Alternatives to DesignSpark PCB
Schematic capture and printed circuit board layout software with a free plan and paid tiers. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
DesignSpark PCB
Schematic capture and printed circuit board layout software with a free plan and paid tiers.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as DesignSpark PCB.
KiCad
A full electronics design suite: draw the schematic, lay out the board, view it in 3D, send it to a fab.
KiCad is free, open-source PCB design with a 3D viewer and Gerber export on Windows, macOS and Linux, with no limits and no paid feature tiers.
EasyEDA
Design electronic schematics and printed circuit boards in a browser.
EasyEDA moves schematic and PCB design into the browser with component libraries on a freemium model, while manufacturing orders and some services carry separate costs.
CircuitMaker
Free schematic and PCB design software from Altium with a community component library.
CircuitMaker is free Windows PCB software built on Altium technology with an Octopart-backed community library, but only five projects can be kept private.
Altium Designer
Professional PCB design suite covering schematics, layout, and simulation.
Altium Designer is a professional Windows suite covering schematics, simulation, layout and manufacturing files, with expensive commercial licensing instead of a free plan.
LibrePCB
A free, open-source electronics design suite for drawing schematics and laying out printed circuit boards.
LibrePCB is free, open-source schematic and PCB software for Windows, Linux and macOS with Git-friendly files and no account, but a smaller library and no simulation.
DipTrace
Schematic capture and PCB layout software with constraint-driven design and interactive push-and-shove routing.
DipTrace is commercial Windows PCB software with push-and-shove and differential pair routing plus real-time rule checks, sold as a perpetual license instead of freemium tiers.
Horizon EDA
Design circuit boards from schematics through manufacturing files.
Horizon EDA is free, open-source board design from schematic to manufacturing files on Windows and Linux, including parts management and interactive routing.
OrCAD X
Cadence's commercial PCB design suite for schematic capture, simulation and board layout.
OrCAD X is Cadence's commercial Windows suite with schematic, SPICE simulation and board layout, adding mixed-signal analysis in higher editions at professional pricing.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Gerbv
An open-source viewer for Gerber RS-274X, Excellon drill and pick-and-place PCB files.
LTspice
A free SPICE circuit simulator with schematic capture and a waveform viewer, from Analog Devices.
Qucs-S
An open-source circuit simulator interface that drives SPICE engines such as Ngspice.
Fritzing
Document electronics projects with breadboard, schematic and PCB views.
Proteus Design Suite
Electronics design software combining schematic capture, circuit and microcontroller simulation, and PCB layout.
DesignSpark Mechanical
A direct-modelling 3D CAD program with push-pull tools, aimed at engineers and makers without deep CAD experience.
