Linux is the desktop where the open-source EDA tools are first-class and most commercial suites are missing entirely. This page sorts the tools by how they actually run on Linux, with the install routes each project documents, so you can skip anything that will spend its life fighting your distribution.
By Rishik Boddeti · Last reviewed
Founder of ProtoFlow, ECE at UT Austin
Quick answer
Native Linux PCB tools: KiCad (free; official Ubuntu PPA, Fedora packages and Copr, Flatpak, Debian, and an x86-64 AppImage), LibrePCB (free; AppImage, Snap, Flatpak) and Horizon EDA (free; Flathub, a Debian repository, AUR), plus ProtoFlow, a free desktop app with a Linux build. EasyEDA Pro has a Linux desktop client for x64 and arm64, and Flux runs in the browser. Altium Designer, Cadence OrCAD X and Proteus have no Linux version, Autodesk says Fusion cannot be installed on Linux, and DipTrace lists Linux support only through Wine.
| Tool | Linux support | How to install | Price model | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KiCad 10 | Native | Ubuntu PPA, Fedora and Copr, Flatpak, Debian, x86-64 AppImage | Free, open source (GPL v3) | KiCad team does not support Wayland; use X11 |
| LibrePCB 2.1 | Native (x86_64) | AppImage, tar.gz, Snap, Flatpak, AUR, NixOS | Free, GPLv3 | No online account needed |
| Horizon EDA 2.7 | Native | Flathub, AUR, Debian repository, NixOS | Free, open source | Runs on Linux and Windows only |
| ProtoFlow | Native desktop app | AppImage or tar.gz | Free plan; paid plans raise AI limits | AI schematic drafting, layout, ngspice |
| EasyEDA Pro | Desktop client and browser | Client builds for x64 and arm64 | Free | Older Std client is x64 only |
| Flux | Browser only | Nothing to install | From $50/mo billed monthly; 14-day trial | Projects live in Flux's cloud |
| Autodesk Fusion | No native app | Browser access with a commercial or education license | $680/yr or $85/mo | Autodesk: cannot be installed on Linux |
| DipTrace | Via Wine only | Windows build under Wine | Freeware (300 pins, 2 layers); perpetual $75 to $995 | Vendor-listed, not a native port |
| Altium Designer, OrCAD X, Proteus | None | Needs a Windows PC | Altium $1,990/yr; OrCAD X $1,320/yr; Proteus perpetual | Windows-only per each vendor |
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 | Open source under GNU GPL v3, no license fee | kicad.org | |
| LibrePCB | Free, GPLv3: "No costs. No restrictions. No online account." | librepcb.org | |
| Horizon EDA | Free and open source | horizon-eda.org | |
| EasyEDA Pro | Pro Edition labeled free (desktop client and online editor) | easyeda.com | |
| Flux | Explore $50/mo billed monthly; 14-day trial; private editing, export and AI need a paid plan | flux.ai | |
| Autodesk Fusion | $680/yr or $85/mo; free personal use is limited and non-commercial | autodesk.com | |
| Autodesk Fusion (browser access) | Requires a commercial or verified education entitlement | autodesk.com | |
| DipTrace Freeware | 300 pins, 2 signal layers, non-profit use | diptrace.com | |
| DipTrace | Perpetual licenses from $75 (Starter) to $995 (Full) | diptrace.com | |
| Altium Develop | $1,990/yr incl. 1 Altium Designer author | altium.com | |
| Cadence OrCAD X | Standard $1,320.00/yr, single-user license | oncloud.cadence.com | |
| Proteus | Perpetual license ("not rented") | labcenter.com |
KiCad documents a different install route per distribution. On Ubuntu it recommends its own PPA (ppa:kicad/kicad-10.0-releases) over the Ubuntu repository, which it says is usually outdated. On Fedora you can install from the distribution or from KiCad's Copr repositories for stable, testing and nightly builds. For other distributions KiCad officially supports Flatpak and recommends it when your package manager lacks a current build. Debian Trixie carries it, with backports for newer versions, and there is a full or lite (no 3D packages) AppImage for x86-64. Arch, Gentoo, openSUSE and FreeBSD packages exist but are community-supported.
The window system matters. The KiCad team does not support running on Wayland, and says bug reports about freezes, crashes, window size and position, focus, input devices or the clipboard will only be investigated if they reproduce on X11. Its officially supported window managers are Metacity, Mutter and Xfwm. Linux Mint can use the Ubuntu PPAs but is not a supported platform, and KiCad names Cinnamon as having UI bugs that affect it.
One more team-level detail: each yearly major release usually changes the file format, and KiCad warns that once you modify a project in a newer major version, the previous major version can no longer open it. On a team with mixed distributions, pin the major version.
LibrePCB 2.1.1 ships for Linux as an AppImage (you set the executable flag first), a portable tar.gz, a Snap, a Flatpak, AUR packages and a NixOS package, all for x86_64; the download page lists no arm64 Linux build. It is GPLv3, and the project describes it as having no costs, no restrictions and no online account. It also connects to an integrated PCB fabrication service for ordering boards.
