LightBurn is the laser control and design software that most machines in this category advertise compatibility with, and it is a one-off purchase rather than a subscription, sold in two tiers. Which tier you need is decided by the controller inside your machine rather than by its wattage or its price, and no listing tells you which. Laser Oracle applies LightBurn’s own published rule to every machine in this catalogue and prints the license cost beside the machine price, including the machines whose makers never publish the controller at all and the one maker that withdrew support outright.
All software compatibility18
Machines here that run LightBurn
30
Machines checked against the rule
$99
Cheapest license that drives a machine here
30 days
Free trial, unrestricted, all controllers
LightBurn sells one license in two versions. Which one you need is decided by the controller inside your machine, not by how powerful it is or what it cost.
One payment, not a subscription. A year of updates is included.
GCode controllers: Cohesion3D, Smoothieware, Grbl, Marlin and Grbl-LPC. Permanent commercial use, installable on up to three computers, PC or Mac.
Controllers covered
Cohesion3D, Smoothieware, Grbl, Marlin, Grbl-LPC
5 of the 30 machines specified on this site need LightBurn Core.
Machines on this license
LightBurn Software: LightBurn Core License KeyRead 2026-08-16
One payment, not a subscription. A year of updates is included.
Everything in Core plus DSP lasers (Ruida, Trocen, TopWisdom) and EZCad2-based galvo lasers, meaning fiber, CO2 or UV, connected by USB. Permanent commercial use, up to three computers.
Controllers covered
Cohesion3D, Smoothieware, Grbl, Marlin, Grbl-LPC, Ruida, Trocen, TopWisdom, EZCad2, EZCad2 Lite, EZCad3, BSL
13 of the 30 machines specified on this site need LightBurn Pro.
Machines on this license
LightBurn Software: LightBurn Pro License KeyRead 2026-08-16
The gap between them is $100, and it is the single figure a listing that says "LightBurn compatible" never tells you. If you buy Core and find you needed Pro, LightBurn sells the difference as an upgrade rather than making you buy twice.
Read from LightBurn's own licensing pages on 2026-08-16.
Forever
How long the license lasts
The license does not expire. After the first year the updates stop arriving and the version you have keeps working.
30 days
Free trial, no restrictions
The full program, no watermarks and no limits, with all three controller classes enabled. Confirm your own machine connects before you pay anything.
Three
Computers on one license
Seats on PC or Mac, managed from LightBurn’s own portal. A fourth is sold separately.
$40
A further year of updates
Optional, and the same price on either tier. Renew before your term ends and LightBurn adds two months.
Every one of these names LightBurn in its own maker's documentation. The license is on top of the price shown, and the table below says which tier.
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8.5Monport
#12 in its Amazon category
$1,600
Check price on AmazonImage: Amazon
3.8xTool
#42 in its Amazon category
$1,899$2,549Save $650
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8.0xTool
#63 in its Amazon category
$3,399$4,499Save $1,100
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5.5Carverall
#91 in its Amazon category
$350
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Every machine specified on this site, with the evidence the tier rests on. One maker states the tier itself; every other row is LightBurn's published rule applied to the controller that maker names, or to the machine's own sourced laser source.
