In this post I will try to give you a comparison chart of the airbrush compressors that you can find out there.
I classified them by types, (diaphragm and piston compressors), and then for the piston compressors by brands so that it is easier for you to compare their key features.
What you need to make sure as I mentioned in my compressor buying Guide is that you buy a compressor that suits your application. So many artists complain about such or such compressor because not powerful enough (psi) , or because of the lack of constant air flow. But if you choose carefully, then you won’t have any surprise.
Best Diaphragm Airbrush Compressors:
Those diaphragm compressors are small, light and therefore very portable. They are often quiet cheap to buy. The motor will run continuously as there is no tank.
Even though they are called “beginner” compressors, I would not recommend those if what you are looking for is a constant air flow for a long period of time. They will be fine for small jobs only, and occasional use.
I want to point out one exception with Badger D200R compressor, a powerful diaphragm compressor that would match the performance of many piston compressors.
Diaphragm compressors are good for applications that require small amount of PSI like airbrush make-up, airbrush nail art or food coloring\bakery.
| Compressor |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | SPARMAX AC-27 | TEMPTU S-ONE | TEMPTU AIR | MASTER C16-B | AZTEK 50204A - Blue Mini | BADGER Co. 80-3N Breeze | BADGER Co. 80-8N | PASSCHE D220R |
| Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
| Application | Make-up, Nail art | Make-up | Make-up | Nail art, Bakery | Nail art, Bakery | Bakery | Bakery | T-Shirt artists, hobbyists, fine art, Tanning, |
| Horsepower | 1/8HP | 1/12HP | 1/16HP | - | - | - | - | 1/6HP |
| Working Pressure | 1-18 psi | 1-18 psi | 1-15 psi | 1-25 psi | 1-40 psi | 1-23 psi | 1-30 psi | 1-50 psi |
| Flow | .45 cfm | 0.4 cfm | .37 cfm | .37 cfm | 1.2 cfm | |||
| Air Control | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Filter | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| airbrush holder | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | No | 1 | 1 | No |
| Weight | 6.4 lbs (2.9 kg) | 5 lbs | 1.7 lbs | 1.6 lbs | 4.6 llbs | 2.1lbs | 4.2 lbs | 9.6 lbs |
| Auto Shut-Off | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Best Piston Airbrush Compressors:
Piston compressors will give you a steady air pressure. They often have a filter and a pressure regulator with a gauge. This is the type of compressor that a mostly used in the airbrushing market. See my Compressor buyer’s guide if you want to know more about compressors.
IWATA Airbrush compressors key features:
| Compressors |   |   |   |   |  |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MODEL | IWATA IS-30 Neo Air | IWATA IS-35 Ninja Jet | IWATAIS-35 Silver Jet | IWATA IS-800 Sprint Jet | IWATA IS-850 Smart Jet | IWATA IS-875 Smart Jet Pro | IWATA IS-925 Power Jet Lite | IWATA IS-875HT Smart Jet Plus | IWATA IS-925HT Power Jet Plus | IWATA IS-975 Power Jet Pro | IWATA IS-900 Power Jet |
| Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
| Type | 1 piston | 1 piston | 1 piston | 1 piston | 1 piston | 1 piston | 2 piston | 2 piston | 2 piston | 2 piston | 2 piston |
| Horsepower | 1/16HP | 1/12HP | 1/10HP | 1/8HP | 1/8HP | 1/8HP | 1/6HP | 1/6HP | 1/4HP | 1/6HP | 1/6HP |
| Working Pressure | 1-15 psi | 1-18 psi | 1-18 psi | 1-35 psi | 1-35 psi | 1-35 psi | 1-60 psi | 1-60 psi | 1-60 psi | 1-60 psi | 1-60 psi |
| Flow | .37 cfm | .30 cfm | .33 cfm | 0.64 cfm | 0.64 cfm | 0.64 cfm | 1.2 cfm | 0.81 cfm | 1.4 cfm | 1.2 cfm | 1.2 cfm |
