The best embroidery machine for most home crafters is the Brother PE900 , a current embroidery-only machine with a 5" x 7" maximum embroidery area, 193 built-in designs and 13 embroidery fonts. If one machine has to sew as well, the Brother SE2000 keeps the same 5" x 7" field and adds 241 built-in sewing stitches. After that, the choice comes down to hoop size: 4" x 4" for small monograms, or 6" x 10" and larger when you want fewer rehoops.

This list changed its picks on October 5, 2026. Brother lists the PE800 and SE1900 as discontinued, and its PE800 page names the PE900 and SE2000 as related products. Janome lists the Memory Craft 500E as discontinued. Every pick below is a model its maker presents as current, and the hoop sizes, design counts and fonts come from each maker’s own page.

Quick comparison

Machine Best for Max embroidery area Designs / fonts Sews too?
Brother PE900 Most home crafters 5" x 7" 193 / 13 No, embroidery only
Brother SE2000 Sewing and embroidery in one 5" x 7" 193 / 13 Yes, 241 stitches
Brother SE700 Small monograms and labels 4" x 4" 135 / 10 Yes, 103 stitches
Brother Innov-is NQ1700E (Search Amazon for Brother Innov-is NQ1700E ) Larger designs, dedicated machine 6" x 10" 258 / 13 No, embroidery only
Janome Memory Craft 550E The largest single-hoop designs 7.9" x 14.2" 180 / 6 No, embroidery only

Brother PE900: best embroidery-only machine for most home crafters

The Brother PE900 is the embroidery-only model Brother links from its discontinued PE800 page, and it keeps the PE800’s 5" x 7" maximum embroidery area. Brother lists 193 built-in embroidery designs, 13 embroidery fonts and embroidery speeds up to 650 stitches per minute. The 3.7" LCD handles on-screen editing, including letter editing, zoom, resizing, rotating, repositioning and combining designs.

The PE900 has wireless LAN. Brother’s Design Database Transfer software sends supported files from a compatible Windows PC; do not assume Mac support. The machine also has a USB port. Color Sort reorders multi-color designs to reduce thread changes, and Jump Stitch Trimming cuts the jump threads within a color. Brother gives 7.4" from needle to arm and says the PE900 works with its 4" x 7" magnetic frame.

Choose it if you already sew on another machine and want embroidery to have its own station for names, quilt labels, towels and patches. Skip it if you need one machine for seams and embroidery, or if most of your designs are bigger than 5" x 7".

Brother SE2000: best for sewing and embroidery in one machine

The Brother SE2000 is the current combination model Brother links from its discontinued SE1900 page. It pairs the PE900’s embroidery side (5" x 7" field, 193 designs, 13 fonts, up to 650 stitches per minute) with 241 built-in sewing stitches, 10 styles of one-step buttonhole and sewing speeds up to 850 stitches per minute. Brother includes eight presser feet and a knee lifter, and the My Custom Stitch feature lets you design and save your own sewing stitches.

Like the PE900, it has a 3.7" LCD, 7.4" from needle to arm, wireless LAN with Design Database Transfer, and compatibility with Brother’s 4" x 7" magnetic hoop.

Choose it if your projects move from construction to personalization on the same table, such as a tote that gets sewn and then monogrammed. Skip it if you only embroider. Its embroidery ceiling is the same 5" x 7" as the PE900, so it is not a path to larger designs.

Brother SE700: best compact start for 4 x 4 monograms

The Brother SE700 is a sewing and embroidery machine with a 4" x 4" maximum embroidery area, 135 built-in embroidery designs, 10 embroidery fonts and 103 built-in sewing stitches. Brother lists sewing speeds up to 710 stitches per minute, a 3.2" x 1.8" LCD, 10 one-step buttonhole styles, eight presser feet and wireless LAN for Design Database Transfer.

Brother pitches it for children’s clothes, minor apparel repairs and home decor, which matches what a 4" x 4" field does well: initials, small motifs and labels.

Choose it if your embroidery is mostly small and you also want a capable everyday sewing machine. Skip it if you already know your designs run wider than 4 inches. The SE2000 is the step up within the same family.

