MaxCut alternative
MaxCut is a well-established Windows program for cut lists. CutNest does the same core job in a web browser, on any computer or phone, with nothing to install. Here is how they compare, and which suits which workshop.
CutNest and MaxCut side by side
| CutNest | MaxCut | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | Any web browser: Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android. Installs as an app | Windows desktop program |
| Works offline | Yes, once it has loaded | Yes, once installed |
| Account needed | No. Your jobs stay on your computer | See their site |
| Free plan | Jobs up to 50 parts, 1 material, 2 sheet sizes. No time limit | Community Edition, free, with a limited number of library items |
| Paid plan | £12 a month or £99 a year, plus VAT, per company. 14 days free | Business Edition: $20 a month or $200 a year per device, excluding VAT |
| Sheets and bars in one job | Yes (Pro) | See their site |
| Customer quote from the layout | Yes (Pro): material, cutting time, handling and your markup | See their site |
| Says when the sheet count is the minimum | Yes, when it can prove it | See their site |
MaxCut facts are from its own website, checked on 28 October 2026. Prices and plans change, so check there before you decide. If anything here is out of date, email hello@cutnest.co.uk and it will be corrected.
When MaxCut is the better choice
- You work on one Windows PC and want a traditional installed program.
- You want the extra joinery detail of its Business Edition, such as holes and grooving, and mass changes across a library.
- You already have your materials and jobs set up in it.
When CutNest is the better choice
- You want it on more than one machine: the office PC, a laptop, and a phone or tablet in the workshop. CutNest Pro is priced per company, where MaxCut Business is per device.
- You use a Mac, a Chromebook or an iPad, which a Windows program can’t run on.
- You cut sheet metal and bar as well as board. CutNest was made by a fabricator, with grain lock for brushed finishes, DXF for the laser (Pro) and bars and sheets in one job.
- You want to quote the customer from the layout, priced from the material and the cutting time.
- You’d like to try it in a minute with no download or sign-up.
Try both on the same job
The fairest test is one of your own recent jobs. Put the same parts, sheet size and kerf into both and compare the sheet count, the time it took and what you can do with the result. CutNest needs no account, so it takes a couple of minutes: open the app, or start with the sheet calculator or the inch version.
Questions
Try it on your own job
Free, in your browser, no account. Your cut list stays on your computer.