Free Nesting Software in 2026 - 5 Options Compared (Including Truly Free)
Deepnest, SVGNest, CutWize, Nest&Cut and the Lapas free plan compared. Which are genuinely free, which are trials, and what each one actually limits.
The most common search in the nesting software space is “free nesting software”, and for good reason. The industrial tools do not publish a price at all: SigmaNEST and Lantek are both quote-only, with no figure anywhere on their own product pages (checked September 2026). For an independent shop, “request a quote” is usually the end of the evaluation.
This guide covers the genuinely free nesting options available in 2026, what each one really limits, and when it makes sense to pay for one.
What “free” actually means (a warning)
Before we start: “free” in software marketing means different things:
- Genuinely free - no payment, no time limit, full feature access
- Free tier - free with feature limits (export count, output formats, and so on)
- Free trial - free for a limited time, then requires payment
- “Free” with credit card - technically free to start but a card is required
We will be clear about which category each tool falls into.
Option 1: Deepnest - Genuinely free, and still maintained by a fork
Type: Genuinely free (open source, GPL licence)
Platform: Windows / macOS desktop download
Last updated: deepnest-next v1.5.6, May 2025 (releases, checked July 2026). The original Jack000 build stopped at v1.0.5 in 2021.
Deepnest was, for years, the gold standard of free nesting software. It performs true-shape irregular nesting using a genetic algorithm, accepts DXF and SVG input, and outputs DXF and SVG.
What’s actually free:
- Full feature access with no limits
- No account required
- Source code available on GitHub
Real limitations:
- The original has had no release since 2021; you need the deepnest-next fork for fixes
- Windows and macOS only, no browser version
- No G-code, PLT or PDF export
- No project history or cloud storage
- Desktop installation required
Best for: Hobbyists and makers who need a free, offline-first tool and do not need G-code output.
Option 2: SVGNest - Browser-based but limited
Type: Genuinely free (open source)
Platform: Browser (no install)
Last updated: April 2019 (last commit, checked July 2026)
SVGNest is the older sibling of Deepnest (same original developer). Its main advantage is running entirely in the browser, so there is nothing to install. It also has good academic documentation of the underlying NFP algorithm. Full head-to-head: Lapas vs SVGNest.
What’s actually free:
- Full browser-based nesting, no login
- SVG input and output
Real limitations:
- SVG input only, no DXF support (a major limitation for CAD-based workflows)
- No commits since April 2019, and no vendor support behind it
- Very dated interface
- No G-code, PLT or PDF output
- No project storage
Best for: Hobbyists with SVG-based workflows (from Inkscape or Illustrator, for example) who need a quick online layout tool.
Option 3: Lapas free plan - Free tier with real limits
Type: Free tier (account required, no credit card)
Platform: Browser
Limits: unlimited nesting; 5 project exports per month
The Lapas free plan accepts DXF, DWG, SVG, vector PDF, Adobe Illustrator and LightBurn files, performs true-shape nesting, shows the layout as it packs, and exports DXF and a PDF report. There is no cap on how many parts a job can contain, and plate sizes can be entered in inches or millimetres.
What’s actually free:
- Unlimited nesting and re-nesting, so you see the full layout of every job (no credit card)
- No limit on parts per job or on how many projects you start
- DXF, DWG, SVG, vector PDF, Adobe Illustrator (.ai) and LightBurn (.lbrn2) import
- True-shape nesting with live preview
- Manual adjustment: drag or rotate any part after the automatic nest, and the export reflects the edit
- 5 project exports a month, in any format, DXF and the PDF report included
- Re-exporting a project you already exported is free for 7 days
- Real-time utilization statistics
Real limitations:
- 5 project exports a month, enough to evaluate on real layouts, tight for continuous production
- Project history is Pro only, so older jobs are not kept for you
Best for: Small shops and individuals who need occasional nesting, or anyone evaluating the tool on real files before committing to Pro.
How the nesting itself compares against the free tools above is published rather than asserted: Lapas Core v1.1 vs Deepnest across 37 cases, scored by an independent program, raw data under CC BY 4.0, including the seven real jobs where the two tie on plate count.
