How we compare them
A cut list optimizer does one core job: it takes a list of parts and packs them onto full sheets (and your offcuts) so you waste as little material as possible, while respecting the saw blade kerf and, where it matters, the grain direction. Beyond that core, the tools differ in price, platform, and the extra features that matter on a real project. We looked at ten of the most relevant tools for hobbyists and small makers, six established names plus the newer 2026 wave, and we tried to be fair: every one of them is good at something.
| Tool | Platform | Free tier | Stands out for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CutList Optimizer | Web + Android app | Yes, with limits | Widely used web tool; its Android app has 1M+ Google Play downloads (September 2026). Per-side edge banding, 17-language interface. Starts with no account. | Free plan: 5 calculations per day and 5 saved items; Silver (€15/month) and Gold (€25/month) lift that. No 1D mode, no cabinet module, no DXF. |
| cutlistlab | Web (mobile-first) | Yes, no daily limit | Free with no sign-up and no daily cap, a built-in cabinet helper, offcut stock, a numbered cutting order whose first full-length cuts are the ones to ask the store for, a choice of goals (least waste, fewest cuts or lowest cost) and optional sign-in to sync. | Newer and less well known. No native desktop app. |
| OptiCutter | Web (server-side) | Yes, with limits | 1D and 2D, roll material, material groups, exports to PDF, XLS, CSV and DXF, plus an API and Enterprise plan. | Free plan stops at 5 stocks, 20 part sizes and 500 parts. No cabinet module or offcut library across projects. |
| OpenCutList | SketchUp extension | Free, open source | Generates the cut list straight from your 3D SketchUp model, with labels and cost and weight estimates. | Needs SketchUp. Not a standalone tool if you do not model in 3D. |
| MaxCut | Windows desktop | Free Community edition | Built for small cabinet shops: from cut list to quotation, with labels, job costing and a cabinet library. | Windows only, no web or mobile. Community Edition is for hobbyists, education, new businesses and 90-day trials; established businesses need the per-device Business subscription. |
| CutList Plus fx | Windows desktop | Free trial, then one-time purchase | Mature, serious software with material buying and cost reports, sold as a one-time license rather than a subscription. | Paid and Windows only. Less suited to the quick free online job. |
Pricing and free-tier limits change; check each tool's own site for the current details. This table reflects the general picture in 2026.
Feature by feature
This matrix lines up the three most complete tools feature by feature. ✓ = yes, ✗ = no, partial = limited. MaxCut, OpenCutList and CutList Plus are not in this grid; see the table above for those.
| Feature | cutlistlab | CutList Optimizer | OptiCutter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2D panel cutting | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 1D linear cutting (beams, battens) | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Saw kerf accounted for | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wood grain direction | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Optimize for lowest cost | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Choice of goals (waste / cuts / cost) | ✓ | partial | partial |
| Numbered cutting order | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Offcut stock kept across projects | ✓ | partial | ✗ |
| Parametric cabinet designer | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| 3D exploded view | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Library of real store sheets + prices | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| DXF export (for CAD/CNC) | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| API | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Multilingual | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Metric and imperial | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free with no daily limit | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Start without an account | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Own mobile app (Android) | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
Based on each tool's own site and apps in 2026. CutList Optimizer and OptiCutter have a free tier with limits and paid plans; cutlistlab is free with no daily limit. Details can change, so verify if in doubt.
The tools, one by one
CutList Optimizer, widely used, with an Android app
A widely used web tool: its Android app shows more than 1 million downloads on Google Play (September 2026). It is quick to learn, works well, and has an Android app that shares your account. You can start without an account. The catch is the free plan: 5 calculations per day and 5 saved items, and the Silver (€15 a month, unlimited calculations, 150 saved items) and Gold (€25 a month, faster calculation, 20,000 saved items) plans or a €4.90 three-day pass lift that (prices as shown in the app in September 2026, 10% less with annual billing). It is a sheet optimizer only: no 1D linear mode, no cabinet designer, no DXF export. Best for: a focused single-screen optimizer with an Android app.
Full comparison: CutList Optimizer versus cutlistlab
cutlistlab, free with no limit plus a cabinet helper
This is our tool, so take it as you like, but here is the honest version. cutlistlab is free, runs in the browser, and you can use the whole thing without an account, with no daily cap on calculations. It adds the things hobbyists tend to want: a parametric cabinet helper that turns a few dimensions into a parts list, an offcut and remnant library so leftover panels get used first, a numbered cutting order for when the store cuts your sheets, a choice between least waste, fewest cuts or lowest cost, printable labels, and metric or imperial. An account is optional and only used to save and sync your projects. It is newer and less known than the names above, and there is no native desktop app. Best for: free, no-sign-up use without a daily limit, and cabinet projects.
OptiCutter, 1D and 2D with an API
OptiCutter is a polished web tool that handles both linear (1D) cutting, think lengths of timber or profile, and 2D panel cutting, plus roll material, material groups and priorities, with exports to PDF, XLS, CSV and DXF and an API for heavier users. It is available in 11 languages and calculates on its own servers. The free plan is generous for small jobs (up to 5 stocks, 20 part sizes and 500 parts, exports included); paid plans start at €9 a month. It has no cabinet module or offcut library across projects. cutlistlab also does 1D and 2D and exports DXF, so the real differences are the API, roll material and the business-oriented workflow. Best for: an optimization API, roll material, and XLS or DXF hand-off to other software.
Full comparison: OptiCutter versus cutlistlab
OpenCutList, if you live in SketchUp
OpenCutList is a free, open-source extension for SketchUp. If you already model your projects in 3D, it reads the model and produces a parts list, cutting diagrams, labels, and even cost and weight estimates, all without leaving SketchUp. The flip side is obvious: it only helps if you use SketchUp. Best for: woodworkers who design in SketchUp and want the cut list to come straight from the model.
