Compare
CutOptim is a well-built browser optimizer that has grown quickly this year. Here is how it compares with Cutlist Evolution, from each side's own published pages.
By Cutlist Evolution ·
CutOptim runs in the browser and handles both panels and linear stock, with a separate true-shape nesting mode. Its free plan is generous on features: edge banding totals, label printing, offcut inventory and DXF, SVG and Excel export are all included without paying. It also publishes a benchmark against theoretical lower bounds on standard academic test sets, which is more than most tools in this category do.
Free to use
| Cutlist Evolution | CutOptim | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Unlimited calculations, up to 40 parts each, 3 saved projects | 3 optimizations a month with a free account (2 in total without one), unlimited parts per run |
| Paid plans | From £5 a month, published tiers to £100 | Pro 9 € a month, Workshop 29 € a month, or credit packs from 6.90 € |
| Material types | Sheet, linear and roll | Panels and linear (bars, profiles, tubes). Rolls not mentioned |
| True-shape nesting | Yes, on the nesting optimizer | Yes, 10 runs a month on Pro, unlimited on Workshop |
| Beam saw files | PTX for beam saws, Expert plan and up | Not mentioned. Exports are PDF, CSV, XLSX, DXF and SVG |
| Offcuts | Offcuts fed into the next calculation | Off-cut inventory |
| Edge banding and labels | Edge banding on Starter, labels on Pro, and up | Included from the free plan |
| API | The same engine as the SmartCut API | CutOptim Engine API, from 49 € a month |
| Languages | 30 languages | 12 in the language selector |
CutOptim's column is quoted from cutoptim.com, its pricing page and its benchmark page, read on 2 November 2026. Where it publishes nothing about a capability, the table says so rather than guessing.
The free plans suit different shops. Three optimizations a month is enough to try CutOptim properly, but a workshop that re-runs a plan every time a part changes will reach the limit in a day. Cutlist Evolution never counts calculations, so the limit to watch is part count per job instead.
Production is the larger gap. Cutlist Evolution exports PTX files with beam saw settings, and the engine behind it is checked against a library of real production jobs from working factories before any change ships. CutOptim's benchmark is a fair test of packing quality, run without kerf, without part rotation and without the limits a real panel saw puts on a cutting pattern. Both kinds of evidence are worth having. Only the second tells you whether a plan will cut cleanly on your machine.
Roll material, such as vinyl, textiles or flooring, is the other difference. Cutlist Evolution optimizes rolls alongside sheets and linear stock in the same tool.
Both tools cost nothing to try. Take one real cutting list from your shop, enter the same parts, stock and blade width in each, and count the sheets. If you build cutting optimization into your own software, compare the SmartCut API with CutOptim's Engine API on the same basis. The wider field is ranked in the best cut list optimizers in 2026, and every other switching guide is listed under alternatives.