Pricing

Big features. Small-shop pricing.

JetCad3 aims to bring the depth of expensive CAD/CAM software within reach of small shops and serious garage builders—without the enterprise tax. Start free with a jetcad.io account — the full feature set on metered hobby hours — and upgrade only when you need unlimited time.

Free Forever

Free / Hobby

Create a free jetcad.io account and get the full Drafting + Full CAM feature set — metered hobby hours instead of feature limits.

$0/forever

No credit card required

Create Free Account

Everything in Drafting + Full CAM — Mill and eCAD included
1 hour/day · 5 hours/week of active design time
2× hours on evenings (7pm–midnight) and weekends
Idle time never counts — the clock only runs while you work
Machine control (GcodePilot) is never metered, never locked
Design workspace never metered — unlimited even without an account

No credit card. Not a trial — free forever. No internet? Free/Hobby also works without an account — limited to 1 component, 5 sketches, and 500-line G-code posts.

Available Now

Drafting

Full 2D/3D parametric CAD, plus experimental eCAD for schematics, circuit simulation and PCB layout. Design and export your parts in one app.

$20/mo

Billed monthly

Full 2D and 3D parametric CAD
Unlimited parts and assemblies
Re-editable feature history
Parametric geometry generator (gears, sprockets, pulleys, splines)

All included features

eCAD — schematic capture, available now
Live circuit simulation — probe nets, throw switches and turn pots while it runs
PCB layout, routing, DRC and fabrication exports — experimental
STEP, STL, and 3MF body export
DXF and SVG sketch import/export
Windows · macOS · Linux
Windows installer or portable .exe

Drafting + Plasma, Oxyfuel & Laser

Everything in Drafting, plus plasma, oxyfuel and laser sheet CAM. Already on SheetCAM or Fusion 360? AI converts your existing post processors automatically.

$40/mo

Billed monthly

Everything in Drafting
Plasma — available now
Oxyfuel — flame cutting with preheat, cutting-oxygen control, and creep lead-ins
Laser — cut and engrave operations, nesting, and controller-ready posts (including Ruida workflows)

All included features

Auto-nesting (Quick, Medium, Max effort)
SheetCAM `.job` import — open existing jobs on Plasma or Laser
Arc-preserved G-code (G2/G3)
Kerf compensation, lead-in/out, pierce delay
Plasma contour rules — skip, spot pierce, feed/THC/lead overrides by geometry
Tube workspace beta — rotary tube and structural plasma (new in v2.6.1)
Feed, speed, and power controls tuned for laser and plasma
Cut simulation with live DRO
AI post converter — pick your Fusion 360 or SheetCAM post, get a ready-to-use JetCad3 post instantly

Drafting + Full CAM

Everything in Plasma, Oxyfuel & Laser, plus Router, Mill and the new Lathe beta.

$60/mo

Billed monthly

Everything in Plasma, Oxyfuel & Laser
Router workspace — 2.5D nesting-first sheet CAM (available now)
Mill workspace — setup-based 3-axis milling (available now)
Contour, drill and bore, facing, chamfer, engrave, and dynamic pocketing

All included features

GRBL, FluidNC, and LinuxCNC mill posts with work offsets
Lathe workspace beta — complete two-axis turning (new in v2.6.1)
Native JetFlight and LinuxCNC turning posts

Pay once, for a fixed term

Not ready to own it forever, done with monthly bills?

A Pre-Paid License buys one to three years of JetCad3 outright, on one computer. Pay for it once, up front, and the longer the term the less each year costs. Nothing renews, nothing is billed again, and there is nothing to cancel.

1 year

from $216

save 10%

2 years

from $345

save 28%

3 years

from $453

save 37%

Buy a Pre-Paid License →

Savings are measured against paying month to month for the same span. You enter the machine code from the app at checkout — it is on the Offline Key sign-in tab, and in the profile menu once you are signed in.

