enclosed, Class 1 machine with autofocus and camera tools out of the box
• Pick xTool if you expect to add a galvo fiber or CO2 machine from the same ecosystem later

Skip it if

• Skip the open-frame Falcon2 if you work in a shared living space without a dedicated, ventilated area
• Skip xTool galvo and CO2 models if running them in LightBurn is a requirement, until compatibility is restored
• Skip both brands’ diodes if clear acrylic is your main product

Based on manufacturer specs, documentation and owner reports — not our own lab measurements yet.

This verdict is based on published specs, official documentation and owner reports, not on hands-on testing.

Choose Creality Falcon if you are cost-sensitive, handy, and have a garage, shed or spare room you can set up properly. For about $639, the Falcon2 40W offers a 400 × 415 mm bed, built-in air assist and a strong manufacturer cut rating, with open software choices. That money gap pays for a good enclosure, a fume extractor, proper glasses and a LightBurn license, with room left over for materials. It suits wood-sign makers, market sellers testing demand, and anyone who already knows LightBurn. The Falcon A1 and A1 Pro are the enclosed, lower-risk way into the same ecosystem if the open frame worries you.

Choose xTool if you want the machine to feel like an appliance: close the lid, let autofocus and the camera handle setup, and use one app for design, layout and machine control. That matters more than it sounds when you are fulfilling orders in a spare bedroom and do not want to think about eye protection for everyone who walks by. The S1 40W is the natural pick for a home-based shop that wants enclosed 40 W power and the most reliable LightBurn path in xTool’s lineup. xTool is also the only one of the two with galvo fiber (F-series) and CO2 (P2S) machines in our research, so it is the better platform if you expect to add metal marking or clear-acrylic cutting later, as long as you are comfortable in xTool Studio.

We will revisit this verdict once lab data is in. For a wider shortlist across brands, see our researched picks for small businesses, or answer a few questions in the Machine Matchmaker.