| Machine | License needed | License | Machine | Together | On what evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| xTool P2SxTool | LightBurn Core at least | $99 | $3,399 | $3,498 | xTool names LightBurn but never names the controller, and the controller is what sets the tier. Core is the floor; if the machine turns out to run a Ruida, Trocen or TopWisdom board it needs Pro instead. |
| VEVOR 100W CO2VEVOR | LightBurn Core at least | $99 | $3,029.90 | $3,128.90 | VEVOR names LightBurn but never names the controller, and the controller is what sets the tier. Core is the floor; if the machine turns out to run a Ruida, Trocen or TopWisdom board it needs Pro instead. |
| xTool S1 40WxTool | LightBurn Core | $99 | $1,899 | $1,998 | Diode engravers run GCode firmware, which is exactly what Core covers: Grbl, Marlin, Smoothieware and Grbl-LPC. |
| Monport Reno65Monport | LightBurn Core | $99 | $1,599.99 | $1,698.99 | Monport names the tier itself, listing the software as "LightBurn (Core)". |
| Carverall A1 ProCarverall | LightBurn Core | $99 | $349.99 | $448.99 | Diode engravers run GCode firmware, which is exactly what Core covers: Grbl, Marlin, Smoothieware and Grbl-LPC. |
| OMTech Pro 2440OMTech | LightBurn Pro | $199 | $7,099.99 | $7,298.99 | OMTech ships RDWorks with this machine, which is a DSP controller. LightBurn puts Ruida, Trocen and TopWisdom in Pro. |
| OMTech Pronto 45OMTech | LightBurn Pro | $199 | $5,699.99 | $5,898.99 | OMTech ships RDWorks with this machine, which is a DSP controller. LightBurn puts Ruida, Trocen and TopWisdom in Pro. |
| OMTech Maker 100WOMTech | LightBurn Pro | $199 | $4,199.99 | $4,398.99 | OMTech ships RDWorks with this machine, which is a DSP controller. LightBurn puts Ruida, Trocen and TopWisdom in Pro. |
| ComMarker B6 60WComMarker | LightBurn Pro | $199 | $3,999 | $4,198 | ComMarker ships EZCAD with this machine, which is a galvo controller. LightBurn puts EZCad2, EZCad3 and BSL galvo systems in Pro. |
| ComMarker X 6W UVComMarker | LightBurn Pro | $199 | $3,599 | $3,798 | This is a galvo marker, a fixed scanning head rather than a moving gantry, and LightBurn states that fiber, CO2 and UV galvo systems need Pro. |
| Creality Falcon T1 UVCreality | LightBurn Pro | $199 | $3,599 | $3,798 | This is a galvo marker, a fixed scanning head rather than a moving gantry, and LightBurn states that fiber, CO2 and UV galvo systems need Pro. |
 Monport GM60 Mopa ProMonport | LightBurn Pro | $199 | $3,299.99 | $3,498.99 | Monport ships BslAppSimple with this machine, which is a galvo controller. LightBurn puts EZCad2, EZCad3 and BSL galvo systems in Pro. |
 ComMarker XE 6W UVComMarker | LightBurn Pro | $199 | $3,299 | $3,498 | This is a galvo marker, a fixed scanning head rather than a moving gantry, and LightBurn states that fiber, CO2 and UV galvo systems need Pro. |
 GWEIKE G2 Max 50WG·WEIKE | LightBurn Pro | $199 | $2,499 | $2,698 | This is a galvo marker, a fixed scanning head rather than a moving gantry, and LightBurn states that fiber, CO2 and UV galvo systems need Pro. |
 VEVOR 50W CO2VEVOR | LightBurn Pro | $199 | $1,899.90 | $2,098.90 | VEVOR ships RDWorks with this machine, which is a DSP controller. LightBurn puts Ruida, Trocen and TopWisdom in Pro. |
 Monport GM30 ProMonport | LightBurn Pro | $199 | $1,799.99 | $1,998.99 | Monport ships BslAppSimple with this machine, which is a galvo controller. LightBurn puts EZCad2, EZCad3 and BSL galvo systems in Pro. |
 OMTech Galvo 30WOMTech | LightBurn Pro | $199 | $1,599.99 | $1,798.99 | This is a galvo marker, a fixed scanning head rather than a moving gantry, and LightBurn states that fiber, CO2 and UV galvo systems need Pro. |
 GWEIKE G2 Pro 30WG·WEIKE | LightBurn Pro | $199 | $1,599 | $1,798 | This is a galvo marker, a fixed scanning head rather than a moving gantry, and LightBurn states that fiber, CO2 and UV galvo systems need Pro. |
