Is the manufacturer’s software enough, or do I need LightBurn?

Bundled software has gotten genuinely good at the basics: camera alignment, simple layout, one-click material presets. Where third-party control software like LightBurn earns its license is production work — kerf offsets, per-layer settings, arrays with variable text, and a workflow that does not change when you swap machines.

The buying-guide angle matters more than the software itself: check whether a machine locks core features behind its own ecosystem before you buy it. That lock-in is scored in every review on this site.