Compare software

Xschem vs Qucs-S: catalog facts
Xschem	Qucs-S
Best for: Schematic capture in open-source IC and analog design flows	Best for: Students and engineers who want a graphical front end for SPICE circuit simulation
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source, supported by donations.
Windows, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Netlist output for Spice, Verilog and VHDL Hierarchical and parametric schematics for reuse All 3 strengths for Xschem Netlist output for Spice, Verilog and VHDL Hierarchical and parametric schematics for reuse Very active development	Graphical schematic entry for SPICE simulation Windows installer bundles Ngspice All 4 strengths for Qucs-S Graphical schematic entry for SPICE simulation Windows installer bundles Ngspice Packaged for many Linux distributions, Windows and macOS Regular releases
Aimed at IC and circuit designers, with a learning curve Schematic capture only; simulation needs separate tools	Simulation only; no PCB layout macOS install goes through Homebrew
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: GPL-2.0
No account needed	No account needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Xschem github.com/StefanSchippers/xschem Catalog checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Qucs-S ra3xdh.github.io Catalog checked September 23, 2026

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