KiCad

Software Overview

KiCad is a free, open-source electronic design automation (EDA) suite used for creating and inspecting printed circuit boards (PCBs). It lets you design schematics, lay out PCBs, and review your designs in an interactive workspace. The software is suitable for hobbyists, students, and professional engineers who want a powerful EDA tool without licensing fees.

KiCad comes with several integrated tools, including a schematic, symbol, PCB, footprint, and drawing sheet editor. For example, the Schematic Editor offers hierarchical sheets, custom symbol creation, and an electrical rules check (ERC) to verify connections. The PCB Editor, on the other hand, provides intuitive trace routing, push-and-shove editing, and advanced interactive rerouting. Also, the Image Converter can convert bitmap images to schematic symbols or PCB footprints, Gerber View previews Gerber files, and the Calculator Tools allow you to calculate current capacity, resistance, and more.

Version 9 introduced significant improvements, including a faster and more responsive interface, enhanced push-and-shove routing, a modernized footprint editor, improved schematic and PCB search functionality, and better 3D model handling. These updates make complex designs easier to manage and reduce the time needed for iterative editing.

Summary

KiCad competes well with commercial tools like Autodesk EAGLE, offering comparable PCB-designing features without subscription costs. While it has a significant learning curve, investing time to learn KiCad is worth it, especially for users who want a flexible, powerful, and fully open-source EDA solution.

Primary File Type

.KICAD_PROKiCad Project

Supported File Types