# Flux vs Claude Code: Claude Code is a coding agent. Flux is a team of AI hardware engineers. Compare Flux and Claude Code for hardware design. Claude Code is a general AI coding agent. Flux is an AI hardware engineer with its own schematic, board, CAD, parts, simulation, and manufacturing tools. To design boards or mechanical parts with Claude Code, your engineers must connect it to outside tools, write the scripts, and buy a license for each tool. Each engineer runs their own agent, and the team shares the work through git. In Flux, the hardware tools are built in, and your engineers and the AI engineers work in one live project. [Start Free Trial](https://www.flux.ai/signup) [Book a Demo](https://www.flux.ai/p/demo) ![Flux editor: the AI engineer plans and delegates tasks while the 3D view shows the complete device: enclosure, circuit board, and wiring](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-hero-device.webp) ## What Flux and Claude Code are ### What Flux is Flux is your team's autonomous hardware engineer. Give it a requirement. It plans the design, picks the parts, draws the schematic, routes the board, designs the mechanical parts, and writes the firmware. It checks its own work in simulation and design rule checks, and hands your engineers files ready to manufacture. ### What Claude Code is Claude Code is the coding agent from Anthropic. You give it a bug fix, a test, or a multi-day migration. You steer and review the work from your terminal, your code editor, Slack, or the web.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) Claude Code is included in the Claude Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans.[\[2\]](#compare-source-2) ## What Claude Code does well ### Code onboarding Claude Code maps and explains a whole codebase. It finds the project structure and dependencies itself.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) ### Issues to pull requests Claude Code reads issues, writes code, runs tests, and opens pull requests. It works with GitHub, GitLab, and your command line tools.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) ### Long refactors and migrations Claude Code follows imports across the repository, runs your tests, and keeps going when something breaks.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) ## Same models. Plus everything hardware needs. Claude Code can write scripts for hardware work. You then choose the outside tools, write the code that connects them, check the results, and keep it all working. This takes time and expertise, and every script is one more thing that can break. Each outside tool also needs its own license or account. For example, to connect to Fusion 360, you need a Fusion 360 license. Flux runs the same frontier models inside a complete hardware environment: a CAD and EDA editor, inspection tools, 734,000+ public parts with live distributor data, simulation, design rule checks, import of common CAD and EDA formats, manufacturing files, and one live project for the whole team. All of it is built in, tested, included in your Flux plan, and ready on the first prompt. Claude Code runs Claude models. Flux is model agnostic, so you are not locked to one model provider. Flux runs in your web browser. There is nothing to install, and your projects live in the cloud. ![Close-up of a red guitar pedal board in its enclosure](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/compare-photo-1009080.webp) Real boards and enclosures made with Flux. Flux compared with Claude Code | Feature | Flux | Claude Code | | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | AI hardware engineer with its own design tools | General AI coding agent[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Where it runs | In your web browser. Nothing to install. Your projects live in the cloud. | Your terminal, code editor, the Claude desktop app, Slack, or the web[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | AI models | Frontier models from several providers, including Claude and OpenAI models | Claude models[\[2\]](#compare-source-2) | | Schematic and parts | Built in. Picks from 734,000+ public parts. | Not built in. You connect outside tools and part data with scripts.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Board layout and routing | Built in | Not built in. You connect an outside board tool with scripts.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Mechanical CAD | Built in, kernel agnostic. From an enclosure to a complete robot arm. | Not built in. You connect an outside CAD kernel with scripts.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Firmware | Writes firmware for the board it designed | Writes code, including firmware[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Simulation and design rule checks | SPICE, electromagnetic, thermal, and mechanical simulation, plus design rule checks | Not built in. You connect outside simulators with scripts.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Manufacturing files | Gerber, ODB++, IPC-2581, bill of materials, pick-and-place, and more | Not built in. Your scripts or outside tools write the files.