Roundup
AI autorouting has gone from research demo to usable tool. Quilter and DeepPCB both route a finished board with AI, but they differ in approach and pricing — and both need a clean schematic first. Here is how they compare, and where capture fits.
Quick answer
The two leading AI PCB autorouters in 2026 are Quilter (physics-driven, cloud) and DeepPCB (InstaDeep, cloud, reinforcement-learning-based). Both place and route an existing board and export back to tools like KiCad or Altium. Neither creates the schematic — that is upstream. ProtoFlow handles AI schematic capture for free and exports a clean KiCad board you can hand to either router.
Primary keyword: ai pcb autorouter · Last reviewed: 2026-06-06 · By ProtoFlow Engineering Team
| Tool | Approach | Deployment | Pricing | Imports from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quilter | Physics-driven AI place + route | Cloud | Free tier, then paid | Altium, Cadence, Siemens, KiCad |
| DeepPCB | Reinforcement-learning routing (InstaDeep) | Cloud | Free tier, pay-as-you-go | KiCad, Altium, EAGLE, and more |
| ProtoFlow (upstream) | AI schematic capture (not routing) | Desktop | Free | Plain-English prompt → KiCad export |
An AI autorouter takes a board that already has components placed (or places them too) and draws the copper — traces, vias, and pours — while honoring design rules. It does not invent your circuit; it implements the connectivity your schematic already defines, optimizing for things like trace length, layer usage, and rule compliance.
That is why routing is downstream of capture: the router needs a netlist and a board to work on. Give it a messy or wrong schematic and it will faithfully route the wrong thing.
Quilter uses physics-driven AI to place and route designs in the cloud, and is built to work alongside files from Altium, Cadence, Siemens, and KiCad. It offers a free tier so you can evaluate it on a real board before paying for scale.
DeepPCB, from InstaDeep, is a cloud-native AI router that uses reinforcement learning to place and route boards, with a free tier and pay-as-you-go pricing for larger work. It imports designs from major EDA tools, so it slots into existing flows.
Both routers assume you already have a design. The slow, error-prone part for many people is creating that schematic in the first place. ProtoFlow handles exactly that with AI: describe the circuit in plain English, import real parts, validate with DRC/ERC, and export a clean KiCad board — then route it with Quilter or DeepPCB. Capture and routing are complementary, not competing.
| Criteria | ProtoFlow EDA | AI autorouters (Quilter/DeepPCB) |
|---|---|---|
| Stage | Schematic capture (upstream). | Placement + routing (downstream). |
| Input | Plain-English prompt or blank schematic. | A finished board/netlist. |
| Output | Validated schematic + KiCad board. | Routed board ready for verification. |
| Deployment | Desktop, local files. | Cloud. |
| Together | Create the board. | Route the board ProtoFlow created. |
Reviewed on: 2026-06-06
Quilter and DeepPCB are the two leaders in 2026. Quilter is physics-driven; DeepPCB (InstaDeep) uses reinforcement learning. Both are cloud-based with free tiers, so the best pick depends on your board and budget — try both.
No. ProtoFlow is AI schematic capture, not routing. It creates and validates the schematic, then exports a KiCad board you can route with Quilter, DeepPCB, or manually in KiCad.
No. Autorouters implement the connectivity a schematic defines, so you need a captured design first. Create it with ProtoFlow (AI) or any EDA tool, then route.
ProtoFlow vs Quilter: Schematic Capture vs Autonomous Routing
Quilter is an autonomous AI router; ProtoFlow is the free AI schematic-capture step before it. Source-checked comparison of where each fits.
ProtoFlow vs DeepPCB: Create the Circuit, Then Route It
DeepPCB (InstaDeep) is a cloud AI router; ProtoFlow is the free desktop tool for the schematic step before routing. Source-checked comparison.
The Best AI PCB Design Software in 2026
A source-checked roundup of the best AI PCB design software in 2026 — AI schematic capture (ProtoFlow), autonomous routing (Quilter, DeepPCB), cloud ECAD (Flux), and enterprise (Cadence, Altium).
Evaluate the workflow directly with your own circuit scope and compare review-ready output speed.
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