OpenPCB v0.1.0-beta is public — schematic capture, PCB routing & live DRC, 3D preview. Download free →
OpenPCB
GitHub Download

Design PCBs with a
built-in AI assistant.

OpenPCB is a free, open-source desktop EDA — schematic capture, PCB layout, and interactive 3D preview — with an integrated AI assistant that runs on local models, your own API key, or OpenPCB Cloud. Local-first, KiCad-compatible, no subscription.

Download for your OS Star on GitHub
macOS Windows Linux
No account required Zero telemetry by default Imports KiCad libraries
3
Desktop platforms — macOS, Windows, Linux
4
Modules in one app — Designer, Library, Tasks, Assistant
100%
Local-first — your designs never leave your disk
0
Accounts, paywalls or cloud lock-in
The workbench

Everything from idea to fabrication, in one window.

A modular workspace that keeps schematic, layout, 3D, and your component library in sync — built on a modern, GPU-accelerated canvas.

01 — Schematic capture

Draw circuits at the speed of thought.

A command palette puts your whole library a keystroke away. Place parts, route Manhattan-style wires, and label nets without leaving the keyboard.

  • Command palette placement — search by name, tag, or description with live symbol preview.
  • Manhattan wire routing with auto-junction detection, net labels, and power ports.
  • Full undo/redo backed by a command-pattern core with revision tracking.
⌘KG — GNDP — PWRH — Net labelR — Rotate
02 — PCB layout

Routing that keeps up with you.

Push traces in 90° or 45° modes, drop a smart via to switch layers mid-route, and watch live DRC flag clearance issues as you go. Ratsnest airwires show exactly what's left.

  • Smart vias — tap V to drop a via and continue on the opposite layer.
  • Live DRC with trace-to-trace and trace-to-pad clearance checks and a running violation count.
  • Layer system — F.Cu, B.Cu and inner layers with an active-layer pill that follows your cursor.
R — RouteV — Smart viaW — Width⇧F — Flip view⇧Space — 90/45°
03 — Interactive 3D

See the board before you build it.

Every design is a real-time 3D scene. Orbit the board, inspect copper and vias as extruded geometry, and drop in STEP component models to catch fit problems early.

  • True 3D substrate with correct thickness, copper traces and vias.
  • STEP → GLB models converted client-side and cached across views.
  • Orbit controls with realistic lighting on a GPU-accelerated canvas.
04 — Component library

Bring your KiCad parts. Or draw your own.

A unified catalog of symbols, footprints and 3D models. Import existing KiCad libraries in bulk, generate footprints from IPC-7351B presets, or draw from scratch in the built-in editors.

  • KiCad import — .kicad_sym, .kicad_mod and ZIP batch upload.
  • IPC-7351B presets generate clean footprints from a package code.
  • Symbol & footprint editors with pins, pads, layers and text.
05 — Manufacturing & BOM

Fab-ready output, in one click.

Export a complete fabrication bundle in a single ZIP — Gerber X2, Excellon drill, BOM and pick-and-place — ready for JLCPCB or PCBWay. A pre-export preflight checks your board against each fab's design rules first.

  • Gerber X2 & Excellon — every fabrication layer (copper, mask, paste, silk, edge cuts) plus PTH/NPTH drill and a .gbrjob, bundled in one ZIP.
  • BOM & pick-and-place — multi-format CSV (JLCPCB, KiCad, plain) with DNP and cost estimate, plus a JLCPCB-ready centroid file.
  • Export preflight validates drills, trace widths and board outline against JLCPCB / PCBWay rules before you download. Automatic JLCPCB part sourcing and live fab-rule DRC are coming next.
See the full roadmap →
SchemPCB3DBOM
Export
Placeholder Screenshot — BOM & export panel
06 — AI assistant

A built-in AI co-pilot — on your terms.

OpenPCB has a fully integrated assistant that reads your schematic, layout and component library to answer questions and reason about your design. Run it locally, bring your own API key, or use OpenPCB Cloud AI — your choice, your data.

  • Local & private — run open models through Ollama, LM Studio or MLX. Nothing leaves your machine.
  • Bring your own key — point it at OpenAI, Anthropic or any compatible API with your own key.
  • OpenPCB Cloud AI — prefer zero setup? Use our hosted provider and start in one click.
Local · Ollama / LM Studio / MLX Bring your own key OpenPCB Cloud AI
The workflow

One continuous flow, no file shuffling.

Idea

Brainstorm with the AI assistant — research options & plan.

Schematic

Place parts & route nets.

PCB layout

Route copper with live DRC.

3D verify

Inspect fit & clearance.

Export

Gerber, drill, BOM & place files out.

How it compares

Familiar power, fewer strings attached.

OpenPCB stands on the shoulders of giants like KiCad — and stays compatible with them. Here's the honest lay of the land while we're in beta.

  OpenPCB KiCad EasyEDA Altium
Price Free Free Free tier $$$ / yr
Open source ✓ AGPL-3.0 ✓ GPL ✗ ✗
Local-first / offline ✓ ✓ Partial ✓
No account required ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗
KiCad library import ✓ Native Partial Import
Modern, fast UI ✓ Classic ✓ ✓
Integrated 3D preview ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Manufacturing export ✓ ✓ Mature ✓ ✓
Integrated AI assistant ✓ Local + cloud ✗ ✗ Partial

Comparison reflects OpenPCB v0.1.0-beta and is meant to be fair, not definitive. KiCad is a mature, fully-featured peer we actively interoperate with.

See the full comparison →

Free & open source

OpenPCB is AGPL-3.0-or-later. Read the source, file issues, request components, and shape the roadmap. Star the repo to follow along — every bit of feedback steers v0.1.

Star on GitHub
For business

Commercial license

Need to ship in a product that can't meet AGPL's source-disclosure terms? A commercial license removes the copyleft obligations and adds priority support — same app, business-friendly terms.

Talk to us about licensing
Roadmap

Shipping in the open.

A living plan, weighted by your feedback. Here's what's next after the public beta.

Now · beta

Schematic · PCB routing · 3D · KiCad import · live DRC

Gerber, Excellon, BOM & pick-and-place export — shipped.

Next

Auto JLCPCB sourcing · live fab-rule DRC · ERC report UI

Copper zones, diff-pair routing, multi-sheet.

Later

Code signing · live auto-update · multi-sheet

Production-readiness & polish.

Read the full roadmap →
Download

Free, forever. Grab your build.

OpenPCB v0.1.0-beta · macOS, Windows & Linux. No account, no installer bloat.

macOS

.dmg · .zip — arm64 + x64
Download for macOS

Windows

Setup.exe · x64
Download for Windows

Linux

AppImage · .deb · .rpm
Download for Linux
Heads up — beta builds are unsigned. macOS Gatekeeper and Windows SmartScreen will warn on first launch. On macOS, right-click the app → Open; on Windows, click More info → Run anyway. Linux AppImages need chmod +x. Code signing & auto-update are on the roadmap.
Requires a 64-bit OS·~4 GB RAM·GPU with WebGL2·AGPL-3.0-or-later
Release notes & checksums on GitHub →