Purpose Nowadays, the applications of metal matrix composites are tremendously increasing in engineering fields. Consequently, the demand for precise machining of composites has also grown enormously. The purpose of this paper is to reduce production cost and simultaneously improve desired product quality through optimal parameter setting using WASPAS and MOORA. Design/methodology/approach Metal matrix composites were fabricated using stir casting process, with aluminum 6063 as matrix and titanium carbide as reinforcement. Fabricated composite samples were machined on medium duty lathe using cemented carbide tool. All the experiments were carried out based on Box–Behnken design. Comparison of multi objective optimization based on ratio analysis and weighted aggregated sum product assessment in optimizing four parameters, namely, “cutting speed,” “feed rate,” “depth of cut” and “reinforcement weight percent of composite samples”; evaluating their influence on material removal rate, cutting force and surface roughness were carried out. Findings The output achieved by both MOORA and WASPAS are in similar MCDM) techniques in the selection of machining parameters. Practical implications The results obtained in the present paper will be helpful for decision makers in manufacturing industries, who work in metal cutting area, to select the suitable levels for the parameters by implementing the MCDM techniques. Originality/value The novelty of this paper is making an attempt to select better MCDM technique based on the comparison of results obtained for the individual technique.