Software Alternatives & Reviews

LibrePCB VS KiCad

Compare LibrePCB VS KiCad and see what are their differences

LibrePCB

LibrePCB is a free EDA software to develop printed circuit boards.

KiCad

A Cross Platform and Open Source Electronics Design Automation Suite
  • LibrePCB Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-12-12
  • KiCad Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-12

LibrePCB

Categories
  • Electronics
  • Simulation
  • Design Tools
  • CAD
Website librepcb.org  
Details $

KiCad

Categories
  • Design Tools
  • CAD
  • Electronics
  • Simulation
  • Computer Simulations
  • Automation
Website kicad.org  
Details $-

LibrePCB videos

Introduction to LibrePCB A new, powerful and intuitive EDA tool for everyone

KiCad videos

eevBLAB #62 - PCB Wars - The Rise Of KiCAD

More videos:

  • Review - Quickstart Intro to Kicad - Design a board in 5 minutes
  • Review - #132 Using EasyEDA and KiCAD for Improved PCB (dog deterrent)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to LibrePCB and KiCad)
Simulation
32 32%
68% 68
Electronics
32 32%
68% 68
Design Tools
38 38%
62% 62
Computer Simulations
25 25%
75% 75

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare LibrePCB and KiCad

LibrePCB Reviews

We have no reviews of LibrePCB yet.
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KiCad Reviews

11 KiCad Alternatives
KiCad is cross-platform, open-source CAD software that is specifically built for the Electronic Design Automation Suite. It is a complete solution that comes with a simple interface that is packed with extensive features. You may quickly access all of the tools and create any type of electrical automation design.
Comparing the Top 5 CAD Software for Electronics Design Development
The KiCAD software interfaceKiCAD is a free software that runs on a number of platforms: Linux, Windows, macOS. Due to its open-source nature, KiCAD is widely used by hobbyists and beginners.
Source: hackernoon.com
Our Top 10 printed circuit design software programmes
KiCad is an open source, free printed circuit design software suite. It was developed by Jean-Pierre Charras from the Grenoble IUT in France in 1992. This design software includes diagram management, PCB routing and 3D modelling possibilities for electronics engineers.
9 Free CAD Software to Download
Want to design your next Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and don’t know where to start? Check out KiCAD. KiCAD is a free and open source PCB design tool that includes a project manager and 4 main software such as schematic editor, printed circuit board editor, GERBER file viewer and footprint selector for component association.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, LibrePCB seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 6 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

LibrePCB mentions (6)

  • Effective June 7, 2026, Autodesk will no longer sell nor support EAGLE
    There's also https://librepcb.org/ Has anyone had time to try Horizon and/or LibrePCB and compare them to KiCad? - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • What is "this type" of PCB "called"
    On the open source front, LibrePCB seems to be the only contender, never used it myself, but have heard good things and met some devs at a conference and they were nice. The level of support you get there may be a bit more personal. Otoh, if you've never designed PCBs before, it may be hard to even tell if something is a bug... Source: 9 months ago
  • Hardware design on linux
    I would throw LibrePCB into the mix. Coming from Eagle, it was easier for me to grasp than KiCad. Source: 10 months ago
  • How can I make professional looking schematics for free?
    Also LibrePCB at https://librepcb.org A bit "lighter" in size than KiCad. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • from where should I start for designing my own PCB?
    I've been turning out some nice results from LibrePCB. It has a learning curve like anything else but its not an impossibly convoluted workflow like some of the more established FOSS programs out there. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

KiCad mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of KiCad yet. Tracking of KiCad recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing LibrePCB and KiCad, you can also consider the following products

Fritzing - Fritzing is an open-source initiative to support designers, artists, researchers and hobbyists to...

EasyEDA - EasyEDA - Web-based EDA suite; runs in browser.

Proteus PCB design - Proteus PCB design combines the schematic capture and ARES PCB layout programs to provide a...

LTspice - LTspice® is a high performance SPICE simulation software, schematic capture and waveform viewer with enhancements and models for easing the simulation of analog circuits.

Autodesk EAGLE - Autodesk EAGLE is an electronic design automation (EDA) software.

Altium Designer - PCB Design Software