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FritzingKiCad

Screenshots

Fritzing breadboard simulator running a simple battery, resistor, and red LED circuit

Screenshots

KiCad PCB editor showing routed board layers and component propertiesKiCad 3D viewer displaying an assembled circuit boardKiCad 3D Viewer showing an RP2350 GPIO expansion card and board appearance controlsKiCad Schematic Editor showing a JTAG connector, colored nets and the schematic hierarchyKiCad Schematic Editor showing the iCEBreaker Bitsy FPGA circuitKiCad PCB Editor showing the routed iCEBreaker Bitsy board with colored copper tracksKiCad 3D Viewer showing the purple iCEBreaker Bitsy board and USB connectorKiCad project manager with project files and schematic, PCB and library editor launchersKiCad Page Settings dialog with paper size, orientation and drawing title fieldsKiCad Update PCB from Schematic dialog listing added footprints and zero errors

Best for: Document electronics projects with breadboard, schematic and PCB views

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

Paid

Official compiled downloads require payment. The source is available under GPL-3.0.

 Free

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

Windows, macOS, Linux Windows, macOS, Linux
  • Helps turn wiring layouts into project documentation
  • Includes a PCB design workflow
  • 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
  • Official compiled downloads are paid even though the application source is open.
  • 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
Open source Open source
License: GPL-3.0 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 22, 2026

Sources

Catalog checked September 21, 2026

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