Cutlistor alternative: a free cut list optimizer with no part limit

Quick verdict

Side by side

Both tools optimize sheet layouts and linear cuts in the browser. The table shows where they differ, with the free plan as the baseline.

Based on each vendor's own website, checked September 2026. Plans and limits change; check the vendor's current pricing page.

Where Cutlistor is better

Getting parts in from a plan or a model. This is the clearest gap. Cutlistor can scan a PDF or a hand sketch with AI and turn it into a cut list, and it can import 3D models in glTF, GLB or Collada format from SketchUp, Fusion or Blender. cutlistlab has neither: you type parts, paste them from a spreadsheet, or generate them with the cabinet designer. If your projects always start as a drawing or a 3D model, Cutlistor saves real time.

Team use. Cutlistor's Team plan gives up to 5 seats with central billing. cutlistlab has no team accounts, so a shop with several people sharing projects has no equivalent there.

Real-time layout updates. Cutlistor updates the layout as you edit the list. That is a pleasant way to work through a list and see the effect of each change straight away.

Where cutlistlab fits better

No caps on the free plan. Cutlistor's free plan stops at 20 cut-list items, 3 PDF exports per day and 5 imported rows, and leaves out saved projects, stock inventory and DXF export. cutlistlab has no part limit, no daily export cap, no watermark and no paywall, and includes saved projects, offcut stock and DXF export for free.

Cabinet designer. cutlistlab has a parametric cabinet designer (bookcase, cabinet with doors, wardrobe, drawer unit, TV unit, kitchen base and wall cabinets, attic cabinet with a sloped side, and more) with a front, side and 3D view. Its parts flow straight into the cutting plan and update live when you change a dimension.

Offcut workflow without a subscription. Leftover pieces are kept as stock across projects and used before a new sheet. In Cutlistor, stock inventory is a Pro feature.

Store sheet library. cutlistlab ships real sheet sizes with prices for 41 country markets (for example Home Depot, Lowe's and Menards in the US), and the lowest-cost optimization goal uses those prices.

At the saw. The step-by-step "Cut along" full-screen mode, numbered cutting order and printable labels grouped per sheet are built for a phone at the workbench.

Pricing and free plan

Cutlistor has a free plan that needs no account and no card: 20 cut-list items, 3 PDF exports per day (editing and re-optimizing are unlimited), CSV/XLSX import up to 5 rows, 3 AI plan scans per month and 3 3D CAD imports per month (not saved). Saved projects, stock inventory and DXF export are not in the free plan.

• Pro: $12 per month or $99 per year. Unlimited items, 250 saved projects, up to 2,500 total stock quantity, 150 AI imports per month, 200 stored 3D uploads per month, DXF export.
• Business: $25 per month or $249 per year. Removes the Pro caps.
• Team: $99 per month or $999 per year. Up to 5 seats, central billing.

cutlistlab is free in full. There is no part limit, no daily calculation cap, no watermark and no paywall, and no account is needed. An optional free account saves projects on the server and syncs projects and offcut stock across devices. Without an account, everything stays local in your browser, with a project file export and import for backups and a share link.

Pricing checked: September 2026. Plans and limits change; check the vendor's current pricing page.

Workflow comparison

If your project starts as a PDF plan or a sketch

Cutlistor is the better fit. Its AI plan scanning reads parts from the document, 3 scans per month on the free plan and 150 on Pro. In cutlistlab you would read the sizes off the plan and type or paste them in.

If your parts come from SketchUp, Fusion or Blender

Cutlistor can import the model as glTF, GLB or Collada (3 per month free, 200 stored uploads per month on Pro). cutlistlab has no 3D import. If you want a tool that reads the model directly inside SketchUp, look at OpenCutList as well.

If you have a spreadsheet with 80 parts

In Cutlistor's free plan, spreadsheet import stops at 5 rows and the list at 20 items, so 80 parts means a Pro plan. In cutlistlab you paste the whole sheet from Excel or CSV and optimize it for free.

If you are standing next to the saw with your phone

Both tools run in a phone browser. cutlistlab adds a full-screen "Cut along" mode that walks you through the numbered cuts one at a time, and labels you can print per sheet. In Cutlistor, PDF export on the free plan is limited to 3 per day, so plan your prints.

If you build a cabinet once every few months

cutlistlab fits this rhythm: pick a cabinet type, set the sizes, and the parts land in the cutting plan. Your offcuts from last time are already in stock and get used first, and there is no subscription running between projects. Cutlistor's free plan also works for occasional use, as long as the list stays under 20 items and you do not need to save the project.

Who should choose which?

• Plans and models as the starting point: Cutlistor, for AI plan scanning and 3D CAD import.
• Small teams sharing projects: Cutlistor Team, up to 5 seats.
• Short lists, occasional use, no saving needed: either free plan works.
• Longer lists, saved projects, offcuts and DXF without paying: cutlistlab.
• Cabinet builds from a few dimensions: cutlistlab, with the cabinet designer.
• Buying sheets at a local store: cutlistlab, with real sheet sizes and prices for your country.

Frequently asked questions

Sources checked. Competitor information checked against the vendor's official website in September 2026: cutlistor.com, cutlistor.com/pricing.

Product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. cutlistlab is not affiliated with the products compared here.