Pay once, up front — no recurring bill, no card kept on file, and nothing to cancel.
The discount grows with the term: the longer you buy, the less each year costs.
Available for all three plans — Drafting, Plasma/Oxyfuel & Laser, or Full CAM. Pick the term and the plan you need.
One license per computer. It is tied to that machine's code, entered at checkout; if the computer dies, rebind it from your dashboard rather than buying again.
The term runs on the calendar from the day you activate it, then simply ends — and the licensed machine needs no account and no connection, the same as every other way to license JetCad3.
Every update released during your term is included.
Buy another before the current one runs out and the new term picks up where it ends — no overlap, nothing wasted.

Own it forever

Prefer to own your software?

Not a fan of subscriptions? Neither are we. The JetCad3 Lifetime Unlimited License is a one-time purchase: a hardware key that unlocks the entire suite for good. No monthly bill, no expiration — just plug it in and own it.

One key. Every computer in your shop.

With License Sharing, a single key runs JetCad3 on every computer on your shop's network: the office, the shop floor and every machine. No seat limit. How it works →

$3,000one-time · own it forever

Get the Hardware Key →

The hardware is the license — there's no cloud backup or replacement program for a lost, stolen, or destroyed key. Keep it safe.

License Sharing — one key covers your whole shop: every JetCad3 on your local network runs the full Unlimited tier. No seat limit, no unplugging or carrying the key between machines.
USB-C hardware key — the hardware is the license. Works fully offline; no account, no internet, no phone-home.
Covers every workspace — Drafting, Plasma, Oxyfuel & Laser, and Router/Full CAM — current and future.
All future updates included — no version cap, no update subscription, no expiration date.
Yours to keep — the license transfers with the hardware, so you can resell or gift it.
Backed by a 5-year hardware warranty against manufacturing defects.

A free jetcad.io account is the Free/Hobby tier — the full feature set, metered at 1 hr/day and 5 hr/week of active use (2× on evenings & weekends). No account? The app still works offline: Design unlimited, Drafting and CAM with hobby limits. Paid plans include a 30-day free trial; credit card required to activate the trial. License by signing in from the desktop app, an offline key for air-gapped installs, a Pre-Paid License for a fixed term on one computer, or the Lifetime Unlimited hardware key — every one of them runs without an internet connection. Your files are standard formats saved locally and are always yours.

From shops actually running it

4.7 average · 3 verified reviews

Read all reviews →

Works better than the big name brands at 1/4 the cost.

Needed to plasma cut some parts for equipment repair. Was super easy to draw the parts in JetCad3, then send the files out to a local shop to cut. — PB Equipment Rental, Deerfield MI

PB Equipment rentals

Deerfield,MI

Verified JetCad3 user

Promising SheetCAM alternative

Small shop in southwestern Ontario, self-built plasma table. No budget for the big software names so I used SheetCAM for my table from the start. Always open for alternatives, I tried various options that came up on plasma cutting and CNC…

Read full review

Joel S.

Plasma table

Verified JetCad3 user

Awesome Software

JETCAD3 is in my opinion so far the best All in one CAD/CAM solution i have encountered, we have machines running it in the field and its great, i am sure we will produce many many more, Love the software and the support!

PROMACH

Cawdor · Plasma table, Router, Oxyfuel

Verified JetCad3 user

Three ways to license JetCad3.

Rent it by the month, own a fixed term, or own it outright. All three unlock the same software and all three work offline — the only difference is how you pay. Running without an internet connection has been a priority in JetCad3 from the start, and it is not the norm: nearly every other CAD/CAM package on the market today requires one.

Rent it

Monthly or annual subscription

The usual arrangement: pay by the month and stop whenever you like, or pay for a year at 10% off. Covers every computer you personally use and stays current forever. Sign in from the app, or generate an offline key and carry it to an air-gapped machine on a thumb drive.

Cancel any time
10% off billed yearly
30-day free trial

Own a term

Pre-Paid License

Buy one to three years outright for a single computer, and the discount grows with the term. Pay once, up front — there is no recurring bill, no card kept on file, and nothing to cancel. When the term ends, it ends.

