Quick verdict
Choose Cutlist Evolution if…
- Your parts exist as DXF drawings, or you model in SketchUp and want them in without an export step.
- You cut roll materials as well as sheets and lengths.
- You send quotes and estimates to customers.
- You work in a team and want organisation accounts or an API.
- You want a native iOS app next to the browser version.
Choose cutlistlab if…
- You want the whole optimizer free, with no part limit and no plan to upgrade to.
- You want to design a cabinet and have its parts flow straight into the cutting plan.
- You keep offcuts and want them used before the next new sheet, project after project.
- You buy sheets at a hardware store and want real store sizes and prices ready to pick.
- You work on a Mac, Chromebook, tablet or phone and want nothing to install.
Side by side
Both tools optimize sheet layouts. This table sticks to the points where the two differ in practice, based on what each vendor lists on its own site.
| Feature | Cutlist Evolution | cutlistlab |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 40 parts per calculation, unlimited stock, 3 saved projects, PDF export | Whole optimizer, no part limit |
| Paid plans | $7 to $26 per month | None |
| Platform | Browser, plus native iOS app | Browser on any device |
| Sheet (2D) and linear (1D) | Yes, both | Yes, both |
| Roll materials | Yes | No |
| Kerf, grain, trim | Yes (trim cuts from Pro) | Yes, free |
| Edge banding | Yes, from Pro plan | Yes, free, with size correction |
| Offcuts | Fed into the next calculation | Stock kept across projects |
| Manual positioning | Yes | Yes: rotate, lock, drag, undo |
| Import | CSV, spreadsheet paste, DXF, 3D models (STEP, OBJ, STL, PLY, glTF, 3MF, Collada), SketchUp live link | CSV, TSV, TXT, XLSX, ODS or paste from Excel; 3D models (STEP, IGES, BREP, OBJ, STL); no DXF |
| Export | PDF on the free plan; CSV, SVG, DXF, PTX on higher plans | PDF, PNG, SVG, DXF, CSV, free |
| Printable labels | From Pro plan | Yes, free |
| Branding on exports | Listed as "no branding on exports" on the Expert plan | No watermark |
| Quotes and estimates | Yes | No |
| Cabinet designer | Not listed | Yes, parametric, with 3D view |
| Team accounts and API | Yes | No |
Where Cutlist Evolution is better
DXF drawings and a SketchUp link. Both tools read 3D models: Cutlist Evolution takes STEP, OBJ, STL, PLY, glTF, 3MF and Collada, cutlistlab takes STEP, IGES, BREP, OBJ and STL. The difference is in the other routes. Cutlist Evolution also imports DXF drawings, one part per file, and has a free SketchUp extension that sends the panels straight into the cut list with no export step. cutlistlab cannot read DXF (it only exports it) and has no SketchUp link, so from SketchUp you would export a model file first.
Roll materials. Next to sheet and linear optimization, Cutlist Evolution handles material from a roll. cutlistlab does sheets and lengths only, so for vinyl, foil, fabric or anything else on a roll it is not the right tool.
The business side. Quotes and estimates, team and organisation accounts, an API and, on the Expert plan, beam saw calculations are all things cutlistlab does not have. A shop that needs to hand a customer a price, or wants several people working in one account, will find those in Cutlist Evolution and not in cutlistlab.
A native iOS app. Cutlist Evolution runs in the browser and also ships as an iOS app. cutlistlab runs in the browser on iPhone and iPad too, but there is no app to install from the App Store.
Where cutlistlab fits better
No part limit, and no plan ladder. The Cutlist Evolution free plan stops at 40 parts per calculation, and the free plan includes PDF export and 3 saved projects; CSV export, labels, edge banding and the wider export formats sit on the paid plans. cutlistlab gives you the whole optimizer for free: unlimited parts, no daily cap, PDF, PNG, SVG, DXF and CSV export, printable labels and no watermark. There is nothing to upgrade to.
A built-in cabinet designer. cutlistlab can generate the parts for a bookcase, a cabinet with doors, a wardrobe, a drawer unit, a kitchen base or wall cabinet and several other types from a few dimensions. You see the front, side and a 3D exploded view, choose the back panel, plinth and shelves, and the parts flow into the cutting plan and update live. Cutlist Evolution does not list a cabinet designer.
Offcuts as a stock, not just a next step. Both tools reuse leftovers. Cutlist Evolution feeds offcuts into the next calculation. cutlistlab keeps them as an inventory across projects, so a strip left over from a bookcase in March is offered first when you plan a shelf in June, and the stock syncs with the optional free account.
Real store sheets with prices. cutlistlab has a sheet library with the sizes and prices sold in 41 country markets, for example Home Depot, Lowe's and Menards in the US or Gamma, Praxis and Hornbach in the Netherlands, and a lowest-cost optimization goal that uses those prices. You can enter your own sizes and prices as well.
Local and multilingual. The optimization runs in your browser, not on a server, so it works on any modern browser on Mac, Windows, Linux, Chromebook, tablet or phone. The interface comes in 40 languages and handles metric and imperial, including fractions.
Pricing and free plan
Cutlist Evolution has four plans plus an Enterprise tier:
- Free: 40 parts per calculation, unlimited stock, 3 saved projects (saving requires a free login), PDF export. The app can be used without an account.
- Starter: $7 per month or $70 per year. 150 parts per calculation, 10 saved projects, export to PDF.
- Pro: $14 per month or $140 per year. 300 parts, 50 saved projects, trim cuts and edge banding, PDF and CSV export, printable labels.
