DNC Precision vs CIMCO DNC-Max, Predator DNC, dnc4U and NCnet
Which DNC software fits depends on four questions: how your machines connect, how many there are, who starts the transfers, and how you want to pay. This page compares DNC Precision with the products machinists name most often: CIMCO DNC-Max, Predator DNC, dnc4U and Cadem NCnet, and with USB-stick DNC boxes that work without a PC.
The short answer
- Serial machines, one PC, a one-time licence: DNC Precision, dnc4U or NCnet. DNC Precision adds requests from the machine, monitoring and tool-break restarts in its higher editions, and has a free edition.
- Many machines, Ethernet and FTP controls, web clients, a server system: CIMCO DNC-Max or Predator DNC.
- One machine, no PC near it: a USB-stick DNC box.
- Free, sending and receiving only: DNC Precision Free Edition or NCnet Lite.
Comparison
| DNC Precision | CIMCO DNC-Max | Predator DNC | dnc4U | NCnet / NCnet Lite | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | DNC software for Windows, desktop or server | Server-based DNC system with server and clients | DNC software in Express, DNC and Enterprise editions | DNC software for one PC | DNC software; Lite is a free edition |
| Connections | RS-232 and RS-485 through any COM port, including USB adapters and Ethernet or Wi-Fi serial adapters with virtual COM ports | Serial, Ethernet and wireless serial device servers, FTP, directory scan, Telnet/SSH, MTConnect | RS-232, parallel, wired and wireless Ethernet, FTP client and server, Windows folders and network shares | COM ports, USB adapters, TCP/IP to device servers, FTP client | RS-232; LAN or Wi-Fi only through converters |
| Drip feed | Professional, Enterprise | Yes | DNC, Enterprise (not Express) | Yes | NCnet (not Lite) |
| Requests from the machine | Server mode (Professional, Enterprise), also by barcode (Enterprise) | Remote request, also from the web client | Remote request in all editions, also by RFID, barcode or QR code | Not found in its documentation | NCnet "remote calling" (not Lite) |
| Machines | Free 1, Professional 3, Enterprise any number | Up to 4,000 ports per server | Express up to 16, DNC and Enterprise up to 4,096 | Up to 64 per copy | NCnet unlimited, Lite 1 |
| Machine monitoring | Built into Enterprise (DPRNT, in-cycle signal; Excel, CSV, SQL) | Separate product (MDC-Max) | Separate product (Predator MDC) | Not found | Separate product (Leanworx) |
| Licence | One-time, per computer, 12 months of updates | Port licences, floating through a licence server | Per PC or floating; USB key by default; perpetual or annual | Per PC, free lifetime upgrades | Not published (NCnet); Lite free |
| Cost | Free Edition free; paid editions one-time (current prices) | Not published | DNC/1 from USD 805 perpetual or USD 400 per year with Premier Support | 179.00 per licence, 93.00 each at 10 (shown with a $ sign) | Lite free; NCnet not published |
| Free edition or trial | Free Edition; trial of the full version (one machine, server mode 30 minutes) | 30-day trial with registration | Temporary evaluation licences on request | 60-day trial, fully functional | Lite free; NCnet 30-day trial |
| Windows | All current Windows and Windows Server versions, 32- and 64-bit | Windows 10 64-bit client, Windows Server 2016 or later for the server | Windows 10 and 11, Windows Server 2016 to 2025 | Windows 95 to 11 | Not published |
Prices and features of other products as published on their makers' websites on 2 November 2026 (sources below); they change, so check them before you buy.
DNC Precision or CIMCO DNC-Max?
CIMCO DNC-Max is a server system for large shops: a DNC server with up to 4,000 ports, clients and a web client, Ethernet protocols such as FTP and MTConnect, and separate products for machine data (MDC-Max) and program management (NC-Base). Its price is not published; licences are per port.
DNC Precision is one program, on a desktop PC or a server, for machines that load programs through serial ports, including machines reached over the network through serial adapters. It has the parts most serial shops use: per-machine settings, drip feed, requests from the machine, a Windows service, and in Enterprise a built-in machine monitor, tool-break restarts, barcode requests and remote clients. The licence is a one-time licence per computer, and the Free Edition costs nothing. Choose CIMCO DNC-Max if you need FTP or MTConnect machines, web clients or hundreds of ports.
DNC Precision or Predator DNC?
Predator DNC covers serial, parallel and Ethernet machines, FTP and network shares, with remote requests in every edition, also by RFID or QR code. Its entry edition, Express, has no drip feed; DNC/1 starts at USD 805 perpetual or USD 400 a year with support, licensed by a USB key by default. Machine data (Predator MDC) and revision control (Predator PDM) are separate products.
