Both species bore a passing or superficial resemblance to a very small, dog-sized saber-toothed cat.

Machaeroides could be distinguished from actual saber-toothed cats by their more-elongated skulls, and their plantigrade stance.

Machaeroides species are distinguished from the closely related Apataelurus by the fact that the former genus had smaller saber-teeth.

[3] M. eothen weighed an estimated 10–14 kg (22–31 lb), thus matching in size a small Staffordshire Terrier.

Experts have been equally divided over whether Machaeroides and its sister-genus, Apataelurus, belong in Oxyaenidae or Hyaenodonta, though as of 2014[update] the most recent studies favor the former.