A free Easel alternative without the weekly limit
Easel Basic is free, but it allows one carve or G-code export a week, and V-carving is on Easel Pro. Surfacecraft is free CNC design software in the browser too, with unlimited G-code exports and V-carving on the Free plan.
Easel and Surfacecraft, side by side
| Easel | Surfacecraft | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Basic $0; Starter $8/month; Pro $24/month ($216/year) | Free; Pro $9/month or $79/year |
| G-code exports on the free plan | One carve or export a week | Unlimited |
| V-carving | Pro only | Free |
| Custom bits and materials | Pro only (Toolbox) | Free |
| Send to the machine from the browser | Every plan, on GRBL and FluidNC machines | Pro |
| 3D carving | Pro | Not offered |
| Machines | One profile on Basic and Starter | One per studio on Free, unlimited on Pro |
| Laser and pen plotter | Not covered here | Burn Studio and Plot Studio in the same account |
Easel details from Inventables's own pages, checked : Easel plans and pricing, Easel: DIY CNC 3018 machines. Prices and plans change, so check before you buy.
Stay with Easel if…
- Easel Basic sends jobs from the browser for free to GRBL and FluidNC machines (Easel says grblHAL and other controllers export G-code instead). In Surfacecraft that's Pro; on Free you download the file and run it in a free sender.
- Easel Pro does 3D carving and V-carve inlays. Surfacecraft doesn't do 3D carving.
Try Surfacecraft if…
- No weekly cap: export as many G-code files as you like on the Free plan.
- V-carving and your own bits are free. In Easel, a design that uses either turns the carve button into Pro Carve.
- Laser engraving and pen plotting live in the same projects as the router work.
Switching from Easel
Yes. Designing, toolpaths, the 3D preview and G-code export are on the Free plan with no time limit. Pro adds sending jobs straight to the machine, more machines, AI tools and commercial use.
Surfacecraft writes GRBL G-code, which runs on GRBL machines such as the X-Carve and most hobby routers. Run the file in a free sender, or send it from the browser with Pro.
Easel can export SVG. Import the SVG into Surfacecraft, then give each shape its depth and bit.
Set up for your machine
- Genmitsu 3018
- Genmitsu 4040
- Genmitsu PROVerXL 4030
- Genmitsu 3020
- FoxAlien Masuter
- Sienci LongMill
- Shapeoko 4
- 3018 CNC
Other comparisons
Try it on your next project.
Design and G-code are free, with no time limit. Send to your machine and sell what you make with Pro.