Best Open-Source PCB Design Software 2026: 6 Options Compared

Open-source PCB design has one clear default and several interesting detours. KiCad is the mature choice: full schematic capture, layout, 3D view and manufacturing outputs, used on real commercial boards, and it carries a large library ecosystem. LibrePCB takes a gentler route with a tidy interface and a strict library model, which makes it pleasant for small boards but thinner for complex ones. Horizon EDA focuses on parts management and a clean workflow but lists only Linux and Windows. Fritzing is the beginner favourite for breadboard diagrams, although the project asks for payment for prebuilt downloads even though the source is free. The newest idea is circuits as code. Atopile and tscircuit let you describe a board in text, review it in version control and generate layouts, which appeals to software engineers but is less proven for dense boards. Before you commit, check three things: whether the tool exports Gerber and drill files your fab house accepts, whether the part libraries cover what you buy, and whether you want to draw or to code. A hobbyist building an Arduino shield and a team designing a product with a BGA need different answers, and this list is ordered by how much hand-holding each tool offers, not by how powerful it is.

KiCad

The reference open-source suite: schematic, layout, 3D viewer and fab outputs, GPL-3.0. The learning curve is steeper than Fritzing, but nothing here handles complex boards better.

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) (license source).

Best for: Serious boards and products.

Compare: KiCad alternatives

LibrePCB

GPL-3.0 with a clean interface and a tightly managed library system. Simpler than KiCad, which helps on small boards and limits you on large ones.

Price: Free (Free and open source) (LibrePCB pricing, checked 2026-10-23).

Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Linux. GPL-3.0 (open source) (license source).

Project activity: 3k GitHub stars · latest release 2.1.1 (Jun 12, 2026) · last commit Oct 27, 2026

Best for: Hobbyists wanting a tidy workflow.

Horizon EDA

GPL-3.0 package built around parts management with schematic and layout in one flow. The repository lists only Linux and Windows.

Price: Free (Free and open source) (Horizon EDA pricing, checked 2026-10-24).

Platforms and license: Windows, Linux. GPL-3.0 (open source) (license source).

Project activity: 1.3k GitHub stars · latest release v2.7.2 (Dec 5, 2025) · last commit Oct 4, 2026

Best for: Linux users who like strict part data.

Worth knowing: README: rule-based DRC, hierarchical schematics, KiCad-style interactive router; builds on Linux and Windows.

Fritzing

GPL-3.0 source with breadboard, schematic and PCB views for beginners. Prebuilt binaries are sold, so free means building it yourself.

Price: See pricing page (Fritzing pricing, checked 2026-10-23).

Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Linux. GPL-3.0 (source); prebuilt downloads are sold (open source) (license source).

Project activity: 4.8k GitHub stars · last commit Aug 12, 2026

Best for: Teaching and breadboard diagrams.

atopile

MIT-licensed hardware-as-code tool: describe circuits in text and keep them in git. Newer and less proven than KiCad, and the page recommends WSL on Windows.

Price: Free (Open source under MIT; the repo page states no price) (atopile pricing, checked 2026-10-24).

Platforms and license: macOS, Linux, Windows. MIT (open source) (license source).

Project activity: 4k GitHub stars · latest release v0.12.5 (Jan 20, 2026) · last commit Oct 14, 2026

Best for: Engineers who prefer code to drawing.

tscircuit

MIT-licensed project that describes circuits in React and TypeScript. The FAQ calls it completely free; it is young, so check output quality before manufacturing.

Price: Free (FAQ calls it completely free and MIT-licensed) (tscircuit pricing, checked 2026-10-24).

Platforms and license: Web browser. MIT (open source) (license source).

Project activity: 2.9k GitHub stars · last commit Oct 27, 2026

Best for: Web developers designing small boards.

Which one to pick

• You need to ship a real product board: KiCad
• You want something simpler than KiCad for small projects: LibrePCB
• You are teaching breadboard layouts: Fritzing
• You want your board design in version control as code: atopile