IN THIS GUIDE
Monogramming is one of the most popular kinds of machine embroidery. With a monogramming machine, you can embroider words, numbers, and monograms on almost any type of fabric project.
From a name on a child’s backpack to a phone number on a beach towel, the sky’s the limit when you’re monogramming.
You might need a monogramming machine for your own personal use, or you may be looking for the best monogramming sewing machine if you’re thinking of starting a home-based monogramming and embroidery business.
There are a ton of machines out there, and choosing can be confusing. We’ve taken the guesswork out of choosing by taking a deep dive into the most popular monogramming machines on the market.
We’re breaking down all the info you need to choose from the best monogramming machines for your needs based on the features you want and the price you’re willing to pay.
Now let’s have a look…
10 Best Monogramming Machines for The Home Sewist or Creative Business
Here’s a quick summary of our favorite picks for the best monogramming machines. Some are great for the home sewist and some are perfect if you want to start a monogramming business. Our top choices at three price points are below.
Read on for all the details on our top 10 best monogramming sewing machines.
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#1 Brother SE600 monogramming Machine
- 80 Built-in designs: The SE600 comes with 80 built-in designs and 6 embroidery lettering fonts for personalizing your projects
- Automatic needle threader and drop-in top bobbin: This sewing and embroidery combo machine includes an automatic needle threader that perfectly pushes the thread through the needle and a convenient, jam resistant drop-in top bobbin
- 103 Built-in sewing stitches: This machine features 103 sewing stitches including 10 styles of auto-size buttonholes. Maximum Sewing Speed (Stitches per minute)- 710
- Large color touchscreen: The Brother SE600 computerized sewing and embroidery machine features a large 3.2″ LCD color touchscreen allowing you to preview your designs before stitching
- 4″ X 4″ Embroidery field: This computerized combo machine is built with a 4″ x 4″ Embroidery field with an included hoop, embroidery arm and 7 sewing feet
All the Details
- Embroidery Area: 4″ x 4″
- Built-in Designs: 103
- Built-in Fonts: 6
- Number of Needles: 1
- Screen Size: 3.7″
- Import Ability: USB Port,
What We Like
- Easy to use
- Needle threader
- USB port for design uploads
- Good machine for regular sewing as well as monogramming
What We Don’t Like
- Optional software is pricey
- Embroidery area is small but would work for home needs
Our Verdict
This is our pick of the best monogramming machines at the lowest price point. It does everything a home sewist would want – monogramming, embroidery and standard sewing. Easy to learn and use.
#2 Brother PE550D Disney Embroidery Machine
- 125 Built-in designs: Featuring 125 Built-in designs including 45 Disney designs, the PE550D allows you to bring magic to any project
- 9 Built-in fonts: Personalize your projects with 6 English and 3 Japanese lettering font styles
- USB Port: Import your embroidery designs into your PE550D’s built-in memory through the USB port
- Large color touchscreen: Preview your designs before embroidering with the large, 3.2 inch LCD color touchscreen display
- 4″ X 4″ Embroidery field: This embroidery-only machine comes with a 4″ x 4″ hoop, an embroidery foot and built-in alignment tools
All the Details
- Embroidery Area: 4″ x 4″
- Built-in Designs: 125 including 45 Disney Designs
- Built-in Fonts: 9
- Number of Needles: 1
- Screen Size: 3.2″
- Import Ability: USB Port
What We Like
- This special model has built-in Disney designs for Mickey Mouse fans
- Auto needle threader
What We Don’t Like
- While the Disney designs are fun, it means it has fewer regular built-in designs
- 3 fonts are actually Japanese font styles
- Requires the purchase of software if you want to do more than the built-in designs
Our Verdict
This machine works great for smaller monogramming projects. It’s easy to use and lettering can be edited on the touch screen in several different ways. Good entry-level choice so it’s on our list of the best monogramming machines out there.
