The main factors to consider are obviously price, but also think about compatibility with your operating system (for example, LaserGRBL doesn’t work with MacOS), compatible file formats (beyond SVG, do they support AI, PDF, DXF), and t he features you need, for example built-in air assist or rotary attachment support. I’ll review and compare each option, splitting them between each category and price range, so you can pick the best software for your needs. I’ve used many of the most popular laser engraving software with my laser cutters, including LaserGRBL, Lightburn and others as control software, as well as Illustrator, Inkscape and more to design raster and vector files for engraving. You’ll also need software to create and edit your designs prior to the engraving process, but how do you know which is the best laser cutting and engraving software for you? Laser engraving isn’t controlled manually - it relies on laser cutting software that instructs the laser where to move using g-code.

Free lightburn software