LibrePCB vs ProfiCAD

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.

ProfiCAD is desktop software for creating electrical and electronic diagrams, schematics, control circuits, and technical diagrams such as pneumatic and hydraulic drawings. It can produce bills of materials, wire lists, terminal lists, and cable lists. The program includes more than 2,000 symbols and an editor for custom symbols. Drawing features include automatic symbol numbering and insertion, symbol search, and cross-references between wires and component symbols. Users can adapt or create ISO 7200 title blocks. The desktop program is for Windows; the maker says it can run on Mac using Parallels. ProfiCAD Viewer lets Android users view drawings, but it does not display cross-references. Drawings can be transferred to the viewer through cloud storage or email. ProfiCAD works offline, and drawings stay on the user's computer. It is not intended for PCB layout, 3D modeling, complex CAD, or full DWG/DXF editing. The free Home edition permits up to three pages, with commercial use limited to opening, viewing, and printing third-party documents. A full-feature trial lasts 30 days without a credit card; paid licenses start at $277, excluding tax.