Embroidery machines
Reviews and buying guides from $525 entry machines to multi-needle business gear — all on the same 10-point scale.
Best embroidery machines
The main guide — every machine scored on one scale, $525 to $24,000.
Read → GuideBest for beginners
Which hoop size to start at, and why not to buy on design count.
Read → BusinessBest for a small business
When single-needle stops paying and multi-needle starts.
Read → GuideBest sew + embroider combos
The SE700 and SE2000 compared — now the cheapest new way into embroidery.
Read → Review · 7.4Brother PE535 review
Discontinued August 2026 — what changed, and what to buy instead.
Read → Review · 8.6Brother PE800 review
The discontinued 5×7 workhorse — still the used-market value pick.
Read → Review · 8.4Brother PE900 review
The PE800's wireless successor — the 5×7 to buy new.
Read → Review · 8.1Ricoma machines review
Ten needles for under half a six-needle Brother — but weigh the support model.
Read →Common questions
What is the best embroidery machine under $1000?
Under $1,000 the honest answer changed in August 2026, when Brother discontinued the PE535. New, your realistic choice is the SE700 sew-and-embroider combo at $525–$580 (4×4 field), the only new Brother machine that embroiders under $1,000; we compare the combos in full in our sew-and-embroider guide. For a 5×7 field under $1,000 you now have to buy used: a clean discontinued PE800. The new PE900 sits just above the line at $1,030–$1,250.
What is the difference between a 4×4 and a 5×7 embroidery field?
The field is the largest area a machine stitches in one hooping. A 4×4 field fits left-chest logos, names and small monograms. A 5×7 field fits most back-of-shirt designs and larger appliqué. It is the first spec to decide, because owners outgrow a 4×4 far more often than they wear one out.
Do embroidery machines also sew, or do I need a combo machine?
Dedicated embroidery machines like the Brother PE535, PE800 and PE900 embroider only. If you want one machine that both sews and embroiders you need a combo, such as Brother’s SE-series: the SE700 at a 4×4 field ($525–$580) or the SE2000 at 5×7 ($1,299–$1,499). Combos trade a little embroidery polish for the convenience of one machine, and since Brother discontinued the PE535 in August 2026 the SE700 is the cheapest new Brother machine that embroiders at all.