Disclosure: BoxGen is the site you are on. The other three tools are described from their public documentation, and the limits of BoxGen are listed as plainly as the limits of the others. Every claim below can be checked on the linked site.
The short version
| BoxGen | MakerCase | Boxes.py | Templatemaker | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | One rectangular box, fast | Many box types in a browser | Unusual boxes, full control | Paper and card templates |
| Price | Free | Free with ads; Pro $20/year | Free, open source (GPL) | Free |
| Account | None | Optional; needed for Pro | None on the web version | None |
| Dimensions in | Inside only | Inside or outside | Inside or outside | Outside (paper blank) |
| Finger joints | Yes | Yes, plus flat and T-slot | Yes, plus dovetail | No |
| Kerf compensation | Yes | Yes | Joint play and spacing | Not applicable |
| CNC corner relief | No | Yes, dogbone fillets | Inner-corner styles | No |
| Lids | Open, inset, flat | Several, including slotted | Several | Paper lids and closures |
| 3D-print STL | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Box types | Rectangular only | 13 generators | 40+ generators | Paper shapes and bags |
| Exports | SVG, DXF, STL | SVG, DXF | SVG, DXF, G-code, LightBurn, PDF | PDF, SVG, DXF |
BoxGen
BoxGen is a single-page generator for one kind of box: a rectangular finger-joint box. It asks for the inside dimensions, adds the wall thickness itself, compensates for kerf, and exports five flat panels as SVG or DXF — or the same box as a solid STL for 3D printing.
What it does well. The internal-dimension input is the whole point. You type the space your object needs, not the outside of a box you have not designed yet, so the arithmetic that usually goes wrong never happens. Kerf is a first-class input rather than an advanced setting. The laser and print outputs live on the same page, and nothing is uploaded, gated or watermarked: no account, no ads, no download limit.
Where it stops. There is exactly one box shape. No dividers, no drawers, no living hinge, no polygon or angled boxes, and no CNC dogbone fillets on the tabs. If you need those, one of the next three tools is the right place to be.
MakerCase
MakerCase is the best-known browser generator, and for good reason: it covers far more ground. The free version offers a basic box, living-hinge boxes, dividers, drawers, sliding lids, stackable bins, polygon boxes and two 3D-printing generators. It accepts inside or outside dimensions, supports flat, finger and T-slot joints, and compensates for kerf.
What it does better than BoxGen. Breadth, and CNC support. MakerCase can add dogbone fillets to inside corners for a router bit, which a sharp-cornered laser file cannot do. It also has more lid styles and box types than one page can reasonably list.
Where it stops. The free tier is ad-supported and limits downloads; unlimited downloads and the Pro features are $20 per year. It exports SVG and DXF, but not STL — the 3D-printing generators are a separate feature set. And it is a larger application, so there are more settings to get through before the first cut.
Boxes.py
Boxes.py is an open-source Python project with a hosted web interface on top. It is the most capable tool here: more than 40 generators, finger and flat-dovetail joints, living hinges, holes and slots for screws, hinges, gears and pulleys, and a Python API for generators that do not exist yet.
What it does better than BoxGen. Almost everything beyond a plain rectangular box. Its inner-corner options also make it more router-friendly, and because it is GPL software, you can install it locally, script it, or change it. Exports include SVG, DXF, G-code, LightBurn files and PDF.
Where it stops. The parameter names are aimed at people who already understand the tool — finger width and spacing are expressed in multiples of material thickness, and joint play is a separate concept from kerf. There is no STL output, no account system, and no hand-holding. For a first box it is more configuration than most people need.
Templatemaker
Templatemaker is a different category of tool, and the comparison only makes sense if that is said clearly. It generates flat templates for paper and card: gift bags, cake boxes, card boxes, envelopes and similar folded shapes. Output is PDF, SVG or DXF, free of charge.
What it does better than BoxGen. Anything made by folding paper. There are no finger joints, no material thickness to compensate for, and no kerf — a fold line is not a cut — so the model is simpler and the results are ready to print on a sheet.
Where it stops. It is not a laser-cut wooden or acrylic box generator. There is no joint geometry, no sheet-thickness input in the engineering sense, and no STL. If your material is 3 mm plywood rather than 300 gsm card, this is the wrong tool.
Which one should you use?
- You know the inside size and want to cut today. BoxGen — one screen, three numbers, two clicks.
- You need dividers, drawers, a living hinge or a sliding lid. MakerCase.
- You want an angled box, a hinge, gear cut-outs, or to script the output. Boxes.py.
- You are cutting on a CNC router rather than a laser. MakerCase (dogbone fillets) or Boxes.py (inner-corner styles), not BoxGen.
- You want a printable STL rather than flat panels. BoxGen's print mode or one of MakerCase's 3D generators.
- Your material is paper or card. Templatemaker.
Where BoxGen is weaker
Being honest about this is more useful than pretending otherwise. BoxGen does one box shape and does it without friction. It has no dividers, drawers, living hinges or polygon boxes; no dogbone corner compensation for CNC routers; no paper templates; and no plugin or scripting interface. MakerCase covers more box types for $20 a year, and Boxes.py covers more than either for free.
The case for BoxGen is narrow and specific: a rectangular finger-joint box, sized from the inside, cut or printed without an account, an ad, a download limit or a settings page. If that is your job, it is the shortest path. If it is not, the table above should point you somewhere better — and that is the honest answer.
Comparison questions
Is a free box generator as good as a paid one?
For a plain rectangular box, yes. The geometry is simple and the only numbers that matter are thickness and kerf, both of which every tool on this page exposes. Paid tiers buy extra box types, more lid options and unlimited downloads — not better finger joints on a basic box.
Why does only BoxGen take inside dimensions?
It does not — MakerCase and Boxes.py both offer an inside/outside switch. What differs is the default. BoxGen works outwards from the inside size and never asks for the outside size at all, so there is no toggle to get wrong. MakerCase and Boxes.py default to outside dimensions, which is the more traditional convention.
Can I move a design from one generator to another?
The cut file, yes; the parameters, no. All four tools output vector geometry, so a finished SVG or DXF can be opened and edited anywhere. But each tool stores its own parameters, so changing material thickness or kerf later means regenerating in the original tool rather than editing the exported file.
Which generator works offline?
BoxGen generates everything in the browser after the page loads. The hosted Boxes.py interface needs a connection, but the same software can be installed locally and run without one. MakerCase and Templatemaker are web applications and require a connection for each session.
Other box generators
- Laser cut box generator — finger-joint panels as SVG or DXF, with kerf notes.
- 3D printed box generator — the same dimensions logic, exported as an STL.
- Box generator with lid — inset and flat lids, fit and clearance.
- Project box generator — enclosures for electronics and connectors.
- Box generator with dimensions — inner versus outer dimensions, with worked examples.