Comparison
Cut list optimisers, compared honestly
Five other linear cut list optimisers are worth knowing about, and they are genuinely good at different things. Here is the whole grid: what each one has, what it costs, and the row where we lose. Everything was checked in July 2026 and links straight to the source so you can check it yourself.
Where we actually win
Proof, not adjectives
Every rival tells you its plan is optimised. We tell you when it is optimal: that no plan can use fewer bars, because the floor is a computed fact and the plan sits on it. Nobody else in this list publishes that, and on our 490-piece benchmark we hit it while smartcut.pro was three bars above it.
The blade is free
SmartCut.pro puts blade width behind its paywall. A cutting plan that assumes a zero-width blade is not a cheap plan, it is a wrong one: the last piece off every bar comes up short. Kerf is a setting here, not a purchase.
The free tier is the real tool
No account, no part limit, no run limit, and the same solver the paid API uses. optiCutter stops you at 500 parts, Cutlist Evolution at 40. We sell the API and white-label calculators, so we have no reason to cripple the calculator.
Feature by feature
| Feature | Linear Cutting | optiCutter | SmartCut | Cutlist Evo | CutList Pro | Kurraglen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blade width (kerf) on the free tier SmartCut puts kerf behind PRO, so its free plans assume a blade with no width | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| No account needed the paid tools want a sign-up before you get far | ✓ | ~ | ~ | ~ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Big jobs on the free tier 5,000 parts here; optiCutter stops at 500, Cutlist Evolution at 40 | ✓ | ~ | ? | ✗ | ? | ? |
| Proof the plan is optimal nobody else publishes one, so nobody else can tell you when to stop looking | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Plan verified against your inputs checked cut by cut before you see it | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Multiple stock lengths, priced | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ~ | ~ |
| Lowest-cost objective (dollars, not bars) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Offcut rack and minimum useful remnant | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ~ | ~ |
| Mitre and angled cuts | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Fewest saw setups as a goal optiCutter minimises layouts; we also group identical lengths into runs | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Fractional inches | ✓ | ✓ | ? | ✓ | ? | ? |
| PDF and CSV export the two free tools are print-only | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| API for your own software optiCutter's is $99/month; ours starts at $5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ? | ✗ | ✗ |
| Sheet and panel cutting (2D) we do not do 2D and are not pretending to | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ? |
| Price | Free · API from $5/mo | Free tier · $90-190/yr | $2.50/12h, $269/yr | Free tier · paid above | Free | Free |
✓ yes ✗ no ~ limited ? we could not verify it in July 2026
We lose a row, and it is on the page for a reason: a comparison table where the author wins everything is one nobody believes. If you cut sheet goods, one of the others is the right tool and we will happily say so. LinearCutting has been running since 2024; the engine behind it was rewritten from scratch in 2026.
The alternatives, one by one
optiCutter
VisitFree tier, then about $90 to $190 a year. API $99/month.
Good at: The most complete rival: fractional inches, feet and inches, multiple priced stock lengths, min-remnant, labels, mitre cuts, CSV and Excel import.
Watch for: Free tier caps you at 5 stock sizes, 20 part sizes and 500 parts.
SmartCut.pro
VisitTime-based passes, roughly $2.50 for 12 hours up to $269 a year.
Good at: Strong offcut handling: leftover material is a first-class output with configurable useful-length thresholds, plus PDF, CSV, JSON and XLSX.
Watch for: Blade width is behind the paywall, so its free plans are cut with an imaginary zero-width blade.
Cutlist Evolution
VisitFree tier, paid plans above it.
Good at: One-dimensional, sheet and roll cutting in one tool, offcuts chained into the next job, and machine formats: DXF, SVG, beam-saw files.
Watch for: Free tier stops at 40 parts and 10 stock parts.
CutList Pro
VisitFree.
Good at: Simple, fast, and it has been there forever. Blade width and stock on hand.
Watch for: Print-only output. No exports, no accounts, no offcut tracking.
Kurraglen
VisitFree.
Good at: An Australian institution, trusted by tradies, warns you about oversize parts.
Watch for: Bare bones. No exports, no cost optimisation, no offcut reuse.
Prices and limits as published in July 2026. They change, and when they do this page is wrong until we fix it. If you spot something stale, tell us and we will correct it.