Design circuit boards for free with KiCad. No limits, no licenses—just powerful tools that work on any computer. Perfect for makers, startups, and students.
KiCad (Latest version stable release date: July 7, 2025) is a free and open-source software suite for electronic design automation (EDA). It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and provides a complete toolset for PCB design, including schematic capture, PCB layout, 3D visualization, and circuit simulation. KiCad has no usage limits—users get access to the full set of features without tiers or restrictions, making it a preferred choice for startups, small businesses, hobbyists, and educators working with limited budgets.
One user shared, “I use KiCad for designing boards for a very small company—about 20 employees in total. I have done about a dozen boards over the last two years, and typically two revs of each board.”
Another added, “We are a small startup in Turkey. We use KiCad because it runs on Linux. It’s free. It’s good enough for us. We usually design microcontroller-based sensor boards. No high frequency lines etc.”
The latest major version, KiCad 9.0, introduces significant improvements. Key updates include output jobsets for automated file exports, enhanced routing tools, padstacks for layer-specific control, multichannel layout support, component classes, visual DRC checks, ODB++ export, git integration, and a new plugin API. These features support both basic and advanced workflows, helping users scale their projects from simple to more complex designs.
KiCad offers a comprehensive set of Design Rule Check (DRC) features to ensure the integrity and manufacturability of PCB designs. These features allow users to define and enforce various design rules, such as minimum track width, clearance between traces, and other constraints
The EDA software supports industry-standard outputs and customization. Users can export Gerber files accepted by most PCB fabricators or use native KiCad files where supported. The software allows deep configuration, including custom keyboard shortcuts and mouse settings, and supports Python scripting for automation. Third-party tools and plugins, such as autorouting tools, extend KiCad’s functionality further.
One user observed, “I have the feeling KiCad is gaining momentum even for professional designs. At the end what you want is a standard PCB.”
Its workflow separates schematic design and layout, offering flexibility. Users can work on schematics independently or reuse them across multiple board designs. KiCad also integrates with SPICE for circuit simulation, allowing users to simulate analog circuits directly within the environment.
The tool continues to grow with strong community and institutional support. CERN contributes to its development roadmap, which includes ongoing improvements to the user interface, schematic editor, and rule checking tools. The project maintains an open development model, supported by user donations rather than licensing revenue.
KiCad’s platform independence and zero cost make it accessible to a wide audience. It is especially valuable for open-source hardware projects, educational settings, and prototype development, where ease of access and freedom from licensing constraints are important.
With a complete feature set, community support, and cross-platform availability, KiCad delivers a practical solution for EDA without the cost barriers of commercial tools. Kindly find a download link for KiCad here.
Check more such PCB design software.
