I have both machines and they both work very well. I first bought the Cuttlebug because it was compact and seemed to fit my needs. I scrap in a small area and space is a consideration. It was also cheaper than the Sizzix Machine. The dies were usually cheaper as well (alphabets for about $80 as opposed to $140). I liked it very much. It's light weight and has suction that clamps it to your work surface. It will take Sizzix thin dies (Sizzlets and Embosslitz). It won't take Sizzix "Bigz". I soon found that I wanted more versatility from my die cutter. I bought a Sizzix Big Kick. It will take all my Cuttlebug materials as well as larger Sizzix dies. With an adapter I bought on e-Bay, it will also take QuiKutz, although I haven't tried it yet. The downside is that it's bigger, takes up more workspace and it's heaviy. It doesn't clamp to the worksurface, which can be a bit of a problem. The Cuttlebug is small enough to take to a crop. Also, I think Sizzix has dies that are more my style and there's a wider variety of them. The Sizzix web site also has some great deals in its "Savings Zone". If I had to do it over, I'd buy the Sizzix machine. I used a 50% off coupon at Michael's and saved some money. Hope this helps!