Free Cut List Optimizer for Woodworking — Complete 2026 Guide

If you're a woodworker, furniture maker, or DIY enthusiast, you've probably spent hours manually planning how to cut sheet materials — plywood, MDF, melamine, OSB — to get all your parts with as little waste as possible. A free cut list optimizer automates this process in seconds, saving both material costs and planning time.

This guide explains what a cut list optimizer is, how it works, and how to use one effectively for your projects.

What Is a Cut List Optimizer?

A cut list optimizer is software (or a web tool) that takes a list of parts you need to cut and a set of available sheet materials, then automatically calculates the most efficient cutting layout. The goal is to fit all your parts onto the fewest possible sheets, minimizing the leftover waste.

For example, if you're building a kitchen cabinet, you might need:

• 2× side panels: 720 × 560 mm
• 1× top panel: 800 × 560 mm
• 3× shelves: 770 × 540 mm
• 1× back panel: 800 × 720 mm

A cut list optimizer will figure out exactly how to arrange these on standard 2440 × 1220 mm plywood sheets — accounting for saw kerf, grain direction, and stock trim — and show you step-by-step cut instructions.

How Does Panel Cutting Optimization Work?

Modern cut list optimizers use bin-packing algorithms — mathematical approaches to fitting rectangular items into containers efficiently. The best tools test multiple strategies (rotations, orderings, placement heuristics) and pick the solution with the least waste.

Key factors the algorithm considers:

Factor	What it means
Kerf	The width of material removed by the saw blade (typically 2–4 mm)
Stock trim	The margin removed from sheet edges for a clean starting cut
Grain direction	Parts that must align with the wood grain cannot be rotated freely
Part rotation	Whether a part can be rotated 90° to fit better
Guillotine cuts	Whether cuts must go edge-to-edge (required for panel saws)

Why Use a Free Online Optimizer vs. Spreadsheets?

Many woodworkers start with graph paper or Excel to plan their cuts. While this works for simple projects, it becomes impractical when you have more than 8–10 parts or multiple sheet types. Here's a comparison:

Method	Time	Waste %	Multi-sheet
Manual / graph paper	30–120 min	15–25%	Very difficult
Spreadsheet	15–60 min	12–20%	Difficult
Cut list optimizer	1–5 min	5–12%	Automatic

How to Use CutPlan (Step by Step)

CutPlan is a free web-based tool that runs entirely in your browser — no installation, no signup required. Here's how to use it:

Step 1: Enter Your Parts

In the "Parts" panel, add each piece you need to cut. Enter the label (e.g., "Side Panel"), length, width, and quantity. You can also specify grain direction and edge banding for each part.

Step 2: Define Stock Sheets

In the "Stock" panel, add the sheet sizes you have available. Enter the length, width, and how many sheets you have. If you have offcuts from previous projects, you can add those too.

Step 3: Configure Settings

In the "Options" panel, set your saw kerf (blade width), stock trim, and preferred units (mm, cm, or inches). If you're using a panel saw that requires guillotine cuts only, make sure grain direction matching is configured.

Step 4: Calculate

Click "Calculate" (or press Ctrl+Enter). The optimizer runs 15 different strategies in a background worker and picks the best result in 1–3 seconds.

Step 5: Review and Export

The Results panel shows each sheet with a color-coded layout, waste percentage, and step-by-step cut instructions. Export a PDF cut sheet to take to the workshop, or download labels for your parts.

Tips for Better Optimization Results

• Allow rotation where possible — unless grain direction is critical, letting the optimizer rotate parts usually reduces waste by 5–10%
• Add all your stock — include offcuts from previous jobs; the optimizer will use them first
• Use realistic kerf values — a 3 mm kerf on 10 parts across 3 sheets can add up to a full extra part's worth of material
• Group by material — use the Materials Library to assign materials to parts and stock so the optimizer matches them correctly
• Check the step-by-step guide — the cut steps panel shows you the exact order to make cuts, which is especially useful for panel saw workflows

What About CNC Machines?

CutPlan works for CNC routing too. The output gives you the X/Y coordinates and dimensions for each part. You can use the CSV export to bring part data into your CAM software. Set the kerf to match your router bit diameter for accurate results.

Key Takeaways

• A cut list optimizer reduces material waste from 15–25% down to 5–12%
• It handles grain direction, kerf, stock trim, and multi-sheet layouts automatically
• CutPlan is free, browser-based, and requires no installation
• 15 optimization strategies run in parallel to find the best layout
• PDF and CSV export for workshop use and CNC integration