✂ Sheet Metal Nesting Software

Cut smarter.
Quote better.

Professional sheet metal nesting built for CNC turret punch press. Minimises material waste, optimises by cost — not just sheet count.

See Pro Plans →

Free forever on 1 material · Pro from £15/month · Cancel anytime

S/S 2mm — 316 Brushed · No Rotation
Sheets
3
Utilisation
84%
Material Cost
£615
Mild Steel 2mm
Sheets
2
Utilisation
91%
Total Job
£985
MaxRects free-placement algorithm
Built for CNC turret punch press
No install — runs in your browser
Built by a fabricator, for fabricators
Why CutNest

Everything a fabricator actually needs

Not a generic woodworking tool bolted onto metal. Built from scratch for sheet metal, CNC punch press, and real quoting workflows.

🎯
Cost-aware optimisation
Minimises your total material spend — not just sheet count. Knows the price of each sheet size and optimises accordingly. A cheap small sheet that creates waste is never preferred over a well-filled large sheet.
✨ Unique to CutNest
🧵
Grain direction lock
Per-material rotation control. Lock brushed or patterned stainless grades to prevent the optimiser rotating pieces against the grain direction. Essential for 304 Brushed, 316 Brushed, and any directional finish.
✨ Unique to CutNest
⚡
Never slows down
Runs entirely in your browser — no cloud server, no queue, no waiting. Large jobs with 50+ pieces across multiple materials calculate in seconds regardless of your internet connection.
👎 A known opticutter weakness
📦
Pro master library included
Pro users get instant access to the CutNest UK Master Library — 22 materials across mild steel, stainless, galvanised, aluminium, zintec and laser sizes with typical UK market prices. Pre-loaded, no setup, updated automatically.
✨ Pro feature
🔢
Unit multiplier
Quoting 10 identical enclosures? Enter pieces for one unit, set quantity to 10. CutNest scales the entire job automatically. Saves re-entering the same data repeatedly for batch quotes.
🕐
Job history
Every calculation is saved automatically. Pull up any past quote in seconds — reload the pieces, tweak quantities, recalculate. Perfect for repeat orders and checking previous material usage.
📐
Guillotine & free placement
Per-material cutting method selection. Free placement for CNC punch press and laser cutting. Guillotine mode for shear cutting — cuts go edge to edge, correct for smaller shops and manual shears. Mix both in the same job.
✨ Unique to CutNest
Comparison

CutNest vs opticutter

Feature opticutter Pro (€19/mo) CutNest Pro (£15/mo)
Sheet metal nesting (2D panel)✓✓
Free placement (CNC punch press)✓✓
Multiple materials per job✓✓
Cost-aware optimisation✗✓
Grain direction lock per material✗✓
Performance on large jobs⚠ Slows on large sets✓ Always fast
Pre-built UK material library (22 grades)✗✓
Job history✗✓
Unit quantity multiplier✗✓
Works offline✗✓
Guillotine mode (for shear cutting)✗✓
Price€19/month£15/month
Pricing

Simple, fair pricing

Start free. Upgrade when you need your whole team on it.

Free
£0
Forever free
  • ✅ Full nesting algorithm
  • ✅ 1 material per job
  • ✅ 2 sheet sizes per material
  • ✅ Local stock library (5 materials)
  • ✅ CSV export
  • ✅ Visual cut layouts
  • 🔒 Multiple materials per job
  • 🔒 Shared team library
  • 🔒 Job history
  • 🔒 Unit multiplier
⭐ Most Popular
Pro
£15/mo
Per company · cancel anytime
Pay annually — save £51 £129/year
  • ✅ Everything in Free
  • ✅ Up to 5 materials per job
  • ✅ Unlimited stock library
  • ✅ CutNest Master Library (22 UK materials + prices)
  • ✅ Job history (last 50 jobs)
  • ✅ Unit quantity multiplier
  • ✅ Grain direction lock
  • ✅ Cost-aware optimisation
  • ✅ Priority email support

🔒 Secure payment via Lemon Squeezy · VAT included · Instant licence key by email

FAQ

Common questions

Do I need to install anything?
No. CutNest runs entirely in your browser — Chrome, Edge, Safari, any modern browser. No downloads, no installation, no IT department needed.
What happens after I pay?
You'll receive a licence key by email immediately. Enter it in the Settings panel inside the app and Pro features unlock instantly. The key works per company — share it with your whole team.
Can I cancel any time?
Yes. Monthly plans cancel at end of the current billing period. Annual plans are non-refundable but you keep access until the year is up. No awkward cancellation hoops.
Is this for sheet metal specifically?
Yes. CutNest uses free-placement packing — the correct algorithm for CNC turret punch press and laser cutting. Generic cutting optimisers often use guillotine algorithms designed for saws, which produce inferior results for punch/laser work.
What's the kerf setting?
CutNest defaults to 20mm kerf (clearance between parts) which is typical for turret punch work. You can change this in Settings to match your machine and process.
Does it work offline?
Yes — once the page has loaded, the optimiser works with no internet connection. Shared library sync requires internet but all calculations run locally in your browser.
CutNest
Sheet Metal Nesting
Kerf 20mm
Ready
Each material calculated independently. Results show exact sheets and cost.