Best Job Costing Software for CNC Shops (2026)

What CNC Shops Need from Job Costing Software

CNC shops and machine shops have specific requirements that general manufacturing software often doesn't address:

• Machine-based costing: Different machines have different costs per hour
• Setup vs. run time tracking: Setup is often the biggest cost on short runs
• Tolerance for custom work: Every job might be different
• Material tracking by job: Bar stock, plate, and billet usage per job
• Multi-operation routing: Jobs move between machines and operations

General-purpose business software (QuickBooks, Sage) can't handle these. Enterprise ERP (NetSuite, SAP) can, but at enterprise prices. The sweet spot for most CNC shops is purpose-built manufacturing software.

Key Features to Look For

1. Shop Floor Time Tracking

Workers need to log time to specific jobs easily. The best systems offer:

• Barcode/QR scanning on work orders
• Tablet or kiosk interfaces at machines
• Separation of setup, run, and inspection time
• Rework time capture (often forgotten but critical)

Watch out for: Systems that require workers to log into computers. Shop floor simplicity is essential—if it's not easy, people won't do it.

2. Machine-Based Cost Rates

Your 3-axis mill and your 5-axis mill don't cost the same to run. Good software lets you define cost rates per machine or work center:

• Machine hourly rate (depreciation, maintenance, power)
• Operator labor rate (may vary by skill level)
• Combined "burden" rate for costing

Watch out for: Systems that force a single shop-wide rate. This leads to inaccurate costing when machine costs vary significantly.

3. Quoted vs. Actual Comparison

You quote jobs based on estimated hours and materials. Good software compares estimates to actuals:

• Estimated vs. actual hours by operation
• Estimated vs. actual material usage
• Quoted margin vs. actual margin

Watch out for: Systems that only track actuals without connecting to quotes. The comparison is where insights live.

4. Multi-Operation Routing

Most CNC jobs involve multiple operations: saw, mill, turn, drill, inspect. Good software tracks each:

• Define routing per job (or copy from templates)
• Track time and cost per operation
• See where jobs spend the most time/money

Watch out for: Systems that treat jobs as single operations. You lose the granularity needed to find bottlenecks.

5. Material Tracking

Track what goes into each job:

• Issue materials to jobs when cut or used
• Cost materials at standard or actual cost
• Track offcuts and scrap

Watch out for: Systems that only track labor. Material cost is often 30-50% of job cost in CNC shops.

Options Compared

Spreadsheets (Free)

Pros: Free, flexible, familiar.

Cons: Manual entry, version control nightmares, no shop floor interface, breaks at scale.

Best for: Shops doing fewer than 15 jobs/week with someone dedicated to data entry.

Jolted ($200-500/month)

Pros: Purpose-built for job shop job costing, shop floor interface, real-time costing, fast setup, affordable.

Cons: Not a full ERP (doesn't do AP/AR, payroll). Requires separate accounting software.

Best for: CNC shops doing 15-100+ jobs/week who need job costing without ERP complexity.

JobBOSS / E2 Shop ($400-800/month)

Pros: Established names in job shop software, comprehensive feature sets.

Cons: Older interfaces, can require significant configuration, higher learning curve.

Best for: Shops that want traditional on-premise or hybrid solutions with extensive feature sets.

ProShop / Paperless Parts ($500-1000/month)

Pros: Modern interfaces, strong shop floor features, quality management integration.

Cons: Higher price point, may include features small shops don't need.

Best for: Aerospace/defense shops with strict quality requirements.

Full ERP: NetSuite, Odoo, Epicor ($50K+ first year)

Pros: Everything integrated, enterprise-grade, scales to large operations.

Cons: Expensive, long implementation, requires dedicated IT, overkill for most CNC shops.

Best for: Large operations ($30M+ revenue) with complex multi-facility requirements.

Making the Choice

Questions to Ask Yourself

• How many jobs do we run per week? Under 15, spreadsheets may work. Over 15, consider software.
• What's our biggest pain? If it's job visibility and costing, purpose-built software. If it's full business integration, consider ERP.
• What's our budget? Under $500/month points to focused tools. $50K+ budget enables ERP evaluation.
• Do we have IT resources? No dedicated IT = choose simple self-service tools.

Trial Before You Buy

Any software worth considering offers a free trial. Use it with real jobs—not demo data—to see if it actually fits your workflow.

Pay attention to:

• How easy is shop floor time entry?
• Can you set up new jobs quickly?
• Do the reports show what you need to see?
• How responsive is support during trial?