1, 2 or 3 years
Pay once, no renewals
One computer per license

Own it outright

Lifetime Unlimited License

Buy once, cry once. A USB-C hardware key that unlocks every workspace forever, with no expiry and no version cap. The hardware is the license, so it transfers if you sell it — and License Sharing puts your whole shop on it over the local network from a single key.

One-time purchase
Every workspace, forever
Unlimited computers on your LAN

Free / Hobby sits underneath all three and never expires — a free jetcad.io account gives you the full feature set on metered hours, and the app still runs with no account at all.

Everything, side by side.

Every plan — including Free — feature by feature.

CAD — Drafting Workspace

CAD — Drafting Workspace: Free, Drafting, Plasma and Full CAM
Feature	Free $0 · metered	Drafting $20/mo	+ Plasma $40/mo	Full CAM $60/mo
Full 2D parametric sketcher	Included	Included	Included	Included
3D solid modeling (extrude, revolve, sweep, helix)	Included	Included	Included	Included
Fillet and chamfer — sketch and solid	Included	Included	Included	Included
Re-editable feature history	Included	Included	Included	Included
Multi-body components	Included	Included	Included	Included
Boolean operations (join, cut, new body)	Included	Included	Included	Included
Construction planes — 6 creation methods	Included	Included	Included	Included
Undo / redo — full document history	Included	Included	Included	Included

Sketch Tools

Sketch Tools: Free, Drafting, Plasma and Full CAM
Feature	Free $0 · metered	Drafting $20/mo	+ Plasma $40/mo	Full CAM $60/mo
Line, arc, circle, spline, rectangle, parallel line	Included	Included	Included	Included
Trim, extend, offset, mirror, move, rotate, scale	Included	Included	Included	Included
Circular and rectangular patterns	Included	Included	Included	Included
7-type snapping (endpoint, midpoint, tangent…)	Included	Included	Included	Included
Linear, diameter, radius, and angular dimensions	Included	Included	Included	Included
Expression evaluator in all dimension inputs	Included	Included	Included	Included
Text with any system TTF/OTF font (spline or polyline output)	Included	Included	Included	Included
Text on Arc — curve labels along any arc or circle	Included	Included	Included	Included
Construction geometry — toggle per-entity with X, excluded from solid generation	Included	Included	Included	Included
Per-entity color and 6 line styles (solid, dashed, center, phantom…)	Included	Included	Included	Included
Window and crossing selection, copy/paste	Included	Included	Included	Included
Robust chain selection — select a chain of connected edges in one click	Included	Included	Included	Included
Convert polyline → spline and spline → polyline arc-fit with deviation tolerance control	Included	Included	Included	Included
Explode to lines/arcs	Included	Included	Included	Included
Nested group system — auto-grouped text and generator output	Included	Included	Included	Included
Project edges from solid bodies into sketches — clean geometry only, no hidden lines or duplicate entities	Included	Included	Included	Included

Parametric Geometry Generator

Parametric Geometry Generator: Free, Drafting, Plasma and Full CAM
Feature	Free $0 · metered	Drafting $20/mo	+ Plasma $40/mo	Full CAM $60/mo
Sprockets — ANSI, ISO, motorcycle roller-chain	Included	Included	Included	Included
Timing pulleys — HTD, GT2/GT3/GT5, XL/L/H, T/AT series	Included	Included	Included	Included
Involute gears — external, internal, and straight rack; module or DP	Included	Included	Included	Included
Splines — external (shaft) and internal (hub); SAE J499, ANSI B92.1, ISO 4156	Included	Included	Included	Included
Trigger wheels — Hall / VR sensor, missing-tooth gap	Included	Included	Included	Included
Bore diameter option on all generators	Included	Included	Included	Included

eCAD — Electronics design (experimental)

