We get asked all the time: “Which laser should I buy?”
That’s why we’ve built a new tool to help you find your next (or first!) LightBurn-compatible laser — the LightBurn Hardware Compatibility Matrix.
If you see a machine with a high compatibility rating, it means a few things:
- It works really well with LightBurn
- The manufacturer has provided pre-made device profile so you’ll have a smooth software onboarding experience
- They’ve also provided a material settings library that will allow you to get going fast with your new machine
You’ll also find information on a machine’s:
- laser source
- firmware
- communication protocols
- accessory support
- and more!
These days there are some cool-looking machines out there that provide their own software, but they’re built with a fundamentally different goal in mind than LightBurn.
Their software only works with their lasers, so when you’re looking to level up your workshop down the road, if you don’t want to lose the projects that you invested time and money in developing, you’re going to have to buy the laser they want you to buy. But what if you started out with a diode laser you love, and now have your eye on another company’s CO2 laser because of its size, power, capability, or price point? Your options could be seriously limited if you don’t want to start over with new software.
Our philosophy is different: we build software that makers can take with them wherever their creative needs or the demands of their business lead. Learn LightBurn once and take your knowledge with you to any machine you get down the road. You can easily re-use the same LightBurn files with any type of laser — gantry, galvo, diode, CO2, fiber, UV, and anything else that hits market down the road — so you can keep working with the same projects on any new machine.
We back that ethos with a dedicated support team, world-class documentation and learning resources, and a vibrant community of makers always eager to lend a hand.
So which laser should you buy? Head over to Lasers.LightBurnSoftware.com to find out!