Full comparison: OpenCutList versus cutlistlab, with and without SketchUp
MaxCut and CutList Plus, for small cabinet shops
Both are mature Windows desktop programs aimed more at the small professional than the weekend builder. MaxCut goes from cut list to customer quotation, with labels, job costing and a cabinet library, and has a free Community Edition for hobbyists, education, new businesses and 90-day trials (established businesses need the per-device Business subscription). CutList Plus fx adds material buying and cost reporting and is sold as a one-time license instead of a subscription, which some people prefer. Neither is a quick free online tool, and both are Windows only. Best for: small cabinet and joinery businesses that want quoting and labelling alongside the optimizer.
Detailed comparisons: MaxCut versus cutlistlab and CutList Plus fx versus cutlistlab.
The newer 2026 wave: Cutlist Evolution, Cutlistor, layout.rip, CutListCalc, Rogue Engineer
A cluster of newer browser tools has appeared, all competing on "free, no sign-up". They differ mainly in where the free plan actually ends (all limits below are from each tool's own site, September 2026):
- Cutlist Evolution: polished optimizer with kerf, grain, offcuts, edge banding and PDF export, also for linear and roll material. The free plan caps at 40 parts per calculation; paid plans (150 to 2,000 parts, from $7 a month) raise that. How it compares with cutlistlab.
- Cutlistor: handles 2D sheets and 1D linear stock, with AI plan scanning and 3D CAD import. Free use is limited to 20 items and 3 PDF exports per day, without saved projects or stock; Pro ($12 a month) lifts that. How it compares with cutlistlab.
- layout.rip: 100% free with no sign-up, open source, runs entirely locally in your browser, and shows several ranked layouts scored on both waste and cutting difficulty. Minimal by design: no cabinet designer, no offcut library across projects. layout.rip and cutlistlab side by side.
- CutListCalc: free with no account and no stated limits, straightforward calculator style, also handles lumber. No cabinet module.
- Rogue Engineer's optimizer: free with no account, no daily limit and no watermark, takes pasted spreadsheet data and produces guillotine-friendly cut sheets. Part of a project-plans website rather than a standalone product.
Where does cutlistlab sit against these? Same promise, wider scope: free with no sign-up and no part limit, plus the cabinet designer, the offcut stock that carries over to your next project, and a library of real store sheets with prices. layout.rip and Rogue Engineer are the strongest of this wave if you only want a quick nesting result.
Free-tier limits at a glance
Because "free" means something different at every tool, here is the honest overview (each tool's own site, September 2026):
| Tool | Account needed? | Where the free plan ends |
|---|---|---|
| cutlistlab | No | No part limit, no daily cap; optional account only for sync |
| layout.rip | No | No limits; runs locally |
| CutListCalc | No | No stated limits |
| Rogue Engineer | No | No daily limit, no watermark |
| OpenCutList | No (needs SketchUp) | Free and open source |
| MaxCut Community | No (Windows only) | Free for hobbyists, education, new businesses and trials; Business is paid per device |
| CutList Optimizer | No to start | 5 calculations per day and 5 saved items on the free plan |
| Cutlist Evolution | No to start | 40 parts per project on the free plan |
| Cutlistor | No to start | 20 items and 3 PDF exports per day; no saved projects or stock |
| OptiCutter | No to start | 5 stocks, 20 part sizes, 500 parts on the free plan |
So which should you pick?
- You want a focused single-screen optimizer with an Android app: CutList Optimizer.
- You want free with no daily limit, no sign-up, and a cabinet helper: cutlistlab.
- You need an optimization API, roll material or XLS export: OptiCutter.
- You design in SketchUp: OpenCutList.
- You run a small cabinet shop and want quotes and labels: MaxCut or CutList Plus.
- You want several ranked layouts and everything local: layout.rip.
- You paste parts from a spreadsheet and cut lumber too: Rogue Engineer.
Try cutlistlab on a real project. Open the free optimizer, enter your parts, and compare the result with whatever you use now. No sign-up, nothing to install.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free cut list optimizer in 2026?
There is no single best for everyone. CutList Optimizer is a widely used tool whose Android app has 1M+ Google Play downloads; cutlistlab is a strong free, no-sign-up choice with no daily limit and a cabinet helper; OptiCutter is best if you need an optimization API or roll material; OpenCutList is ideal if you design in SketchUp.
Is CutList Optimizer really free?
It has a free tier, but it is limited, for example a small number of calculations per day and a limited number of saved cut lists. Paid tiers remove those limits. It has an Android app that shares your account.
Which cut list optimizer is best for cabinets?
cutlistlab has a built-in cabinet helper that builds the parts list for you, and MaxCut is strong for small cabinet shops that also want quotes and labels. Pure optimizers like CutList Optimizer and OptiCutter expect you to enter the parts yourself.
Which cut list optimizers are completely free, without part limits?
Going by each tool's own site (September 2026): cutlistlab, layout.rip, CutListCalc and Rogue Engineer are free with no sign-up and no part or daily limits. Cutlist Evolution's free plan caps at 40 parts, Cutlistor's at 3 PDF exports per day, and CutList Optimizer and OptiCutter limit daily calculations or parts on their free tiers.
Do any work without an account?
Yes, most let you start without signing up: cutlistlab, layout.rip, CutListCalc, Rogue Engineer, CutList Optimizer and OptiCutter. The difference is what happens next: some cap the free plan (parts, exports or daily runs), while cutlistlab stays uncapped and only offers an optional account for syncing projects.