eCAD — Electronics design (experimental): Free, Drafting, Plasma and Full CAM
Feature	Free $0 · metered	Drafting $20/mo	+ Plasma $40/mo	Full CAM $60/mo
Schematic capture — multi-sheet boards, busses, local and global net scoping	Included	Included	Included	Included
Live circuit simulation — voltages, currents and waveforms on the sheet itself	Included	Included	Included	Included
Probes as movable scope windows, with scrubbing through the recording	Included	Included	Included	Included
Test points, voltmeters and ammeters that read out live on the drawing	Included	Included	Included	Included
Interactive parts — throw switches, hold buttons, turn pots while it runs	Included	Included	Included	Included
DC operating point and frequency response (Bode) analyses	Included	Included	Included	Included
Electrical rules check with typed pins, plus a waiver list	Included	Included	Included	Included
One-file part library — symbol, every footprint variant, sim model and vendor part numbers together	Included	Included	Included	Included
Supplier part identities and sourcing tools — live offers depend on provider availability	Included	Included	Included	Included
Bill of materials and fabrication exports — review supplier mappings before ordering	Included	Included	Included	Included
Schematic printing — 16 paper sizes, drawing border, title block and zone marks	Included	Included	Included	Included
PCB design and layout (experimental)	Included	Included	Included	Included
Board routing, DRC and Gerber fabrication output (experimental)	Included	Included	Included	Included

Import / Export

Import / Export: Free, Drafting, Plasma and Full CAM
Feature	Free $0 · metered	Drafting $20/mo	+ Plasma $40/mo	Full CAM $60/mo
DXF import into active sketch	Included	Included	Included	Included
SVG import into active sketch	Included	Included	Included	Included
DXF sketch export	Included	Included	Included	Included
SVG sketch export	Included	Included	Included	Included
STEP AP214 body export	Included	Included	Included	Included
STL body export (binary or ASCII)	Included	Included	Included	Included
3MF body export	Included	Included	Included	Included

Platform

Platform: Free, Drafting, Plasma and Full CAM
Feature	Free $0 · metered	Drafting $20/mo	+ Plasma $40/mo	Full CAM $60/mo
Windows — installer or portable .exe	Included	Included	Included	Included
macOS — universal .dmg (macOS 12+)	Included	Included	Included	Included
Linux — curl install, x86_64	Included	Included	Included	Included
Browser / cloud mode (no install)	SOONComing soon	SOONComing soon	SOONComing soon	SOONComing soon
JC3 Mobile — phone pendant, Agent Tower and photos on your shop network (new in v2.6.1)	Included	Included	Included	Included
SnapTrace — trace templates, parts and remnant skeletons from a phone photo (new in v2.6.1)	Included	Included	Included	Included

Plasma, Oxyfuel & Laser

Plasma, Oxyfuel & Laser: Free, Drafting, Plasma and Full CAM
Feature	Free $0 · metered	Drafting $20/mo	+ Plasma $40/mo	Full CAM $60/mo
Plasma, oxyfuel and laser toolpath generation	Included	—Not included	Included	Included
Arc-preserved G-code output (G2/G3, not linearized)	Included	—Not included	Included	Included
Kerf compensation, lead-in/out, pierce delay	Included	—Not included	Included	Included
Factory cut charts — Hypertherm, Thermacut and Victor oxyfuel tips	Included	—Not included	Included	Included
Oxyfuel preheat, pierce and creep lead-in driven by the tip chart	Included	—Not included	Included	Included
Oxyfuel gas and ignition via your own G-code subroutines	Included	—Not included	Included	Included
Plasma contour rules engine (conditions, skip, spot pierce, overrides)	Included	—Not included	Included	Included
Feed and speed controls	Included	—Not included	Included	Included
Nesting for sheet material	Included	—Not included	Included	Included
SheetCAM `.job` import (Plasma & Laser) — preserve layouts or re-nest	Included	—Not included	Included	Included
SheetCAM & Fusion 360 post-processor converters included — MasterCAM coming soon	Included	—Not included	Included	Included

Tube — Beta (new in v2.6.1)

