BurnBadger

Atomstack A5 software for Mac and Windows

BurnBadger is free laser software for GRBL diode lasers like the Atomstack A5, A5 M50 and A5, A10 and A20 Pro V2. Pick your material and the power and speed fill in, frame it, burn. Free to download; Pro is $59 once.

Should work, not checked yet. The Atomstack A5 runs GRBL-family firmware, the kind BurnBadger talks to, but we haven’t had one on our bench. BurnBadger was built and tested on the Artilume T1. Got one? Add it: about 10 minutes and a scrap of plywood. The first 3 people to check each new laser get BurnBadger Pro free, for life.
Download for WindowsDownload for Mac

About the Atomstack A5

FirmwareGRBL, in a control box with a USB port and a TF card slot.
ConnectionUSB. No built-in Wi-Fi (the add-on Wi-Fi box is for Atomstack’s app). Newer Atomstack models (Swift, Atelier, Kraft, P1) talk over USB at a faster speed (460800 baud) than BurnBadger uses today, so those may not connect yet.
FocusA focusing piece: 3 mm on the A5 and A10 Pro V2, 8 mm on the A20 Pro V2. On the A5 M50 the focal point is 2 mm below the acrylic cover.
Atomstack’s softwareAtomstack makes its own free AtomStack Studio app and also sells LightBurn licence keys.

Your software options

SoftwarePriceRuns on
BurnBadgerFree; Pro $59 once, no yearly feeWindows and Mac (iPhone, iPad and Android coming very soon)
LightBurn$99 for Core (a year of updates; $40 a year after that)Windows and Mac
LaserGRBLFreeWindows only
AtomStack Studio (Atomstack)FreeWindows and Mac (per its manual), iPhone

Coming from LightBurn? See how BurnBadger compares.

Your first burn on the Atomstack A5 with BurnBadger

  1. Connect by USB. BurnBadger finds the laser, reads its settings and offers to fix the common ones (laser mode, max power) in one click.
  2. Focus. A focusing piece: 3 mm on the A5 and A10 Pro V2, 8 mm on the A20 Pro V2. On the A5 M50 the focal point is 2 mm below the acrylic cover.
  3. Pick your material. Power and speed fill in for your laser’s wattage. They’re measured on a 7 W Artilume T1 and scaled, so burn the test card or a test grid before a good piece.
  4. Add a design. Text, art, a photo or a starter project, then fit it to your material.
  5. Frame, then Burn. The frame shows exactly where it lands. Glasses on.

Questions

What software works with the Atomstack A5?

Atomstack makes its own free AtomStack Studio app and also sells LightBurn licence keys. LaserGRBL: free, Windows only. LightBurn: $99 one time for Core (a year of updates; $40 a year after that to keep updating). Windows and Mac. BurnBadger is free on Windows and Mac (Pro is $59 once) and works with GRBL diode lasers.

Is there free Atomstack A5 software for Mac?

Atomstack offers AtomStack Studio (its manual lists macOS). BurnBadger is free on Mac too.

Does BurnBadger work with the Atomstack A5?

It should: the Atomstack A5 runs GRBL-family firmware, the kind BurnBadger talks to. It hasn’t been checked on one yet. If you own one, the 10-minute “Add my laser” check in the app adds it.

What focus does the Atomstack A5 use?

A focusing piece: 3 mm on the A5 and A10 Pro V2, 8 mm on the A20 Pro V2. On the A5 M50 the focal point is 2 mm below the acrylic cover.

Sources

Checked October 2026. Makers change their software and firmware, so tell us if something here is out of date: support.

Other lasers

ACMER S1 · TwoTrees TTS-55 · Ortur Laser Master 2 Pro S2 · Creality Falcon · Sculpfun S9 · Longer Ray5 · Artilume T1 · all lasers

Atomstack is a trademark of its owner. BurnBadger is independent and isn’t affiliated with Atomstack.