# KiCad EDA Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra

> With the help of Capterra, learn about KiCad EDA Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other 3D CAD products and more.

Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/10006638/KiCad-EDA

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# 

 KiCad EDA Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons

Last updated on December 29, 2024

Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team.

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[Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[Pricing](#pricing)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews)

KiCad EDA

## What is KiCad EDA?

KiCad is an open source software suite for Electronic Design Automation (EDA). The programs handle Schematic Capture, and PCB Layout with Gerber output. The suite runs on Windows, Linux and macOS.

## What is KiCad EDA used for?

[3D CAD](https://www.capterra.com/3d-cad-software/)

Overall rating

Based on 17 user reviews

Reviews sentiment

Positive

\-

Neutral

\-

Negative

\-

Contact vendor  
for pricing

Free trial  
not available

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Do you work for KiCad EDA?[Manage this product listing](https://digitalmarkets.gartner.com/get-listed/claim-bx?url=https://www.kicad.org/&name=KiCad EDA)

## Compare with a popular alternative

Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status.

### KiCad EDA

4.4 (17)

VS.

[### 3DPrinterOS](https://www.capterra.com/p/210581/3DPrinterOS/)

[4.8 (5)](https://www.capterra.com/p/210581/3DPrinterOS/#reviews)

Starting Price

Contact vendor

Starting Price

Contact vendor

Free Trial

Free Version

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

Ease Of Use

4.8 (17)

Ease Of Use

4.6 (5)

Value For Money

4.9 (13)

Value For Money

5.0 (4)

Customer Service

4.0 (12)

Customer Service

4.7 (3)

## KiCad EDA alternatives

[Mastercam](https://www.capterra.com/p/230166/MasterCam/)

[4.2 (6)](https://www.capterra.com/p/230166/MasterCam/#reviews)

Starting price

Contact vendor for pricing

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

83%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/230166/MasterCam/)

[Slic3r](https://www.capterra.com/p/210452/Slic3r/)

[4.3 (15)](https://www.capterra.com/p/210452/Slic3r/reviews/)

Starting price

Contact vendor for pricing

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

93%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/210452/Slic3r/)

[Lightwave3D](https://www.capterra.com/p/201852/Lightwave3D/)

[3.8 (4)](https://www.capterra.com/p/201852/Lightwave3D/#reviews)

Starting price

$995.00

Per User, Per Month

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

75%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/201852/Lightwave3D/)

[SketchList 3D](https://www.capterra.com/p/204375/SketchList-3D/)

[4.3 (13)](https://www.capterra.com/p/204375/SketchList-3D/reviews/)

Starting price

$250.00

Per User, Per Month

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

92%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/204375/SketchList-3D/)

## Pricing

Value for money

4.9 (13)

### Starting price

Contact vendor  
for pricing

Free trial  
available

Value for money

4.9 (13)

4.9

Based on 13 reviews

Connect with a Capterra advisor for a free 15-minute consultation

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## Support, customer service and training options

Customer Service

4.0 (12)

Support

-   Email/Help Desk
-   FAQs/Forum
-   Knowledge Base
-   Phone Support
-   24/7 (Live rep)
-   Chat

Training

-   In Person
-   Live Online
-   Webinars
-   Documentation
-   Videos

Deployment

-   Web
-   Android
-   iPhone/iPad

Typical users

-   Freelancers
-   Small businesses
-   Mid size businesses
-   Enterprises

Customer Service

4.0 (12)

4.0

Based on 12 reviews

## User reviews

Overall rating

4.4

Based on 17 reviews

Filter by rating

5(9)

4(6)

3(1)

2(1)

1(0)

Mentioned topic

Sorted by most recent

MB

Maya B.

Design and Engineering

Renewables & Environment

### "Why I like KiCad"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

3.0

3.0

Likelihood to Recommend

8/10

December 10, 2024

Great package for professional level projects, without having to shell out $$$$ for other professional options

Pros

It has all the essential features of the costly paid EDA packages.

Cons

BoM and variation management is still a largely manual process, however a lot can be scripted with imported python scripts - these functions are not built in so you have to go looking for them.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

MS

Matiwos S.

Electronics Engeneer

Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing

### "KiCad EDA, a great design tool"

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

3.0

3.0

Customer Service

4.0

4.0

Likelihood to Recommend

8/10

July 9, 2024

I have a great experiance as a student, it has basic features and its cost is fine.

Pros

the tool is easy to learn and it is not that much costly for beginner deisgners

Cons

its features are not much industry level and when it comes to comparison with tools like altium designer it becomes an obsolute tool

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

LS

Lloyd S.

Owner

Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing

### "Kicad was an easy migration from Eagle"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

July 8, 2024

As an Eagle user it was easy to import my libraries. I have been really happy with KiCad, it lets me get boards done quickly which is a help for proof-of-concept. If you want Altium go ahead and spend the $15K, it's not nearly as detailed as that.

Pros

It's a great PCB design system, and it's free! It's been around for years. Its output looks a lot like Eagle (which is now a subscription service). It's got realtime hilighting links between schematic and PCB. The footprint and symbol process is pretty easy to learn. But the biggest plus for me is that it's got a very active user forum, so if you can't figure something out, there's somebody who will jump right in to help. I'm not a GHz designer but for my needs it's great. Also it runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac, so I can put a job on my Mac laptop to work on while traveling then move it back to my big dev machine.

