Cabinet Run vs other cabinet software
The short answer: Cabinet Run is for small shops building frameless cabinets on a CNC router who want to go from a room to cut sheets without a desktop install or a long learning curve. Full desktop suites such as Mozaik, Cabinet Vision, KCD and Microvellum do far more, and suit shops that need face-frame work, many door styles, quoting and direct machine output. SketchUp with cut-list plugins suits people who’d rather model every part by hand.
| Cabinet Run | Desktop cabinet CAD/CAM (Mozaik, Cabinet Vision, KCD, Microvellum) | SketchUp + plugins | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runs on | Any browser: Windows, Mac, Linux, iPad | Mostly Windows desktop installs | Windows and Mac |
| Getting started | Sign up and design; nothing to install | Install, licence, then set up a library | Model by hand, then add cut-list plugins |
| Learning curve | Short: enter sizes and drawer counts | Longer; very deep feature sets | Depends on your 3D modelling skill |
| Cabinet style | Frameless (32 mm system) only | Frameless and face-frame | Anything you can model |
| Parts and machining | Derived automatically: dados, hinge and shelf-pin holes, drawer boxes | Derived automatically, highly configurable | Mostly manual; plugins help with cut lists |
| Nesting | Built in, per material, grain-aware | Built in on most CNC editions | Through extensions |
| CNC output | Labelled, layered DXF for VCarve, Aspire and other CAM. Direct G-code coming | Direct machine output through post-processors | Through extensions and your CAM |
| Door styles | Slab doors today; more planned | Many door styles | Whatever you model |
| Quoting and labels | Not yet | Usually included | Not built in |
| Cost | Free to design; US$20 a month or US$200 a year for unlimited DXF | Licences or subscriptions; check each vendor | SketchUp subscription plus any paid extensions |
Other products change often, and editions differ. Check each vendor’s site for their current features and pricing.
Cabinet Run is a good fit if
- you build frameless (European-style) cabinets
- you cut on a CNC router with VCarve, Aspire or other DXF-based CAM
- you want to design on a Mac, an iPad or any computer, with nothing to install
- you want parts, holes and drawer boxes worked out for you from a few sizes
- you’d rather pay a small monthly fee than buy a large licence
Look elsewhere if
- most of your work is face-frame cabinets
- you need many door styles, quoting or shop labels today
- your machine needs direct G-code from the design software now (it’s coming, but not here yet)
- you run a large shop that needs a deep, fully customised production system
Questions
Is Cabinet Run an alternative to Mozaik or Cabinet Vision?
For a small frameless shop cutting on a CNC router, often yes: it covers design, parts, nesting and a DXF your CAM can cut, in the browser, for a fraction of the setup. It is not a like-for-like replacement for a full desktop suite: there's no face-frame, no quoting and no direct G-code yet.
Does Cabinet Run work with Vectric VCarve and Aspire?
Yes. It exports a DXF per material with every operation on its own named layer (outlines, dados, each drill size, hinge bores), so you set one toolpath per layer in VCarve, Aspire or any CAM that imports DXF.
Does it run on a Mac or an iPad?
Yes. Cabinet Run runs in the browser, so it works on Mac, Windows, Linux and iPad with nothing to install.
Does it do face-frame cabinets?
No. Cabinet Run is built for frameless (European-style, 32 mm system) cabinets. If most of your work is face-frame, a desktop suite that supports it is the better fit.
Can I try it before paying?
Yes. Designing, 3D, the cut list and the nesting preview are free, every new account gets a 14-day trial of unlimited DXF export with no card, and the free plan includes one DXF export after that.