Compare software

DesignSpark PCBKiCad

Best for: Hobbyists and engineers designing circuit boards on a budget

Best for: Designing a circuit board end to end without a commercial licence

Free + paid options

Free plan available, with paid Creator and Engineer plans that add advanced features.

 Free

Free and open source under the GPL 3.0. Donations are handled through the Linux Foundation.

Windows Windows, macOS, Linux
  • Free plan without limits on layers, connections or schematic size
  • Schematic capture and PCB layout in one program
All 3 strengths
  • Free plan without limits on layers, connections or schematic size
  • Schematic capture and PCB layout in one program
  • Interactive HTML BOM export and length-matching routing in higher plans
  • Schematic capture, PCB layout, 3D viewer and Gerber export in one suite
  • No limits on board size, layer count or exports
All 4 strengths
  • Schematic capture, PCB layout, 3D viewer and Gerber export in one suite
  • No limits on board size, layer count or exports
  • Large bundled symbol and footprint libraries, plus a plugin manager
  • Windows, macOS, Linux AppImage and Flathub builds
  • Several newer features are limited to paid plans
  • Not open source
  • A real learning curve; the workflow is unlike a drawing program
  • Simulation is basic next to dedicated SPICE packages
All 3 limitations
  • A real learning curve; the workflow is unlike a drawing program
  • Simulation is basic next to dedicated SPICE packages
  • Library management trips up most newcomers at least once
Downloadable app Downloadable app
Not open source Open source
License not stated License: GPL-3.0
Not stated if an account is needed No account needed
Not stated if it works offline Offline features available
Sources

Catalog checked September 24, 2026
Sources

Catalog checked September 21, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.