Comparison

Stringer vs Cut List Optimizer

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Stringer

This app calculates stair stringer dimensions for builders and DIYers. It provides clear options based on rise and going, with code compliance checks. All calculations and projects are saved on the device for offline use.

Highlights
  • Stair stringer calculations
  • Imperial/metric unit support
  • Building code references
  • Offline functionality
  • Project saving
  • Visual results and cut sheets
Features
Read full description

Stringer is a focused stair and stair-stringer calculator for builders, remodelers, deck crews, finish carpenters, makers, inspectors, and careful DIYers who want usable numbers before cutting timber. Enter the total rise and the going, choose imperial or metric units, pick the building-code reference you want to compare against, and Stringer turns the job into clear stair options you can read on site. Privacy is built into the workflow: Offline / No Login / Privacy First / On Device / No Cloud Upload. You can open the app in a basement, garage, workshop, rural jobsite, or anywhere without reliable service. Calculations, saved projects, settings, and exported cut sheets stay on the device. There is no account to create, no sync step to wait for, and no project data being uploaded to a cloud service. Use Stringer when you need to decide how many risers fit a stair, what each riser height should be, how many treads are needed, and what total run and pitch that choice creates. The results screen highlights a recommended option, then lists nearby alternatives so you can compare 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, or 19 risers at a glance. Each option shows the riser height, tread count, total run, pitch angle, and code status, making it easier to choose a layout that works for the space instead of guessing from a scrap of paper. The calculator is made for real construction details. Set total rise, going or tread run, maximum available run, stair width, nosing, tread thickness, stringer stock, stock price, standard or flush construction, and whether the bottom stringer should be dropped. Switch between inches and millimetres as needed. The app also estimates board length, cut count, throat depth, first cut, and the framing-square rise and run values you need when laying out a stringer by hand. Code references are available for quick checks against common stair rules, including IRC for US/CA work, NCC for Australia, and Doc K for the UK. Stringer can flag riser height, tread depth, pitch, stair width, and headroom notes in a readable compliance panel. These checks are intended as a field aid, not as a replacement for local code review, permits, or professional judgement. Always verify site conditions, headroom, landings, guards, handrails, and local amendments before final construction. The visual results are designed to reduce mistakes. View the stair elevation, the full stringer shape, or the cut sheet. Dimension callouts show rise, going, total rise, total run, pitch, board length, throat depth, plumb angle, and first cut. The stringer layout view helps you see how the stair will land on the stock before you mark the board. This is useful when checking whether a 2x12 has enough throat, whether the run fits the opening, or whether a different riser count gives a better balance. Projects help keep jobsite numbers organized. Save a project, create a new one, return to previous calculations, and keep your settings ready for the next stair. When the layout is ready, export a professional-looking Stair Cut Sheet PDF with a summary, diagram, code-compliance table, and stringer layout notes. Share it with a crew member, client, inspector, or your own future self before lumber is cut. Stringer is intentionally simple: no login wall, no cloud workspace, no noisy collaboration feed, and no hidden web requirement. It is a practical stair layout tool for people who need fast answers, readable drawings, and repeatable numbers while keeping project information private and local. Stringer now requires an active Stringer Pro subscription to use the app. The subscription unlocks stair layout calculations, code checks, saved projects, and PDF cut sheet export. Privacy Policy https://woodcuttool.com/legal/Stringer/privacy/ Terms of Use https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Cut List Optimizer

Features
Read full description

SawKit works out how to cut your parts from full sheets of plywood, MDF or melamine with the least waste — and then tells you the order to make the cuts in. Type your cut list the way you'd say it. 15 3/16. 3/4". 4' 6". Millimetres if that's your shop. SawKit reads all of it, and a unit written on a number always wins, so you can mix imported hardware into a metric project without doing sums. WHAT IT DOES • Works out the layout across as many sheets as it takes, and picks the best of twelve different packing strategies for your particular list. • Respects the grain. Say which way it runs on the sheet and on the part, and parts that must follow it are turned to match — never guessed from which number you typed first. • Accounts for the blade. Kerf and edge trim are part of the calculation, not an afterthought. • Gives you the cut order. Every pass runs edge to edge across the piece in your hands, numbered, so you can work through it at the saw. • Prints. A page per sheet plus a shopping list with prices and a total, in black and white that survives a workshop printer. • Runs on iPad, iPhone and Mac, side by side or one at a time. • Works with no signal at all. Workshops are usually the worst room in the building for that. FREE INCLUDES Everything above on screen: the whole calculation, the drawing, and the calculators. Up to 25 parts, three projects and one kind of stock. PRO ($24.99, one payment) Unlimited parts, projects and stock. PDF export and printing. The cut order. Your own stock list with prices. Your projects on every device you own. SHOP CALCULATORS — always free Board feet with cost. Purchase allowance, done properly: waste comes out of what you buy, not what you need, so 15% waste means buying about 18% more — not 15%. Project cost with markup. PRIVACY Nothing is collected. No account, no analytics, no tracking, no server. Your cut lists are yours and they stay on your devices.

Screenshots

Stringer4 screens
Cut List Optimizer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Stringer at none against Cut List Optimizer's 1. Stringer also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Cut List Optimizer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Stringer asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stringer ships an update weekly, Cut List Optimizer monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 6, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Stringer versus Cut List Optimizer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStringerCut List Optimizer
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer家宝 戴Armen Ter-Oganezov

In-app purchases

None

Stringer

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Cut List Optimizer

One-time1
  • SawKit Pro$24.99

Questions

Is Stringer free?
Stringer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cut List Optimizer free?
Cut List Optimizer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Stringer or Cut List Optimizer have ads?
Neither Stringer nor Cut List Optimizer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stringer or Cut List Optimizer?
Stringer ships an update weekly, and Cut List Optimizer monthly. Most recently, Stringer was updated on September 6, 2026 and Cut List Optimizer on September 25, 2026.

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