If you're looking at FrameReady for cut optimization specifically — RailChop is built for that single job. If you're looking for a full POS, FrameReady is a stronger fit. Here's the honest side-by-side.
FrameReady is a full-featured picture-framing POS — quoting, invoicing, customer management, inventory, and an integration with Valiani's Smart Cut hardware. It's a solid system for shops that want everything in one place and are willing to invest in enterprise software.
RailChop is a single-purpose cut optimizer for mobile. It doesn't do quoting, doesn't do invoicing, doesn't track customers. It takes a work order, optimizes the moulding cut plan across every job in your batch, and spits out a PDF. At $9.99–$24.99/month, it's sized for the shop-floor problem — not the entire business.
Many shops use both: FrameReady at the front counter for customer orders and invoicing, RailChop at the saw for cut optimization. They don't compete; they fit different parts of the day.
| Feature | RailChop | FrameReady |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile (iOS; Android coming soon) | ✓Native iPhone + iPad | ×Desktop-only |
| Multi-order cut optimization | ✓Proprietary algorithm | ∼Via Valiani integration |
| Remnant tracking with $ values | ✓Auto-saved after every plan | × |
| AI work order scanning | ✓Handwritten, printed, POS | × |
| Works offline at the saw | ✓ | × |
| PDF cut tickets | ✓ | ✓ |
| Kerf & allowance math | ✓Built-in, configurable | ✓ |
| CSV/XLSX cut list import | ✓Business tier | × |
| Shop dashboard & KPIs | ✓Business tier | ∼Sales reporting |
| POS: quoting & invoicing | ×Not what it does | ✓ |
| Customer management | × | ✓ |
| Vendor catalog integration | × | ✓Larson, Roma, etc. |
| Valiani CMC integration | × | ✓Smart Cut |
| Free tier | ✓3 days/mo, 3 profiles | × |
| Entry-level price | $9.99/mo | Contact sales |
Full-shop business management. If you want one system that handles customer quotes, order tracking, invoicing, payments, and inventory, FrameReady does that. RailChop doesn't try. If your POS today is sticky notes and a paper ledger, FrameReady is a real upgrade.
Valiani Smart Cut integration. If you already run a Valiani CMC for mat cutting and want your mat cuts pushed directly from the POS to the machine, FrameReady handles that integration natively. RailChop doesn't touch mat cutting at all.
Vendor catalog breadth. FrameReady plugs into Larson Juhl, Roma Moulding, and other major vendors for live pricing and product data. This matters if you want your POS to feel like a catalog at the front counter.
Mobile at the saw. RailChop runs on your iPhone or iPad. FrameReady is desktop software. If your saw is anywhere other than next to your front-counter computer, RailChop is the one that can go with you.
Multi-order cut optimization. This is RailChop's core competency. Drop 20 cuts across 3 profiles, get the optimal stick layout in under a second. FrameReady's cut handling goes through Valiani's Smart Cut — good for single orders, not optimized across the full batch.
Remnant tracking. RailChop saves every offcut automatically, tags it by profile, values it in dollars, and integrates it into future cut plans. FrameReady tracks inventory for sticks but not for the leftover after each cut — so remnants live on the rack, un-indexed.
AI work order scanning. Photograph a handwritten work order with RailChop and it parses customers, dimensions, quantities, and profiles in seconds. FrameReady requires manual order entry.
Offline reliability. The saw is often in a back room with spotty Wi-Fi. RailChop's optimizer, PDF export, and remnant tracking all work fully offline. Your plan is ready whether or not the network is.
Pricing. RailChop Free is $0 and actually usable. Pro is $9.99/mo. Business is $24.99/mo. FrameReady is a multi-hundred-dollar-per-year enterprise license. For a shop evaluating cut optimization specifically, RailChop is sized appropriately.
This page is called "FrameReady alternative" because that's what framers search for. But FrameReady and RailChop aren't really competing on the same axis.
FrameReady is a business management system. It handles everything a custom frame shop does at the front counter — customer quoting, order intake, invoicing, inventory, reporting. If your shop doesn't have that kind of software yet, FrameReady is a legitimate upgrade path.
RailChop is a shop-floor tool. It takes a work order and turns it into an optimized cut plan. It runs on your phone, works offline, and costs under $25/month for the full feature set.
If you're early — running a paper ledger and a mental cut list — you probably want FrameReady for business management and RailChop for the cutting step. If you already have a POS (any POS), RailChop slots in at the saw without changing anything else.
Don't pick one over the other. Pick the one that solves your current bottleneck.
RailChop is on the App Store today. The 14-day free trial includes every Business feature — AI Scan, Shop Dashboard, cut list import.
We’ll email you when the Android app is live. No spam.