Industrial cutting optimization
Cloud cutting optimization for sheet, linear and roll materials — from beam and panel saws to CNC routers, lasers and waterjets. Native machine files, an API your software can call, and results benchmarked in the open on thousands of real jobs.
What we do
Most customers start with one of these — the same engine powers both.
For your software
Cutting optimization your systems call directly — every cut type and material, with saw-aware machine files when you need them.
For your customers
A hosted storefront where customers order cut parts online.
What we do
One optimization engine, delivered the way your business needs it.
A specialist storefront platform: customers order cut parts online, you receive production-ready cutting layouts.
Explore the platform →One REST API across sheet, linear and roll materials — efficiency (CNC), guillotine, beam and nesting cut types. Send a parts list, get patterns back in seconds.
Read the API docs →Embed optimization in your ERP or shop system — REST, webhooks, embeddable diagrams and checkout widgets.
Integration guide →Guillotine, efficiency, nesting and beam families — each tuned for its machine and material.
How they work →Fast and Max measured on thousands of real production jobs — including head-to-head against Biesse OptiPlanner.
See the data →13+ saw models across 8 vendors with native CNC files — PTX, Biesse XML, Mayer .may and more.
Saw support list →Proof
SmartCut Max was benchmarked head-to-head against Biesse OptiPlanner on more than 2,000 real production jobs with identical inputs — and finished 123 stock ahead. That is around £2,460. Beam saws are our toughest proving ground; the same engine drives our efficiency (CNC), guillotine and nesting algorithms.
Same jobs, same parts, same stock — 123 fewer stock, or roughly one stock saved in every 17 jobs.
Industries
Industry-leading optimization engine, packaged for the way you cut.
Optimize beam saw runs end to end — kerf, trim, head cuts and stack height respected — with validated CNC files for Homag, Biesse, Mayer and more.
Industrial optimization →Sell cut-to-size online with a hosted store or an embedded checkout — customers get instant prices powered by optimization that returns in under two seconds.
E-commerce platform →Add world-class cutting optimization to your own product via the REST API — well documented, with embeddable diagrams, PDF and DXF exports, and native files for every supported saw.
API documentation →Cutting diagrams, labels and offcut tracking in our web and iOS apps — the same algorithms, no integration required.
Cutlist Evolution →True-shape nesting and efficiency layouts for routers, lasers and waterjets — glass, metal, plastics, composites and fabric rolls — with DXF and SVG output.
Nesting & algorithms →How we fit in
We make it easy to integrate with your existing processes and systems.
Algorithms
SmartCut uses various proprietary modern algorithms to optimize the layout of shapes within a container. It solves both the '1D' and '2D box packing' or 'stock packing' problems in computer science.
A specialist algorithm for every cut type and material:
Machine files
Every layout exports in your saw's own native format — no conversion step, no third-party software. We generate PTX and CPOUT for Homag saws (also compatible with Magi-Cut and Cut Rite), native Biesse XML accepted directly by Selco saws and OptiPlanner, Mayer .may and Jingwei formats.
SCM, Schelling and Giben support is in beta, and new formats are added continually — if your saw isn't listed, you can request it.
Our DXF file is ready for import into most CNC post-processing software such as Vectric.
E-commerce
Let SmartCut handle the entire order process for your cut-to-size business. We provide a fully hosted solution that your customers can use directly, with payments going straight to your Stripe account.
Embed
You can embed responsive diagrams on your website via a few lines of code.
Part data is available via a custom event on click, and measurements are shown on the diagram.
AI-ready
SmartCut ships a Model Context Protocol server: connect Claude or any MCP-capable client with an API key and run cutting optimizations, quotes and store configuration conversationally — the same engine, no integration code.
Ten years of research
We have been building cutting algorithms for a decade, and we publish what they actually do. The result is the fastest and most material-efficient cutting we have been able to measure — tested on thousands of real jobs from working factories, not made-up examples.
<2s
To work out a cutting plan
Ten to a hundred times faster than other online tools given exactly the same job.
82%
Impossible to beat
On most jobs, our layout uses the fewest stock that could ever fit those parts. Not just better than other software — nothing could do better.
1M+
Cutting plans worked out
Checked against 2,083 real jobs from working factories, and running every day for customers worldwide.
Every number here is measured on real jobs and published in full — including the jobs where another tool wins.
Pricing
Using the API in production requires a monthly subscription, priced on the number of parts requested. A test environment for evaluation is available on request.
Please visit the plans page by clicking below to see how pricing is calculated.
FAQ
SmartCut is a cloud-based cutlist optimization platform. It provides an API, embeddable widgets, and a hosted e-commerce solution for the cut-to-size industry — covering sheet, linear and roll materials.
SmartCut handles sheet materials (plywood, MDF, melamine, glass, metal, stone), linear materials (timber, aluminium extrusions, plastic profiles), and rolls. Any material that is cut to size from larger stock.
SmartCut uses proprietary algorithms to solve 1D and 2D bin packing problems. It accounts for blade kerf, trim allowances, edge banding, grain direction and part rotation to maximise material usage and minimise waste.
Yes. The REST API is designed for easy integration with websites, e-commerce platforms, ERP systems, apps and desktop software. We provide detailed documentation and examples to get you started quickly.
SmartCut exports PDF cutting layouts, PTX files for beam saws (compatible with Magi-Cut, Cut Rite and Homag), native Biesse XML for Selco saws and OptiPlanner, Mayer .may files, DXF files for CNC machines and CAD software, SVG diagrams, and CSV files for spreadsheets.
Most calculations complete in under two seconds — fast enough to quote customers live at checkout. See the published benchmarks for measured solve times against other tools.
Yes. SmartCut offers a fully hosted e-commerce solution where your customers can enter parts, select materials, and pay via Stripe. You receive orders with production-ready cutting layouts. No development required.
Production use requires a monthly subscription based on the number of parts requested. A test environment for evaluation is available on request. Visit the plans page for full pricing details.
SmartCut covers the same core job — optimized layouts, machine files and quoting — delivered as a cloud API with published pricing and published benchmarks. See the full comparison at smartcut.dev/compare.
Probably not. SmartCut is the API and hosted e-commerce platform for businesses building cutting into their own software or storefront. If you want to enter parts and get optimized layouts yourself, use Cutlist Evolution at cutlistevo.com — the free online optimizer, running the same engine.