Tube — Beta (new in v2.6.1): Free, Drafting, Plasma and Full CAM
Feature	Free $0 · metered	Drafting $20/mo	+ Plasma $40/mo	Full CAM $60/mo
Rotary plasma CAM for round tube, HSS, angle, channel and beam	Included	—Not included	Included	Included
Copes, branch holes, miters and slots on the actual face; bent members straightened with a bend table	Included	—Not included	Included	Included
Stick nesting with re-chucks, simulated on the real JetFlight motion engine, JetFlight Tube post	Included	—Not included	Included	Included

Router

Router: Free, Drafting, Plasma and Full CAM
Feature	Free $0 · metered	Drafting $20/mo	+ Plasma $40/mo	Full CAM $60/mo
2.5D router CAM — nesting-first sheet workflow (signs, panels, nested jobs)	Included	—Not included	—Not included	Included
Contour, bore, drill, chamfer, pocket, and engrave operations	Included	—Not included	—Not included	Included
Adaptive pocket roughing with optimal load control	Included	—Not included	—Not included	Included
Machine-scoped tool library (end mills, drills, V-bits, chamfer mills)	Included	—Not included	—Not included	Included
SheetCAM `.job` import — preserve layouts or re-nest	Included	—Not included	—Not included	Included
Cut simulation with spindle status and DRO	Included	—Not included	—Not included	Included
Bundled GRBL Router and MASSO Router post processors	Included	—Not included	—Not included	Included

Mill

Mill: Free, Drafting, Plasma and Full CAM
Feature	Free $0 · metered	Drafting $20/mo	+ Plasma $40/mo	Full CAM $60/mo
3-axis mill toolpaths — setup-based milling from the solid model	Included	—Not included	—Not included	Included
Setups with stock definition and work zero (work offsets posted)	Included	—Not included	—Not included	Included
2D contour, drill and bore, facing, chamfer, and engrave operations	Included	—Not included	—Not included	Included
Zig-zag and high-speed dynamic pocketing	Included	—Not included	—Not included	Included
Model-driven toolpaths — update automatically when the part changes	Included	—Not included	—Not included	Included
Bundled GRBL, FluidNC, and LinuxCNC mill posts	Included	—Not included	—Not included	Included

Turning — Beta (new in v2.6.1)

Turning — Beta (new in v2.6.1): Free, Drafting, Plasma and Full CAM
Feature	Free $0 · metered	Drafting $20/mo	+ Plasma $40/mo	Full CAM $60/mo
Complete two-axis Lathe workspace — setup-based turning from solids or profiles	Included	—Not included	—Not included	Included
Facing, OD/ID rough and finish, grooves, parting, drilling/reaming, and synchronized threading	Included	—Not included	—Not included	Included
Native JetFlight and LinuxCNC turning posts with real-daemon stock simulation	Included	—Not included	—Not included	Included

Free is the full Full CAM feature set with a usage meter instead of feature limits: 1 hr/day · 5 hr/week of active use, 2× on evenings & weekends.

Straight answers.

The questions machinists actually ask.

How does the free tier work?

Create a free jetcad.io account and sign in from the desktop app — that's it. Any jetcad.io account without a paid plan is automatically on the Free/Hobby tier; there's nothing to activate. You get the full Drafting + Full CAM feature set — no feature caps — metered at 1 hour per day and 5 hours per week of active use. No credit card, and it never expires.

What counts as usage time?

Only active CAD/CAM time. The clock runs while you're actually working — sketching, modeling, generating toolpaths — and pauses automatically after a few minutes of inactivity, so thinking time and lunch breaks are free. The Design workspace and machine control (GcodePilot) never count: both are never metered and never locked, even when your CAD/CAM time is used up.

When does my time reset?

Daily time resets at midnight in your local timezone; weekly time resets Monday at midnight, also local. The app shows a live meter with a countdown to your next reset and warns you before time runs out — with autosave, your work is never lost.

What are 2× hours?

On weekday evenings (7pm to midnight) and all weekend, your time burns at half rate — an hour at the screen only uses 30 minutes of your meter. That effectively doubles your free hours exactly when hobby time actually happens.

What if I don't want an account?