| Tank Size | 0.45 liter | .5 liter | 2 liter | 3.5 liter | |||||||
| Air Control | Knob | Knob | |||||||||
| Filter | |||||||||||
| airbrush holder | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Weight | .95 lbs | 5.9 lbs | 6.3 lbs (2.9 kg) | 8 lbs (4 kg) | 8 lbs | 14 lbs | 17.5 lbs | 13 lbs | 17 lbs | 26.5 lbs | 28 lbs |
| Auto Shut-Off | |||||||||||
| Noise | Low | 56 db | 56 db | 50 db | 56 db | 50 db | 52 db | 54 db | 56 db | 56 db | 56 db |
BADGER Airbrush compressors key features:
| Compressors |   |   |   |
|---|---|---|---|
| MODEL | BADGER TC908 Aspire | BADGER TC909 Aspire Elite | BADGER TC910 Aspire Pro |
| Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
| Horsepower | 1/6HP | 1/6HP | 1/6HP |
| Working Pressure | 1-40 psi | 1-40 psi | 1-40 psi |
| Flow | 0.81 cfm | 0.81 cfm | 0.81 cfm |
| Tank Size | N/A | N/A | 1 Gallon |
| Air Control | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Filter | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Airbrush holder | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Weight | 8 lbs (4 kg) | 11 lbs (5kg) | 18 lbs (8kg) Yes |
| Auto Shut-Off | Yes | Yes | Yes |
MASTER Airbrush compressors key features:
| Compressors |   |   |   |   |   |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MODEL | MASTER TC40T | MASTER TC-20-H6-B | MASTER TC-20T | MASTER TC-848 | MASTER TC-828 |
| Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
| Fine Art Hobbies | Fine Art Hobbies | Fine Art Hobbies | Fine Art Hobbies Tanning | Fine Art Hobbies tanning | |
| Custom Auto | Custom Auto | ||||
| Type | 1 piston | 1 piston | 1 piston | 4 piston | 2 piston |
| Horsepower | 1/6HP | 1/6HP | 1/5HP | 1/4HP | 1/6HP |
| Working Pressure | 1-43 psi | 1-43 psi | 1-43 psi | 5-57 psi | 5-57 ps |
| Flow | 0.8 cfm | 0.8 cfm | 0.8 cfm | 2.75 cfm | 1.6 cfm |
| Tank Size | 1 gallon (3.8 liters) | N/A | 0.92 gallon (3.5 liters) | 1 gallon (3.8 liters) | 0.80 gallon (3.0 liters) |
| Air Control | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Filter | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| airbrush holder | 2 | No | No | No | |
| Weight | 7.8 lbs (3.5kg) | 8 lbs | 11.5 lbs (5.2kg) | 19.0 lbs (8.4kg) | 13.0 lbs (5.9kg) |
| Auto Shut-Off | yes | yes | yes | Yes | Yes |
| Noise | 47 db | 59 db | 59 db | 62 db | 62 db |
PAASCHE Airbrush compressors key features:
| Pictures |   | |   |   |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | PASSSCHE | PASSSCHE | PASSSCHE | PASSSCHE | PASSSCHE |
| MODEL | D500SR | PASSSCHE D220R | PASSSCHE D3000R | PASSSCHE DA400R | DC600R |
| Application | hobbies, illustration, nail painting, makeup, temporary tattoo | T-Shirt artists, hobbyists, fine art | llustration, hobbies, models, make-up | illustration, hobbies, models, T-shirts, auto-graphics, tanning | illustration, hobbies, models, T-shirts, auto-graphics, tanning |
| Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
| Type | 1 piston | 1 piston | 1 piston | ||
| Horsepower | 1/8HP | 1/6HP | 1/8HP | 1/6HP | 1/6HP |
| Working Pressure | 1-35 psi | 1-50 psi | 1-30 psi | 40-80 psi | 1-55 psi |
| Flow | .5 cfm | 1.2 cfm | 0.5 cfm | 1.2 cfm | 1.2 cfm |
| Tank Size | N/A | N/A | 3/4 Gallon | N/A | 1 Gallon (3.5 l) |
| Air Control | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Filter | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| airbrush holder | No | 2 | No | 2 | |
| Weight | 47 dbs | 55 dbs | 12.2 lbs (5.6kg) | 12.1 lbs | 24.6 lbs |
| Auto Shut-Off | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Noise | 47 dbs | 47 dbs | 50 dbs | 47 dbs |