Best Free PCB Design Software 2026: 7 Options Compared
Best free PCB Design Software compared: KiCad, LibrePCB, EasyEDA, DipTrace and 3 more, with free-plan limits, platforms and prices from official pages checked October 24, 2026.
•3 min read•3D & CAD
Quick comparison
| Tool | Price | Platforms | Best for | Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KiCad | Free (Free and open source; the about page describes no usage restrictions) | Windows, macOS, Linux | Serious boards and commercial products | Docs only |
| LibrePCB | Free (Free and open source) | Windows, macOS, Linux | Beginners wanting open source | Docs only |
| EasyEDA | Free (Core features free for everyone, commercial use allowed; free editor shows Google ads; 0.5 GB storage); paid from $19.9 per month, individual Premium plan, billed annually | Web | Quick boards with parts ordering | Docs only |
| DipTrace | Free (Free version limited to 300 pins and two signal layers, non-commercial use only (per search coverage of DipTrace's pricing)); paid from $75 per one-time, Starter (300 pins, 2 signal layers); Lite $145, Standard $395, Extended $695, Full $995 | Windows | Small hobby boards | Docs only |
| Horizon EDA | Free (Free and open source) | Windows, Linux | Rule-driven open-source design | Docs only |
| CircuitMaker | Free (Free to use with Altium registration; site says no artificial limits on layer count or board area) | Desktop | Altium-style tools at no cost | Docs only |
| DesignSpark PCB | Free (Free Explorer plan with unlimited layers per the product page; Creator and Engineer plans add features) | Desktop | Engineers who may upgrade later | Docs only |
Independent comparison. Paid placements are labelled separately; editorial links earn no affiliate commissions. Learn more.
Good fit if
- You may sell the board you design (KiCad is the pick)
- You want the simplest open-source start (LibrePCB is the pick)
- You want boards made quickly by a fab (EasyEDA is the pick)
- You want a free tool that works like Altium (CircuitMaker is the pick)
Not ideal if
- You need paid-tier features, uptime guarantees or support that these free plans leave out
Free PCB design software has a split personality: fully open tools with no conditions, and vendor tools whose free tier has limits. KiCad is the standard answer, a GPL-3.0 suite with schematic capture, board layout and no restrictions on board size or commercial use. LibrePCB and Horizon EDA are smaller open tools, with LibrePCB known for a gentler start and Horizon for a rule-based workflow. EasyEDA is a web tool with a large parts library tied to a manufacturer, and its core features are free, with ads in the free editor. DipTrace's free version is limited to 300 pins and two signal layers and to non-commercial use, which is fine for hobby boards and too small for most products. CircuitMaker is free with an Altium registration and states no artificial layer-count or board-area limits, but designs are community-oriented. DesignSpark PCB starts on a free Explorer plan with unlimited layers. The trade-off is lock-in: browser and vendor tools keep your library and projects in their format, while KiCad's files are plain text you can keep in Git. If you plan to sell hardware, check the commercial-use line on each tool before you start routing.
KiCad
GPL-3.0 suite for schematics and boards with no usage restrictions per the about page. Learning curve is real, but nothing expires.
Price: Free (Free and open source; the about page describes no usage restrictions) (KiCad pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Linux. GPL-3.0 (open source).
Best for: Serious boards and commercial products.
Compare: KiCad alternatives
LibrePCB
GPL-3.0 PCB tool, free and cross-platform on Windows, macOS and Linux. Simpler than KiCad, with a smaller library.
Price: Free (Free and open source) (LibrePCB pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Linux. GPL-3.0 (open source).
Project activity: 3k GitHub stars · latest release 2.1.1 (Jun 12, 2026) · last commit Oct 27, 2026
Best for: Beginners wanting open source.
EasyEDA
Core features are free, including commercial use, with ads in the free editor and 0.5 GB storage. Browser-based and tied to its parts ecosystem.
Price: Free (Core features free for everyone, commercial use allowed; free editor shows Google ads; 0.5 GB storage); paid from $19.9 per month, individual Premium plan, billed annually (EasyEDA pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Web. Proprietary.
Best for: Quick boards with parts ordering.
DipTrace
Free version is limited to 300 pins and two signal layers, for non-commercial use only. Per search coverage of the pricing page.
Price: Free (Free version limited to 300 pins and two signal layers, non-commercial use only (per search coverage of DipTrace's pricing)); paid from $75 per one-time, Starter (300 pins, 2 signal layers); Lite $145, Standard $395, Extended $695, Full $995 (DipTrace pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows. Proprietary.
Best for: Small hobby boards.
Horizon EDA
GPL-3.0 PCB tool with rule-based DRC and hierarchical schematics, built on KiCad's router idea. Windows and Linux only.
Price: Free (Free and open source) (Horizon EDA pricing, checked 2026-10-24).
Platforms and license: Windows, Linux. GPL-3.0 (open source).
Project activity: 1.3k GitHub stars · latest release v2.7.2 (Dec 5, 2025) · last commit Oct 4, 2026
Best for: Rule-driven open-source design.
Worth knowing: README: rule-based DRC, hierarchical schematics, KiCad-style interactive router; builds on Linux and Windows.
CircuitMaker
Free with Altium registration; the site states no artificial limits on layer count or board area. Designs are community-oriented.
Price: Free (Free to use with Altium registration; site says no artificial limits on layer count or board area) (CircuitMaker pricing, checked 2026-10-24).
Platforms and license: Desktop. Proprietary freeware.
Best for: Altium-style tools at no cost.
DesignSpark PCB
Starts on a free Explorer plan with unlimited layers per the product page. Higher plans add features; check the pricing page for current prices.
Price: Free (Free Explorer plan with unlimited layers per the product page; Creator and Engineer plans add features) (DesignSpark PCB pricing, checked 2026-10-24).
Platforms and license: Desktop. Proprietary.
Best for: Engineers who may upgrade later.
Which one to pick
- You may sell the board you design: KiCad
- You want the simplest open-source start: LibrePCB
- You want boards made quickly by a fab: EasyEDA
- You want a free tool that works like Altium: CircuitMaker
Limits of this review
Docs-only for KiCad, LibrePCB, EasyEDA, DipTrace, Horizon EDA, CircuitMaker, DesignSpark PCB: we did not install or run them, so feature claims come from vendor pages. Vendor prices and free limits change; confirm on the linked pricing page before you commit.
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Kevin Fan
Kevin Fan is a SaaS founder. He runs Free Instead Of, which tracks free and open-source alternatives to paid software and checks each price and free-plan limit against the vendor's own pages.
Methodology
Based on official pricing, license and product pages checked between 2026-10-23 and 2026-10-24: KiCad, LibrePCB, EasyEDA, DipTrace, Horizon EDA, CircuitMaker, DesignSpark PCB. Prices, free limits and licenses are the figures shown on those pages on those dates. No tool on this page was installed or run. No accounts were created.