Cons

It doesn't have an integrated autorouter. I know a lot of people don't believe in them, but for my needs (slow signals and a lot of I/O) it would help. There is an export/route/import router that's free. Also the user doc tends to be out of date. But the forums have answered my questions so that's not a problem. As with any layout system, the libary structure and paths take some getting used to.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

PL

Pedro L.

pDr

E-Learning

### "Kicad perfect for its -no- cost"

2.0

Overall Rating

2.0

2.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

4.0

4.0

Customer Service

1.0

1.0

Likelihood to Recommend

6/10

June 26, 2024

It is a perfect tool for understanding what is an EDA, but for real project a commercial tool is required.

Pros

For 0.00 EUR it is perfect, easy to install and multi-platform.

Cons

It is not a professional tool, library can't be trusted and must be manually checked.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

AF

Adedayo F.

CAD technician

Mechanical or Industrial Engineering

### "Circuit and PCB designs made easy with KiCAD"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

4.0

4.0

Features

4.0

4.0

Customer Service

4.0

4.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

June 2, 2023

That I am able to design my circuit diagram and also able to implement the schematic editing feature is what I really like the most.

Pros

I really love the fact that I can simulate my design in a schematic way wish gives me insight of how the real life design will work and look like.

Cons

KiCAD have being very helpful to me since I begin using it and I don't see it notice any loop with it.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

MB

Maciej B.

Electrical Team Leader

Automotive

### "KiCad review - PWR Racing Team"

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

4.0

4.0

Customer Service

4.0

4.0

Likelihood to Recommend

7/10

April 22, 2023

Very friendly software, easy to use and great for starting your journey with PCB development.

Pros

Best open source and free to use PCB designing software. Great beginnig before switching to more advanced programs like Altium Designer. Easy to use yet allows you to create advanced designs.

Cons

Lacking more advanced options and connectivity during product development. Altium Designer features such as Altium 365 make it superior compared to KiCad in that manner.

Alternatives considered

[Altium Develop](https://www.capterra.com/p/175058/Altium-Designer/)

Reasons for choosing KiCad EDA

Easier to use than the other ones and great as an introductory program.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

AU

Anonymous User

Estudiante

E-Learning

### "Kicad un software gratuito y de facil acceso."

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

4.0

4.0

Likelihood to Recommend

7/10

December 22, 2022

Lo estuve utilizando para un proyecto que me mandaron y gracias a que es un software gratuito no tuve que hacer una inversión económica para un solo proyecto, si no, que lo pude terminar fácilmente con KiCard.

Pros

Es un software libre y además gratuito.

Cons

Le faltan funcionalidades frente a otros softwares de pago

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

AU

Anonymous User

Engineer

Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing

### "Amazing software! Open-source and downright amazing!"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

December 13, 2022

Love it!!! Hands down my favourite piece of software!!

Pros

It's open source; The files are text based and can be stored on version management tools like GitHub; The features are solid and the exposed programming options are great!

Cons

It isn't quite as polished as the pricier options. But for the price, KiCAD is absolutely amazing!!

Switched from

[Altium Develop](https://www.capterra.com/p/175058/Altium-Designer/)

The ability to store the files in text based version management tool (SVN or Git) was a critical feature for the work I do.

Alternatives considered

[Altium Develop](https://www.capterra.com/p/175058/Altium-Designer/)

Reasons for choosing KiCad EDA

Price, text based files

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

AU

Anonymous User

R&D engineer

Information Technology and Services

### "KiCAD for school project"

3.0

Overall Rating

3.0

3.0

Ease of Use

3.0

3.0

Features

3.0

3.0

Customer Service

0.0

0.0

Likelihood to Recommend

5/10

December 9, 2022

Pros

One of the things I like most about KiCAD is its intuitive user interface. It's easy to navigate, and the tools are well-organized and easy to use. I also appreciate the wide range of features that are available, including the ability to create schematics, layout boards, and generate Gerber files for manufacturing.

Cons

One thing I dislike about KiCAD is that it can be a bit difficult to learn. While the user interface is intuitive and well-organized, the sheer number of features and tools can be overwhelming for new users. It can take some time to become proficient with the software, and even experienced users may need to refer to the documentation or online tutorials to use some of the more advanced features.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

RG

Ruben G.

Electronic Engineer

Aviation & Aerospace

### "Easy PCB design "

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

4.0

4.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

8/10

December 8, 2022

Pros

It's free, and you can do all the same as with other expensive tools.I really recommend it for PCB design.

Cons

The shortcuts commands differ from other tools, making a bit more difficult to migrate from other software.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

[View all Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/10006638/KiCad-EDA/reviews/)

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Independent research methodology

Capterra's researchers use a mix of verified reviews, independent research and objective methodologies to bring you selection and ranking information you can trust. While we may earn a referral fee when you visit a provider through our links or speak to an advisor, this has no influence on our research or methodology.

[Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/proprietary-data-research/)

How Capterra verifies reviews

Capterra carefully verified over 2.5 million+ reviews to bring you authentic software experiences from real users. Our human moderators verify that reviewers are real people and that reviews are authentic. They use leading tech to analyze text quality and to detect plagiarism and generative AI.

[Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-verify-reviews/)

How Capterra ensures transparency

Capterra lists all providers across its website—not just those that pay us—so that users can make informed purchase decisions. Capterra is free for users. Software providers pay us for sponsored profiles to receive web traffic and sales opportunities. Sponsored profiles include a link-out icon that takes users to the provider's website.

[Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-ensure-transparency/)