#3 Brother PE800 5″ x 7″ Embroidery Machine
- 138 Built-in designs: Featuring 138 built-in embroidery designs including scrollwork, florals and quilt patterns, the PE800 has numerous options to allow your creativity to flourish
- 11 Built-in fonts: 7 English, 3 Japanese, and 1 Cyrillic font styles are perfect for monogramming and lettering
- USB Port: The PE800’s USB port allows you to import your embroidery designs into your machine’s built-in memory
- Large color touchscreen: The large 3.2″ inch LCD color touchscreen allows you to preview your designs before embroidering
- 5″ X 7″ Embroidery field: This embroidery-only machine comes with an embroidery foot and a 5″ x 7″ inch embroidery hoop perfect for stitching larger designs
All the Details
- Embroidery Area: 5″ x 7″
- Built-in Designs: 138
- Built-in Fonts: 11 (7 English, 3 Japanese, 1 Cyrillic)
- Number of Needles: 1
- Screen Size: 3.2″
- Import Ability: USB Port
What We Like
- 5″ x 7″ embroidery area seems huge compared to the 4″ x 4 size
- You can rotate, mirror, increase and decrease designs using the LCD screen
- Auto needle threader
What We Don’t Like
- Metal bobbins cause the machine to malfunction, so you must use plastic
Our Verdict
This is is our top pick of the best monogramming machines for machines with a larger embroidery area. The 5″ x 7″ hoop means you can make so many more designs than the smaller sizes. This machine is easy to use and creates beautiful monograms and embroidery.
#4 Brother SE1900 Embroidery Machine
- 138 Built-in designs: The SE1900 comes with 138 Built-in designs and 11 embroidery fonts perfect for monogramming
- Advanced needle threader and drop-in top bobbin: This sewing and quilting combo machine includes an advanced needle threading function that easily pushes the thread through the needle with the press of a lever and a jam resistant drop-in top bobbin
- 240 Built-in sewing stitches: The SE1900 features 240 Built-in sewing stitches including 10 styles of auto-size buttonholes
- Large color touchscreen: Preview your designs and browse editing options on the large full color, 3.2″ inch LCD touchscreen display
- 5″ X 7″ Embroidery field: This Brother combo embroidery and sewing machine is built with a 5″ x 7″ Embroidery field for larger designs with an included hoop and 8 sewing feet
All the Details
- Embroidery Area: 5″ x 7″
- Built-in Designs: 138
- Built-in Fonts: 11 (7 English, 3 Japanese, 1 Cyrillic)
- Number of Needles: 1
- Screen Size: 3.2″
- Import Ability: USB Port
What We Like
- You can design and save your own custom sewing stitches
- You can rotate, mirror, increase and decrease designs using the LCD screen
- 25-year limited warranty and free customer service
What We Don’t Like
- Needle threader can be finicky
Our Verdict
This combination sewing and monogramming machine does a good job at balancing the best of both worlds. It’s easy to learn and the manual is clearly written. It’s a good choice for the middle range price point.
#5 Eversewn Sparrow Monogramming Machine
All the Details
- Embroidery Area: 4.75″ x 7″ and 2″ x 2.75″
- Built-in Designs: 100
- Number of Needles: 1
- No Screen – Controlled by a smartphone or tablet using the Eversewn App
- Formats read: .exp, .pex, .xxx, .dst and more
What We Like
- Comes with two different size hoops
- If you have a smart device you won’t need to buy extra software
- Well written manual and clear instructions
What We Don’t Like
- If you don’t have a smartphone or tablet, you’ll need one because this machine does not have an LCD screen
Our Verdict
This innovative design uses an app to stream your design over WiFi to the machine. This is a great machine if you don’t mind using an App to upload your designs. If you’re tech-savvy, this gives you much more freedom to create and import custom monograms and designs. But if you’re looking for one of the best monogramming machines for a beginner, this choice is probably too complicated.
