# Flux vs ProtoFlow: From a desktop electronics app to the whole device. Compare AI PCB design software. ProtoFlow is a desktop electronics app; Flux brings electronics, mechanical design, and firmware into one project. ProtoFlow is a desktop app for AI-assisted electronics design, layout, routing, checks, and simulation. Flux extends the work to mechanical parts, firmware, and manufacturing in one 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 ProtoFlow are ### What Flux is Flux works as an AI hardware engineer in a shared browser project. It designs electronics and mechanical parts, writes firmware, checks the design, and provides files and orders for manufacturing. ### What ProtoFlow is ProtoFlow is a desktop AI PCB design app for Mac, Windows, and Linux. Engineers can describe a board in plain language, review the AI-drafted schematic, and lay out and route the board.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) ProtoFlow includes ERC and DRC checks, ngspice simulation, and exports for manufacturing. It also supports imports and exports for several electronics design formats.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) ## What ProtoFlow does ### AI-drafted schematics ProtoFlow drafts schematics with real parts from JLCPCB, DigiKey, LCSC, and Mouser.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) ### Several routing options Engineers can route with AI, an autorouter, or by hand, then run ERC and DRC checks.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) ### Desktop design workflow ProtoFlow runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux and includes ngspice simulation and manufacturing exports.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) ## One AI hardware engineer for the whole device ProtoFlow is a desktop app for electronics design. Flux brings electronics, mechanical design, and firmware together in one project. Its AI hardware engineer works across the board and mechanical parts, writes firmware for the board, and provides manufacturing files and orders. ![A board in a purple 3D-printed enclosure on an electronics bench](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/compare-photo-1008291.webp) A Flux board and enclosure designed in one project. Flux compared with ProtoFlow | Feature | Flux | ProtoFlow | | --- | --- | --- | | Requirements and specification | The AI engineer turns your idea into requirements and a product specification, and checks the design against them. | Describe a board in plain language.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | What it is | AI hardware engineer with its own design tools | Desktop AI PCB design app.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Where it runs | In your web browser. Nothing to install. Your projects live in the cloud. | Desktop app for Mac, Windows, and Linux.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Who does the design work | The Flux agent. Your engineers review and edit. | AI drafts the schematic; engineers lay out, route, and check the board.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Schematic and parts | Built in. Picks from 734,000+ public parts. | AI drafts schematics with parts from JLCPCB, DigiKey, LCSC, and Mouser.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Board layout and routing | Built in | Includes PCB layout and routing.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Placement and routing | The AI engineer places the parts and routes the board like an experienced designer. Your engineers review and edit. | AI routing, autorouting, or manual routing.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | High-speed design | The AI engineer routes differential pairs and length-matched buses such as DDR, tunes length and skew, fans out BGAs with blind, buried, and microvias, and sets trace impedance from your stackup. It checks the routed board with S-parameters, TDR, eye diagrams, and crosstalk analysis. Your engineers review and edit. | Not built in. ProtoFlow focuses on electronics design in a desktop app.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Flex and rigid-flex boards | Built in. Named stackups for rigid and flex areas, coverlay and stiffeners, hatched flex pours, bending lines with a folded 3D view and folded STEP files, flex design checks, and Gerber, ODB++, and IPC-2581 files. The AI engineer routes each area on its own layers. | Not built in. ProtoFlow focuses on electronics design in a desktop app.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Parts and sourcing | 734,000+ public parts, with live prices and stock from distributors | Uses real parts from JLCPCB, DigiKey, LCSC, and Mouser.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Simulation and design rule checks | SPICE, power delivery network, full-wave electromagnetic, signal integrity, thermal, and mechanical simulation, plus design rule checks | ERC and DRC checks, plus SPICE simulation with ngspice.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Firmware | Writes firmware for the board it designed | Not built in. ProtoFlow focuses on electronics design in a desktop app.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Wiring harnesses | Built in. Flux designs the wiring harnesses between the boards: connectors, pinouts, and wires, in the same project. | Not built in. ProtoFlow focuses on electronics design in a desktop app.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Manufacturing files | Gerber, ODB++, IPC-2581, bill of materials, pick-and-place, and more; Flux can check the files before you order, including copper gaps, silkscreen, board outline, BOM, and pick-and-place files. | Exports Gerbers, drill files, BOM, placement files, and STEP files.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Quotes and orders | Quotes and orders for boards, 3D printing, CNC machining, and wire harnesses, from the project. | Includes a JLCPCB order flow.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Import from other tools | Imports complete projects from Altium, OrCAD and Allegro, KiCad, PADS and Xpedition, CADSTAR, Eagle, Fusion Electronics, EasyEDA, DipTrace, and SOLIDWORKS PCB. Flux imports Labcenter Proteus SDF netlists with Specctra board exports. IPC-2581 revision B and C files become board projects with reusable footprint parts. | Imports KiCad, Altium, EAGLE, and EDIF.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Versions, branches, and merges | Full change history. The AI engineer forks a design into a second version, keeps both, and merges the changes that you pick. | Git integration, CLI, and MCP.