Option 4: CutWize - Free tier, capped by plan count
Type: Free tier (no time limit)
Platform: Browser
Limits: 3 cutting plans and 150 cuts on the free tier (cutwize.com, checked September 2026)
CutWize is a browser optimizer with a free perpetual tier rather than a trial clock. It handles 1D (bar and pipe cutting) as well as 2D sheet nesting, which suits shops cutting flat sheet and linear stock in the same job book, and it includes kerf and grain-direction controls. Its wider site is oriented to cut lists and offcuts in plywood, timber and fabric rather than to DXF and CAM.
Real limitations:
- The free tier is capped at 3 cutting plans and 150 cuts; unlimited plans and the advanced exports are paid
- Prices are on a separate pricing page rather than the free-tier page
- Positioned around cut lists rather than DXF-to-CAM workflows
Option 5: Nest&Cut by Alma - 30-day free trial
Type: Free trial (30 days, no credit card)
Platform: Browser
After trial: from $60 a month (nestandcut.com, checked September 2026)
Alma’s Nest&Cut is a polished browser-based tool with a 30-day free trial that does not ask for a card, which is long enough for a genuine evaluation. It outputs DXF, PDF reports and NC programs. After the trial, paid plans start at $60 a month.
Comparison: free nesting tools
What each tool costs, where it runs and what the free access actually is. Every row links to the page those facts were read from.
| Tool | Free access | Platform | Price after free | Facts from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lapas | Free plan, no expiry, no card. Try free | Browser | $49/mo Pro | Lapas pricing |
| Deepnest | Unlimited, open source | Desktop download | Free | deepnest-next releases, Jul 2026 |
| SVGNest | Unlimited, open source | Browser | Free | SVGnest commits, Jul 2026 |
| CutWize | 3 plans, 150 cuts | Browser | Published on their pricing page | cutwize.com, Sep 2026 |
| Nest&Cut | 30-day trial, no card | Browser | From $60/mo | nestandcut.com, Sep 2026 |
When to upgrade from free
The fully free tools (Deepnest, SVGNest) make sense if you:
- Nest occasionally rather than on every job
- Do not need G-code output
- Are comfortable installing a community-maintained desktop app
- Do not need cloud storage or project history
Once nesting is part of production rather than an occasional task, the arithmetic changes. Most shops see 15-30% better utilization versus manual nesting; typical results vary by job type and current method. On a shop spending a few hundred dollars a month on sheet material, a $49 a month plan is recovered from the material saved on a single large order.
The ROI calculator on our homepage can show you the breakeven point for your own usage.
Which process you cut on changes what matters in the layout as much as which tool you pick. Kerf width and minimum part spacing are set differently on a laser and on a plasma table, and both are covered on our pages for nesting software for laser cutting and nesting software for plasma cutting.
How this comparison was made
Deepnest is the one tool here that has been run rather than read about: the deepnest-next v1.5.6 build was installed and nested the same 37 cases as Lapas Core v1.1 for our benchmark. The free tiers, trial terms and prices for the other tools were read from each vendor’s own pages, most recently on 13 September 2026, and every row of the table links to the page it came from. Free tiers are the fastest thing in this market to change, so re-check any figure here against those links before you decide. The Lapas Core v1.1 versus Deepnest benchmark is the only measured comparison on this site: 37 nesting cases, scored by an independent program that recomputes every number from the output geometry, with the raw data published under CC BY 4.0. Everything else on this page is documented features and published terms rather than test results. If you want a baseline to judge any of these against, the Nesting Utilization Report 2026 publishes the median and quartiles measured across over 6,900 real jobs, with the row data under CC BY 4.0.
Bottom line
In 2026 the genuinely free nesting tools are Deepnest (offline, DXF, no G-code), SVGNest (browser, SVG only, no commits since 2019) and the Lapas free plan (browser, DXF, unlimited nesting with 5 project exports a month). CutWize gives you a small free tier without a clock, and Nest&Cut gives you 30 days of the full product.
If you only need a PDF report to quote from, that is on the Lapas free plan. If you need a post processor that has been validated against your controller, that is what the paid desktop products are for, and none of the free options replace one.
Head-to-head comparisons: Lapas vs Deepnest, Lapas vs SVGNest, Lapas vs ProNest LT, or all comparisons.