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KiCad vs Horizon EDA: catalog facts
KiCad	Horizon EDA
Best for: Designing a circuit board end to end without a commercial licence	Best for: Design circuit boards from schematics through manufacturing files
Free Free and open source under the GPL 3.0. Donations are handled through the Linux Foundation.	Free The open-source software is available without a license fee. Hosting, hardware and external services are separate.
Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, Linux
Schematic capture, PCB layout, 3D viewer and Gerber export in one suite No limits on board size, layer count or exports All 4 strengths for KiCad 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	Includes parts management, interactive routing and design-rule checks.
A real learning curve; the workflow is unlike a drawing program Simulation is basic next to dedicated SPICE packages All 3 limitations for KiCad 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	Desktop builds target Windows and Linux.
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-3.0	License: GPL-3.0
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Offline features available	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for KiCad kicad.org kicad.org/download Catalog checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Horizon EDA github.com/horizon-eda/horizon github.com/horizon-eda/horizon/blob/master/LICENSE Catalog checked September 22, 2026

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