Skip to content
Day 69: new resources are added every day. See what's new
Best Productivity ResourcesBy Shushant LakhyaniVerified creator

Desktop App

KiCad

Free, open-source software for designing circuit boards.

Visit KiCad4.6

  • Rating

    4.6 / 5

  • Pricing

    Free

  • Difficulty

    Advanced

  • Works on

    Windows, macOS, Linux

Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com

Free: 1,100+ ways people make money onlineFree: 399+ ways to make money online

What is KiCad?

KiCad is open-source PCB design and electronics CAD software for Windows, macOS and Linux. Its site calls it all forever free. It offers schematic capture with an integrated SPICE simulator and electrical rules checker, PCB layout with an interactive router, and a 3D viewer with a raytracer to preview the finished board. Development is funded by donations through The Linux Foundation.

Pros: what KiCad does well

  • Free and open source, with donations funding development
  • Schematic, layout and 3D preview in one suite
  • Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux

Cons: where it falls short

  • Steep learning curve for beginners
  • Needs electronics knowledge

Who KiCad is for

Hobbyists, students and engineers who design circuit boards.

Who can skip it

People who do not work with electronics.

KiCad alternatives

Not sold on KiCad? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.

All Project Management resources

lazygit

Focus: git client, terminal ui and developer tool. Shares open source with KiCad. Adds Offline. Rated 4.8 (KiCad: 4.6).

Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.8Visit

Circle

Focus: linear clone, project management and nextjs. Shares open source with KiCad. A website, not a desktop app. Adds Web. Rated 4.7 (KiCad: 4.6).

WebsiteFreeWeb
4.7Visit

Baserow

Focus: database, no-code and spreadsheet. Shares open source with KiCad. A no-code tool, not a desktop app. Freemium (KiCad: Free). Adds Web. Same 4.6 rating.

No-Code ToolFree planWeb
4.6Visit

Supabase

Focus: Backend, Development and Database. Shares Open Source with KiCad. A web app, not a desktop app. Freemium (KiCad: Free). Adds Web. Same 4.6 rating.

Web AppFree planWeb
4.6Visit

Carbon

Focus: erp, manufacturing and mes. Shares open source with KiCad. A web app, not a desktop app. Adds Web. Rated 4.5 (KiCad: 4.6).

Web AppFreeWeb, Cross-Platform
4.5Visit

EasyEDA MCP Pro

Focus: mcp, easyeda and hardware design. Shares pcb design and electronics with KiCad. An AI tool, not a desktop app. Rated 4.3 (KiCad: 4.6).

AI ToolFreeCross-Platform
4.3Visit

Free alternatives to KiCad

Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.

Ghostty

Focus: terminal, emulator and gpu. Shares open source with KiCad. Rated 4.9 (KiCad: 4.6).

Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.9Visit

fzf

Focus: fuzzy finder, command line and shell. Shares open source with KiCad. Adds Offline. Rated 4.8 (KiCad: 4.6).

Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.8Visit

navi

Focus: terminal, cli and cheatsheet. Shares open source with KiCad. Rated 4.8 (KiCad: 4.6).

Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.8Visit

Upscayl

Focus: image upscaling, ai and electron. Shares open source with KiCad. Rated 4.8 (KiCad: 4.6).

Desktop AppFreeLinux, macOS
4.8Visit

Atuin

Focus: shell history, terminal and command line. Shares open source with KiCad. Rated 4.7 (KiCad: 4.6).

Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.7Visit

AutoHotkey

Focus: hotkeys, macros and scripting. Shares open source with KiCad. Adds Offline. Rated 4.7 (KiCad: 4.6).

Desktop AppFreeWindows, Offline
4.7Visit
Are you the maker of KiCad?Get a free Featured badge for your site, a share image and ready-to-paste posts. No sign-up.

Free Notion database

1,100+ ways people are making money online

Real online businesses, creators and projects, broken down by how they make money: apps, online stores, AI tools and more. Free on Gumroad.

Get the free database

Free Notion database

399+ ways to make money online

Hundreds of online income methods in one place, so you can compare options and pick one to try. Free on Gumroad.

Get the free list

For research and ideas only. Results vary and nothing here is a promise of income. See our Disclaimer.

Weekly newsletter

Everything new, every Monday.

One short email every Monday with everything shipped that week: new free tools and websites, new guides, new free browser tools and what's new in my free Gumroad libraries, plus how the site is growing. Free, and you can unsubscribe anytime.

Join the newsletter

You sign up on Gumroad, which stores your email to send the newsletter. See our Privacy Policy.