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LightBurn vs Rayforge: catalog facts
LightBurn	Rayforge
Best for: Makers and small shops running a laser cutter or engraver	Best for: Hobbyists and small workshops running GRBL laser cutters
Paid Paid licence in Core and Pro editions, with a 30-day unrestricted free trial.	Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.
Windows, macOS	Linux
Works with hundreds of laser cutters and engravers Design, layout and machine control in one program All 3 strengths for LightBurn Works with hundreds of laser cutters and engravers Design, layout and machine control in one program Full-featured 30-day trial with no watermarks	Design, path preparation and machine control in one app Parametric 2D CAD sketcher and image tracing All 4 strengths for Rayforge Design, path preparation and machine control in one app Parametric 2D CAD sketcher and image tracing Camera alignment and rotary support Material recipes and toolpath optimisation
Paid licence, with updates tied to a yearly period Focused on lasers; CNC routing needs the separate MillMage product	Targets GRBL-based machines AI generator is an extra that some workshops may not want
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Not open source	Open source
License not stated	License: MIT
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for LightBurn lightburnsoftware.com Catalog checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Rayforge rayforge.org Catalog checked October 1, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.