Before you order your circuit boards, visit our PCB Price Calculator. You can enter the size, layers, and quantity of your board and get prices from 19 different PCB manufacturers instantly.
Visit the download page for KiCad.
There are 11 reviews with an average rating of 4.4. 
To ensure high-quality reviews and ratings, we moderate every review. To write a review, you must include a valid e-mail address. We will not post your e-mail address, and we will never give it to anyone else or use it to spam you. We might send you an e-mail to verify the information in your review.
Submit your review | |
A great open source product that gives you full control over every layer.
I've been using KiCad for several years now. It's evolved quite a bit since I've started using it, and keeps getting better. There is a bit of a learning curve, but it's completely worth it. KiCad plays nicely with Git, which I'd highly recommend using for your projects.
Every release I download and spend a few hours building boards, every release I end up removing the (now) 5GB of programs and libraries. If the product can't run to 3 hours without blowing up I have no use for it, production requires reliability. The 5.x release has Digikey building part libraries then they have a video on importing the libraries where they lock the computer up three times trying to import the libraries and finish leaving you wondering if what you just watched was meant to be that convoluted.
The soon to be released new version 5 has many improvements and is easier to use.
I've used both KiCad and Eagle, and KiCad is the definite winner. Aside from the fact that KiCad is completely free for any size board with any number of layers, I find it easier to use in general. Its main pitfall is the lack of a large component library, but creating custom components is easy enough. Despite the steep learning curve, KiCad is a very versatile tool.
if you're coming to kicad from diptrace then turn around and go back,,,
this software seems solid enough but the user interface is very 1990 with things you try to find not being in a logical place.
if you want to add a part you need to add it twice to get a schematic view and a footprint for the pcb
if you create a 32 pin part, with 2 pins the same number, don't expect an error but expect it not to make a connection in the netlist that you can then spend a day trying to get to the bottom of...
oh and at one point in the day i edited a footprint, saved, it said there was an error in line 250 something, and my footprint library was trashed...
in summary, gets job done well but a pita to use,
KiCad and the CERN-involvement is a miracle to me.
Instead of doing the obvious they start working on the internals. The obvious you may ask? Simple: First create a slick, simple, consistent, fresh user interface. Something that attracts new users and helps them to grow with their needs and to learn how KiCad works. Old users? Sorry, you have to learn new.
Second: create very very very easy part+footprint maker (since I'm still in love with diptrace: they do it right!). Third: build some online parts database. Search a part? It's already online. If not, make it, put it online, earn your fame! This steps aren't really two, they go hand in hand and would create a really great product. Make it fast and simple and you rule the world. (Again, my current love diptrace did it all wrong: slow, cumbersome, annoying...)
Fourth: add a consistent, understandable project management system guiding from schematic to pcb. Let if follow the production process with simple assistants.
Fifth: add fresh ideas. I would love to have a scratch book. Adding things I have to think about, to change, to do, links to resources. BOM? Why don't you add a simple spread sheet? And please, I don't want different applications with save, import changes, update etc... Follow the production process: if it isn't produced, apply changes. If it is produced, create a branch.
With KiCad they have a great backend technology what waits for some inspiring user experience. I wish they had more resources in global project strategies and development.
The best open-souce CAD pcb program I have found. Learning curve is not too bad. Recommend that users only use supplied libraries as a starting point ... build-ur-own as-u-go to guarantee quality. Also like the 3D options. No problem at all with BOM export.
Great tool. Easy to learn, well polished interface that is significantly more intuitive than Eagle 7.
I have been using Kicad for 6 months and it is excellent choice. It does everything what it says.