Etch Express vs LightBurn
Short version: they solve different stages of the job, and many shops use both. LightBurn controls your laser and runs the cut. Etch Express sits upstream - turning messy customer orders into batch-ready designs and exporting clean files your laser software runs.
LightBurn is excellent laser-control software: layers, power settings, camera alignment, and a Variable Text feature that merges a CSV at run time. Where shops hit a wall is everything before the laser - reading orders that arrive as spreadsheets, PDFs, and handwritten sheets, designing a template, and laying hundreds of pieces out to the blanks. That's the gap Etch Express fills.
Side by side
| Etch Express | LightBurn | |
|---|---|---|
| Import messy orders (Excel, PDF, handwriting) | AI parsing into an editable data table | Manual CSV / variable text setup |
| Design canvas with variable fields | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-layout to blanks or bed | Automatic grid from your dimensions | Manual array / arrange |
| Drives the laser / runs the job | No - exports SVG & PDF | Yes - this is its core |
| Material & inventory tracking | Built in | Not included |
| Works across machines & formats | Machine-agnostic exports | Tied to your laser |
| Pricing | $250/mo per store, 30-day trial | ~$120 one-time license |
Choose Etch Express when
- Your bottleneck is order intake and batch design, not running the laser
- Orders arrive in inconsistent formats you retype by hand
- You produce big, name-driven batches and want auto-layout to your blanks
- You want material costs and inventory tracked alongside design
Stick with LightBurn when
- You need software that physically drives your laser and sets power/speed
- You want camera alignment and a one-time license
- Your jobs are simple enough that CSV variable text already keeps up
Frequently asked questions
Is Etch Express a replacement for LightBurn?
No - and it doesn't try to be. LightBurn runs your laser. Etch Express handles the work before the laser: parsing orders, batch-designing with variables, and laying out the run, then exporting SVG/PDF that LightBurn opens. Many shops use both together.
Can I send Etch Express files into LightBurn?
Yes. Etch Express exports production-ready SVG and PDF, which import directly into LightBurn or any software that accepts vector files.
Why pay a subscription when LightBurn is a one-time license?
They're priced for different jobs. LightBurn is a one-time machine controller. Etch Express is an ongoing tool for shops whose volume of variable-data orders makes manual prep the real cost - it replaces hours of retyping and layout per batch.
Does Etch Express do variable text like LightBurn's CSV merge?
Yes, and it adds the steps around it: importing and cleaning the source data, previewing the longest entries, and auto-arranging the full batch to your blank dimensions.
See where Etch Express fits your shop
Try it free for 30 days. Bring a real order and watch a full batch go from list to production-ready in minutes.
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