LibrePCB

Overview

LibrePCB is a free and open-source electronic design automation (EDA) software suite focused on schematic capture and printed circuit board (PCB) layout. It provides a complete toolchain from concept to manufacturing, including symbol/footprint library management, DRC checks, 3D viewing, and Gerber output. It is designed to be easy to use and intuitive, suitable for beginners, hobbyists, students, and small professional projects, while also supporting complex multi-layer boards. LibrePCB is primarily developed by Swiss electrical engineer Urban Bruhin, hosted on librepcb.org and GitHub, licensed under GPL v3, and supports Windows, macOS, and Linux.

History and Development

• Origins:
  • 2013: Started by Urban Bruhin as a personal project with the goal of creating an "easy-to-use, intuitive" open-source EDA tool.
• Early Development:
  • 2013-2017: Concept and testing phase, internal development.
• Public Release:
  • November 25, 2018: First stable release, version 0.1.0.
• Key Milestones:
  • September 2023: Version 1.0.0 released, marking maturity and stability.
  • April 2024: Version 1.1.0 released, supporting Qt6 and Windows 64-bit.
  • December 2024: Version 1.2.0 released, bug fixes.
  • March 24, 2025: Version 1.3.0 released, adding interactive HTML BOM and improved KiCad library import.
  • September 2025: 2.0 UI preview released, with the interface rewritten using Slint (Rust UI toolkit).
• Current Status:
  • Developers are working full-time (funded by NLnet), version 2.0 is expected in late 2025/early 2026. The community is active, with over 2k GitHub stars.

Main Features

1. Intuitive Interface:
   • Single-window, multi-tab design (schematic/board/library editor), strong keyboard navigation.
2. Library Concept:
   • Unique library system: Separates symbols, footprints, components, and packages, improving reusability and stability.
3. Schematic Editor:
   • Hierarchical, multi-page, real-time component information (inventory/price/lifecycle).
4. PCB Editor:
   • Push-and-shove routing, multi-layer support, DRC, 3D viewing, blind and buried vias.
5. Output and Manufacturing:
   • One-click generation of Gerber, BOM, and pick-and-place files, supports integrated PCB ordering.
6. File Format:
   • Human-readable S-Expression, supports Git version control.
7. Cross-Platform:
   • Windows/macOS/Linux, Qt/Slint UI.
8. Extensibility:
   • Python plugins, KiCad library import.
9. New Features in 2025 (1.3.0+):
   • Interactive HTML BOM, Rust code integration, next-generation UI preview.

Advantages and Limitations

Advantages:

• Easy to use and intuitive: Modern interface, beginner-friendly.
• Human-readable files: Plain text, supports Git without conflicts.
• Strong library management: Separation of components/packages, improving reusability.
• Complete workflow: One-stop solution from schematic to manufacturing.
• Active development: Full-time development in 2025, 2.0 UI rewrite.

Limitations:

• Fewer libraries: Official libraries are not as extensive as KiCad.
• Fewer advanced features: No SPICE simulation, no complex assembly.
• Community size: Smaller than KiCad.
• Comparison with other software:
  • KiCad: More libraries, full functionality.
  • EasyEDA: Free cloud-based.
  • Altium: Professional paid software.

Summary

LibrePCB is a free and open-source EDA software suite, with the latest version 1.3.0 (March 24, 2025). It focuses on ease of use, intuitiveness, and human-readable files, making it suitable for beginners and small PCB projects. Compared to KiCad (rich libraries), EasyEDA (cloud-based), and Altium (professional), LibrePCB stands out with its interface and library concept, but has a smaller library size. Suitable for open-source hardware and education, version 2.0 is something to look forward to.