KiCad
KiCad is a free, open-source CAD and 3D modelling app for Windows, macOS and Linux. KiCad is an electronics design suite for drawing schematics and laying out printed circuit boards (PCBs), with a 3D viewer. It has 3,014 GitHub stars and is released under the GPL-3.0 license, and people use it instead of Altium Designer and Autodesk Eagle.
- Official
- Linux
- macOS
- Windows
- CAD & 3D modelling
- Actively maintained
About KiCad
KiCad is a free electronics design automation (EDA) suite for Windows, macOS and Linux. It covers schematic capture, PCB layout with a push-and-shove router, a 3D board viewer and Gerber export for manufacturing. The GitHub repository mirrors the development branch hosted on GitLab.
Replaces
Commercial software people commonly use KiCad instead of.
- Altium Designer
- Autodesk Eagle
Similar apps
More open-source CAD and 3D modelling apps
FreeCAD
FreeCAD/FreeCAD
Official source code of FreeCAD, a free and opensource multiplatform 3D parametric modeler.
OfficialCAD & 3D modellingWindowsmacOSLinuxBlender
blender/blender
Blender is the free and open source 3D creation suite.
OfficialCAD & 3D modellingWindowsmacOSLinuxOrcaSlicer
OrcaSlicer/OrcaSlicer
G-code generator for 3D printers (Bambu, Prusa, Voron, VzBot, RatRig, Creality, etc.).
CAD & 3D modellingWindowsmacOSLinuxOpenSCAD
openscad/openscad
OpenSCAD - The Programmers Solid 3D CAD Modeller.
OfficialCAD & 3D modellingWindowsmacOSLinuxPrusaSlicer
prusa3d/PrusaSlicer
G-code generator for 3D printers (RepRap, Makerbot, Ultimaker etc.).
OfficialCAD & 3D modellingWindowsmacOSLinuxUltiMaker Cura
Ultimaker/Cura
3D printer / slicing GUI built on top of the Uranium framework.
OfficialCAD & 3D modellingWindowsmacOSLinux
What is KiCad?
KiCad is a free, open-source CAD and 3D modelling app for Windows, macOS and Linux. KiCad is an electronics design suite for drawing schematics and laying out printed circuit boards (PCBs), with a 3D viewer. It has 3,014 GitHub stars and is released under the GPL-3.0 license, and people use it instead of Altium Designer and Autodesk Eagle.
Is KiCad free and open source?
Yes. KiCad's source code is public on GitHub under the GPL-3.0 license, which is OSI-approved or FSF-free, so you can use, copy and change it for free.
How do I install KiCad?
Download the installer for Windows, macOS and Linux from its GitHub Releases page (latest: 10.0.6) or the project website.
Can KiCad replace Altium Designer?
KiCad is commonly used as a free alternative to Altium Designer and Autodesk Eagle. Features differ, so check that it opens the file formats and covers the workflows you rely on before switching.