KiCad
PCB & electronicsOpen-source electronics design automation suite
- Stars
- ★ 3k
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Updated
- Commercial OK
- Gerber
- DXF
Alternative to Altium Designer, Eagle
Free alternatives to Altium Designer
Last updated · 4 options
Quick answer: KiCad has the most stars on its repository of the 4 options here (★ 3k), followed by LibrePCB (★ 3k). Stars show popularity, not fit, so check formats, platforms and licence for your own work.
Professional PCB design software. Here are 4 free options, most-starred first.
LibrePCB
PCB & electronicsBeginner-friendly open-source EDA suite
- Stars
- ★ 3k
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Updated
- Commercial OK
Alternative to Altium Designer, Eagle
Horizon EDA
PCB & electronicsModern EDA package for schematics and PCB layout
- Stars
- ★ 1.3k
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Updated
- Commercial OK
Alternative to Altium Designer, Eagle
EasyEDA
PCB & electronicsFree browser-based schematic and PCB design
- Licence
- Freeware
- Status
- Free (proprietary)
Alternative to Altium Designer, Eagle
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Format and fit filters only use details we found in each project's own documentation. A tool that isn't shown may still support it.
How to switch
FAQ
Is there a free alternative to Altium Designer?
Yes. CADAlts lists 4 options: KiCad, LibrePCB, Horizon EDA and EasyEDA.
Which Altium Designer alternatives are open source?
KiCad (GPL-3.0), LibrePCB (GPL-3.0) and Horizon EDA (GPL-3.0). The others are free or freemium but not open source.
Which Altium Designer alternatives run on a Mac?
KiCad, LibrePCB and EasyEDA. The other listed here isn't listed for macOS.
Which of these can open Altium Designer files?
KiCad, according to each project's own documentation (linked under “Fit” on its page). We haven't found it documented for the others.
How do I move from Altium Designer to KiCad?
KiCad imports Altium boards (.PcbDoc) and schematics (.SchDoc) as standalone documents. Import the board first, save the project, then bring in each schematic sheet. Our step-by-step guide follows KiCad's official documentation.
Related categories: PCB & electronics
Check file compatibility before switching. Free tools import STEP, DXF and other neutral formats well, but native SolidWorks, Altium or Revit files, drawing standards and PDM workflows may not carry over cleanly.