Pricing
Plans for every stage of CNC work — hobby to production. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial.
Join 2,000+ machinists using HelioCad
Maker
For hobbyist CNC owners and weekend warriors
billed monthly
Free for 7 days, then $29.99/mo. Cancel anytime.
- Full parametric, surface, and sheet metal modeling
- Full 3-axis CAM strategies
- Full laser engraving & cutting (GRBL, Ruida CO2, EzCad fiber/galvo)
- Full AI capabilities including Vision (50 requests/day)
- Unlimited private projects
- STEP, STL, G-code, DXF export
- LinuxCNC, Grbl, Mach3/4, Masso, Centroid, Smoothieware controller support
- Basic toolpath simulation
Free for 7 days · no card required · cancel anytime
Pro
For professional machinists and small job shops
billed monthly
Free for 7 days, then $59.00/mo. Cancel anytime.
- Everything in Maker, plus:
- Full 4-axis simultaneous CAM
- 5-axis simultaneous CAM
- Unlimited AI operations (larger reasoning model)
- Industrial post-processors: Siemens 840D, Fanuc, Haas, Mazak, Okuma, Heidenhain
- Full 3D stock simulation + collision detection
- STEP, IGES, STL, G-code, DXF, Parasolid export
- Priority AI queue
Free for 7 days · no card required · cancel anytime
Team
For production shops and multi-user teams
billed monthly
Free for 7 days, then $99.00/user/mo. Cancel anytime.
- Everything in Pro, plus:
- Per-user pricing — add or remove seats anytime
- Team collaboration, shared projects, review workflows
- Batch G-code generation (multi-part)
- Custom post-processors: start from any built-in, then edit, save, and reuse your own
- Dedicated GPU queue
Free for 7 days · no card required · cancel anytime
Maker plan users can add AI credits on heavy days: Boost 50 ($9) or Boost 150 ($19) — credits never expire.
How HelioCad Compares
AI-powered CAD/CAM at a fraction of the cost. No installs, no dongles, no annual lock-in.
| Feature | HelioCad | Fusion 360 | Mastercam |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5-axis CAM | $59/moPro | $155/mo | $10K+/yr |
| AI G-code generation | IncludedAll plans | No | No |
| Browser-based | YesAll plans | Desktop only | Desktop only |
| Built-in post-processors | 18 includedIndustrial posts on Pro | Large library | Reseller-supplied |
| Custom post-processors | In-app editorTeam | Edit post files | Reseller / .pst editing |
Works with Haas, Fanuc, Siemens 840D, Heidenhain, Mazak, Okuma, Brother, Hurco, LinuxCNC, Grbl, Mach3/4, Masso, Centroid, and more.
Frequently asked questions
How does the 7-day free trial work?
Sign up and you're in — every account starts with a full-featured 7-day free trial, no card required. We email you before it ends, and when you're ready you pick a plan to keep building. If you let the trial lapse, your projects stay safe but become read-only until you subscribe — you're never charged anything automatically.
Do I need a credit card to start the trial?
No. You start the trial with just an email — no card, no charge, and nothing to cancel. You only enter payment details when you choose a plan.
What payment methods do you accept?
All major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) and PayPal. Team plans can also be invoiced.
Can I cancel my subscription?
Yes, cancel anytime from the in-app banner or your account settings. Your access continues until the end of your current trial or billing period.
What are credit packs?
Maker plan users who hit the 50 requests/day cap can add Boost packs for heavy days: 50 extra AI requests for $9 or 150 for $19. Credits never expire.
How do Team plan seats work?
Team is priced per user at $99/user/mo — pick your seat count at checkout and add or remove seats anytime. Each seat gets full Pro-level access plus team collaboration features.
Is annual billing cheaper?
Yes. Pay annually up front and get 2 months free (about 17% off) versus paying monthly — on every plan.
Can I switch plans later?
Absolutely. Upgrade or downgrade at any time. When upgrading, you only pay the prorated difference for the remainder of your billing period.
What controllers do you support?
Maker plan supports generic G-code and popular hobby controllers (Grbl, LinuxCNC, Mach3/4, Masso, Centroid, Smoothieware). Laser controllers are included on every plan — Grbl, Ruida CO2 DSP, and EzCad fiber/galvo. Pro and Team add the industrial CNC posts — Siemens 840D SL, Fanuc, Haas, Mazak, Okuma, Heidenhain — for 18 built-in post-processors in total. Team adds custom post-processors: start from any built-in, adjust the preamble, postamble, tool-change block and option defaults in the in-app editor, then save it as your own post and reuse it across projects.