The Four Best Free Design Software for Laser Cutting in 2026

Starting your first creative laser cutting project? Even as a beginner, there are many possibilities for laser cutting. But which vector drawing software should you choose if you don't have experience and prefer not to commit to a subscription right away? Affinity by Canva, FreeCAD, Onshape or Inkscape: discover which free vector program is best for your first project. 

Free vs Paid Software: What's the Difference?

To laser cut your design at Snijlab, you need a vector drawing. View our drawing rules here. Vectors are lines that run between two fixed points: it's a calculation of how the line should run and can be zoomed in or out infinitely. For laser cutting, you always need a vector drawing, which you create in a vector program. There are many different options. But what exactly is the difference between free and paid software?

With paid vector software, you can generally do more than with free software. Paid software is better for higher precision and has more advanced tools for image and text editing, such as effects, filters, and typography. More file formats and export options are also possible. For professional designers who build their own color and file libraries, and for entrepreneurs who depend on high reliability, investing in paid software is more efficient.

But if you're just starting out or simply want to see if laser cutting is for you? Then a free program is sufficient to experiment with. They have enough features to create beautiful vector drawings, and you can easily export designs. The free software we discuss in this blog is good enough to start with laser cutting or if you won't be ordering from us regularly.

Which program is most suitable for you depends on your experience, the time you want to invest in the learning process, and your project. We compare the four best free vector programs in 2026: Affinity by Canva, FreeCAD, Onshape, and Inkscape.

 

Affinity by Canva: Completely Free Design and Image Editing

Price €0 Precision ★★★ Learning Curve ★★

Affinity Designer (now Affinity by Canva) is free graphic software that was acquired by design platform Canva in 2025. It is considered a professional alternative to Adobe Creative Cloud. In a design, you can work simultaneously with three workflows: pixel, vector, and layout, so you have everything in one place and don't have to switch between programs and file types. Previous designs created with other software, such as PSD, AI, and IDML files, can be easily opened in Affinity to continue working on them. To download Affinity, you need a (free) Canva account; only for the AI features do you need a paid account. It can sometimes be difficult to find relevant tutorials for the latest version, as most still assume Affinity Designer version 2.

Download Affinity for free here for macOS or Windows.

Pros	Cons
Free alternative to Adobe software.	Good tutorials are difficult to find.
Three workflows in one place ensure focused and flexible work.	Not all functions are equally intuitive to find and can be hidden behind other workflows.

Curious about Affinity V3? In this tutorial from ArtistWright you'll find everything about getting started in Vector Studio

 

FreeCAD: Free CAD Software, Also for 2D Designs

Price €0 Precision ★★★★★ Learning Curve ★★★★

CAD software is often expensive and complex, but very useful if you want to design with high precision. FreeCAD is a free program with which you can create technical 2D drawings and 3D designs. The software has many different types of workbenches for specific tasks, which you can quickly switch between during the design process. FreeCAD works parametrically, meaning that dimensions and rules are taken into account. For example, if you change a drawn table leg from 5 cm to 8 cm? Then the entire design automatically adjusts so that the dimensions are still correct. The software is maintained by a community and a FreeCAD wiki is available, but the content is often technical and can be challenging for beginners.

Download FreeCAD for free here.

Pros	Cons
Workbench for 2D drawing.	The FreeCAD wiki can be confusing for beginners.
Maintained by a community, so no dependence on a company's development cycle and maintenance.	Maintained by a community, so no certainty and resources from a company.

FreeCAD tutorial from Way of Wood

New to FreeCAD? We find this tutorial from Way of Wood a helpful start to understanding the program. Go to the tutorial as an article or watch the video below.

 

Onshape: Cloud-based CAD for Laser Cutting

Price €0 Precision ★★★★★ Learning Curve ★★★★

Do you also hate slow software that crashes quickly? You're not alone. The free vector program Onshape from software company PTC was therefore developed to be fully cloud-based. Onshape works in any browser, is always up-to-date, and files are automatically saved online. This also makes it an ideal program for remote collaboration. Need to make a few quick adjustments on the go? Onshape is also accessible on the iPad and other mobile devices, which is exceptional for professional CAD software. There is one drawback to the free Onshape license: everything is saved publicly, meaning anyone can see your designs. Sometimes that's useful, like with our hammer joint, but some designs are, of course, not meant for the outside world.

Want to prepare an Onshape file for Snijlab? In our guide, you'll find exactly how to export and what you need to know before ordering. View the guide.

Create an account here to use Onshape for free.

Pros	Cons
No updates and lost files due to crashes.	An internet connection is required to work on designs.
Easy to work on multiple devices.	Universally shared storage: your designs are visible to everyone.

Tutorial: Making a Box for Laser Cutting in Onshape by Maker Lessons

New to Onshape? In this short follow-along video from Maker Lessons, you'll learn step-by-step how to draw a simple box and prepare it for laser cutting, in less than 5 minutes.

 

Inkscape: The Most Used Free Software for Laser Cutting

Price €0 Precision ★★★ Learning Curve ★★★

Inkscape is considered a good Adobe Illustrator alternative. In this blog, you can read more about this program. Want to know how to create a vector drawing for laser cutting with Inkscape that you can upload to Snijlab? View our tutorial here.

Download Inkscape for free here for Windows.

Pros	Cons
Low system requirements.	Cannot export in commonly used formats like .AI.
Almost as many tools as Illustrator.	Smaller community with fewer resources for learning.

Which Free Software Suits You Best?

Want to get started quickly, have a Canva account, and are already used to the Adobe software workflow? Then Affinity by Canva is a good choice: it combines pixel, vector, and layout in one program and is very suitable for creative projects. Is extreme precision important, do you primarily draw technically, or are you thinking of starting your own business in the future, for example? Then choose FreeCAD or Onshape. With Onshape, you work in the cloud and can work on multiple devices simultaneously. Are you looking for an accessible program that is widely used for laser cutting and has many tools? Then Inkscape is a good choice for creating vector drawings. 

Affinity by Canva vs FreeCAD vs Onshape vs Inkscape: Comparison Table