Zorocut vs SigmaNEST (SigmaTEK)
SigmaNEST is industrial CAD/CAM nesting from SigmaTEK, part of Sandvik, sold in editions from AutoNEST to PowerPack. The price is on request. Forum users report about $14,000 for a seat, and in 2011 one reported $1,600 a year in maintenance plus $5,000 to rejoin a lapsed plan.
What SigmaNEST costs, what it does better, and where Zorocut is the cheaper or simpler fit. Each row links to its source. (sigmateksystems.com)
Updated October 30, 2026 · by the Zorocut team · Competitor facts checked on October 28, 2026
| Feature | Zorocut | SigmaNEST |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free €0 · Cutter €19/month or €190/year · Shop €49/month or €490/year (3 machines) · Offline €490 once, then €99/year for updates. Excl. VAT, per machine | Price on request. Forum figures: about $14,000 for a seat (2024); $1,600 a year in maintenance plus $5,000 to rejoin a lapsed plan (2011)sigmateksystems.com · checked October 28, 2026practicalmachinist.com · checked October 28, 2026practicalmachinist.com · checked October 28, 2026 |
| Licence | Account licence, no dongle; Offline runs without internet after one activation | Licence plus annual maintenance; in 2011 a lapsed plan blocked new dongle codespracticalmachinist.com · checked October 28, 2026 |
| Nesting | Automatic true-shape nesting with part-in-part on every plan | Editions AutoNEST, TrueShape, Techno and PowerPack (Premium)sigmateksystems.com · checked October 28, 2026 |
The Zorocut column describes our own plans as they are today; the pricing page has the details. Pricing
In short
SigmaNEST is built for industrial production and priced that way. For a small laser or plasma shop that wants a nest, a DXF for the controller and a customer quote at a published price, Zorocut starts at €0, and Shop is €490 a year.
Where SigmaNEST is better than Zorocut
- A full industrial CAD/CAM suite in four editions, up to PowerPack (Premium).
- Backed by a large group: SigmaTEK is part of Sandvik.
Price difference per year
SigmaNEST publishes no price, so there is no exact difference. Against the forum figure of about $14,000 for a seat, Shop at $490 a year (our USD price) would take about 28 years to cost as much, before SigmaNEST's maintenance.
Our arithmetic at list prices, excluding VAT on both sides. An estimate, not a quote.
Looking for a SigmaNEST alternative?
Zorocut nests and quotes on your own computer — macOS, Windows, Linux or the browser — and gives CypCut, FSCUT or Raytools a layered DXF. The Free plan has unlimited nesting and 10 exports or quotes a month, with no card.
How to switch
Bring the part DXFs your customers send straight into Zorocut. Start on Free, which needs no card, and keep SigmaNEST where you depend on it.
We haven't used SigmaNEST hands-on yet. This page is built from its public pages, linked in each row. Something wrong or out of date? Write to [email protected] and we'll correct it.