StoneNest as a Deepnest alternative for countertop shops
Deepnest is an excellent free, open-source nester for general SVG and DXF work, and StoneNest is a purpose-built tool for countertop slabs — the right one depends on whether you need general-purpose nesting or a cut-safe slab count you can bid from. Both place shapes onto a working area; where they differ is scope and validation. Deepnest nests arbitrary shapes for laser cutting, CNC routing, and other maker and fabrication work, and it's genuinely popular for exactly that — free, open source, and running on your own machine. StoneNest does one job: turn countertop unit-type DXFs into a slab count and yield %, modeling kerf and slab edge offset as first-class inputs, then blocking export unless an independent validator confirms zero overlaps, off-slab placements, or kerf violations, before handing off an AlphaCAM-ready DXF. If you're nesting odds-and-ends parts across formats, Deepnest is a solid free starting point. If you're bidding and cutting countertop slabs and want a validated number your bid can stand behind, that's what StoneNest is built for.
What Deepnest does well
Deepnest is a free, open-source nesting tool for SVG and DXF shapes, and it's genuinely popular in the laser-cutting, CNC, and maker community for good reason: it runs on your own machine, it's community-supported, and it's a capable general-purpose way to pack arbitrary parts onto a working area without paying for anything. If your shop nests a mix of materials and part shapes and just needs tighter packing than laying it out by hand, Deepnest is a solid tool to reach for.
StoneNest starts from a narrower brief: nest countertop unit-type DXFs — islands, counters, splash strips — into a slab count and yield % you can actually bid from, with kerf and slab edge offset built in as first-class inputs rather than something you account for separately afterward. On our own published demo job, that specificity showed up as a real, checked number.
The results panel on the Ridgeline Flats demo job: 132 slabs for 108 units across 3 unit types, 81.6% yield.
Deepnest vs. StoneNest, side by side
| Deepnest | StoneNest | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | General SVG/DXF nesting | Countertop slab nesting |
| Cost | Free, open source | Subscription — $69/mo Founders (first 25 shops), then $99/mo Full |
| Runs offline | Yes, on your own machine | Yes — no cloud, no telemetry, nothing uploaded |
| Cut-safe validation | Not built in | Independent validator blocks export on any overlap, off-slab placement, or kerf violation |
| Kerf & edge offset modeling | Not specific to stone fabrication | 0.133″ default kerf, 0.50″ default edge offset, both editable |
| AlphaCAM-ready export | Not targeted at AlphaCAM or stone workflows | AlphaCAM-ready DXF (R2018) export |
Deepnest's true-shape nesting engine is general-purpose by design — it doesn't know what a slab edge, a kerf setting, or an AlphaCAM export target is, because serving any shape in any material is the whole point of the tool. That's not a shortcoming; it's a different job. StoneNest exists for the countertop-specific layer on top of general nesting: deterministic output run to run, and a layout that's checked before it's allowed to export.
Where StoneNest specializes
Everything below is scoped to one job — countertop fabrication — rather than general nesting:
- Kerf (0.133″ default) and slab edge offset (0.50″ default), both editable and both subtracted from usable slab area before a piece is placed.
- Up to 18 unit types per job and a ≤6-slab batch window, matching how a countertop shop actually cuts.
- An independent validator gate that refuses to export a DXF with any overlap, off-slab placement, or kerf violation.
- A machine-bound license and a fully offline workflow — nothing uploaded, nothing run in the cloud.
See how a DXF becomes a slab count for the mechanical path, or how many slabs a job needs for what actually drives the number.
Try it yourself: the free web estimator needs no install and nothing uploaded, or start a full 7-day free trial of the desktop app — no card required.
Which one to reach for
If you're nesting general parts across materials and formats — laser-cut panels, CNC-routed shapes, anything outside stone — Deepnest is a free, capable tool built for exactly that, and there's no reason to pay for something narrower. If you're quoting and cutting countertop slabs and need a slab count you can defend in a bid, with kerf, edge offset, and an independent validator already accounted for, that's the gap StoneNest was built to close.
FAQ
Is Deepnest good enough for countertop nesting?
Deepnest can nest true shapes well and it's free, but it doesn't model kerf or slab edge offset, doesn't run an independent validator against overlaps or off-slab placement, and doesn't produce an AlphaCAM-ready countertop DXF — gaps that matter once you're bidding and cutting real slabs.
Is StoneNest free like Deepnest?
No. StoneNest is subscription software — $69/mo Founders rate for the first 25 shops, then $99/mo Full — not free like Deepnest. There's a 7-day full free trial with no card required, a free Estimator Mode with no DXF import or export, and a free web tool at /try/ if you want a slab count before paying for anything.
Does StoneNest replace Deepnest for general nesting work?
No. Deepnest remains a solid choice for general SVG/DXF nesting outside countertop fabrication — laser-cut parts, CNC-routed shapes, and other non-slab work. StoneNest only handles countertop unit-type DXFs against slab dimensions, kerf, and edge offset.
What does StoneNest add on top of general nesting?
Kerf (0.133″ default) and slab edge offset (0.50″ default) modeled as first-class inputs, an independent validator that blocks export on any overlap, off-slab placement, or kerf violation, and an AlphaCAM-ready DXF (R2018) export — pieces that are out of scope for a general-purpose nester like Deepnest.
See what your own job nests to
Try the free web estimator with your own unit counts, or start the 7-day free trial for full DXF import, export, and the validator gate.