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LibrePCB vs KiCad: catalog facts
LibrePCB	KiCad
Best for: Hobbyists and students designing circuit boards with free software	Best for: Designing a circuit board end to end without a commercial licence
Free Free and open source with no paid tier.	Free Free and open source under the GPL 3.0. Donations are handled through the Linux Foundation.
Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
No cost, restrictions or online account Human-readable file format suited to Git All 4 strengths for LibrePCB No cost, restrictions or online account Human-readable file format suited to Git Structured library concept for symbols and footprints Runs on Windows, Linux and macOS	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
Smaller ecosystem of ready-made parts than long-established EDA tools No circuit simulation built in	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
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: GPL-3.0
No account needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for LibrePCB librepcb.org Catalog checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for KiCad kicad.org kicad.org/download Catalog checked September 21, 2026

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