KiCad review: the open-source baseline

Why KiCad is the baseline

Every other tool on this site is compared with KiCad because it sets the floor for what you should expect for free: full schematic capture, a capable PCB editor with an interactive router, managed libraries, 3D view, simulation and every file a fab asks for, with no limit on board size or layers and no account to create.

If a paid or closed tool can't clearly beat KiCad on something you care about (live part data, built-in review, an easier start), the licence cost or lock-in is hard to justify.

What it's like to use

A KiCad project has a schematic editor and a PCB editor that share one netlist, plus separate editors for symbols and footprints. That split is the main thing beginners trip over: a part needs a symbol and a footprint, linked together, before it can go on the board.

Once that clicks, the workflow is fast. The router supports push-and-shove and differential pairs, design rules are set per net class, and the 3D viewer catches mechanical clashes before you order. The Plugin and Content Manager adds libraries, themes and tools such as fab-specific output scripts from inside the app.

Libraries and parts

KiCad ships official symbol, footprint and 3D-model libraries maintained by a library team against a published convention (the KiCad Library Convention), so parts are consistent in naming, pin order and courtyard size. That curation is a real advantage over libraries built from user uploads.

What it doesn't do out of the box is show live stock and price from distributors. You either check parts on the distributor's site, add a plugin, or fill in fields for part numbers yourself. This is the main reason it scores 1 rather than 2 on library support.

Getting boards made

The fabrication output dialog writes Gerber and Excellon drill files that any board house accepts, and the BOM and position-file exporters cover assembly. Recent releases add IPC-2581 and ODB++ for assemblers that prefer a single intelligent file. Many low-cost fabs publish KiCad-specific export guides; check your fab's guide before your first order.

Working with others

KiCad's files are plain text, so Git can store them, show line-level changes and keep every revision. Git can't show you what the board looks like at each revision, though, and KiCad has no built-in commenting or review. Teams usually add a visual diff tool, an automated output tool in continuous integration, or a hosted workspace built for KiCad projects such as BoardRepo, which shows the schematic, PCB, 3D view and BOM of every saved version in the browser. The After you pick guide compares those options.

Switching to KiCad

KiCad includes importers for projects from other tools, including Altium, EAGLE, CADSTAR and EasyEDA. Imports usually need a check of footprints and design rules afterwards. Look at the File > Import menu of your version for the current list.