Brother Innov-is NQ1700E: best step up to a 6 x 10 field

The Brother Innov-is NQ1700E (Search Amazon for Brother Innov-is NQ1700E ) is a dedicated embroidery machine with a 6" x 10" maximum embroidery area, 258 built-in designs, 140 frame pattern combinations and 13 lettering fonts. Brother lists 8.3" from needle to arm, wireless design transfer through Design Database Transfer, a USB port and automatic thread cutting.

The 6" x 10" field is the reason to buy it: a design up to that size goes on in one hooping instead of being split to fit a 5" x 7" hoop. Brother sends shoppers for this model to a dealer rather than its own cart, so if you buy through Amazon, check the seller and warranty terms on the listing.

Choose it if you have outgrown a 5" x 7" hoop and want a dedicated embroidery machine. Skip it if you need sewing stitches, or if a 5" x 7" field already covers your projects.

Janome Memory Craft 550E: best for the largest designs in one hooping

The Janome Memory Craft 550E has the biggest field on this list: 7.9" x 14.2" in its RE36b hoop with magnetic clips. Janome includes three more hoops (7.9" x 7.9", 5.5" x 7.9" and 5.5" x 5.5"), 180 built-in designs, 6 monogramming fonts and an embroidery speed range of 400 to 860 stitches per minute. Designs load through USB.

It also fills the gap left by the discontinued Memory Craft 500E, whose largest hoop was 7.9" x 11". Janome lists the 550E’s footprint as 23" wide, 12.9" high and 17.7" deep, so plan the bench space before ordering.

Choose it if you stitch large quilt blocks or wide designs and rehooping is the step you most want to avoid. Skip it if you mostly stitch names. Its 6 fonts are fewer than the 10 to 13 on the Brother picks, and it does not sew.

How to choose an embroidery machine

Start with hoop size

The maximum embroidery area is the largest design the machine can stitch in one hooping. A larger design may require compatible digitizing software, a carefully split file and registered rehooping; not every design can be divided successfully. Brother lists its 4" x 4" frame as 10 cm x 10 cm and its 5" x 7" frame as 18 cm x 13 cm, which helps when a design file lists millimeters.

  • 4" x 4": Brother SE700, for initials, small motifs and labels.
  • 5" x 7": Brother PE900 or SE2000, the size most home crafters start with.
  • 6" x 10": Brother NQ1700E, for designs that outgrow 5" x 7".
  • 7.9" x 14.2": Janome Memory Craft 550E, the largest here.

A bigger field also means bigger hoops to store and a larger machine on the bench. The design-fit calculator checks both dimensions against the actual supported field.

Decide whether the machine must sew

Combination machines (the SE2000 and SE700) save space when you only have room for one machine. Embroidery-only machines (the PE900, NQ1700E and 550E) suit a crafter who already owns a sewing machine. Compare the jobs you need to sew and embroider before paying for a combination machine.

Check how designs reach the machine

All four Brother picks have wireless design transfer through Design Database Transfer, and Brother’s Artspira app can send drawn designs to the PE900, SE2000 and SE700. Janome lists USB import for the 550E. Check the current supported operating system and file formats first. Design Database Transfer requires a compatible Windows setup; Artspira has its own device, account and feature requirements.

Count fonts if you mostly stitch names

For monograms and personalization, the built-in fonts matter more than the design count. The PE900, SE2000 and NQ1700E each list 13 embroidery fonts, the SE700 lists 10, and the Janome 550E lists 6.

Plan for supplies

Stabilizer, embroidery thread and spare needles are ongoing costs with any machine. See the embroidery stabilizer picker and the needle chart before your first project.

Owners of older models

For a used or remaining-stock 500E, the 500E versus PE900 comparison explains the field-size and discontinued-model trade-off. Confirm condition, included hoops and support for the exact machine.

Final verdict

Buy the Brother PE900 if embroidery will have its own machine and a 5" x 7" field covers your projects. Choose the Brother SE2000 if the same machine has to sew, and the Brother SE700 if your embroidery stays within 4" x 4". Step up to the Brother NQ1700E for a 6" x 10" field, or the Janome Memory Craft 550E when you want the largest single-hoop designs.

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