"Free" means different things across AI PCB tools, a permanent free tier, a time-limited trial, a capped usage allowance, or fully open-source. This roundup is honest about which is which, so you know what you can actually use at no cost.
By Rishik Boddeti · Last reviewed
Founder of ProtoFlow, ECE at UT Austin
Quick answer
ProtoFlow is a capable free-entry AI PCB tool in 2026: the desktop schematic and PCB editor, auto-router, SPICE simulation, real-part import, Gerber/BOM output and KiCad export are free, and free AI includes a daily message allowance. KiCad 10 is the best free traditional EDA but has no native AI. Quilter has a free AI layout tier for personal, academic and small-team use, DeepPCB gives a one-time 30-minute free trial before pay-as-you-go, and Flux offers a 14-day free trial rather than a permanently free plan.
| Tool | Free offering | AI included? | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| ProtoFlow | Free to use (desktop) | Yes — schematic drafting + in-editor copilot | Daily AI message limits; paid plans use credits |
| KiCad 10 | Fully free / open-source | No native AI | Manual workflow; AI only via plugins/MCP |
| Quilter | Free AI-layout tier | Yes, placement + routing | Personal, academic or small-team use only; free-tier designs train Quilter's models |
| DeepPCB | 30-minute free trial, then pay-as-you-go | Yes, placement/routing | Trial is 1 board, up to 4 layers and 150 airwires; then from $30/hour |
| Flux | Free trial (14 days) | Yes, AI hardware engineer | Then a paid plan to edit private projects, export or use AI |
| EasyEDA | Free browser + desktop EDA | Limited | Tightly tied to the JLCPCB ecosystem |
Skip the comparison shopping. Try the free one first and see if it does the job.
Download for DesktopEach row links to the vendor page it came from and shows the date we last read that page. Vendors change pricing often, so check the link before you buy.
| Product | Price or limit | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| KiCad | Free, open source (GPLv3+) | kicad.org | |
| Quilter | Free tier for personal, academic and eligible small-team use (under 10 people and $50K revenue); free-tier designs are used to train its models | quilter.ai | |
| DeepPCB | One-time 30-minute free trial (1 board, up to 4 layers, 150 airwires), then prepaid pay-as-you-go credits (1 hour for $30) | deeppcb.ai | |
| Flux | 14-day free trial, then paid plans from $50/month | flux.ai | |
| Flux | A paid plan is required to edit private projects, export, or use AI after the trial | flux.ai | |
| EasyEDA | Free plan ("Free Forever"), commercial use allowed | easyeda.com |
ProtoFlow gives you AI schematic generation with a free daily message allowance, real-part import from LCSC/DigiKey/Mouser, DRC/ERC, PCB layout with an auto-router, SPICE simulation, Gerber/BOM output and KiCad export in a free desktop app. For many people searching for a "free AI PCB tool," this is a practical answer because it covers the create-the-circuit stage that other free tools skip, and then the rest of the board.
KiCad is the gold standard for free, open-source EDA and handles the full flow. It has no built-in AI, though plugins and MCP bridges are adding assistance. If you want to keep layout in KiCad, one free stack is ProtoFlow for AI drafting upstream, then KiCad; ProtoFlow can also take the board through layout itself.
Quilter has a genuinely free AI-layout tier with unlimited iterations, but it is for personal, academic and eligible small-team use (under 10 people and $50K revenue), and free-tier designs are used to train its models. DeepPCB gives a one-time 30-minute free trial (one board, up to 4 layers and 150 airwires), then pay-as-you-go credits. Both place and route an existing board rather than create the schematic.
Flux offers a 14-day free trial; after it, editing private projects, exporting and using AI need a paid plan, with ACU metering on AI features, so it is not a permanent free plan. EasyEDA is free in the browser and as a desktop app, and capable, but it is closely tied to the JLCPCB manufacturing ecosystem, which suits some workflows more than others.
If you want to spend nothing: use ProtoFlow to generate and validate the schematic, then lay out, route and export Gerbers in ProtoFlow, or export to KiCad 10 for layout, and use Quilter's free tier (if you qualify) or DeepPCB's free trial if you want to try a dedicated AI routing service. Either way covers idea-to-board without a paid plan.
| Criteria | ProtoFlow EDA | Other "free" AI PCB tools (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Free for AI schematic capture | Yes, core workflow is free. | Often trial-only or routing-only. |
| Credit / usage metering | The editor is not metered. AI has a daily message allowance on the free plan; paid plans add AI credits. | Common (ACUs, credits, pay-as-you-go). |
| Real-part import included | Yes: LCSC/DigiKey/Mouser. | Varies by tier. |
| KiCad export | Yes, ready-to-use bundle. | Varies. |
| Best free use | Create and validate the schematic, then lay out the board, at no cost. | Often best only for one stage (e.g. routing). |
Reviewed on: 2026-10-04
ProtoFlow for AI-native design from schematic through layout and manufacturing files (free desktop app, KiCad export), KiCad 10 for free traditional open-source EDA, and Quilter's free tier or DeepPCB's free trial for a dedicated AI routing service.
Yes. ProtoFlow has a free desktop editor, local files, KiCad export, and a recurring daily AI message allowance. Trials and paid plans use included credit limits, with optional top-ups.
KiCad is free and open-source but has no built-in AI. You can add AI via plugins, or pair it with ProtoFlow, which reads and writes KiCad projects.
Quilter's free tier has unlimited iterations but is limited to personal, academic and small-team use, and it trains on your designs. DeepPCB's free offer is a one-time 30-minute trial; after that it is pay-as-you-go.
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