Which one fits your cutting room
Stay with Deepnest if
- You cut sheets of plywood, acrylic or metal on a laser or plasma cutter.
- You want free, open-source software that runs on your own computer.
- You need common-line merging so the laser does not cut a shared edge twice.
- You nest bitmap images for engraving.
Lescut and Deepnest side by side
| Lescut | Deepnest | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | From €29/month, 7-day free trial | Free |
| Runs on | Your browser; jobs on cloud machines up to 8 vCPU | Desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux |
| Parts in | DXF (plain or AAMA/ASTM) and SVG | SVG and CDR; DXF through a conversion step |
| Files out | DXF and SVG per hide or marker, original layers and curves kept | DXF and SVG |
| Stock | Scanned hides from your scanner’s DXF, or a fabric roll of fixed width | A sheet you mark from your imported shapes |
| Hide defects and quality zones | Not stated | |
| Minimum grade per part, graded sub-zones | Not stated | |
| Shortest marker on a roll width | Not stated | |
| Grain, rotation and flip rules per part | Not stated | |
| Sets, hide batches, shade lots | Not stated | |
| Part-in-part nesting | ||
| Common-line merging for lasers | ||
| Search length | The time you set; stop early and keep the best nest | Until you press stop |
| Source code | Closed | Open source (deepnest-next: MIT) |
From the public pages below, checked October 2026. Deepnest is an open-source project by its contributors. Lescut is not affiliated with them. Something out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.
Questions about switching from Deepnest
Is Deepnest free?
Yes. Deepnest is a free desktop application, and its community fork deepnest-next is open source under the MIT licence. Lescut is a paid online service with a free trial.
Can Deepnest nest on leather hides?
Deepnest nests parts on a sheet you mark from your imported shapes. Its pages do not mention hide defects, quality zones, part grades or reading hide scanner files, which is what leather nesting needs and what Lescut is built for.
Can Deepnest make textile markers?
Its pages do not mention a fixed roll width with the marker length minimised, nor grain lines or AAMA/ASTM pattern files. Lescut reads AAMA/ASTM DXF and searches for the shortest marker on your roll width.
Should I use Lescut for laser cutting sheets?
If you cut leather or fabric on a laser, yes: the cutting files are plain DXF and SVG. If you cut plywood, acrylic or metal sheets, Deepnest is free and has common-line merging, which Lescut does not.
Do I need a powerful computer for Lescut?
No. Lescut runs in the browser and nesting jobs run on cloud machines sized by your plan, up to 8 vCPU. You watch progress live and download the files when the job finishes.