Horizon EDA describes itself as free and open source and as running on Linux and Windows. Its documentation lists the stable release on Flathub, an AUR package for Arch, Debian builds on the Selfnet mirror (installed as horizon-eda-upstream), plus NixOS and FreeBSD packages. The latest release on its GitHub page is 2.7.2, from December 2025.
EasyEDA's download page is explicit about ARM Linux. The Pro edition (v3.2.206) is offered for Linux on x64 and on arm64, naming Phytium and Kunpeng processors, while the older Std client ships for x64 only. On an ARM workstation that makes EasyEDA Pro one of the few installable options with a stated arm64 build. The page labels Pro free, and both editions also open in a browser tab.
With Flux the packaging question disappears: it is a web app, so there is no AppImage, no Flatpak and no window-manager caveat. What you give up is local project files and a lasting free tier. Flux bills from $50 a month on monthly terms after a 14-day trial, and once the trial ends, private editing, export and AI need a paid plan.
Autodesk Fusion is the trap here. Autodesk says Fusion cannot be directly installed on Linux and is available only for Windows and macOS. Browser access to Fusion exists, but Autodesk's requirements say it needs a commercial or verified education entitlement, so the free personal-use license does not get you Fusion on a Linux desktop.
Altium Designer, Cadence OrCAD X and Labcenter Proteus publish no Linux builds. Each vendor lists Windows only, and Altium adds that running Altium Designer on virtual machines and emulators is not supported. On a Linux workstation, the vendor-supported answer for any of the three is a separate Windows machine.
DipTrace is the one commercial tool here whose download page names Linux, and it does so as "Linux (Wine)". That is the vendor telling you its Windows build runs under Wine, not that a native Linux port exists. Its freeware edition is capped at 300 pins and 2 signal layers for non-profit use, and its perpetual paid editions run from $75 to $995.
Simulation has a similar gap: Analog Devices lists LTspice downloads for macOS, Windows x64 and Windows ARM64, with no Linux build. KiCad's built-in ngspice covers operating point, DC transfer, AC and transient analysis natively.
ProtoFlow ships a Linux desktop build, offered as an AppImage or a tar.gz on its download page, with the same features as on Windows and macOS. It drafts a schematic from a plain-language prompt with real LCSC, DigiKey and Mouser parts, generates missing symbols and footprints from a datasheet, and takes the board through ERC, layout with an auto-router, copper pours, DRC, ngspice simulation and Gerber X2, Excellon, BOM and placement output. It reads and writes KiCad projects, and its Git integration with visual diffs, CLI and MCP support suit a terminal-heavy Linux setup.
If your requirement is software you can build from source, KiCad, LibrePCB and Horizon EDA are all open source.
| Criteria | ProtoFlow | Other Linux options |
|---|---|---|
| Native Linux build | Yes, AppImage or tar.gz. | KiCad, LibrePCB, Horizon EDA, EasyEDA Pro client. |
| Install route | Download from protoflow.ai. | KiCad: PPA, Fedora, Flatpak, Debian or AppImage. |
| Cost to start | Free plan with the full editor and AI. | KiCad, LibrePCB, Horizon EDA and EasyEDA Pro are free. |
| AI schematic drafting | Built in. | Flux in the browser on paid plans; none in KiCad. |
| SPICE simulation | ngspice built in. | KiCad bundles ngspice; LTspice lists no Linux build. |
| Files from Windows-only suites | Imports Altium projects. | KiCad imports Altium; Altium, OrCAD X and Proteus need Windows. |
Reviewed on: 2026-10-14
KiCad, LibrePCB and Horizon EDA are free, open source and packaged for Linux. EasyEDA Pro has a free Linux desktop client for x64 and arm64, and ProtoFlow has a free plan with a Linux desktop build.
KiCad recommends its PPA over the Ubuntu repository: run sudo add-apt-repository ppa:kicad/kicad-10.0-releases, then sudo apt update and sudo apt install kicad. On distributions other than Ubuntu and Fedora, KiCad recommends Flatpak if your package manager does not carry a current build.
The KiCad team does not support Wayland. It investigates bug reports about freezes, crashes, window placement, focus, input and the clipboard only if they reproduce on X11, so switch to an X11 session if you hit those problems.
Altium publishes no Linux version and says running Altium Designer on virtual machines and emulators is not supported. Use a Windows PC, or import the Altium project into KiCad or ProtoFlow, both of which read Altium files.
Autodesk says Fusion cannot be directly installed on Linux and is only available on Windows and macOS. Browser access exists, but Autodesk requires a commercial or verified education entitlement for it.
Yes. The EasyEDA Pro desktop client (v3.2.206) is offered for Linux on x64 and arm64, and both EasyEDA editions also run in the browser. The download page labels the Pro edition free.
DipTrace lists Linux support through Wine, which means its Windows build runs under the Wine compatibility layer rather than as a native Linux app. The freeware edition is limited to 300 pins and 2 signal layers.
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