DNC Precision has no parallel or FTP connections, but drip feed is in Professional, monitoring is built into Enterprise, and it starts with a free edition. Choose Predator if you need Ethernet controls, parallel machines or scheduling; choose DNC Precision for serial machines where requests, drip feed and monitoring should come in one program.
DNC Precision or dnc4U?
dnc4U is a long-standing DNC program for one PC, priced per PC, with drip feed, up to 64 machines per copy, free lifetime upgrades and a 60-day trial. Serving several machines at the same time needs its optional plugins or more instances, and its documentation describes receiving as started at the PC; we found no request-from-the-machine feature.
DNC Precision serves several machines at once without plugins (three in Professional, any number in Enterprise) and lets the operator request programs, file lists and reports from the control in server mode. Both run as plain Windows programs with per-computer licences.
DNC Precision or NCnet?
NCnet from Cadem sends to RS-232 machines, with drip feed, remote calling and version history in the full product; NCnet Lite is free for sending and receiving on one machine, without drip feed or remote calling. Machine monitoring is a separate product (Leanworx).
DNC Precision Free Edition is the same kind of free start: one machine, manual sending and receiving, programs up to 64 KB, any use. Its paid editions add drip feed, requests from the machine and, in Enterprise, monitoring in the same program.
DNC software or a USB-stick DNC box?
A USB-stick DNC box plugs into the control's RS-232 port: you copy programs to a USB stick, pick a file on the box and load or drip-feed it, with no PC at the machine. Boxes cost about USD 116 to 775 per machine (for example Highland DNC ShopLink Flash 2.0, USD 259; Shop Floor Automations Portable USB Connect, USD 775), and every machine needs its own.
A box is a good choice for one machine far from any PC. With several machines, DNC software on one PC keeps all programs in one place, lets the operator request them from the control, keeps logs and backups, and costs one licence instead of one box per machine. Machines far from the PC can be reached with network serial adapters.
What DNC Precision does not do
- It does not transfer to controls over FTP or network shares, or read MTConnect: it talks to machines through COM ports.
- It has folders, backups and access control, but no program database with revision history and no scheduling.
- Its Free Edition has no drip feed and handles programs up to 64 KB; drip feed starts in Professional.
Try it on your own machines
- Download DNC Precision: the Free Edition, or the full version as a trial with one machine and a 30-minute server mode.
- Read how drip feed and the server mode work, and what each edition includes.
- New to DNC? Start with what DNC software does and how to choose it.
Questions
What is the best DNC software? It depends on how your machines connect and how many you have. For serial machines and a one-time licence per computer, DNC Precision, dnc4U or NCnet; for a server system with many ports, Ethernet protocols and web clients, CIMCO DNC-Max or Predator DNC; for one machine without a PC, a USB-stick DNC box.
Is there free DNC software? Yes. DNC Precision Free Edition (one machine, programs up to 64 KB, any use) and Cadem NCnet Lite are free for sending and receiving programs. Neither drip-feeds; for drip feed you need a paid edition or a trial.
Which DNC software lets the operator request programs from the machine? DNC Precision Professional and Enterprise (server mode), CIMCO DNC-Max and Predator DNC (remote request) and the full NCnet (remote calling). The operator sends a short request program from the control and gets the program back.
Do I need a PC for DNC? Not for one machine: a USB-stick DNC box plugs into the control's RS-232 port and sends or drip-feeds files from a USB stick. For several machines, requests from the control, logs and backups, DNC software on one PC is simpler, and one licence replaces a box at every machine.
Does DNC Precision work with Ethernet CNC controls? It connects through COM ports. Machines with RS-232 work through Ethernet or Wi-Fi serial adapters whose driver creates a virtual COM port. For controls that only load programs over FTP or network shares, choose software with those protocols, such as CIMCO DNC-Max or Predator DNC.
Information about other products comes from their makers' public websites, checked on 2 November 2026, and may change: CIMCO DNC-Max, CIMCO DNC-Max system requirements, Predator DNC editions, Predator DNC prices, Predator Windows requirements, dnc4U overview, dnc4U prices, Cadem NCnet editions, Highland DNC, Shop Floor Automations Portable USB Connect. Product names are trademarks of their respective owners.
What is DNC software | DNC server mode | Drip feed | RS-232 troubleshooting | Wireless DNC | USB-to-serial adapters | Machine data with DPRNT | DNC software compared | Edit programs before sending | CNC and DNC settings | RS232 pinout and signals