# Flux vs Quilter: Layout is one stage. Flux designs the whole device. Compare AI PCB layout tools. Quilter generates placement and routing candidates from an ECAD board; Flux brings electronics, mechanical design, and firmware into one project. Quilter automates PCB placement and routing from a prepared schematic and board. Flux extends design across electronics, 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 Quilter are ### What Flux is Flux works as an AI hardware engineer across the product. It designs electronics and mechanical parts in one project, writes firmware for the board, checks the design, and provides manufacturing files and orders. ### What Quilter is Quilter uses physics-driven AI to automate PCB placement and routing. Your team uploads a schematic and board file from its ECAD tool, then reviews and adjusts generated layout candidates.[\[3\]](#compare-source-3) Quilter supports native ECAD input and output for Altium, Cadence Allegro, Siemens Xpedition, and KiCad. It offers cloud and self-hosted options.[\[4\]](#compare-source-4) ## What Quilter does ### Physics-driven layout Quilter automates PCB placement and routing and shows physics rule checks for each candidate.[\[3\]](#compare-source-3) ### Multiple layout candidates Teams can review, adjust, and resubmit candidates. Quilter evaluates multiple stackups and fabrication rules in parallel.[\[3\]](#compare-source-3) ### ECAD workflow choices Quilter supports Altium, Cadence Allegro, Siemens Xpedition, and KiCad, with cloud or self-hosted deployment.[\[2\]](#compare-source-2) ## One AI hardware engineer for the whole device Quilter focuses on PCB placement and routing from a prepared schematic and board. 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. ![Close-up of a red guitar pedal board in its enclosure](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/compare-photo-1009080.webp) Flux boards and enclosures, from layout through mechanical design. Flux compared with Quilter | Feature | Flux | Quilter | | --- | --- | --- | | Requirements and specification | The AI engineer turns your idea into requirements and a product specification, and checks the design against them. | Your team prepares an ECAD schematic and board file, then uploads them for layout candidates.[\[3\]](#compare-source-3) | | What it is | AI hardware engineer with its own design tools | Physics-driven AI for PCB placement and routing.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Where it runs | In your web browser. Nothing to install. Your projects live in the cloud. | In the cloud on AWS or in a self-hosted environment.[\[2\]](#compare-source-2) | | Who does the design work | The Flux agent. Your engineers review and edit. | Your team prepares the input, reviews candidates, adjusts, and resubmits.[\[3\]](#compare-source-3) | | Schematic and parts | Built in. Picks from 734,000+ public parts. | Your team prepares the schematic in its ECAD tool.[\[3\]](#compare-source-3) | | Board layout and routing | Built in | Automates PCB placement and routing from your uploaded board.[\[3\]](#compare-source-3) | | Placement and routing | The AI engineer places the parts and routes the board like an experienced designer. Your engineers review and edit. | Generates layout candidates for your team to review and refine.[\[3\]](#compare-source-3) | | 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. | Shows physics rule checks for every candidate and evaluates stackups and fabrication rules in parallel.[\[3\]](#compare-source-3) | | 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. Quilter focuses on PCB placement and routing.[\[3\]](#compare-source-3) | | Parts and sourcing | 734,000+ public parts, with live prices and stock from distributors | Your team selects parts and prepares the design in its ECAD tool before upload.[\[3\]](#compare-source-3) | | Simulation and design rule checks | SPICE, power delivery network, full-wave electromagnetic, signal integrity, thermal, and mechanical simulation, plus design rule checks | Physics rule checks are shown for each candidate.[\[3\]](#compare-source-3) | | Firmware | Writes firmware for the board it designed | Not built in. Quilter focuses on PCB placement and routing.[\[1\]](#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. Quilter focuses on PCB placement and routing.[\[1\]](#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. | Returns native ECAD files. Your team creates fabrication outputs in its ECAD tool.[\[4\]](#compare-source-4) | | Quotes and orders | Quotes and orders for boards, 3D printing, CNC machining, and wire harnesses, from the project. | Not built in. Quilter focuses on PCB placement and routing.[\[2\]](#compare-source-2) | | 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. | Native ECAD input and output for Altium, Cadence Allegro, Siemens Xpedition, and KiCad.[\[4\]](#compare-source-4) | | 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. | Your team versions the returned native ECAD files in its own tools.[\[4\]](#compare-source-4) | | Who reviews the work | The whole team, in one live project in the browser: electrical, layout, mechanical, and firmware engineers | Your team reviews, adjusts, and resubmits layout candidates.[\[3\]](#compare-source-3) | | Product images, videos, and documents | Product images, product videos, datasheets, and regulatory documents, made from the design in the project. | Not built in. Quilter focuses on PCB layout.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Price | See current pricing | Pay per project by unrouted-pin count, not per seat. Iterations and parallel jobs are included.[\[2\]](#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. Quilter focuses on PCB placement and routing.[\[1\]](#compare-source-1) | | Mechanical simulation | Finite-element stress, thermal, and airflow simulation | Not built in. Quilter focuses on PCB placement and routing.[\[1\]](#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. Quilter focuses on PCB placement and routing.[\[1\]](#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. Quilter focuses on PCB placement and routing.[\[1\]](#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 ECAD projects into Flux. Import an existing ECAD project, then connect the electronics with mechanical parts and firmware in the same project. Example request “Update the board and enclosure to fit the new connector.” ![An engineer fits a board into a green 3D-printed enclosure](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/compare-photo-1008492.webp) Flux boards and enclosures, from layout through mechanical design. - ![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 beyond board layout ### Bring product disciplines together Flux puts electronics, mechanical design, and firmware in one project instead of separating the product into a layout step and other tools. ### Keep electronics and enclosure in context The AI hardware engineer can change the board and mechanical parts together, with the full device in one project. ### Write firmware for the board Flux writes firmware for the board it designed, so firmware and hardware stay connected in the project. ### Select parts with live supply data The Flux library includes 734,000+ public parts with live distributor pricing and stock. ### Run simulation and design checks Flux checks designs with SPICE, electromagnetic, thermal, and mechanical simulation, plus design rule checks. ### Take the design to manufacturing Flux provides board and mechanical manufacturing files, plus quotes and orders from the project. 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. ![A board in a green 3D-printed enclosure on an electronics bench](https://www.flux.ai/p/assets/homepage-v2/compare-photo-1008387.webp) Flux boards and enclosures, from layout through mechanical design. 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 Quilter when your team wants AI-generated PCB layout candidates from a prepared schematic and board. Choose Flux when the same AI hardware engineer should work across electronics, mechanical design, and firmware. ## Questions ### Which ECAD tools does Quilter work with? Quilter lists native input and output for Altium, Cadence Allegro, Siemens Xpedition, and KiCad. [4](#compare-source-4) ### How does Quilter generate layout candidates? Your team uploads a prepared schematic and board, reviews the candidates, then adjusts and resubmits. [3](#compare-source-3) ### Can Flux import ECAD projects? Yes. 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. Altium, OrCAD, PADS, KiCad, Eagle, Fusion Electronics, EasyEDA, and DipTrace part libraries, Allegro footprints, and JEP30 part models become Flux parts. Ask Flux to continue the imported design with mechanical parts, firmware, and manufacturing files. ### 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-1008550.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. Quilter: [https://www.quilter.ai/](https://www.quilter.ai/) 2. Quilter pricing: [https://www.quilter.ai/pricing](https://www.quilter.ai/pricing) 3. Quilter product workflow: [https://www.quilter.ai/product/workflow](https://www.quilter.ai/product/workflow) 4. Quilter documentation: [https://docs.quilter.ai/](https://docs.quilter.ai/)