#6 Singer Legacy SE300 Embroidery Machine
- SINGER SEWING MACHINE: The SINGER Legacy SE300 Portable Sewing Machine has 250 built-in stitches including basic, stretch, decorative, and buttonhole stitches allow you to sew a variety of projects, such as fashions, home décor, quilts, crafts, and more
- AUTOMATIC NEEDLE THREADER SEWING MACHINE: After following the threading path printed right on the machine, this built-in feature helps you to effortlessly thread the eye of the needle without eye strain or frustration
- BEST SEWING MACHINE: The SINGER Legacy SE300 has extra-large embroidery area, snap-on embroidery hoops, usb stick embroidery design transfer, bobbin winding while embroidering, upper thread sensor, 10 snap-on presser feet, 200 embroidery designs + 6 alphabet options which expands your creative and monogramming possibilities
- HIGH SEWING AND EMBROIDERY SPEED: The SINGER Legacy SE300 Sewing Machine has a maximum sewing speed of 800 stitches-per-minute and 700 embroidery stitches per minute, and so projects can be sewn quickly
- SEWING AND EMBROIDERY MACHINE ACCESSORIES: A variety of accessories are included with large and small embroidery hoop, all-purpose foot, satin stitch foot, overcasting foot, blind hem foot, zipper foot, buttonhole foot with underplate, straight stitch foot, button sewing foot, open toe foot
All the Details
- Embroidery Area: 6″ x 10.25 and 4″ x 4″
- Built-in Designs: 200
- Built-in Fonts: 6
- Number of Needles: 1
- Import Ability: USB Port
- 25-year limited warranty
What We Like
- Comes with two different hoops
- Extra-large embroidery area
- Ability to update software
- Bobbin can be wound while embroidering
What We Don’t Like
- Auto threader is difficult to use
- You can only really view the built-in designs on a PC as the LCD screen is pretty limited
Our Verdict
This Singer embroidery machine is another contender in our best monogramming machines mid-price point level. It does a lot of things well and comes with two different sized hoops. However, the LCD screen is a bit small and primitive. In our opinion, the Brother PE800 is a better value at this price point.
#7 Janome Memory Craft 400E
- 7.9″ x 7.9″ Embroidery Field
- 160 High Quality Janome Built In Designs
- 6 fonts for monogramming
- 2 and 3 letter monogram built in
- Built in USB port to import designs from your pc
All the Details
- Embroidery Area: 7.9″ x 7.9″
- Built-in Designs: 160
- Built-in Fonts: 6
- Number of Needles: 1
- Import Ability: USB Port
What We Like
- Large embroidery area
- On-screen editing to rotate, flip, mirror, etc.
- Well built machine
- Optional additional accessories available
What We Don’t Like
- The instruction manual isn’t complete enough for a new user
Our Verdict
Janome makes quality sewing machines and this one is no exception. Once you figure out the manual, you’ll get great results with this one. The extra-large embroidery area is a rarity.
But this machine is still a single needle monogramming machine, so it’s pricy. If you love a Janome, this may be one of the best monogramming machines for you.
#8 Brother SE400 Combination Sewing & Embroidery Machine
- 185 UNIQUE BUILT-IN STITCHES: The RSQ9185 comes with 130 built-in stitches including 8 styles of auto-size buttonholes, plus 55 alphanumeric stitches
- Automatic needle threader and drop-in top bobbin: this sewing and quilting mAChine includes an automatic needle threader that perfectly pushes thread through the needle and a convenient, jam resistant drop-in top bobbin
- Included ACcessories: included with the rsq9185 is a wide table, 10 sewing feet, instructional DVD and more
- Lcd screen: the bACklit lcd display allows you to easily view your stitch selections
- At your side support: the rsq9185 quilting and sewing machine comes with brother at your side support offering free technical support via online, live chat or phone for the life of your machine
All the Details
- Embroidery Area: 4″ x 4″
- Built-in Designs: 70
- Built-in Fonts: 5
- Number of Needles: 1
- 25-year limited warranty and unlimited support
- Import Ability: USB cable outlet
What We Like
- Good for beginners
- Easy to switch between sewing and embroidery
What We Don’t Like
- Machine must be connected via cable to a computer to download designs
- Primitive LCD screen
Our Verdict
This machine is expensive for a 4″ x 4″ hoop machine. While it’s easy to use and operate, for the money we’d recommend our #1 choice of best monogramming machines instead, the Brother SE600.