 xTool P3xTool | Maker names other software | Not applicable | $6,499 | Not published | xTool names xTool Studio and does not name LightBurn. |
 xTool F2 Ultra DualxTool | Support withdrawn by the maker | Not applicable | $4,999 | Not published | xTool withdrew LightBurn support from this machine and says so in its own product FAQ, read 2026-08-16. It commits you to xTool Studio. |
 xTool F2 Ultra SinglexTool | Support withdrawn by the maker | Not applicable | $3,999 | Not published | xTool withdrew LightBurn support from this machine and says so in its own product FAQ, read 2026-08-16. It commits you to xTool Studio. |
 xTool F2 Ultra UVxTool | Maker names other software | Not applicable | $3,999 | Not published | xTool names xTool Studio and does not name LightBurn. |
 xTool F1 UltraxTool | Maker names other software | Not applicable | $2,898 | Not published | xTool names xTool Studio and does not name LightBurn. |
 xTool F2xTool | Maker names other software | Not applicable | $1,399 | Not published | xTool names xTool Studio and does not name LightBurn. |
 xTool M2 Color CraftxTool | Maker names other software | Not applicable | $1,359 | Not published | xTool names xTool Studio and does not name LightBurn. |
 xTool M2 20WxTool | Maker names other software | Not applicable | $969 | Not published | xTool names xTool Studio and does not name LightBurn. |
 Glowforge AuraGlowforge | Maker names other software | Not applicable | $939.99 | Not published | Glowforge names Glowforge web app and Glowforge Premium and does not name LightBurn. |
 xTool M2 10WxTool | Maker names other software | Not applicable | $599 | Not published | xTool names xTool Studio and does not name LightBurn. |
 LONGER Ray5 20WLONGER | Maker names other software | Not applicable | $369.98 | Not published | LONGER names MKSLaser mobile app (Android and iOS) and does not name LightBurn. |
 Glowforge Pro HDGlowforge | Maker names other software | Not applicable | Not buyable today | Not published | Glowforge names Glowforge app (browser) and Glowforge Premium and does not name LightBurn. |
18 of the 30 machines here name LightBurn in their own maker's documentation. The other 12 do not, and that is a finding rather than a gap: a machine locked to its maker's own software has a capability ceiling set by a company with no competitor to answer to.
Two of them are withdrawals rather than silences: xTool answers the question in its own product FAQ, saying the F2 Ultra and F2 Ultra Single are no longer compatible with LightBurn, having previously been. A machine that never supported it and a machine that stopped are different purchases, and only one of them is a broken promise.
On two rows the tier is a floor rather than a finding. Those makers name LightBurn and never name the controller, and the controller is the only thing that decides the tier. Core is what those machines need if the board is GCode; a Ruida, Trocen or TopWisdom board makes it Pro. We report the floor and say so rather than picking the cheaper answer and printing it as a fact.
LightBurn splits every laser into three controller classes and prices against that split. Find your class and the tier follows, whatever the machine cost.
Pictured: xTool S1 40W
Usually a bare board on an open frame, driven over USB from a text command format.
Controllers LightBurn names
Cohesion3D, Smoothieware, Grbl, Marlin, Grbl-LPC
Open-frame diode engravers, kit lasers and hobby CNC. LightBurn names the Ortur, xTool D1, AtomStack, TwoTrees, NEJE Master, EleksMaker and FoxAlien, plus X-Carve, Shapeoko and 3018 routers.
LightBurn Software: Which version do I need?Read 2026-08-16
Pictured: OMTech Pro 2440
A sealed plastic case with its own LCD panel and buttons on the machine. If it is a CO2 laser in a metal cabinet with a display, LightBurn says it is probably this.
Controllers LightBurn names
Ruida, Trocen, TopWisdom
Light-industrial CO2 cabinets. LightBurn names Aeon, Thunder, Boss, AP Lazer and Laguna Tools among the makers using controllers it supports.