JetCad3 still works completely offline with no account, no login, and no credit card. The Design workspace stays unlimited; Drafting and CAM run with hobby limits (1 component, 5 sketches, and G-code posts up to 500 lines). Sign in any time to switch to the metered, full-featured free tier.

How is this different from the trial?

The 30-day trial unlocks a paid plan — full features with no usage meter — and requires a credit card to start. The free tier is metered but free forever, with no card. Most people start on the free tier and take the trial when a project needs unmetered time.

Is there a free trial?

Yes — 30 days, full-featured. A credit card is required to activate the trial (to prevent abuse). You are not charged until the trial period ends; if you cancel before then, you will not be charged.

How does licensing work?

There are three ways to pay, and they all unlock the same software and all work offline. A subscription is billed monthly or yearly (10% off yearly) and covers every computer you personally use — sign in from the desktop app, or generate an offline key and carry it to an air-gapped machine. A Pre-Paid License buys 1–3 years outright for one specific computer, paid once with nothing to renew. The Lifetime Unlimited License is a one-time USB-C hardware key that unlocks everything forever and shares across your shop's network.

What is a Pre-Paid License?

A fixed term of JetCad3 — one, two or three years — bought outright for a single computer, with the discount growing as the term gets longer. You pay once, up front: no recurring bill, no card kept on file, nothing to renew and nothing to cancel. When the term is up, it's up. It's for anyone who wants a known cost over a known number of years instead of a monthly line item, and it's the middle ground between a subscription and buying the Lifetime Unlimited key outright. You enter that computer's machine code at checkout and import the license file once.

Does a Pre-Paid License expire if I don't use it?

The term runs on the calendar from the day you activate it, not on hours used — so a year is a year whether you draw every day or not. But the clock doesn't start at purchase: a license can sit unactivated for up to a year before it must be used, so buying early costs you nothing. When a term ends, JetCad3 drops to the Free/Hobby tier rather than locking you out, and your files stay exactly where they are. You can also buy the next term before the current one runs out — it queues up and starts the day the current one ends, so no paid day is ever wasted.

What happens to my files if I cancel?

Nothing changes for files you already saved. JetCad3 keeps your work on your machine; it is not stored in our cloud. Your documents remain yours regardless of subscription status.

Which CAM workspaces are available?

Plasma, oxyfuel and laser CAM are available on Drafting + Plasma, Oxyfuel & Laser ($40/mo). Drafting + Full CAM ($60/mo) also includes Router and 3-axis Mill. It also includes the complete Lathe beta, new in v2.6.1; the software workflow is simulation-qualified, while physical lathe commissioning remains pending.

Does JetCad3 need an internet connection to run?

No — and that goes for every way of paying for it, not just one. Running offline has been a priority in JetCad3 from the start, which is unusual: nearly every other CAD/CAM package on the market today needs a connection. A subscription can generate an offline key you carry to an air-gapped machine on a thumb drive. A Pre-Paid License is a file you import once. The Lifetime Unlimited License is a hardware key you plug in. In all three cases the licensed machine can be completely off the network, and JetCad3 never syncs your part files to the cloud or phones home with your geometry.

Is there a portable Windows version?

Yes. Download either the Windows installer or the portable .exe. The portable version runs without installation. Your computer’s security policy and any required machine drivers may still require administrator approval.

Can I use JetCad3 on multiple machines?

It depends which way you're licensed. A subscription covers all machines you personally use — activate each install by signing in online or with an offline license key. A Pre-Paid License is one computer per license, because it's bound to that computer's machine code and answers to nothing over the network; licensing the office PC and the one at the table means one license each. The Lifetime Unlimited hardware key runs every computer on your shop's local network at once through License Sharing: no seat limit, no carrying the key around, and it works whether those machines are signed in or not. If you need to move a subscription or rebind a Pre-Paid License to a new computer, both are self-service from your account dashboard.

Ready to stop fighting your CAD tool?

Free forever with a jetcad.io account — or go unmetered with a 30-day trial. Works on every machine in your shop.

Create Free Account →Download First