The best cupcake and cookie decorating kits can vary depending on your skill level, preferences, price, amount of creativity desired and the occasion. In an attempt to understand the Pros and Cons we did a little digging. Here are some popular options that cater to different needs:

• William Sonoma: William Sonoma is a well-known brand for baking and decorating supplies. They offer Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Birthday Cookie Decorating sets. Each royal kit set comes with 12 shaped cookies, four different colored piping bags of royal icing and  four different colors of sanding sugar. The kit is $59.99, $4.99 per cookie. Pro: Cookies come in fun shapes Con: Limited in colors and creative options. Quantity of royal icing and sprinkles not identified. William Sonoma DIY Mini Cupcake Decorating Kit offers a cute decorating experience. The kit comes with 3 chocolate cupcakes and 3 vanilla cupcakes, 6 ice cream cone toppers, three different colored piping bags of buttercream and confetti sprinkles. The kit is $39.95 before shipping, $6.65 per cupcake. Pro: The birthday theme is very cute and fun. Con: Limited in colors and creative options. Quantity of buttercream and sprinkles not identified. 
• Cheryl’s Cookies: Cheryl’s kits come in four different themes, Cookie Kit, Halloween, Christmas and Birthday. Each kit contains 24 round shortbread cookies, one lb of vanilla and one lb. of colored buttercream, three different colored writing gels, decorative box and three different sprinkles. The kits are $49.99, $2.08 per cookie. Pro: This is the least expensive kit that we found per cookie. It also comes with plenty of buttercream to decorate with. Con: The cookies are small which limits the amount of decorating surface and creativity.
• The Goddess and Grocer’s (by Goldbelly) kit contains 15 shaped shortbread cookies, three different colors of buttercream in piping bags and three different varieties of sanding sugar. There are two different kits offered: pastel and primary colors. The kit is $69.95, $4.66 per cookie. Pro: Free shipping is available. Con: Limited in colors and creative options. Quantity of buttercream and sprinkles are not identified. 
• Mini Melanie (by Goldbelly): Mini Melanie DIY Mini Cookie Decorating Kit offers a royal icing sugar cookie kit. The kit comes with 8 shaped sugar cookies, four different colored piping bags of royal icing, decorating cups, wood stir sticks and rainbow jimmie sprinkles. The kit is $64.95, $8.11 per cookie. Pro: The kit offers four different shapes and bright colors. Con: The price per cookie is on the higher side.
• Carousel Cupcake Kit (by Goldbelly): Carousel Cupcakes offers two different cupcake decorating kits: Birthday Cupcake Kit includes 6 vanilla confetti cupcakes, 3 piping bags with vanilla, fudge and vanilla buttercream with confetti, chocolate balls decoration and assorted cupcake decorations. The Emoji Cupcake Kit includes 3 vanilla cupcakes and 3 chocolate cupcakes, 3 piping bags with yellow, fudge and vanilla buttercream with rainbow sprinkles and assorted cupcake decorations.The kit is $54.95, $9.15 per cupcake. Pro: Carousel Cupcakes became famous because of Oprah’s favorite red velvet. Con: This kit is on the expensive side and offers plastic non-edible decorations.
• Charm City Cupcakes (by Goldbelly): Charm City offers a Duff Goldman’s Jumbo Cupcake decorating kit. The kit includes 2 vanilla cupcakes and 2 chocolate cupcakes, 1 piping bag with 3.2 oz vanilla buttercream, one star tip, one oz of black, blue, red, yellow, and pink fondant, 3 oz of white fondant, three small cookie cutters, and blue sprinkles. The kit is $54.95, $13.74 per cupcake. Pro: This kit offers a variety of materials to play with and allows for more creativity. Con: This kit was the most expensive we found and it is not clear how big the jumbo cupcakes are.