LightBurn Software: Which version do I need?Read 2026-08-16
Pictured: ComMarker B6 60W
A fixed scanning head on an arm that projects the beam down, with no moving gantry. Connected by USB cable.
Controllers LightBurn names
EZCad2, EZCad2 Lite, EZCad3, BSL
Fiber markers for metal, CO2 galvo markers for wood, and UV markers. This is most of the metal-marking half of this catalogue.
LightBurn Software: Which version do I need?Read 2026-08-16
Pro is a superset. LightBurn states that the Pro license also covers everything the Core license covers, so nobody needs both.
The useful half of a compatibility answer is the half that says no, and it is the half almost nobody publishes. Three of these are LightBurn's own words. One is a manufacturer admitting the support was taken away.
This is the only case in the catalogue of a maker withdrawing support from a machine it already sells. xTool answers the question in its own product FAQ: “No. To ensure the security of user data transmission, F2 Ultra/F2 Ultra(Single) is no longer compatible with Lightburn, as the previous access protocols were all open protocols.” Both F2 Ultra models commit a buyer to xTool Studio, which matters most to anyone whose files and other machines already live in LightBurn.
xTool: xTool F2 Ultra product FAQ: is LightBurn compatible with the F2 Ultra?Read 2026-08-16
LightBurn states plainly that it does not support the M2 Nano board that ships in most K40 lasers. A K40 runs LightBurn only after its controller has been replaced, which is a hardware purchase on top of the license rather than a software choice.
LightBurn Software: Which version do I need?Read 2026-08-16
It works, but LightBurn asks Emblaser owners to buy the license from Darkly Labs directly rather than from LightBurn.
LightBurn Software: LightBurn Core License KeyRead 2026-08-16
LightBurn qualifies its galvo support as controllers connected with a USB cable. A network-only galvo controller is outside what it states.
LightBurn Software: Which version do I need?Read 2026-08-16
The figures that never appear in a comparison, read from LightBurn’s own store in US dollars.
| What | Published price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Upgrade an existing Core key to Pro | $100 | The difference between the two tiers. Adds the device type to the key you already hold. |
| A fourth computer on a Core key | $25 | Sold as an additional seat. Three are included. |
| A fourth computer on a Pro key | $50 | Sold as an additional seat. Three are included. |
| LightBurn Camera | $80 | Optional hardware for aligning artwork to material already on the bed. |
| LightBurn Camera, 8MP 4K-W | $110 | The higher resolution camera in the same range. |
The two license prices are deliberately not repeated here. They live with the totals they feed, on the running-costs page, because a figure stated in two places goes stale in one of them.
Every answer below is LightBurn’s own statement, with the page it was read from.
LightBurn publishes the rule and each manufacturer publishes its machine. This page is the join, and it is worked in one order every time. Where a maker writes the tier out, that wins. Where a maker names the control software it ships, the controller family follows from it: RDWorks is Ruida’s own program, EZCAD and BslAppSimple are galvo controllers, and LightBurn puts all of them in Pro. Where neither is published, the machine’s own sourced laser source decides, because a galvo marker is a galvo marker whatever its maker calls the software.
Where none of that resolves it, the page says so. A CO2 machine whose maker names LightBurn and never names the controller could be either tier, and printing the cheaper one would be a hundred dollar error delivered with the confidence of a sourced figure.
We have never run these machines and do not claim to. The authority here is the documentation layer: what LightBurn published, what each manufacturer published, and the date each was read.
LightBurn Software: Which version do I need?Read 2026-08-16
LightBurn Software: Which version of LightBurn is right for you?Read 2026-08-16
LightBurn Software: LightBurn LicensesRead 2026-08-16
LightBurn Software: Download / Free TrialRead 2026-08-16
LightBurn Software: Hardware Compatibility MatrixRead 2026-08-16
LightBurn Software: LightBurn Core License KeyRead 2026-08-16
xTool: xTool F2 Ultra product FAQ: is LightBurn compatible with the F2 Ultra?Read 2026-08-16