# Flux vs KiCad: Your KiCad boards, without the hand routing.

Compare Flux and KiCad. KiCad is open-source PCB design software that your engineers operate. Flux is an AI hardware engineer that does the design work. Bring your KiCad projects in, ask Flux to change them, and get them manufactured.

In KiCad, your engineers place and route every board by hand. In Flux, you give the requirement, and the AI engineer picks the parts, draws the schematic, and routes the board.

[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 KiCad 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 KiCad is

KiCad is an open-source software suite for electronic design automation. It handles schematic capture and PCB layout, with Gerber and IPC-2581 output.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1)

KiCad runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS, and is licensed under the GNU GPL v3.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1)

## What KiCad does well

### Free and open source

KiCad is free to use, and its source code is open under the GNU GPL v3.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1)

### Interactive routing

The KiCad router has push-and-shove, walkaround, and collision highlight modes, and routes differential pairs.[\[3\]](#compare-source-3)

### Built-in SPICE simulation

KiCad integrates the open-source ngspice simulator into its schematic editor.[\[2\]](#compare-source-2)

## Where Flux is different

Flux picks parts from 734,000+ public parts with live prices and stock, draws the schematic, places the parts, and routes the board like an experienced designer. It checks the design against every datasheet, runs circuit and full-wave electromagnetic simulation, and hands you manufacturing files. All parts are in one shared library with footprints, 3D models, and datasheets, so you do not manage library files. Your engineers review and edit the result, and share the project with a link.

 ![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 KiCad
| Feature | Flux | KiCad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| What it is | AI hardware engineer with its own design tools | Open-source PCB design software[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) |
| Where it runs | In your web browser. Nothing to install. Your projects live in the cloud. | Desktop software for Windows, Linux, and macOS that you install on your computer[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) |
| Who does the design work | The Flux agent. Your engineers review and edit. | Your engineers[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) |
| Schematic and parts | Built in. Picks from 734,000+ public parts. | Built in, with symbol libraries that you manage[\[4\]](#compare-source-4) |
| Placement and routing | The AI engineer places the parts and routes the board like an experienced designer. Your engineers review and edit. | Interactive push-and-shove routing that your engineers drive[\[3\]](#compare-source-3) |
| Simulation and design rule checks | SPICE, electromagnetic, thermal, and mechanical simulation, plus design rule checks | SPICE simulation with ngspice[\[2\]](#compare-source-2) |
| Manufacturing files | Gerber, ODB++, IPC-2581, bill of materials, pick-and-place, and more | Gerber and IPC-2581 files[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) |
| And the mechanical parts too |
| Mechanical CAD | Built in, kernel agnostic. From an enclosure to a complete robot arm. | Exports a 3D model of the board as STEP for a separate mechanical CAD tool[\[3\]](#compare-source-3) |

## Board design, done by the AI engineer.

### Routes like an experienced designer

Flux places the parts and routes the board like an experienced designer, and it respects your design intent and your layout rules.

### Parts you can buy

Flux picks from 734,000+ public parts. It checks live prices and stock across distributors before it puts a part on the board.

### Your layout rules

Flux checks every board against your layout rules and the capabilities of your fabricator.

### Checks every datasheet

Flux reads the datasheet of every part and checks the design against its pinouts, ratings, and limits.

## Bring your KiCad work into Flux.

Bring your KiCad project in. Ask the agent to change it. Then get it manufactured: Flux hands you the files that your manufacturer needs.

Example request

“Replace the linear regulator with a buck converter that has parts in stock, and reroute the power traces.”

 ![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.

-   ![Altium](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/altium.svg) Altium Designer
-   ![Cadence](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/cadence.svg) OrCAD and Allegro
-   ![KiCad](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/kicad.svg) KiCad
-   ![Siemens](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/siemens.svg) PADS, Xpedition, and NX
-   ![Zuken](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/zuken.svg) CADSTAR
-   ![Autodesk](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/autodesk.svg) Eagle and Fusion
-   ![EasyEDA](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/easyeda.svg) EasyEDA
-   ![SolidWorks](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/solidworks.svg) SolidWorks
-   ![CATIA](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/catia.svg) CATIA
-   ![PTC](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/ptc.svg) Creo
-   ![Onshape](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/onshape.svg) Onshape

### Bring your existing work

Import complete projects, part libraries, and 3D models. Schematics, parts, and placement come across, and routing from most formats.

### Keep going with your AI engineer

Imported designs are ready to edit right away. Ask "move the USB cutout 3 cm left" or "make the enclosure tighter", and Flux does the work.

### Get it manufactured

Flux hands you the files that your manufacturer needs: Gerber, ODB++, IPC-2581, bill of materials, and pick-and-place for the board, and STEP, STL, or 3MF for the mechanical parts.

See all file formats

Complete projects

Altium, Cadence OrCAD and Allegro, KiCad, Siemens PADS and Xpedition, Zuken CADSTAR, Eagle, and EasyEDA. Schematics, parts, connections, board outlines, and placement come across. Routing comes across from every format except Allegro and Zuken CADSTAR.

Part libraries

Altium, KiCad, Eagle, and EasyEDA libraries become Flux parts, with symbols, footprints, and 3D models.

