Energy harvested from ambient sources is generally low and unable to sustain high-powered devices. However, with the current advancement in renewable energies, low-powered technologies are heading towards a more green and sustainable source of energy. One of the most promising source of renewable energy is ambient vibrations, and hence comes the concept of vibration energy harvesting. The primary goal in vibration energy harvesting research is to produce a harvester capable of generating a high voltage and power output. Generally, sufficient voltage is required for AC to DC conversion, whereas adequate power is necessary to sustain an electronic device. This study analyse and compares the performance of three different cantilever-based electromagnetic vibration energy harvester designs for low frequency and low base acceleration applications. The three designs consist of a conventional Single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) design, an Anti-phase design and a Two-degree-of-freedom (2DOF) design. The mathematical model for all three designs were derived based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, Coulomb’s friction law and Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction. Based on this model, the voltage and power output of all three designs under optimum load resistance condition were analytical determined. Two different frequency tuning methods were applied in where the first method involves geometrical frequency tuning by changing the thickness of the cantilever beams and the second method is mass frequency tuning by increasing the mass of a proof mass placed at the free end of the beam. Results showed that under the first tuning method, all three designs produced sufficient voltage for AC to DC conversion. However, the Anti-phase design produced a significantly higher power output and power density than the other two designs. The second tuning method resulted in a significant increase in power output and power density as compared to the first tuning method. However, the voltage generated was lower and in some instances, insufficient for AC to DC conversion. Nevertheless, the 2DOF design produced the highest power output and power density at lower natural frequencies.