Altium, KiCad, EasyEDA, Flux and CircuitMaker compared
These five come up most when people choose PCB design software: the professional standard, the open-source baseline, the browser tool tied to a fab, the AI-first browser tool, and Altium's free community edition.
Each cell gives the score, the reason and a link to the vendor page where you can check it. Scores use the same rules as the main ranking, set out on How we rank.
The short answer
- Choose KiCad if you want a complete tool that is free for any use, has no caps and runs on any desktop.
- Choose EasyEDA if you want the quickest start and will order boards and parts from JLCPCB and LCSC.
- Choose Flux if your team will pay to design together in the browser with an AI assistant.
- Choose CircuitMaker if you're on Windows, want an Altium-style editor for free, and are happy to share most designs publicly.
- Choose Altium Designer if your boards are complex, your team is professional, and the subscription and Windows requirement are fine.
Side by side
| Tool | Cost and licensing | Learning curve | Library and component support | Board size and layer limits | Output files | Platform support | Collaboration | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KiCadRank #1 | 2Free for commercial and personal use, licensed under the GPL.Check: KiCad source and licence | 1Excellent official docs, but a desktop install and separate editors for schematic, layout and libraries.Check: docs.kicad.org | 1Large official symbol, footprint and 3D libraries; stock and price come from plugins or outside sites.Check: KiCad libraries | 2No licence caps; the board setup allows up to 32 copper layers.Check: PCB editor manual | 2Gerber, drill, BOM, pick-and-place and STEP, plus IPC-2581 and ODB++ (ODB++ added in KiCad 9).Check: KiCad 9 release notes | 2Native builds for Windows, macOS and Linux.Check: kicad.org/download | 1Plain-text project files that diff and version well in Git; no built-in review or shared workspace.Check: docs.kicad.org | 11/14 |
| EasyEDARank #2 | 1Free to use, but closed source.Check: easyeda.com | 2Runs in the browser with official tutorials; schematic, layout and ordering in one place.Check: EasyEDA Pro docs | 2LCSC parts with stock and price are searchable from inside the editor.Check: easyeda.com | 1We could not confirm the current layer and size limits on EasyEDA's own pages.Check: EasyEDA Pro docs | 2Gerber, BOM and pick-and-place, plus ODB++ export in EasyEDA Pro.Check: EasyEDA Pro docs: export ODB++ | 2Runs in the browser, with desktop clients for Windows, macOS and Linux.Check: EasyEDA download page | 1Cloud projects with saved versions and branches in EasyEDA Pro; built-in review or comments not confirmed.Check: EasyEDA Pro docs | 11/14 |
| FluxRank #3 | 0After the trial, editing private projects and exporting need a paid plan; closed source.Check: flux.ai/pricing | 2Nothing to install; official docs and tutorials, plus an assistant in the editor.Check: Flux docs | 2A large shared parts library with supplier availability shown with parts.Check: flux.ai | 1Board size and layer limits aren't stated on the pricing page, so we could not confirm them.Check: flux.ai/pricing | 2Gerber, BOM, pick-and-place, IPC-2581C, ODB++ and STEP from the Export menu.Check: Flux docs: export designs | 2Runs in a modern web browser on any operating system.Check: flux.ai | 2Real-time co-editing, comments and shared projects are built in.Check: Flux docs | 11/14 |
| CircuitMakerRank #4 | 1Free, commercial use allowed, but up to 5 private projects and closed source.Check: altium.com/circuitmaker | 1Official docs, but a desktop install and an Altium-style interface with a lot to learn.Check: Altium documentation | 2A community library with supplier data shown with parts.Check: altium.com/circuitmaker | 2Up to 16 signal and 16 plane layers with no restriction on board dimensions.Check: altium.com/circuitmaker | 2Gerber and NC drill, ODB++, and the other outputs for manufacturing.Check: altium.com/circuitmaker | 0Windows only.Check: altium.com/circuitmaker | 1Share a project with chosen authors or the whole community, who can fork it; no built-in review workflow.Check: altium.com/circuitmaker | 9/14 |
| Altium DesignerRank #6 | 0A paid subscription is required after the 30-day trial (students excepted).Check: Altium Develop | 0Built for professional depth; Altium's own training is extensive and aimed at full-time designers.Check: Altium documentation | 2Managed libraries with supplier stock and price through Manufacturer Part Search.Check: Altium documentation | 2No board size or layer caps in the standard licence.Check: altium.com | 2Gerber, drill, BOM, pick-and-place, STEP, plus IPC-2581 and ODB++.Check: Altium documentation | 0The desktop editor runs on Windows only.Check: Altium system requirements | 2Altium 365: cloud projects, version history with visual comparison, browser review and comments.Check: Altium 365 | 8/14 |
Criterion by criterion