Mechanical files

STEP, STL, OBJ, 3MF, and glTF models, plus DXF board outlines.

Handoff to manufacturing and electronics tools

Gerber, ODB++, IPC-2581, IPC-D-356 test netlists, bill of materials, pick-and-place, EDIF netlists, GenCAD, and KiCad board files.

Handoff to mechanical design

The full board and its parts as STEP, compressed STEP, BREP, VRML, glTF, and STL models, plus DXF layer drawings. Enclosures and brackets that Flux designs export as STEP, STL, and 3MF, ready for your mechanical tools or a 3D printer.

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.

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.

### 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.

### 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.

 ![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

## Why teams move from desktop tools

### One product for the whole design

The board, the mechanical parts, and the firmware are in one project. The agent can change the board and the mechanical parts together. You do not move files between an electronics tool, a mechanical tool, and a code editor.

### Runs in your browser

There is nothing to install and no license server to manage. Flux works on any computer with a modern web browser.

### One live copy of each project

Share a project with a link. Several people can edit it at the same time. Nobody sends files by email or asks which version is the latest.

### No upgrades

New features and new AI models arrive in the product. You do not install a new version or move your projects to it.

### Parts are ready

The Flux library has 734,000+ public parts. You do not build a part library before you start.

### Your team starts in minutes

Invite people with a link. Single sign-on and project-level permissions control who sees what.

One platform

## And the mechanical parts and firmware too.

Flux is not a collection of disconnected CAD applications. It is one AI-native engineering platform where every discipline shares the same project, the same data, and the same AI engineer.

1.   ![Boards, enclosure, and mounts in one model](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-device-cutaway.webp)
    
    ### Mechanical design
    
    Parametric enclosures, brackets, and mounts, fitted to the real board's mounting holes and connectors. Bring in your own STEP models. One parts library for the whole product: chips and connectors, devices that are not on the board, and mechanical hardware such as screws and standoffs.
    
2.   ![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
    
    Firmware for the board Flux designed, for example on Arm Cortex-M, RISC-V, AVR, or Pico, then built, analyzed, and unit tested.
    

 ![A guitar pedal board in a purple enclosure, next to a red board with the Flux logo](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/compare-photo-1008548.webp)

Real boards and enclosures made with Flux.

Model-agnostic AI

## Your favorite AI models. Our engineering superpowers.

Flux pairs frontier AI models with a state-of-the-art agent harness built for CAD and EDA. The models bring reasoning. Flux brings the engineering tools, project context, and workflows that turn that reasoning into working hardware.

-   OpenAI
-   Anthropic
-   Google Gemini
-   More as they ship

Adaptive model selection

### Frontier performance at 30% lower cost.

Adaptive splits every engineering job into tasks and gives each task to the model that does it best for the price. Hard design decisions go to frontier models. Routine work goes to fast, low-cost models. Independent tasks run in parallel, so complete devices come together faster. Your team works with one AI engineer, and Flux handles the delegation behind the scenes.

### Frontier AI models

-   Reasoning
-   Planning
-   Language

### Flux engineering harness

-   CAD and EDA tools
-   Project context
-   Simulation
-   Design rules

### Working hardware

-   Schematics
-   Boards
-   Enclosures
-   Firmware
-   Fab files
-   Product videos

### 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.

## 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 KiCad when your engineers want to design every board by hand in free, open-source desktop software. Use Flux when you want an AI engineer to do the design work and your engineers to review it.

## Questions

### Can I import my KiCad projects into Flux?

Yes. Flux imports complete KiCad projects and KiCad libraries. Schematics, parts, connections, board outlines, placement, and routing come across.

### Can Flux export KiCad files?

Yes. Flux exports KiCad board files. It also exports Gerber, ODB++, IPC-2581, IPC-D-356 test netlists, bill of materials, and pick-and-place files.

### How good is the routing?

Flux places the parts and routes the board like an experienced designer. It respects your design intent and your layout rules. Your engineers review the result and can edit any trace.

### Do I have to manage part libraries?

No. Flux has one shared parts library with 734,000+ public parts. Parts come with symbols, footprints, 3D models, datasheets, and live prices and stock from distributors. Your team can add its own parts to the same library.

### Can my team work on the same project?

Yes. Your team works in one live project in the browser. You share a project with a link, and Flux keeps the version history.

### Do my engineers lose control of the design?

No. Flux plans the work, designs it, checks it, and hands back results your engineers can review and edit.

### 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-1008550.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.  About KiCad: [https://www.kicad.org/about/kicad/](https://www.kicad.org/about/kicad/)
2.  KiCad SPICE simulation: [https://www.kicad.org/discover/spice/](https://www.kicad.org/discover/spice/)
3.  KiCad PCB Editor documentation: [https://docs.kicad.org/9.0/en/pcbnew/pcbnew.html](https://docs.kicad.org/9.0/en/pcbnew/pcbnew.html)
4.  KiCad Schematic Editor documentation: [https://docs.kicad.org/9.0/en/eeschema/eeschema.html](https://docs.kicad.org/9.0/en/eeschema/eeschema.html)