cncArtistCNC software for Mac
CNC software for Mac, with no Windows required
Design, toolpaths, a simulated cut and the file your machine reads, in one native Mac app. Free to download, $299.99 once.
A Mac app, not a Windows program in a box
Most CNC design software is written for Windows. On a Mac that usually means a virtual machine such as Parallels, a Windows license, and an extra layer between you and the job. cncArtist is written for Apple's platforms from the start, so it opens like any other Mac app, uses the trackpad and keyboard the way you expect, and keeps your files in Finder.
It covers the whole job: design, toolpaths, a simulated cut, checks on every line, and the file your machine reads. The same purchase also covers iPad and iPhone.
Design to file in five steps
- Start from one of twenty templates, draw your own design, or import SVG, DXF, PDF, Illustrator or EPS.
- Pick your bits and choose toolpaths: V-carve, pocket, profile, drill, inlay, 3D roughing and finishing. Feeds and speeds are set from the bit, the material and your machine.
- Preview the cut in the wood you will use.
- Let the checker read every line and fix what it flags.
- Export one ZIP with the G-code for your machine, the design as SVG and DXF, and a setup sheet. Posts cover 17 controllers and 38 named machines.
How it compares on a Mac
| Software | Price | Model | Native Mac | iPad |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cncArtist | $299.99 | One-time | Yes | Yes |
| VCarve Desktop | $349 | Perpetual | No (Windows) | No |
| VCarve Pro | $699 | Perpetual | No (Windows) | No |
| Aspire | $1,995 | Perpetual | No (Windows) | No |
| Vectric Spark (2D and laser) | Not listed | Not listed | Yes | No |
Prices as listed by their makers in October 2026 and may change. Vectric Spark is Vectric's native Mac app for Apple silicon (macOS 12 or later); it covers 2D routing and laser work, not 3D modeling, and Vectric's product page lists no price. cncArtist is free to download, with your first three jobs free; $299.99 is the one-time unlock, with a launch price of $249.99 until 11:59 pm on Thursday, Dec 31, 2026.
Coming from Vectric? Read VCarve for Mac or Aspire alternative for Mac.
Works with the machine you have
Shapeoko, Onefinity, LongMill, X-Carve, Genmitsu, Masso, ShopBot, Axiom, Avid, Centroid, Mach, LinuxCNC, Carvera, Laguna, CNC Shark, Maslow, BobsCNC, OpenBuilds and Shaper Origin. See every machine.
Questions
Do I need Windows or Parallels?
No. cncArtist is a native Mac app.
Does it send the file to my machine?
cncArtist writes the file. You run it with your machine's own sender or controller, such as Carbide Motion, gSender, CNC12 or Mach4, the same way you run files today.
Is it a subscription?
No. It is free to download with three jobs free, then $299.99 once for Mac, iPad and iPhone.
Has the output been tested on my machine?
Every post has golden-file tests that compare its output with a saved copy. That is a software test, not a certification on any machine. Run the simulator and an air cut on a new setup first.
Free to download.
$299.99 once to cut without limits.
Design and simulate as much as you like. Your first three jobs export free. Then one purchase unlocks cncArtist on Mac, iPad and iPhone. Commercial use included.
Cut 3 jobs free.
Every design tool, every simulation, and G-code for your first three jobs. No card, no time limit.
Pay once, on every device.
Unlimited export on Mac, iPad and iPhone with one purchase. Free 1.x updates. Family Sharing. Commercial use included.
Launch price $249.99 until 11:59 pm on Thursday, Dec 31, 2026.
No subscription.
Pay once, cut forever. A paid major version every few years, with an owner upgrade price.