#9 Janome MB-4S Four Needle Embroidery Machine
- Remote Computer Screen (RCS): The Remote Computer Screen (RCS) gives you total set-up and editing control with up to 65,536 colors. One RCS can power many machines, saving the cost of additional controllers
- LED Light: The LED Light offers precise lighting for outstanding results | On Board Control: The MB-4S includes an on-board sub-control device. You can use it without the controller! The MB-4S also includes 3 MB of memory which can store up to 1,500,000 stitches or up to 100 designs
- Automatic Thread Cutter: The MB-4S automatically cuts jump threads – even between letters – saving you time and hassle. Dedicated Bobbin Winding Motor: This feature – not found on professional machines – winds new bobbins even while the machine is stitching a design
- 4 Needle Commercial Machine
- Bonus Package Includes: Janome MB-4S Hat Hoop (100mm x 60mm), Janome Lettering Hoop Holder Unit, Janome No.7 Lettering Hoop J8 (25 x 121), Janome No. 9 Lettering Hoop J6 (66 x 66). *Items may be substituted and are subject to stock on hand. Packing might vary
All the Details
- Embroidery Area: 9.4″ x 7.9″
- Built-in Designs: 138
- Built-in Fonts: 50
- Number of Needles: 4
- Screen Size: 5.7″
- Import Ability: USB Port
What We Like
- Comes with multiple hoops
- Expanded built-in memory
- Extra-large bobbin
- On-screen editing
- Compatible with six industry-standard Tajima hoops
What We Don’t Like
- Hard to thread, but worth it for the versatility of a 4 needle machine
Our Verdict
If you’re looking for a versatile machine for your home-based monogramming and embroidery business, this is our pick of the best monogramming machines.
It has a small footprint, is lightweight and has the ability to stitch on just about anything with the available hoops. For a complicated machine, the touchscreen panel is easy to use and you’ll get the quality results you’d expect with a Janome.
It’s our top pick of the multi-needle best monogramming machines.
#10 Janome MB-7 7 Needle Embroidery Machine
All the Details
- Embroidery Area: 9.4″ x 7.9″
- Built-in Designs: 50
- Built-in Fonts: 10
- Number of Needles: 7
- Screen Size: 5.7″
- Import Ability: USB Port
What We Like
- Comes with multiple hoops
- Expanded built-in memory
- Extra-large bobbin
- On-screen editing
- Compatible with industry-standard Tajima hoops
- Fast and smooth operation
What We Don’t Like
- More complicated to thread, but that’s par for the course with a multi-needle machine. It still is a great machine that makes our list of the best monogramming machines.
Our Verdict
This is another quality Janome machine. It monograms and embroiders just like you’d expect it to. It’s a great business machine because you can expand the kinds of things you embroider with industry-standard Tajima hoops.
The 7 needles allow for a wide range of thread colors. If a 7 needle machine is something you feel your monogramming business needs, this Janome is one of the best monogramming machines for the price.

What is A Monogramming Machine?
More specialized than a traditional sewing machine, a monogramming sewing machine is designed to be able to embroider letters and numbers in different fonts onto almost anything made of fabric.
While a monogramming machine may look like a standard sewing machine, it doesn’t sew; it embroiders.
Modern monogramming machines are computerized. They come with a set of built-in fonts and patterns that can be selected depending on the project.
Some high end best monogramming sewing machines can be connected to a computer or have a USB slot for a flash drive, so you can upload even more designs.
If you’re looking for a heavy-duty machine for your home business, you may want to look into our recommendations for the best industrial sewing machine as well.
Why Would You Need a Monogramming Sewing Machine?
Since most standard sewing machines are unable to embroider, you might want a monogramming sewing machine if you want to monogram any of the following items:
- Wedding accessories
- Linens
- Handkerchiefs
- Baby clothes
- Backpacks, bags and other canvas items
- Sports uniforms
- Sashes
- Swim team towels
- Blankets
- Hats
- Clothing
- Personalized gifts
- Home decor items
That’s a lot, huh? With the best monogramming machine, your potential projects are only as big as your imagination!
What’s more, there are tons of embroidery and monogramming software out there to increase your range of designs.
A Monogramming Machine probably isn’t for you if…
If you’re looking for a machine that can do it all, a monogramming sewing machine probably isn’t going to cut it. While some monogramming machines can be used for both embroidery and sewing, that usually isn’t the case.
But if you’re looking to only do monogramming, or if you want to start a business doing monogramming, a monogramming sewing machine is a good option that will be cheaper than a more expensive and complicated embroidery machine.
Are Monogramming and Embroidery the Same?
If you’re wondering if a monogramming sewing machine is the same thing as an embroidery machine you’re not alone.
Monogramming is a subset of embroidery. Monogramming usually means the embroidery of letters, numbers, and fonts. Whereas, embroidery covers the whole range of letters, numbers, fonts and artistic designs.
Most standard sewing machines don’t do embroidery and most embroidery machines are unable to function as a regular sewing machine.
Different Types of Monogramming Machines
Monogramming sewing machines are available at several different price points. If you are looking for the best monogramming machine to use in a business, you will have a different set of criteria for choosing than a home sewist who only wants to embroider once in a while.
