There are lots of Rubik's Cube methods for the 3x3, but only about six are worth knowing by name as a beginner: the layer-by-layer method, CFOP, Roux, ZZ, Petrus and Corners First. Every one of them gets the cube back to solved. What changes is the order you put the pieces in, how many algorithms you need to remember and how many moves a solve takes.
Find your case fast
Look at your cube from above and tap the picture that matches it to see how to solve it. Grey cells are stickers you can ignore.
This post shows each method with pictures, compares them in one table, and then suggests which one to pick first.
How to read the pictures
- Yellow face on top, white on the bottom, green at the front. The right face is orange.
- Each picture has two cubes: the left one is before the moves, the right one is after.
- Only the pieces that matter for that step are coloured. Grey pieces are ones you do not need to worry about yet.
Every move sequence in this post was tested on the EasyRubic Rubik's Cube simulator. If R, U and R' are new to you, see Rubik's Cube notation for beginners.
1. Layer by layer (for beginners)
This is the method almost everyone starts with. You solve the bottom layer, then the middle layer, then the top layer. Each step only deals with a few pieces, and every algorithm is short.
The first step is the white cross:
- You start with (input)A scrambled cube
- Result you will get after finishing this stepWhite cross done
The last step is moving the yellow edges into place:
- You start with (input)Yellow corners in place
- Result you will get after finishing this stepCube solved
On the top layer, many people use the "4-look" version (4LLL). According to Wikipedia, this cuts the number of last-layer algorithms from 78 down to 16, at the cost of slower solves (Wikipedia).
Who it suits: every beginner. It is the foundation for nearly every other method. All 7 steps are in the EasyRubic step-by-step guide and in the post how to solve a 3x3 Rubik's Cube for beginners.
Four moves.
One at a time.
Tap each symbol and follow one piece. This is an exercise in watching the movement.
2. CFOP (the Fridrich method)
CFOP has four steps: Cross (a cross on the bottom face), F2L (the first two layers), OLL (making the top face one colour) and PLL (moving the top-layer pieces into place). SpeedSolving Wiki calls it the most widely used speedsolving method for the 3x3, and the method that has ruled competitions since around 2000 (SpeedSolving Wiki).
CFOP is often called the Fridrich method, because Jessica Fridrich's website, published in 1995, made it popular. Even so, SpeedSolving Wiki says its steps were worked out by several people between about 1978 and 1981 (SpeedSolving Wiki).
What makes it special: pairing up in F2L
Instead of placing a corner and then an edge, F2L joins one corner and one edge into a pair, then puts the whole pair into its slot in one go. The picture below shows the last pair going into the front-right slot:
U R U' R'
See it in 3D, before and after
- You start with (input)
- After the formula
The top layer: one OLL and one PLL
The full version has 57 OLL algorithms and 21 PLL algorithms, 78 in total (SpeedSolving Wiki). For example, here is the T-perm, a PLL algorithm that swaps two corners and two edges of the top layer:
R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R' F'
See it in 3D, before and after
- You start with (input)
- After the formula
Who it suits: people who want to solve fast and compete, and do not mind remembering lots of algorithms. CFOP has the most guides and videos in Vietnamese. See the overview in the post What is CFOP?.
3. The Roux method
Gilles Roux came up with this method in 2003 (SpeedSolving Wiki). Roux does not solve the cube in layers but in blocks:
- Build a 1x2x3 block on the left.
- Build a second 1x2x3 block on the right, leaving the middle slice and the top layer open.
- CMLL: solve the four corners of the top layer.
- LSE: solve the last six edges using only middle-slice turns (M) and top-face turns (U).
Two blocks, one on each side
Once the first block is done, most of the solve only uses R, U and the middle slice, so you almost never have to turn the whole cube. The picture below shows the last pair of the second block, using only R and U:
R U R' U' R U R'
- You start with (input)
- After the formula
CMLL: the four top corners
Full CMLL has 42 algorithms (SpeedSolving Wiki). The Sune, which beginners already know, is one of them:
R U R' U R U2 R'
See it in 3D, before and after
- You start with (input)
- After the formula
After CMLL, only six edges are left. This step uses nothing but M and U moves, so it is very short, but turning the middle slice quickly takes practice. Wikipedia also notes that M moves make it hard to reach high turning speeds with Roux (Wikipedia).
Strengths: few moves. SpeedSolving Wiki puts a speedsolve at about 48 moves, and Wikipedia gives 45 to 50 moves for skilled solvers, compared with 55 to 60 moves for CFOP (SpeedSolving Wiki, Wikipedia).
Who it suits: people who would rather think things through than memorise, and want fewer algorithms. EasyRubic has its own Roux guide, starting from step 1: the first block.
4. The ZZ method
Zbigniew Zborowski created ZZ in 2006, and the name comes from his initials (SpeedSolving Wiki). The main idea is to fix the orientation of all 12 edges right at the start:
- EOLine: flip every edge the right way round, and at the same time line up two white edges at the front and back of the bottom face in a straight line.
- F2L: build a block on each side of that line.
- Top layer: because the edges are already oriented, the top face always has a ready-made yellow cross.
