CNC design and toolpath software
12 programs hobby CNC owners use to design parts and make toolpaths, from each maker's own page, read 2 November 2026. Nothing here has been tested for this site.
New to this? Which CNC software do you need? explains the three jobs (design, toolpaths, running the machine) and how to narrow the choice.
Swipe the table sideways →
| Program | What it does | Operating system | Free option | Paid | V-carving | 3D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easel Inventables | Design (CAD), Toolpaths (CAM), Runs the machine | Any computer with a web browser | Easel Basic: the page says "$0 to start" | Easel Pro: $24 a month, $216 a year, or $599 for three years; renews automatically | Easel Pro only | Easel Pro only |
| Carbide Create Carbide 3D | Design (CAD), Toolpaths (CAM) | Windows and Mac | Core: "Included with every Shapeoko and Nomad" and "designed for use with Carbide 3D machines" | Pro: $120 a year, or a $360 perpetual licence; 14-day free trial | Core and Pro | Pro only (3D modelling, STL import, 3D rough and finish machining) |
| Cut2D (Desktop and Pro) Vectric | Design (CAD), Toolpaths (CAM) | Windows | No free version; a free trial is offered | Cut2D Desktop $149, Cut2D Pro $449 (USD list on vectric.com/llms.txt). The same list gives £110 / £350 and €135 / €420. The purchase page says "Buy once, own it forever" and does not show a dollar amount in the page text. | No. The compare table leaves 2.5D machining off for both Desktop and Pro. | No 3D modeling or 3D machining. A 3D toolpath preview is included. |
| VCarve (Desktop and Pro) Vectric | Design (CAD), Toolpaths (CAM) | Windows | No free version; a free trial is offered | VCarve Desktop $349, VCarve Pro $699 (USD list on vectric.com/llms.txt). The same list gives £275 / £540 and €330 / €660. The purchase page says "Buy once, own it forever" and does not show a dollar amount in the page text. | Yes, Desktop and Pro. The compare row tooltip lists chamfer, fluting, moulding, PhotoVCarving, prism, texture, V-carving and sketch carving. | Desktop and Pro import a single third-party 3D model and include 3D machining (roughing, finishing and rest machining). They do not include 3D modeling. |
| Aspire Vectric | Design (CAD), Toolpaths (CAM) | Windows | No free version; a free trial is offered | Aspire $1,995 (USD list on vectric.com/llms.txt). The same list gives £1,500 and €1,800. The purchase page says "Buy once, own it forever" and does not show a dollar amount in the page text. | Yes. The compare row tooltip lists chamfer, fluting, moulding, PhotoVCarving, prism, texture, V-carving and sketch carving. | Yes. 3D modeling and 3D sculpting are included, plus 3D machining (roughing, finishing and rest machining). |
| Spark Vectric | Design (CAD), Toolpaths (CAM) | macOS 12 or later (Apple silicon, M1 or later) | No free version; a free trial is offered | Spark $200 (USD list on vectric.com/llms.txt). The same list gives £150 and €175. One-time purchase. The purchase page does not show a dollar amount in the page text. | Yes. The compare table marks 2.5D machining, with the tooltip "V-Carving Only". | No. The compare table does not include 3D modeling or 3D machining. A 3D toolpath preview is included. |
| Carveco Maker Carveco | Design (CAD), Toolpaths (CAM) | Windows | No free version; 30-day trial for new customers | $17.50 a month or $180 a year; "only available on subscription". Maker Plus is $540 a year or $1,500 one-time | Yes | Imports 3D relief artwork and full 3D files; makes reliefs from greyscale images |
| Fusion for Personal Use Autodesk | Design (CAD), Toolpaths (CAM) | Not published | Free for "personal, non-commercial projects only", for people earning under $1,000 a year from their work; a three-year term | Full Fusion: $680 a year or $85 a month | Not published | Full 3D CAD; the personal version has "Limited CAM functionality" without a published list |
| FreeCAD FreeCAD project | Design (CAD), Toolpaths (CAM) | Windows, macOS and Linux | Free and open source (LGPL 2.1) | None; it's free | Not published | Parametric 3D modelling; toolpaths come from its CAM workbench |
| Kiri:Moto Grid.Space | Toolpaths (CAM) | Browser; desktop builds for Windows, Mac and Linux | "completely open source and free for use without restriction" (MIT licence) | None; it's free | Not published | Not published |
| Estlcam Christian Knüll | Toolpaths (CAM), Runs the machine | Windows 10 and 11 | Trial with no time limit: "You can test Estlcam before buying for as long as you want for free" | $59 or 49€ one-time, "No subscription"; covers versions released within a year of activation; later updates $23; three computers | Not published | Described as "2D / 3D CAM"; details not published on that page |
| MeshCAM GRZ Software | Toolpaths (CAM) | Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit), macOS 10.15 or later | No free version; 15-day trial | Standard $250, Pro $500; perpetual: "Buy it once and use it forever" | Not published | Yes: roughing and finishing from STL, DXF or STEP; images to 3D surfaces |
"Not published" means the page I read didn't say. Prices change; check the maker's page before buying. Programs that only run the machine (senders such as gSender and UGS) aren't in this table yet.