Cost and licensing
Best here: KiCad (2/2). What earns each score
- KiCad: 2. Free for commercial and personal use, licensed under the GPL. Check
- EasyEDA: 1. Free to use, but closed source. Check
- Flux: 0. After the trial, editing private projects and exporting need a paid plan; closed source. Check
- CircuitMaker: 1. Free, commercial use allowed, but up to 5 private projects and closed source. Check
- Altium Designer: 0. A paid subscription is required after the 30-day trial (students excepted). Check
Learning curve
Best here: EasyEDA, Flux (2/2). What earns each score
- KiCad: 1. Excellent official docs, but a desktop install and separate editors for schematic, layout and libraries. Check
- EasyEDA: 2. Runs in the browser with official tutorials; schematic, layout and ordering in one place. Check
- Flux: 2. Nothing to install; official docs and tutorials, plus an assistant in the editor. Check
- CircuitMaker: 1. Official docs, but a desktop install and an Altium-style interface with a lot to learn. Check
- Altium Designer: 0. Built for professional depth; Altium's own training is extensive and aimed at full-time designers. Check
Library and component support
Best here: EasyEDA, Flux, CircuitMaker, Altium Designer (2/2). What earns each score
- KiCad: 1. Large official symbol, footprint and 3D libraries; stock and price come from plugins or outside sites. Check
- EasyEDA: 2. LCSC parts with stock and price are searchable from inside the editor. Check
- Flux: 2. A large shared parts library with supplier availability shown with parts. Check
- CircuitMaker: 2. A community library with supplier data shown with parts. Check
- Altium Designer: 2. Managed libraries with supplier stock and price through Manufacturer Part Search. Check
Board size and layer limits
Best here: KiCad, CircuitMaker, Altium Designer (2/2). What earns each score
- KiCad: 2. No licence caps; the board setup allows up to 32 copper layers. Check
- EasyEDA: 1. We could not confirm the current layer and size limits on EasyEDA's own pages. Check
- Flux: 1. Board size and layer limits aren't stated on the pricing page, so we could not confirm them. Check
- CircuitMaker: 2. Up to 16 signal and 16 plane layers with no restriction on board dimensions. Check
- Altium Designer: 2. No board size or layer caps in the standard licence. Check
Output files
Best here: KiCad, EasyEDA, Flux, CircuitMaker, Altium Designer (2/2). What earns each score
- KiCad: 2. Gerber, drill, BOM, pick-and-place and STEP, plus IPC-2581 and ODB++ (ODB++ added in KiCad 9). Check
- EasyEDA: 2. Gerber, BOM and pick-and-place, plus ODB++ export in EasyEDA Pro. Check
- Flux: 2. Gerber, BOM, pick-and-place, IPC-2581C, ODB++ and STEP from the Export menu. Check
- CircuitMaker: 2. Gerber and NC drill, ODB++, and the other outputs for manufacturing. Check
- Altium Designer: 2. Gerber, drill, BOM, pick-and-place, STEP, plus IPC-2581 and ODB++. Check
Platform support
Best here: KiCad, EasyEDA, Flux (2/2). What earns each score
- KiCad: 2. Native builds for Windows, macOS and Linux. Check
- EasyEDA: 2. Runs in the browser, with desktop clients for Windows, macOS and Linux. Check
- Flux: 2. Runs in a modern web browser on any operating system. Check
- CircuitMaker: 0. Windows only. Check
- Altium Designer: 0. The desktop editor runs on Windows only. Check
Collaboration
Best here: Flux, Altium Designer (2/2). What earns each score
- KiCad: 1. Plain-text project files that diff and version well in Git; no built-in review or shared workspace. Check
- EasyEDA: 1. Cloud projects with saved versions and branches in EasyEDA Pro; built-in review or comments not confirmed. Check
- Flux: 2. Real-time co-editing, comments and shared projects are built in. Check
- CircuitMaker: 1. Share a project with chosen authors or the whole community, who can fork it; no built-in review workflow. Check
- Altium Designer: 2. Altium 365: cloud projects, version history with visual comparison, browser review and comments. Check
What each costs
| Tool | Cost, as published |
|---|---|
| KiCad | Free for any use, including commercial. Open source (GPL). Donations are optional. Check: kicad.org |
| EasyEDA | Free to use, in Standard and Pro editions. Check easyeda.com for current terms. Check: easyeda.com |
| Flux | Paid plans, each with a 7-day trial. Without a plan you can view public projects, but editing private projects and exporting need a paid plan. Prices are on Flux's pricing page. Check: flux.ai/pricing |
| CircuitMaker | Free, with an Altium account, and commercial use is allowed. Up to 5 private projects; the rest are shared with the community. Check: altium.com/circuitmaker |
| Altium Designer | Annual subscription through Altium Develop (extra design authors are listed at $995 a year each; see Altium's pricing page for the base price). Free 30-day trial; free for students through the Student Lab. Check: Altium Develop |
Not compared here: Autodesk Fusion (Electronics) (8/14). See the full ranking.