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LibrePCB

librepcb.org

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Spec score 8.7 #3 of 41 in Electrical Design Software

What it is

LibrePCB is free, open-source electronic design automation software for drawing schematics and designing printed circuit boards. It runs as a desktop application on Linux, macOS, and Windows, and works fully offline without an online account. The schematic editor supports multi-page designs, live electrical rule checking, and automatic forward annotation to the board editor. Board tools include design-rule checking, a live 3D viewer, and multi-layer layouts with blind and buried vias. EAGLE projects and DXF files can be imported, while output jobs include Gerber, Excellon, CSV BOM, STEP, PDF, and SVG. An integrated library manager handles official libraries; users may also use their own. Projects and libraries use human-readable canonical text files, and projects carry their needed library items and settings. Users can order boards through LibrePCB Fab or export production data. GPLv3 licensing covers the source.

Spec sheet

What it does
LibrePCB is a free, cross-platform electronic design automation suite for drawing schematics and designing printed circuit boards.Read 15 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Product
LibrePCB is electronic design automation software for drawing schematics and designing printed circuit boards.Read 8 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Audience
The maker describes it as suitable for makers, students and professionals, from beginners to experts.Read 8 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
API
Developer documentation specifies a versioned JSON server API for online library resources and fabrication uploads.Read 15 Oct 2026 · developers.librepcb.org
Support
User help is provided through the forum, Matrix, issue tracker and community; paid support and feature development are available on request.Read 15 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Founded
2013Read 28 Sep 2026 · librepcb.org
Board editor
The board editor supports multilayer boards with blind and buried vias, design-rule checking, a live 3D viewer, DXF and EAGLE import, board branching and footprint switching.Read 15 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Board tools
The board editor includes design rule checking, a live 3D viewer, and multi-layer PCB support including blind and buried vias.Read 8 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
CLI automation
The librepcb-cli command-line tool automates ERC, DRC and production exports for CI workflows.Read 15 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
CLI limitation
On headless Linux, librepcb-cli currently needs an X server or xvfb plus several graphical-library dependencies.Read 15 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Company status
The FAQ says no company operates LibrePCB; it is an open-source project coordinated by its founder and community contributors.Read 15 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Developer documentation
Developer docs cover building, architecture, coding style, Slint UI, release workflow, file-format specifications, workspace/library/project specifications, server API and a Rust core crate.Read 15 Oct 2026 · developers.librepcb.org
Download requirements
The download page lists 64-bit Windows 10 or later and macOS 10.14 or later requirements for its binaries.Read 8 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Fabrication integration
LibrePCB Fab accepts projects for ordering through AISLER, PCBWay or NextPCB, while normal production-file export remains available.Read 15 Oct 2026 · fab.librepcb.org
File format
Project files use human-readable canonical S-expressions designed to produce small, stable version-control diffs.Read 15 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Founder
The project was started in 2013 by founder and lead developer Urban Bruhin, an electrical engineer from Switzerland.Read 15 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Imports and exports
The editors list EAGLE project import, and the board editor also lists DXF import; output jobs support formats including Gerber, Excellon, CSV BOM, STEP, PDF and SVG.Read 8 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Independent listing
SaaSHub shows LibrePCB as open source and reports zero user reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · saashub.com
Languages
LibrePCB is available in 15 languages, although translation completeness differs by language.Read 15 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Library editor
The library editor provides live rule checks, DXF and EAGLE import, and PDF, SVG and raster export.Read 15 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Library management
Libraries are separate from the application, can be installed or updated through an integrated manager, and can be managed with version-control systems.Read 15 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Library manager
Users can install and update official libraries through the integrated manager, or use their own libraries or a mix of both.Read 8 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Licence
The application source is GPLv3, while official libraries use CC0-1.0 and may be used commercially.Read 15 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Limit: documentation
HackSpace rated LibrePCB 8/10 but said its documentation and user guide were sparse and its help forum had little activity.Read 15 Oct 2026 · mclibre.org
Limit: library coverage
A LibrePCB discussion reviewer stopped using it because the official library lacked needed objects and required creating many parts manually.Read 15 Oct 2026 · librepcb.discourse.group
Limit: performance
A 2026 user report described sluggish performance on larger projects and no visual clearance assistance while routing.Read 15 Oct 2026 · librepcb.discourse.group
Limit: routing
Reddit users reported that LibrePCB lacks differential-pair routing and PCB autorouting, and has smaller component libraries than alternatives.Read 15 Oct 2026 · reddit.com
Limit: UI regressions
The project’s 2.0 issue list records missing HiDPI scaling, no touchscreen support, no light theme and reduced library-editor multi-selection.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Linux package
Snapcraft lists LibrePCB 2.1.1-1 under GPL-3.0+ and identifies the librepcb-cli command alias.Read 15 Oct 2026 · snapcraft.io
Notable news
Version 2.1.1 was released on June 12, 2026 with FreeRouting compatibility, macOS shortcut fixes and other bug fixes.Read 15 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Offline use
The software can be used fully offline; the homepage describes its online account as unnecessary.Read 8 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Open source
The source code is published under the GPLv3 license.Read 8 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Output jobs
Output jobs can generate PDF, SVG, Gerber, Excellon, pick-and-place, IPC-D356A, BOM and STEP files, including bundled ZIP output.Read 15 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Praise: usability
Hackaday described the version-1 interface as intuitive and easy for an ex-Eagle user, with straightforward DRC, 3D viewing and Gerber export.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hackaday.com
Praise: workflow
Hackaday reported that the library manager, Git version control and direct fabrication ordering made the workflow very usable.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hackaday.com
Project history
The project was started in 2013 by its founder and lead developer, an electrical engineer from Switzerland; its first stable release was published in 2018.Read 8 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Project portability
Projects are self-contained, including the library items and relevant settings they depend on, so the maker says they open consistently on different computers and operating systems.Read 8 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Schematic editor
The schematic editor supports multi-page flat schematics, automatic board synchronization, live electrical-rule checking, assembly data and EAGLE project import.Read 15 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Schematic tools
The schematic editor supports multi-page schematics, live electrical rule checking, and automatic forward annotation to the board editor.Read 8 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Security reporting
The security policy asks users to report vulnerabilities privately through GitHub Security Advisories and says responses are expected within 48 hours.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Stable release history
The first official stable release was published in 2018.Read 15 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
System requirements
Official downloads require 64-bit Windows 10 or later, macOS 10.14 or later, or supported Linux packages; FreeBSD has a port.Read 15 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
Version control
Projects and libraries use human-readable text files with a canonical format intended to make version control changes understandable.Read 8 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org

Plans and prices

Free Free No costs No restrictions · No limitations · No online account Read 15 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org
LibrePCB Free No costs No restrictions · No online account · Windows, macOS, Linux Read 8 Oct 2026 · librepcb.org

Every LibrePCB plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free with no listed restrictions
  • Schematic and PCB editors
  • Live electrical and design-rule checking
  • Multi-layer boards with blind vias
  • Fully offline operation

Limits

  • Developer support is not free
  • Windows binaries require 64-bit Windows 10 or later
  • macOS binaries require 10.14 or later

Who it suits

LibrePCB is positioned for makers, students, and professionals, from beginners to experts. It suits users needing desktop schematic and PCB design across Linux, macOS, or Windows.

Verdict

LibrePCB combines schematic capture, PCB layout, libraries, fabrication outputs, and offline desktop use without a listed cost. Its cross-platform GPLv3 distribution and portable project format support both learning and professional workflows.

Where Specifiction places it

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