The top EDA tools for circuit and PCB design in 2023

Electronics manufacturing is possible thanks to electronic design automation (EDA) software. EDA has computerized and automated several processes in product design and production. While some tools focus on circuit design and simulation, others target design analysis, verification, and manufacturing preparations.

Each tool provides a unique package optimized for electrical and electronics engineers. Although no tool is perfect, several offer outstanding features and capabilities.

Mastering one or more EDA system is a must for any aspiring engineer. Theory in an electrical and electronics course would only be complete with practice on one of the below-mentioned EDA tools. So, let’s get started.

KiCAD is an ideal EDA tool for PCB design and circuit simulation. It’s open-source software, available for free (including its code). It offers a broad set of features typically only available in proprietary tools. This includes a 3D viewer that allows PCB board designers to inspect layouts in an interactive canvas, a Gerber file generator, artworks, an extensive library, and a bill-of-materials generation system. A significant advantage is there is no restriction in terms of size or layers.

KiCAD also offers an excellent integrated environment with several valuable tools and features. The schematic entry and PCB layout design are intuitive and easy to use.

Written in C++, KiDAD is one of the fastest PCB design software systems, with new features and add-ons available. KiCAD is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It has five main sub-modules: KiCAD (for project management), Eeschema (schematic capture and editor), PCBNew (PCB layout with 3D Viewer), GerbView (Gerber file viewer), and Bitmap2Component (image to PCB footprint converter).

PCBNew is faster and more efficient, packed with interactive routing features like auto-routing, push-and-shove routing, obstacle avoidance, etc. Eeschema is integrated with ngspice, allowing a full range of SPICE products simulation. The module provides a hierarchical display of multi-sheet schematics, supporting multiple formats, including PDF, HPGL, SVG, and PostScript. Gerbview supports modern canvases like Cairo and OpenGL. The user interface is simple and customizable, with shortcuts and hotkeys enabling a user-friendly PCB design.

Although KiCAD is an advanced software, it’s one of the best EDA tools for students and hobbyists.

Autodesk EAGLE is a low-cost PCB design software for beginners. EAGLE stands for Easily Applicable Graphical Layout Editor. Its Fusion 360 software from Autodesk adds several electrical-mechanical features for in-depth analysis and verification of designs. The tool has a multi-window GUI with several useful automation features like auto-routing, task scripting, design check, electrical rule checking, etc.

The software includes comprehensive design and electrical rule-checking abilities, enabling high-quality control and design validation. This means it’s possible to design HDI structures with EAGLE. It has several useful features in high-density PCB design and advanced BGA routing. With dynamic design synchronization, both layout and schematics can be edited simultaneously.

An advantage of EAGLE is its modular design blocks. Part of the designs, including shapes and patterns, can be saved and re-used in different projects.

The software’s new routing engine is also equipped with an obstacle avoidance routing (OAR) system that allows for the design of alternative paths around obstacles.

The free software can be tested for a limited time (12 months). The free version has limitations like two signal layers, an 80 cm2 board area, and two schematic sheets. Though EAGLE is most suitable for intermediate to advanced users, beginners can learn PCB design on EAGLE with some hard work. There are a large number of online tutorials and forums. Plus, the software enjoys universal adoption by PCB manufacturers. It’s possible to skip through the Gerber output and directly submit Eagle .brd files to any PCB manufacturer.

Pulsonix is an advanced PCB design tool from WestDev, a UK-based company. The software is available for the Windows platform only. Known for its intuitive interface, it has several advanced PCB design features like flexi-rigid design, chip-on-board, embeddable components on PCB layers, definable snapping tolerance for accurate placement of components, advanced selection mask browser, and dynamic copper pour to heal damaged copper areas automatically.

It includes several PCB documentation features, including a BOM generation system, PCB acceptance report, pick-and-place, and netlists. The routing engine supports differential pairs, gate-swapping, pin-swapping, push-and-shove, and multi-trace routing.

This is a high-end PCB design software for industrial use. Beginners can try its free or less intense versions to get acquainted with commercial PCB design. A free version of the software is available with a 100-pin component limit. It’s also available in three different versions with 1,000 pins to unlimited pins components.

Altium Designer is an industry-standard PCB design and layout software. It is simple yet high performing with a customizable user interface. It supports a hierarchical schematic display, allowing multiple sheets to stack in a workable and manageable manner.

Large projects involving multiple team members can be easily managed because it offers Cloud-based remote work. Team members can work and share updates that are reflected in real-time. With automatic and manual routing options, the software supports obstacle avoidance routing, hug-and-push, push-and-shove, and multi-trace routing.

Other useful tools include a BOM generation system, ECAD-MCAD support, supply-chain management, an extensive library with 400K plus components, and many PCB documentation features.

Altium is suitable for all users. The PCB and electronics industry widely use it. Beginners can try its evaluation model, available for a 15-day trial. Students can also access the academic trial version for six months.

Altium Designer is a costly option for beginners. It has evaluation versions available, but for a limited time.
Fortunately, beginners and electronics hobbyists can consider Altium CircuitMaker instead, which is open-source and free for commercial and non-commercial applications. Written in C++ and Delphi, the software has full PCB design functionalities without limitations on the dimensions of the PCB board. It also offers a Cloud-based remote work option.

Users can work up to 16 signal and 16 plane layers. The component library comprises hundreds of parts suppliers and design parameters can sort. The PCB layout offers a 3D view, and the routing engine has interactive routing features like hug-and-push, push-and-shove, auto-routing, obstacle avoidance, etc.

The auto-router means users can work around BGA routing, SMT fanout, hug-and-optimization, parallel memory, and other layout tasks. The tool supports multi-sheet interfaces with several customizable options. The design validation can be done using multiple formats with the DRC and DFM options. The schematics can be imported from platforms like EAGLE, ORCAD, PADS, etc.

