Which PCB Design Software is More User-Friendly For Beginners?

New designers looking for PCB design software are often overwhelmed by the number of options available. There are fully featured paid platforms built for enterprise-level projects, and there are free tools largely aimed at hobbyists. The key question is not just “which tool is easiest,” but “which tool prepares me for the kind of work I want to do?” If your goal is a professional PCB design career, some tools will accelerate that path, while others will permanently limit it.

Before choosing a platform, decide whether you are designing as a hobby or building a career. The software you start with strongly influences how quickly you can transition into professional work.

What New Designers Need in Their Software

New designers are naturally drawn to free software because it carries little financial risk. It is also important that the software has strong documentation, clear tutorials, usage examples, and publicly available sample projects that demonstrate real workflows. A beginner-friendly tool should allow users to move through the complete design cycle, including schematic capture, PCB layout, design rule checking, and manufacturing outputs.

Some popular options are outlined below.

CircuitMaker

CircuitMaker is a hybrid desktop-plus-cloud PCB design tool developed by Altium. It shares a similar interface philosophy and workflow structure with Altium Designer, which is widely used in industry. Users can go through the entire design process: from schematic capture to PCB layout, 3D visualization, rules-driven routing, and generation of manufacturing outputs (Gerber and drill files).

While CircuitMaker does not include certain enterprise-level data management and automation features, it is not locked to a specific manufacturer ecosystem. Unlike EasyEDA, users are not restricted to JLCPCB and LCSC. Designs can be manufactured anywhere using standard outputs. Because the design engine runs locally on your desktop, the interface is fast and responsive, unlike browser-only platforms. At the same time, users retain cloud-based sharing and collaboration features common in modern PCB platforms.

EasyEDA

EasyEDA is a popular choice among students and new engineers primarily because it is free and easy to access in a browser. However, experienced professionals never use EasyEDA for serious hardware development. The platform lacks many fundamental capabilities that are standard in professional design environments, including advanced rule management, constraint-driven routing, and robust stackup control.

In addition, the built-in component library is tied directly to LCSC inventory. This severely limits part selection and ties users to a specific supply chain and manufacturing flow. While it may be sufficient for small hobby boards, it is not a professional design environment and does not prepare users for industry-level PCB work.

Flux.ai

Flux.ai is another cloud-based PCB design platform that has gained popularity among hobbyists and small startup teams. Its emphasis is on rapid collaboration and reuse of open-source modules.

However, Flux.ai is very slow compared to desktop-native tools and cannot handle complex, custom hardware designs. It is fundamentally built around reusing modular blocks rather than designing advanced hardware from scratch. Professional designers do not use Flux.ai for complex or high-performance boards. It lacks the routing control, stackup management, and constraint systems required in professional engineering environments.

KiCad

KiCad is widely used among hobbyists because it is free and open-source. It provides full schematic and PCB layout capability and has an active community.

However, professional PCB designers do not use KiCad for advanced commercial hardware development. While it may occasionally be used for simple, low-layer-count designs, it does not offer the advanced routing features, stackup management tools, integrated supply chain data, or enterprise workflows required for high-speed, high-density, or regulated products. Designers working on complex boards in high-paying roles require more capable platforms.

Tool Comparison Table

From CircuitMaker to Altium Designer

CircuitMaker serves as excellent preparation for Altium Designer because the workflows, interface structure, and design philosophy are closely aligned. Designers who become comfortable in CircuitMaker can transition into Altium Designer with minimal friction. In addition, Altium provides extensive documentation and publicly available learning resources, something that is often limited or paywalled in other professional PCB design software.

Professional-level capabilities available in Altium Designer include:

• Advanced interactive routing and differential pair tuning
• Full layer stack manager with impedance control
• Constraint-driven design rule system
• Integrated supply chain data and component lifecycle management
• Multi-board and system-level design
• Enterprise data management and release workflows
• Advanced 3D integration and MCAD collaboration

If you are serious about building a career in PCB design, learning a professional platform like Altium Designer dramatically expands your opportunities. It aligns with the largest number of salaried PCB design positions worldwide. It is widely used in aerospace, defense, medical, automotive, and high-speed digital design. It is also common in freelance consulting, where clients expect deliverables created in industry-standard tools.

Designers proficient in professional platforms have access to more advanced projects, more freelance opportunities, and generally higher-value work. The highest-paying roles and most technically challenging designs are consistently built using professional-grade tools.

For Students: Bypass Hobby Software, Go Directly to Altium Designer

Students with a valid educational institution email address can access a free student license of Altium Designer through education.altium.com. This allows students to begin learning on the same professional platform used in industry without purchasing a commercial license.

The Altium Education Program includes:

• Free student licenses for Altium Designer
• Access to Altium 365 cloud collaboration tools
• Structured training materials and tutorials
• Example projects for guided learning
• Exposure to real-world professional workflows
• Preparation for internships and industry positions

Students who start directly with professional software eliminate the need to relearn workflows later. Instead of transitioning from hobby tools to professional platforms after graduation, they enter the workforce already trained on industry-standard software.

If you want to advance your career as a designer, then you should start learning and using CircuitMaker and eventually transition to Altium Designer. Whether you need to build reliable power electronics or advanced digital systems, contact Altium Education or speak with an expert at Altium to get started!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the basic feature set new designers need in PCB design software?

A designer can complete a PCB and create manufacturing files as long as they have schematic capture, PCB component placement, basic trace routing, and Gerber generation features. This is the bare minimum required to create the copper traces on a PCB and these features can be found in any PCB design software application.

What features do large companies need to produce their designs?

Large companies that manufacture products at scale need visibility into the component supply chain, ability to track and release design data for production, and automation tools in the PCB layout that enable cross-disciplinary collaboration. Open-source software and free software does not include these features, which is why those applications tend to be useful only to hobbyists.

Why do cloud-based PCB platforms and open-source platforms struggle with complex designs?

These applications are purpose-built around simpler designs that are often created by hobbyists, students, and electronics enthusiasts. This creates noticeable lag during design, where the applications are unable to handle large layer counts, large part counts, and large net counts.

Does Altium offer any free PCB design options?

Yes. Altium offers CircuitMaker for schematic capture and PCB layout. CircuitMaker is a free PCB design application that provides storage space for your projects in the cloud. The cloud connection allows users to access their projects from anywhere and to share their projects with other designers. CircuitMaker is like an “Altium Designer Lite” application; it provides all the schematic capture, layout, and routing tools you would expect to see in Altium Designer but without the SI, integrations, and design management features normally needed by enterprises.

If I start using Altium Designer, can I convert my CircuitMaker projects into Altium’s format?

Yes. Altium Designer can open your CircuitMaker files directly without requiring a file conversion and cleanup. This includes schematics, PCB files, and library files with your electronic components.