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Tool licenses | Included in your Flux plan: the editor, mechanical CAD, parts data, simulation, and manufacturing files. Nothing else to buy. | Each outside tool needs its own license or account, for example a Fusion 360 license[\[6\]](#compare-source-6) | | Team knowledge and rules | Written once for the whole organization. Every AI engineer applies it on every project, and Flux checks every design against your rules. | CLAUDE.md files in each code repository, shared through version control[\[3\]](#compare-source-3) | | Parallel work | A lead AI engineer splits a product into workstreams across projects, runs them at the same time, and reports back. Large changes wait for your approval. | Subagents and agent teams for code tasks[\[4\]](#compare-source-4) | | Who reviews the work | The whole team, in one live project in the browser: electrical, layout, mechanical, and firmware engineers | Developers review the code changes[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | Orchestration ## One request. A whole team of AI engineers. Hand Flux a complete product. The lead AI engineer splits it into workstreams, starts parallel threads across projects, manages them, and reports back. ### Parallel threads Each workstream runs in its own agent thread. The main board, the daughterboards, and the enclosure come together at the same time. ### Across projects The lead engineer starts work in other projects and tracks it all from one place. ### Managed for you It monitors every thread, steers work that goes off the brief, and collects the results. ### You stay in control Changes that move an interface or resize a board wait for your approval. Example ### A product with three daughterboards Flux writes a brief for each board with its outline, mounting holes, connectors, and the enclosure openings they line up with. Each board gets its own project and its own AI engineer, and all three are designed in parallel. Flux then places the finished boards in the main assembly and measures clearances and connector alignment in millimeters. Built for teams ## Your hardware team's favorite teammate. Flux runs in the browser, so everyone works in the same live project: engineers, reviewers, and AI agents side by side. No local CAD installation required. - ### Shared projects Every design, revision, and comment lives in one cloud workspace your whole team can open. - ### Shared engineering context Libraries, design rules, and past decisions stay with the team, so the AI starts every job informed. - ### AI agents across teams Kick off agents, review their work, and pick up where a teammate left off. - ### Nothing to install Open a link and start working. No licenses to manage, no workstations to provision. - ### Talk to it Speak to your AI engineer instead of typing, on your computer or your phone. ![Engineer holding a finished board in its enclosure, designed with Flux](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/engineer-card-3.webp) Customizable ## Learns your team's rules and follows them on every project. Every team builds hardware its own way. Teach Flux your standards, connect it to your tools, and let it build the small apps each project needs. ### Team knowledge Onboard Flux like a new engineer. Write your design guidelines, preferred parts, and lessons learned once, and every AI engineer in your organization applies them on every project. ### Your rules Define your layout rules and manufacturer capabilities once. Flux checks every design against them, every time. ### Your tools, connected Connect any MCP server, or give Flux a key to any web API. Push firmware to your repository, read crash reports from devices in the field, or use the tools your team built itself. ### Keys stay secret Admins add API keys once for the whole organization. The AI engineer uses them but never sees them. Flux adds each key only to requests sent to the services you allow. ### Interactive pages Ask for a one-off tool, and Flux builds it as a live page in the project: a power budget calculator that updates as parts change, a bring-up checklist that tracks progress, or a test report with charts. ### Flux in your AI tools Use Flux from Claude Code, Cursor, or any agent that supports MCP. Your agents can read and edit Flux projects and hand design jobs to the Flux AI engineer. Connects to the services your team already uses. - ![Onshape](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/onshape.svg) Onshape - ![Autodesk Fusion](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/autodesk-mark.svg) Autodesk Fusion - ![PTC Windchill](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/ptc.svg) PTC Windchill - ![Siemens Teamcenter](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/siemens.svg) Siemens Teamcenter - ![Arena PLM](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/arena.svg) Arena PLM - ![OpenBOM](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/openbom.svg) OpenBOM - ![Duro](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/duro.png) Duro - ![GitHub](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/github.svg) GitHub - ![GitLab](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/gitlab.svg) GitLab - ![Memfault](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/memfault-wordmark.svg) Memfault - ![Golioth](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/golioth.svg) Golioth - ![Particle](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/particle.svg) Particle - ![Nordic nRF Cloud](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/nordicsemiconductor.svg) Nordic nRF Cloud - ![Edge Impulse](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/edgeimpulse.svg) Edge Impulse - ![NI SystemLink](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/ni.svg) NI SystemLink - ![SimScale](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/simscale.svg) SimScale - ![Octopart](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/octopart.png) Octopart - ![SiliconExpert](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/siliconexpert.svg) SiliconExpert ## Delegate the hardware, not only the code ### Delegate the work Give Flux a requirement. The agent plans and does the design work on its own, in the cloud. The work continues when your laptop is closed, and your engineers review the