The first two layers with just L, U and R
An edge only gets flipped when you turn the front or back face a quarter turn. So after EOLine, you solve the first two layers with only L, U and R, with your hands holding the sides of the cube and no need to turn the whole cube. The picture below shows the last pair going into the front-left slot with the left hand:
U' L' U L
See it in 3D, before and after
- You start with (input)
- After the formula
Strengths and weaknesses: SpeedSolving Wiki says ZZ averages about 45 moves when you start with EOLine. But EOLine is hard, and it can take months before you can spot it within the 15-second inspection (SpeedSolving Wiki). The one-look last-layer version (ZBLL) has as many as 493 cases (Wikipedia), but you can use a two-look version with about 20 algorithms instead.
Who it suits: people who can already solve with CFOP, enjoy one-handed solving or hate turning the whole cube mid-solve.
5. The Petrus method
Lars Petrus came up with this method in 1981 (SpeedSolving Wiki). The steps:
- Build a 2x2x2 block at any corner.
- Grow it into a 2x2x3 block.
- Flip the edges that are still the wrong way round.
- Finish the first two layers using only two faces.
- Solve the top layer with algorithms.
From 2x2x2 to 2x2x3
In the picture below, the 2x2x2 block at the back left is already done, and the moves bring in the last pair to make a 2x2x3 block that fills the left two thirds of the bottom two layers.
U L' U' L
See it in 3D, before and after
- You start with (input)
- After the formula
The first two layers with just R and U
Once the edges are oriented, the rest of the first two layers only needs R and U turns:
R U' R' U R U R'
See it in 3D, before and after
- You start with (input)
- After the formula
Strengths and weaknesses: according to SpeedSolving Wiki, Petrus uses fewer moves than CFOP and needs far fewer algorithms, but building blocks efficiently is quite hard for beginners (SpeedSolving Wiki). Wikipedia says Petrus used to be popular, but few people use it in competition now because its moves are awkward for the hands (Wikipedia).
Who it suits: people who want to get the hang of block-building. Many Petrus steps help when you move on to Roux or ZZ, or compete in Fewest Moves.
6. Corners First
Corners First methods put all eight corners in place first, and only then deal with the centres and edges. According to SpeedSolving Wiki, Ernő Rubik himself first solved the cube in 1974 with a corners-first approach (SpeedSolving Wiki).
This style was very popular in the 1980s. Minh Thai got 22.95 seconds in 1982 with a corners-first method, and SpeedSolving Wiki calls it the first official speedsolving record (SpeedSolving Wiki). Very few competitors use it today (Wikipedia), but its idea lives on in Roux: the CMLL step also solves the corners before the edges.
Who it suits: people who love Rubik's Cube history, or who can already solve and want to try something unusual. Not a good choice for your first method.
Comparison table
| Method | Year | Average moves | Algorithms | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Layer by layer | – | the most | very few | Beginners |
| CFOP | 1978–1981 | 55–60 | 78 (full version) | Speedsolving, competitions |
| Roux | 2003 | 45–50 | 42 (full CMLL) | Block-building, few algorithms |
| ZZ | 2006 | about 45–53 | 20 to 493 | One-handed, few cube rotations |
| Petrus | 1981 | about 45 | 2 to 493 | Getting the hang of block-building |
| Corners First | 1974 onwards | no data | at least 4 | Curiosity, history |
Figures come from SpeedSolving Wiki and Wikipedia (see the sources at the end). Move counts are estimates for skilled solvers; beginners will use more moves.
Which Rubik's Cube method should you pick?
- You have never solved it: go with the layer-by-layer method. Do not start with CFOP or Roux, because both assume you already know how the pieces move.
- You can solve it and want to get faster: switch to CFOP. You already know a few of its algorithms, and it has the most guides. See the post solve a Rubik's Cube in under 1 minute for a practice plan.
- You do not want to memorise lots of algorithms: try Roux. The first two blocks are solved by intuition, and most of the algorithms are in CMLL.
- You like one-handed solving: ZZ and Roux both need very few whole-cube turns.
Switching methods takes time, because your hands are used to the old way. If you already solve CFOP steadily, only switch when you really like the new method, not because you heard it is faster. People using CFOP, Roux or ZZ can all solve very fast.
Video
Want to see it in motion? The short video below from the Việt Roux 2 channel on YouTube adds to what this post covers (it is in Vietnamese). The video belongs to that channel and is embedded straight from YouTube.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
How many Rubik's Cube methods are there?
There are dozens of methods and variations. The most popular in competitions are CFOP, Roux and ZZ. Beginners usually start with the layer-by-layer method.
CFOP or Roux: which is faster?
Both are fast enough to compete at the very top level. CFOP is the most widely used and has the most guides. Roux uses fewer moves and fewer algorithms, but needs lots of practice with middle-slice turns.
Should a beginner go straight to CFOP?
No. Get a solve with the layer-by-layer method first. Once you can solve steadily, switching to CFOP is much easier, because you already know some of its algorithms.
Which method needs the fewest algorithms?
The layer-by-layer method and beginner Corners First methods only need a few short algorithms. Among competition methods, Roux and ZZ can use fewer algorithms than full CFOP.
What is the Fridrich method?
It is another name for CFOP, after Jessica Fridrich, who helped make the method popular through her website.