These are the features you can expect at each level.
Entry-level Monogramming Machines
- Embroidery Area: 4” x 4”
- Built-in Patterns: 20 – 50 different choices
- 2 – 5 fonts
- Starting Price: $250
Mid-Range Monogramming Sewing Machines
- Embroidery Area: 5” x 7”
- Built-in Patterns: 50 – 100 different choices
- 5 – 8 fonts
- Starting Price: $400
High-End Monogram Sewing Machines
- Embroidery Area: 8” x 12”
- Built-in Patterns: 100 – 300 individual designs
- 8 – 12 fonts
- Most allow you to design your own patterns and import from a computer
- Starting Price: $600
Top of the Line Monogram Machines
- Embroidery Area: 8” x 12”
- Number of Needles: 4 – 8
- Built-in Patterns: 200+ designs
- 12+ built-in fonts and ability to upload your own from a computer
- Ability to design your own patterns and import from a computer
- Starting Price: $2000
Important Features In a Monogramming Machine
Just like a regular mechanical sewing machine has important features, monogramming and embroidery sewing machines have their own special set of features specific to monogramming or embroidery.
Take a look at the features below and decide which are important to you. Then you won’t be paying for features you don’t need or missing features you could really use.
Number of Designs
Entry-level machines offer a limited set of designs and fonts, while commercial monogramming sewing machines offer hundreds of built-in designs, multiple fonts and the ability to download an almost unlimited variety of fonts and designs from your computer.
Built-in Memory
With built-in memory, you can save custom edited or imported designs to your machine to easily use again. This comes in super handy if you’re doing repetitive designs, like swim team bags, or school sweatshirts.
Design Editing
Some machines are able to do simple editing tasks like increasing the size of a design, mirroring an image or rotating without having to connect to your computer to do so.
Number of Needles
As the number of needles increases, the price increases for the best monogramming sewing machines.
Entry-level machines usually come with a single needle. Every time you need to change thread color, you must stop the process, remove the last color and rethread with the new color.
This isn’t an issue for single-color, more simple monogramming designs, but it could be extremely frustrating and cumbersome if you plan on doing complicated multi-colored designs.
High end monogramming and embroidery machines have four to ten needles which can be threaded with different colors before you start stitching.
Embroidery Area
The size you’ll need depends on the type of projects you want to monogram. If you just want to embroider initials on handkerchiefs, an entry-level machine will be adequate.
But if you can foresee yourself wanting to do elaborate, large designs, you may need a higher-end monogramming sewing machine.
Entry-level machines have smaller embroidery areas: 4” x 4”, while the more expensive models usually have a large embroidery area: 8” x 12”.
Tips for Using a Monogramming Machine
Each monogramming sewing machine is different so we recommend always reading your user manual, but these are the basic steps to using the best monogramming sewing machine.
- Set your machine up in a well-lit area with room for your project to move around freely.
- Plugin your machine and follow the directions that came with the machine to program your desired monogram.
- Thread your machine with the color thread you want for your monogram.
- Decide on the placement of your monogram on your project, making sure to take the size of your hoop into consideration. Mark the center point of your design with a fabric marking tool.
- If recommended by your machine’s manufacturer, place a piece of embroidery stabilizer under your fabric.
- Once you’ve decided on placement and added the stabilizer, put your project into your embroidery hoop, making sure your center mark is lined up with the center marks on the hoop.
- Attach the hoop to your machine and start your machine.
- Let the monogramming machine work its magic.
- Detach the hoop, and carefully remove your project.
- Trim any threads and carefully remove the stabilizer.
- Pat yourself on the back because you just completed your first monogram!!
- It’s always a good idea to do a test run when working on a new project.
- Make sure your needles are sharp. They should be replaced after about 8 hours of use, or earlier if they start to seem dull.
Summary: Our top Picks for the Best monogramming Machine at Each Pricepoint
Once again, here are our top picks at three different price points for the best monogramming machine.
The Takeaway: Which is the best Monogram Machine for Me?
Before you choose a machine, take a good look at your needs and requirements. Are you looking for a machine you’ll mostly use on home projects? Or are you thinking about starting a creative business monogramming?
Once you have the key features you’re looking for, take a good look at the specs of all the machines we’ve listed above.
By doing your research, you’re bound to find the best monogramming machine for your needs!
Happy creating!