result. ### Its own engineering computer Every AI engineer works on its own cloud computer, with a desktop and a browser. It runs engineering tools, reads PDFs and spreadsheets, and writes its own scripts to check its work. ### Ready on the first prompt A coding agent can write its own scripts for schematics, simulation, and factory files. You then test and maintain them, and buy a license for each tool that they connect to. Flux has a CAD and EDA editor, inspection tools, simulation, imports, and manufacturing files built in, tested, and included in your plan. The agent goes straight to the design work. ### Data that a script cannot write An agent can write a simulator wrapper in an afternoon. It cannot write a library of 734,000+ public parts or live distributor data. Flux checks every part against its datasheet and live distributor data, and gets quotes from fabricators. ### A mistake costs a new board In software, you fix a bug and deploy again. In hardware, a wrong footprint or a missed check costs a new board order and weeks of waiting. Flux checks the design with simulation and design rules before your engineers review it. ### Product videos Makes videos of the product it designed, for design reviews, customer updates, and launch pages. ## Flux is model agnostic You do not have to choose between Claude Code and Flux. Flux is model agnostic. It runs frontier models from several providers, including Claude models from Anthropic. Adaptive model selection gives each task to the model that does it best for the price. Frontier performance at 30% lower cost. - OpenAI - Anthropic - More as they ship ![A board in a green 3D-printed enclosure on an electronics bench](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/compare-photo-1008387.webp) Real boards and enclosures made with Flux. ### Every frontier model, one platform Work with the frontier models your team already trusts, inside Flux. ### Engineering superpowers built in Every model gets Flux's specialized engineering tools, project context, and workflows. ### Upgrade without migrating When a better model ships, your team gets it without switching engineering platforms. ### No single-vendor lock-in Avoid depending on any one model provider for your engineering capacity. ### The right model for every step Adaptive matches each engineering step to the model that does it best, from deep design decisions to routine checks. ## One AI engineer for every part of the product. 1. ![USB-C power input schematic in Flux](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-usbc-power-schematic.webp) ### Schematic Flux picks parts from 734,000+ public parts in the Flux library and draws the schematic. 2. ![Routed board layout of the ESP32 x86 PC in Flux](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-x86-layout.webp) ### Board Flux places the parts, routes the board, and designs the wiring harnesses between the boards. 3. ![Boards, enclosure, and mounts in one model](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-device-cutaway.webp) ### Mechanical Flux designs the parts and assemblies around the board, from an enclosure to a complete robot arm. 4. ![STM32 current-loop firmware that Flux wrote and compiled, in a syntax-highlighted code block](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-stm32-current-loop-firmware.webp) ### Firmware Flux writes the firmware for the board it designed. ![Boards and 3D-printed enclosures made with Flux on a workbench](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/compare-photo-1008550.webp) Real boards and enclosures made with Flux. Verification lab ## Simulates and checks its own work before you build. Flux doesn't stop at generating designs. The AI engineer simulates and checks its own work with professional-grade solvers, and it shows you the results. ### Circuit simulation SPICE simulation of analog, power, and mixed-signal circuits, run and read by the AI engineer. ### Electromagnetic simulation Full-wave simulation of the routed board: impedance, S-parameters, crosstalk, and antennas. ### Thermal simulation Heat and airflow simulation of boards and enclosures before you build them. ### Fluid simulation Airflow and cooling through the enclosure, so vents, fans, and heat sinks work before the first prototype. ### Mechanical simulation Finite-element stress analysis of brackets, enclosures, and mounts. ### Design rule checks Electrical and manufacturing rule checks on every schematic and board. ### Datasheet checks Reads the datasheet of every part and checks the design against its pinouts, ratings, and limits. ![SPICE load step of a 3.3 V buck converter](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/verification-lab-spice-load-step.webp) SPICE load step of a 3.3 V buck converter ![Thermal map of top and bottom copper](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/verification-lab-copper-thermal.webp) Thermal map of top and bottom copper ![Stress analysis of an aluminum bracket](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/verification-lab-bracket-stress.webp) Stress analysis of an aluminum bracket ![S-parameters of a USB data line, simulated on the routed board](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/verification-lab-usb-line-s-parameters.webp) S-parameters of a USB data line, simulated on the routed board Sourcing ## Picks parts you can buy today, at today's prices. Flux connects directly to major electronics and mechanical parts distributors. The AI engineer picks chips, connectors, screws, and standoffs that are in stock, compares prices across distributors, and replaces parts that are at end of life before the product goes to production. - ![Digi-Key](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/digikey.svg) Digi-Key - ![LCSC](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/lcsc.svg) LCSC - ![Mouser](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/mouser.svg) Mouser - ![Arrow](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/arrow.svg) Arrow - ![Verical](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/verical.svg) Verical - ![TME](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/tme-wordmark.svg) TME - ![HQonline](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/hqonline.svg) HQonline - ![McMaster-Carr](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/mcmaster.svg) McMaster-Carr - ![MISUMI](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/misumi-wordmark.webp) MISUMI - ![JLCMC](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/jlcmc.svg) JLCMC Manufacturing ## Gets quotes from your fabricators as the design changes. Flux gets quotes directly from the fabricators for circuit boards and assembly, 3D printing in plastic and metal, CNC machining, sheet metal, laser cutting, injection molding, and casting. The AI engineer compares price and lead time, checks the design against each fabricator's rules, and keeps the quote current as the design changes. ### Circuit boards and assembly - ![JLCPCB](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/jlcpcb.webp) JLCPCB - ![PCBWay](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/pcbway.svg) PCBWay - ![OSH Park](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/oshpark.webp) OSH Park - ![AISLER](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/aisler.webp) AISLER ### Mechanical parts - ![Craftcloud](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/craftcloud.svg) Craftcloud - ![JLC 3D printing](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/jlcpcb.webp) JLC 3D printing - ![PCBWay 3D printing](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/pcbway.svg) PCBWay 3D printing - ![Shapeways](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/shapeways.svg) Shapeways - ![OSH Cut](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/oshcut.svg) OSH Cut - ![SendCutSend](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/sendcutsend.svg) SendCutSend ## Use Claude Code and Flux together You do not have to choose. Claude Code connects to MCP servers, and Flux has one. Claude Code can read and edit Flux projects and hand design jobs to the Flux AI engineer. Your developers keep Claude Code for the software, and the hardware work goes to Flux.[\[5\]](#compare-source-5) ## Your designs stay yours. - SOC 2-aligned cloud infrastructure - Single sign-on (SSO) - Project-level permissions - Inputs and outputs are always your IP - No training on customer data ## Flux pricing - ### Explore $40/mo billed annually ($50 monthly) - ### Build $80/mo billed annually ($100 monthly) - ### Pro $200/mo billed annually ($250 monthly) - ### Teams $4,900/yr for 5 seats, billed annually ($500 monthly for 5 seats) Explore, Build, and Pro start with a 14-day free trial. Cancel anytime. [See all plans](https://www.flux.ai/p/pricing) ## When to use which Use Claude Code for software work in your code repositories. Use Flux when the result must be a board, mechanical parts, and firmware that are ready to manufacture. ## Questions ### Can Flux use Claude models? Yes. Flux runs frontier models from several providers, including Claude models from Anthropic. Adaptive model selection gives each task to the model that does it best for the price. ### Can Claude Code design a circuit board? Yes, with time and expertise. You choose outside tools, buy a license for each of them, write the scripts that connect them, check the results, and keep the scripts working. Flux has these tools built in, tested, and included in your plan: a schematic and board editor, mechanical CAD, 734,000+ public parts, simulation, design rule checks, and manufacturing files. ### Can I use Claude Code and Flux together? Yes. Claude Code connects to the Flux MCP server. It can read and edit Flux projects and hand design jobs to the Flux AI engineer. Flux can also run Claude models inside it. ### Am I locked to one model provider in Flux? No. Flux is model agnostic. It runs frontier models from several providers, and adaptive model selection gives each task to the model that does it best for the price. ### Do I need to install anything? No. Flux runs in your web browser. New features and new AI models arrive in the product, so there is nothing to upgrade. ### Can my team work on the same project? Yes. Share a project with a link. Several people can edit it at the same time. Single sign-on and project-level permissions control who sees what. ### Does Flux train on my designs? No. Flux does not train on customer data. Inputs and outputs are always your IP. ![](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/compare-photo-1008291.webp) ## Give Flux your next requirement. Start with a free trial, or book a demo with our team. [Start Free Trial](https://www.flux.ai/signup) [Book a Demo](https://www.flux.ai/p/demo) ## Sources 1. Claude Code: [https://claude.com/product/claude-code](https://claude.com/product/claude-code) 2. Claude pricing: [https://claude.com/pricing](https://claude.com/pricing) 3. Claude Code memory: [https://code.claude.com/docs/en/memory](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/memory) 4. Claude Code subagents: [https://code.claude.com/docs/en/sub-agents](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/sub-agents) 5. Claude Code MCP: [https://code.claude.com/docs/en/mcp](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/mcp) 6. Autodesk Fusion pricing: [https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/pricing](https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/pricing)