The CircuitMaker is ideal for students and hobbyists who’ve already used the evaluation version of Altium Designer or cannot afford the paid version of Altium Designer. CircuitMaker provides similar PCB design features for free. The only restriction is that the layouts cannot be saved offline, and two projects are limited at once.

CircuitStudio is a low-cost alternative to Altium CircuitMaker. The software is available for a lifetime license ($695), and an evaluation version is free to regular users for 30 days and students for six months. Though inferior in features and performance compared to Altium Designer, CircuitStudio has a similar user interface that allows for an easier transition between the two systems.

CircuitStudio’s library includes more than 350,000 parts that suppliers and design parameters can sort. The software comes with the SPICE-integrated simulation package, enabling easy and efficient circuit testing and validation. The schematic capture can be done with various file formats and a 3D viewer to inspect the layout.

This tool offers smart auto-routing features like differential pairs, obstacle avoidance, topological routing, shape-based interactive routing, etc. The electrical and design rule-checking modules are also fast and efficient. The lack of support for the FPGA, Core, and Script project files is a drawback.

CircuitStudio is an affordable PCB design software for academic and training purposes but not for industrial use.

Cadence OrCAD PCB Designer has been a reliable PCB platform for decades with global acceptance among PCB manufacturers that’s suitable for large PCB designs. It can be gradually upgraded according to a user’s requirements, with a free evaluation and OrCAD lite student version available for free.

The software includes all the essential features required for PCB design tasks, including rigid-flex design, mixed signals simulation, auto-routing, signal integrity checking, constraint management for design validation and verification, and high-speed design elements for memory boards.

OrCAD supports hierarchical schematics via an intuitive navigation panel. There are no restrictions on the number of layers or the board size. Plus, the software comes with MATLAB support, enabling MATLAB projects. It includes tools for BGA fanout routing, HDI structures, layout, and automation features.

Cadence Allegro PCB Designer is a professional PCB designing software with TCL-1 certification that applies to automotive technology. An evaluation version is available for free for 30 days.

Allegro offers several default PCB documentation tools and supports high-speed design features and DFM rule-checking for validation. Additionally, it has several unique add-ons. The tool has an extensive library, including ECAD and MCAD components. Custom 3D packages (including 3D models and 2D footprint drawings) can be created using templates and stored in the library for future use. It also offers several miniaturization features, FPGA programming, and support for HDI structures.

As an advanced and professional PCB designing tool, Cadence Allegro is an ideal tool for PCB manufacturers and professional engineers. It has a steep learning curve, so beginners or novice users might find it challenging to start with.

Easy EDA is an online PCB design platform that requires no installation or offline setup. The online workstation has everything a paid PCB design tool offers, providing instant schematic capture from various file formats, layout design, circuit routing, auto-routing, library creation and management, and Cloud-based team collaboration and project management.

The component library includes more than a million parts, and it’s possible to import images and convert them into shapes.

The online tool has an interactive, highly productive user interface. It’s possible to perform constraint-based auto-routing and ngspice-based simulations. The online software also provides a 3D viewer for inspecting the layout.

Easy EDA is free and great for beginners and novice users, but the tool is not intended for industrial use.

DipTrace PCB Designer is for those looking to create schematic diagrams and PCB layouts solely. The software has four sub-modules: Schematic Capture Editor, Component Editor, Pattern Editor, and PCB Layout Editor.

The latest version includes Gerber X2 file support, shape-based auto-routing, ODB++ version 7.0, design rule-check with constraint management, phase tuning tool, high-speed design features for RAM and USB devices, and differential pair constraint management.

The software supports multi-sheet and multi-layer schematics with a hierarchical interface. The component editor lets users create multiple components from a single template with features to edit and manage the details. The pattern editor lets users design patterns with various shapes and polygons in compliance with the IPC-7351 standard.

However, one drawback is the lack of tools for supply-chain management and production.

The software is ideal for learning but unintended for industrial use.

Proteus PCB Design Suite from LabCenter Electronics is a popular PCB design and layout tool available for Windows. Different software versions are available with a starter kit up to a Platinum edition. Users can choose the version that suits their budget and requirements.

The starter kit alone provides a minimum 16-signal layer, allowing for the placement of components at any angle. Packed with constraint-driven layout validation, the DRC can be performed for straight and curved paths.

The software includes the necessary tools for schematics and PCB layouts. The advanced versions offer tools for supply-chain management and production. Some of the salient features of the package include a shape-based auto-router, intelligent manual routing, support for power planes, mixed signal circuit simulation with SPICE, reusable templates, and an extensive library in compliance with IPC-7351 and IPC-782 standards.

A significant limitation of the tool is the lack of support for high-speed design features.

Proteus is an excellent PCB design tool widely used by PCB manufacturers. Beginners and electronics hobbyists can try the software with the starter kit.

SolidWorks PCB efficiently combines ECAD and MCAD, offering a highly productive tool that easily integrates electro-mechanical components with PCB layout.

A collaboration of Altium and Dassault, SolidWorks provides a schematic capture editor, layout editor, circuit simulation, DFM file generator, and several other PCB documentation tools — including a BOM generation tool. The SPICE simulation module has a simulation for analog, digital, and mixed-signal circuits.

SOLIDWORKS PCB is a professional design and layout tool with no free version. Apart from being costly, the software has a steep learning curve and is ideal for experienced, industrial users.

Conclusion
We have listed some of the best PCB design and layout tools available in 2023. They offer a range of capabilities such as circuit design, PCB layout, design and validation, documentation, supply-chain management, high-speed design, and PCB production tools. Some of these tools are free while others require a term-based or perpetual license to use them.