Co2 vs Mopa Laser Engraver: Which One Should You Buy?

Side by side

Specifications are manufacturer rated, as published on each listing and collected 30 October 2026. Where a listing contradicts itself, both figures are shown.

Laser power and engraving depth in the co2 vs mopa laser engraver choice

Both featured machines are JPT MOPA fiber marking machines, and neither listing states cutting, so the figures here are engraving depth per pass on metals, not cut depth. Both list the same rated speed of 10000 mm/s with an accuracy of 0.1 mm. The 60W machine engraves metals up to 0.1 mm on each pass, while the 100W machine engraves metals up to 0.15 mm on each pass, so the 100W machine lists the deeper engraving pass. The CO2 side has no listed example here, so no power figure is claimed for it in this guide, and no side is called better on a spec that only one side states.

Workspace

The 60W machine lists a 175x175mm work area with a 6.9×6.9 inch field, a laser locator, and a workbed with a built-in grid and positioning bars. The 100W machine lists two lens fields, a 6.9×6.9 inch field or a 4.3×4.3 inch field, with the same grid and bars. Only the 60W listing states product dimensions, at 17.8 inches x 22.1 inches x 27.6 inches.

Materials

Both listings name metals, gemstones and silicon for color marking, with adjustable pulse frequency and width permitting a rainbow of colorful designs, and both state an MTTF over 100,000 hours. Neither listing suggests PVC or vinyl, and those materials should never be lasered.

Software and ecosystem

Both machines include EzCad2 software for Windows, support various image formats, and list LightBurn in their bundle descriptions. A footpad trigger aids batch work on both, and a 4-pin port connects a rotary axis for curved surfaces. Software does not separate these two machines.

Safety and enclosure

Both machines use an open design, and both listings state that protective eyewear comes included. Neither listing states an OD or wavelength range for that eyewear, so this guide does not count it as rated protection. The 100W listing states a laser class 2 with 0.874 mW output power, but that figure cannot describe the output of a 100W marking beam, so this guide does not count it as a safety credential for the marking laser. Stay with the machine while it runs and keep a fire extinguisher nearby.

Ventilation

Marking metal still calls for a ventilated work area and attention while the machine runs. Neither listing states a ventilation accessory, so run the machine in a ventilated space and never leave it running unattended.

Add-ons and growth

The rotary axis is the main growth path on both machines, through the 4-pin port for curved surfaces. The 100W listing adds a second growth option in its two lens fields, letting the reader work across a wider or a smaller field. Note the inclusion gap on the 100W machine: its title wording mentions a rotary axis, but its bullets state that the rotary axis is not included, so a reader who needs rotary work should confirm inclusion before ordering.

Support and warranty

Warranty is the sharpest separator in this pair. The 60W listing states a 2-year warranty from the seller, while the 100W listing states no warranty term at all. That stated term is the main reason the 60W machine ranks first here despite its lower rated power.

Choose the OMTech 60W MOPA if

Choose it if a stated warranty term matters, if the single 6.9×6.9 inch field fits the work, and if stated product dimensions help plan the bench space. It is the steadier pick for a first MOPA machine bought for color marking on metals.

Choose the OMTech 100W MOPA if

Choose it if higher rated power, a deeper pass on each pass and two lens fields matter more than a stated warranty term. It is the pick for a reader who already knows the MOPA workflow and wants the wider field choice.

Project Match

• Color-marked metal tags and jewelry: either machine, since both list color marking on metals, gemstones and silicon.
• Small metal parts in batches: either machine, with the footpad trigger for batch work stated on both listings.
• Curved surfaces: either machine through the 4-pin rotary port, noting the 100W listing states the rotary axis is not included.
• Flat pieces across two field sizes: the 100W machine, with its 6.9×6.9 inch or 4.3×4.3 inch fields.
• Work needing a stated warranty term: the 60W machine only, with its 2-year warranty from the seller.

FAQ: lasers and CNC

Is MOPA better than CO2 for metal?

This guide cannot answer that from its listings, because it features no CO2 example. The MOPA listings state adjustable pulse frequency and width that permit colorful designs on metals, gemstones and silicon, but without a listed CO2 machine this guide claims no CO2 figure and does not call MOPA better than CO2.

What is the difference between the 60W and 100W machines?

The 100W machine lists higher rated power, a deeper pass of up to 0.15 mm against 0.1 mm, and two lens fields. The 60W machine lists a stated 2-year warranty and stated product dimensions, while the 100W listing states a laser class 2 and no warranty term.

Can these machines mark curved surfaces?

Only with a rotary axis connected through the 4-pin port, which both listings describe for engraving curved surfaces. The 100W listing states the rotary axis is not included, and the 60W listing states only the port, not that an axis is included, so confirm rotary inclusion before ordering if curved work is the plan.

Does the included eyewear count as protection?

Not on these listings. Both listings state that protective eyewear comes included, but neither states an OD or wavelength range for it, so this guide does not count it as rated protection.

What software do they use?

Both machines include EzCad2 software for Windows and support various image formats, and both list LightBurn in their bundle descriptions.

Related: see our diode vs mopa laser engraver, our how to choose a laser engraver, our best laser engraver for beginners, our best laser engraver for metal and our best laser safety glasses for fiber laser.