No real big differences that I am aware of. The warranty card for Elna even goes to Janome. All the Janome accessories fit Elna (so far anyway!). I had a Janome, then last year I decided to trade up to a model with more features, and when I went to pick it up, the dealer told me I could go up another step more for $500 if I went with the Elna version - I have the 740 Excellence by Elna and love it.