Laser Engraving Software: LightBurn vs xTool vs LaserGRBL

Laser engraving software is the program that turns a design into machine instructions (power, speed, path) and sends them to the laser. Most hobby programs do both jobs: a layout editor with cut and engrave layers, and a controller link to the machine. The one you can use is set less by preference than by the controller board inside your laser.

We built this comparison from the software makers’ own pages (LightBurn, LaserGRBL, xTool, Glowforge) and machine listings from Creality Falcon and OMTech, all checked in October 2026. We did not benchmark the programs against each other; where a feature is a maker’s claim, we say so.

Which laser engraving software should you use?

Use the software your controller supports, then upgrade only if you hit a limit. The controller type is printed in the machine’s spec sheet or manual: GRBL on most open-frame diode lasers, a proprietary xTool or Glowforge system on those brands, a Ruida DSP board on most mid-size CO2 lasers, and EzCad on most fiber galvo markers.

The beginner question “which machine?” and the software question are linked: if you want one program for a diode now and a CO2 later, a GRBL diode plus LightBurn keeps that door open. Our beginner laser engraver picks list the controller behind each machine.

What do LightBurn Core and Pro cost, and what do they cover?

LightBurn Core costs $99 and LightBurn Pro costs $199, per LightBurn’s version page in October 2026. Both are one-time purchases that include a year of updates, run on Windows and Mac, activate on up to three computers, and come with a 30-day trial without restrictions.

LightBurn says renewing before your update period ends adds two extra months. If you stop renewing, the version you have keeps working for commercial use. The practical rule: a GRBL diode owner buys Core; anyone with a Ruida CO2 or a galvo fiber laser needs Pro, because Core cannot talk to those boards at all.

Is LaserGRBL good enough for a diode laser?

LaserGRBL is good enough for many GRBL diode owners, and it costs nothing. It is free, open-source software for Windows that drives controllers running GRBL v0.9 or v1.1, according to its official site. It loads G-code with a job preview and converts photos and logos for engraving with grayscale, dithering and vectorization tools.

Its limits are what push people to LightBurn. LaserGRBL is a Windows program with no official Mac version, its design tools are basic, and it runs only GRBL machines, so it cannot follow you to a Ruida CO2 or a galvo fiber laser. Creality states that its Falcon2 lasers work with both LightBurn and LaserGRBL, which makes the free route a real option on that line.

Pick LaserGRBL if you engrave photos and simple logos on one GRBL machine and you design elsewhere (Inkscape is a free vector editor). Pick LightBurn Core if you cut many parts, need layer-by-layer settings, camera alignment or a material library. For ready-made designs, our laser cut files guide explains which file formats each program imports and where to find files.

What is xTool Studio, and what happened to xTool Creative Space?

xTool Studio is xTool’s free desktop software for all xTool machines, and it is the program xTool now offers in place of xTool Creative Space (XCS). xTool’s software page in October 2026 offers xTool Studio for desktop, states there is currently no mobile app for it, and still links the older XCS mobile version.

xTool lists these features: rotary engraving preview, a result preview, preset material parameters, smart nesting, batch fill for numbered or personalized pieces, design generators, control of several xTool devices from one computer, and cloud storage for designs.

xTool machines can also run in LightBurn: LightBurn lists xTool among its supported GCode-based firmware, and xTool’s own listing for the P2S 55 W CO2 laser names both XCS and LightBurn. If you own only xTool machines, xTool Studio covers most needs for free.

Can a Glowforge use other software?

No. A Glowforge prints only through Glowforge’s own app, but you can design in other software first. Glowforge’s FAQ describes a free, web-based app that runs from a Mac, PC or tablet, and says you can design in any program that saves a PDF, naming Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape, CorelDraw, Photoshop and GIMP.

The constraint is the connection. Glowforge’s FAQ says you need power and Wi-Fi, because the machine connects to cloud servers to start a print; if the internet drops mid-print, the job finishes. The machine has no wired Ethernet port.

Glowforge Premium is optional, from $20 a month with a 14-day free trial in October 2026. It adds design tools, a catalog, cloud storage and export to SVG, LightBurn or xTool formats, and Glowforge says it works for owners of any laser brand. Because every print starts through Glowforge’s servers, a Glowforge workflow depends on the company’s cloud service staying available, which is worth weighing against an offline program.

What are RDWorks and EzCad, and should you replace them?

RDWorks and EzCad are the free programs bundled with many CO2 and fiber lasers. OMTech’s October 2026 listings show the pattern: its Ruida-based CO2 lasers ship with RDWorks and list LightBurn as compatible but not included, and its fiber galvo markers ship with EzCad2 for Windows and are described as LightBurn compatible.

Both bundled programs run the machine. OMTech’s own demo-room host profiles show the common upgrade path: several owners describe adding LightBurn to their OMTech CO2 lasers and teaching it in maker spaces. That swap needs LightBurn Pro ($199), not Core, because Ruida and EzCad controllers are Pro-only.

If you run a single CO2 or fiber machine for simple jobs, the bundled program costs nothing and is enough. If you run a CO2 and a diode side by side, one LightBurn Pro license covers both. Our diode vs CO2 vs fiber comparison explains why many shops end up with two laser types.

What does each program cost over three years?

Over three years, the free maker apps cost nothing, LightBurn Core costs $179 with every update renewal, and a Glowforge Premium subscription costs at least $720. These are US prices from each maker’s page in October 2026.

Renewal is optional. A LightBurn owner who never renews pays $99 or $199 once and keeps that version, but loses support for machines and features added later.

Which software features help you get settings right?

The features that save the most material are a material test grid, a material library and camera positioning. LightBurn and xTool Studio both generate test grids that burn a matrix of power and speed combinations on a scrap piece, so you read the right setting off real material instead of guessing.

A sensible first-job routine on any program:

1. Start from a published setting: use our laser settings calculator for a starting power, speed and line interval for your laser type, wattage and material.
2. Burn a small test grid around that point on the same material batch.
3. Save the winning row in the program’s material library with the material name and thickness.
4. For cups and bottles, set up the rotary in the software before the first real piece; our tumbler engraving guide covers roller vs chuck rotaries.

Metal marking adds frequency and hatch settings on fiber lasers, which only galvo-capable software (EzCad or LightBurn Pro) exposes. Our laser engraver for metal guide explains those.

Who can skip third-party laser software?

Skip LightBurn if you own one xTool, one Glowforge or one Creality Falcon and you mostly make the products its app was built for. The maker apps handle cameras, rotaries and material presets for their own hardware, and they are free.

Third-party software earns its price in three cases: you run machines from more than one brand, you have a Ruida CO2 or EzCad fiber laser and find the bundled software slow to work in, or you sell enough pieces that layer control, job batching and a shared material library save real hours. If you are still choosing what to make, our laser engraving ideas by material page shows which laser type each product needs.

How did we compare these programs?

We read each maker’s current page in October 2026: LightBurn’s version comparison and product pages (prices, controller coverage, renewal), LightBurn’s laser identification guide (supported firmware), the LaserGRBL site, xTool’s software page and machine listings, Glowforge’s FAQ and Premium page, Creality Falcon’s machine listings and OMTech’s CO2 and fiber listings. We did not run timed comparisons. Prices are US list prices and change with bundles; confirm on the maker’s page before you buy.