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Who reviews the work | The whole team, in one live project in the browser: electrical, layout, mechanical, and firmware engineers | Run ERC and DRC checks, then edit the design by hand.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Product images, videos, and documents | Product images, product videos, datasheets, and regulatory documents, made from the design in the project. | Not built in. ProtoFlow focuses on electronics design in a desktop app.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Price | See current pricing | Free; Pro is $19.99/month, Max is $39.99/month, Ultra is $199.99/month, and Enterprise is custom.[\[2\]](#compare-source-2) | | Plus the mechanical parts too | | Mechanical CAD | Built in, kernel agnostic. From an enclosure to a complete robot arm. | Not built in. ProtoFlow focuses on electronics design in a desktop app.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Mechanical simulation | Finite-element stress, thermal, and airflow simulation | Not built in. ProtoFlow focuses on electronics design in a desktop app.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Mechanical manufacturing | STEP, STL, and 3MF files, plus quotes for 3D printing, CNC machining, sheet metal, and laser cutting | Not built in. ProtoFlow focuses on electronics design in a desktop app.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | CNC toolpaths and G-code | The AI engineer writes the toolpaths, the G-code, a toolpath preview, and a setup sheet for the parts that it designed. | Not built in. ProtoFlow focuses on electronics design in a desktop app.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | ## [Board design](https://www.flux.ai/p/eda), 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 electronics projects into Flux. Import an existing ECAD project, then connect the electronics with mechanical parts and firmware in the same project. Example request “Continue the circuit design, add an enclosure, and write firmware for the board.” ![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) A Flux board and enclosure designed in one project. - ![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 Flux imports complete projects from Altium, Cadence OrCAD and Allegro, KiCad, Siemens PADS and Xpedition, Zuken CADSTAR, Eagle, Fusion Electronics, EasyEDA, DipTrace (XML export), and SOLIDWORKS PCB. Schematics, parts, connections, board outlines, and placement come across. Flux imports Labcenter Proteus SDF netlists with Specctra board exports. IPC-2581 revision B and C files become board projects with reusable footprint parts. Part libraries Altium, OrCAD, PADS, KiCad, Eagle, Fusion Electronics, EasyEDA, and DipTrace libraries, Allegro footprints, and JEP30 part models become Flux parts. 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, with Monte Carlo, temperature sweep, and noise analysis, run and read by the AI engineer. ### Electromagnetic simulation Full-wave simulation of the routed board: signal integrity, power integrity, 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 Flux runs PCB thermal analysis of the routed board at stated operating powers, plus heat and airflow simulation of the enclosure, before you build. ### 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, casting, and wiring harnesses. The AI engineer compares price and lead time, checks the design against each fabricator's rules, keeps the quote current as the design changes, and places the order when you confirm. ### 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 ### Cables and wiring harnesses - ![MiniProto](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/teams-logos/miniproto.webp) MiniProto ## One AI hardware engineer for the product ### Work beyond electronics Flux covers electronics, mechanical design, and firmware in one project for the complete device. ### Keep the enclosure with the board The AI hardware engineer can edit the board and mechanical parts together in the same project. ### Include firmware in the design Flux writes firmware for the board and keeps that work connected to the hardware. ### Choose from current parts data The library provides 734,000+ public parts with live price and stock data from distributors. ### Review simulation and checks Flux checks designs with circuit, electromagnetic, thermal, and mechanical simulation and design rule checks. ### Get files and orders from the project Flux provides manufacturing files and project-based quotes and orders for electronics and mechanical parts. 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](https://www.flux.ai/p/mcad) 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. ![An engineer fits a board into a green 3D-printed enclosure](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/compare-photo-1008492.webp) A Flux board and enclosure designed in one project. 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 See current pricing Trial terms depend on your current offer. - ### Build See current pricing Trial terms depend on your current offer. - ### Pro See current pricing Trial terms depend on your current offer. - ### Teams See current pricing Teams subscriptions start paid. Eligible individual plans include a free trial. Teams subscriptions start paid; trial and pricing terms depend on your current offer. [See all plans](https://www.flux.ai/p/pricing) ## When to use which Use ProtoFlow when your team wants a desktop app for AI-assisted electronics design. Choose Flux when the project also includes mechanical design and firmware. ## Questions ### Which platforms does ProtoFlow support? ProtoFlow runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux. [1](#compare-source-1) ### What files can ProtoFlow export? ProtoFlow exports Gerbers, drill files, BOM, placement files, and STEP files. [1](#compare-source-1) ### Which formats can ProtoFlow import? ProtoFlow lists imports for KiCad, Altium, EAGLE, and EDIF. [1](#compare-source-1) ### 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 never trains on customer data. Inputs and outputs remain your IP at all times. ![](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/compare-photo-1008346.webp) ## Give Flux your next requirement. Explore individual plan offers, 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. ProtoFlow: [https://www.protoflow.ai/](https://www.protoflow.ai/) 2. ProtoFlow pricing: [https://www.protoflow.ai/pricing](https://www.protoflow.ai/pricing) 3. ProtoFlow enterprise: [https://www.protoflow.ai/enterprise](https://www.protoflow.ai/enterprise)