Free vs paid — what LaserTools gives away
Plenty of tools in this space gate basic features behind a paywall. LaserTools' free tier gives you the AI workflow itself, monthly credits, and all the file format converters. Paid plans add credit volume and the highest-fidelity AI generation model.
| Feature | LaserTools | Paid laser engraving software |
|---|---|---|
| Browser-based 3D file viewer (PLY, STL, OBJ, GLB, PCD) | Free — no account | Often paywalled |
| Browser-based point cloud viewer | Free — no account | Specialised paid tools |
| File converters (STL↔OBJ, PLY↔PCD, etc.) | Free — no account | Desktop / paid tools |
| Long-form guides | Free — no account | Mixed |
| Free tier with monthly credits | Yes — try every studio | Trial-only or none |
| PHOTON AI generation | Free + paid | Paid only elsewhere |
| WAVELENGTH AI generation | Paid plans | Usually paid only |
| Credit packs | Available, never expire | Subscription-only |
| Commercial use of outputs | Permitted | Varies — check terms |
Where free stops being enough
Three things need no account at all: the 3D viewer, the point-cloud viewer, and the file converters for STL, OBJ, GLB, PLY and PCD. Open a customer's file, check it, convert it, close the tab. The long-form guides are open too. A free account adds monthly credits, all four studios, and PHOTON v1.1 for generation and editing, with no card required. Everything you do by hand costs nothing at any tier, and that covers levels, brightness, contrast, sharpness, crop, rotate, flip and export. Credits are spent on AI operations and on a Crystal Studio point-cloud export. Paying makes sense at two specific points: when the monthly allowance runs out partway through a run of customer work, and when PHOTON keeps missing an edit and you want WAVELENGTH v1.2, which is on paid plans only. Free is not a trial that expires. If your volume is a few pieces a month, it is a reasonable place to stay.
Trying it without committing to anything
Start where there is no signup. Take an STL a customer sent you, drop it into the free 3D viewer to see what you have actually been given, then run it through the STL to OBJ or STL to GLB converter if your software wants something else. Point clouds go into the point-cloud viewer, and the PLY to PCD converter handles that swap. Once that has earned some trust, create a free account and put one real job through end to end: a photo into Photo Studio, out to Embossing Studio or Mesh Studio, and, for crystal work, through to a point cloud in Crystal Studio. The formats that cross the boundary are ordinary ones: JPG, PNG and WebP in; PNG and 8-bit PNG height maps out; GLB, GLTF, STL, OBJ and PLY meshes in and out; PLY, PCD, XYZ and DXF point clouds out. Nothing is installed, so nothing needs uninstalling if you stop.
The takeaway
Start free. Use the converters and viewers without signing up. Create an account when you want to run the AI pipeline. Upgrade only when you need more credits or the WAVELENGTH model.