- Expert: $26 per month or $260 per year. 1,000 parts, beam saw calculations, 100 saved projects, PDF, CSV, SVG, DXF and PTX export, no branding on exports, priority support.
- Enterprise: 2,000 parts, with custom plans available.
In euro the same plans are shown as €6, €12 and €24 per month. The plans page lists only the paid tiers; the free-plan details above come from the app itself (free plan badge, login needed to save projects) and from the vendor's own article updated on 1 September 2026.
cutlistlab has one plan: free. The whole optimizer is included, with no part limit, no daily calculation cap, no watermark and no paywall. No account is needed. An optional free account saves projects on the server and syncs projects and offcut stock across devices; without one, everything stays local in the browser and you can export a project file as a backup or share a link.
Workflow comparison
If your project starts in Fusion 360 or Shapr3D
Both tools start from the same export. In Fusion 360 you save the design as STEP (or as an OBJ mesh), in Shapr3D as STEP, and both tools read that file. cutlistlab shows each body as a rectangle, a shape, a strip for the linear list or not a panel, and you tick which ones go into the cutting plan. When the model changes, you export and import it again. If your parts are DXF drawings instead of a model, only Cutlist Evolution reads those.
If you have a spreadsheet with 80 parts
In the Cutlist Evolution free plan, 80 parts is twice the 40-part cap per calculation, so you would split the job or move to the Starter plan (150 parts). In cutlistlab you paste all 80 rows from Excel or CSV and run the optimization once, for free. Set the kerf, edge trim and grain direction, pick a goal (least waste, fewest cuts or lowest cost), and read the plan.
If you are standing next to the saw with your phone
Both tools work on a phone. Cutlist Evolution offers a native iOS app; cutlistlab opens in the browser on any phone. cutlistlab has a full-screen mode that walks you through the numbered cutting order step by step, plus printable labels grouped per sheet so the cut pieces are easy to sort.
If you build a cabinet once every few months
This is where cutlistlab is aimed. Open the cabinet designer, enter the outside dimensions, choose doors, shelves and a back panel, and the parts list is ready. Pick your sheet from the store library, tell the tool to use your offcuts first, and print the layout and the shopping list. No subscription sits between you and the next project.
If you run a small shop with a team
Cutlist Evolution has team and organisation accounts, quotes and estimates, an API, and on the Expert plan beam saw calculations. cutlistlab has none of those. It has an optional free account for one person to sync projects across devices, and that is as far as it goes.
Who should choose which?
- Small shops with CAD, quotes or a team: Cutlist Evolution.
- Anyone cutting roll materials: Cutlist Evolution.
- DIY builders and hobby woodworkers with a parts list or a cabinet to design: cutlistlab.
- People who hit the 40-part cap and do not want a subscription: cutlistlab.
- People who reuse offcuts across projects and buy sheets at a hardware store: cutlistlab.
- Not sure: both are free to try in a browser, so run the same parts list through both.
Try it yourself. Already have a cut list? Put the same parts into both tools and compare the layouts. Open cutlistlab: free, no sign-up, nothing to install.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cutlist Evolution free?
Cutlist Evolution has a free plan with up to 40 parts per calculation, unlimited stock, 3 saved projects (saving needs a free login) and PDF export. Higher plans raise the part and project limits and add features such as CSV export, printable labels, edge banding and machine formats; they start at $7 per month or $70 per year. cutlistlab is free for the whole optimizer, without a part limit.
Does cutlistlab have a part limit like the 40 parts in the Cutlist Evolution free plan?
No. cutlistlab has no part limit, no daily calculation cap, no watermark and no paywall. The optimization runs locally in your browser, so a long parts list costs nothing extra.
Can cutlistlab import DXF files or 3D models like Cutlist Evolution?
3D models yes, DXF no. cutlistlab reads 3D models as STEP, IGES, BREP, OBJ or STL, which covers the export from Fusion 360 and Shapr3D, and turns the flat bodies into parts. Parts lists come in as a CSV, TSV, TXT, XLSX or ODS file, or as a paste from Excel. cutlistlab exports DXF for CNC work, but it does not read DXF. Cutlist Evolution imports CSV, DXF and 3D models (STEP, OBJ, STL, PLY, glTF, 3MF and Collada), and has a live link from SketchUp. If your parts exist as DXF drawings, Cutlist Evolution is the more direct route.
Does cutlistlab handle roll materials?
No. cutlistlab optimizes sheets (2D) and linear stock such as bars, boards, battens and profiles (1D). Cutlist Evolution adds roll materials on top of sheet and linear, which matters if you cut vinyl, fabric, foil or similar material from a roll.
Is there a cutlistlab app for iPhone or iPad?
There is no native app. cutlistlab runs in the browser on iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux and Chromebook, with nothing to install. Cutlist Evolution is browser-based as well and also offers a native iOS app.
Can I move a project from Cutlist Evolution to cutlistlab?
There is no direct import. The practical way is to keep your parts in a spreadsheet: name, length, width, quantity. Paste those rows into cutlistlab and add your sheet sizes, kerf and grain settings. Cutlist Evolution lists CSV export on its Pro plan and above, which gives you the same rows if you started there.
Sources checked. Competitor information checked against the vendor's official website in September 2026: cutlistevo.com, cutlistevo.com/plans, cutlistevo.com/app (free plan checked in the app), cutlistevo.com/articles/best-cutlist-optimizer-2026 (vendor article, updated 1 September 2026).
Product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. cutlistlab is not affiliated with the products compared here.