The Best CometCAD Alternatives for Your PCB Design Needs
CometCAD is a well-known schematic capture and PCB layout editor program for Windows, serving a niche in electronic design. However, like with any specialized software, users often seek alternatives due to various factors, including pricing, operating system compatibility, specific feature requirements, or the desire for open-source solutions. This article explores a range of excellent CometCAD alternatives that cater to diverse needs, from hobbyists to professional engineers.
Top CometCAD Alternatives
Whether you're looking for free, open-source, cross-platform, or feature-rich alternatives, this list has you covered. Dive into these options to find the perfect fit for your next electronic design project.
Fritzing
Fritzing is a very-very handy and versatile tool for designing circuits, including PCB, stripboard, or breadboard layouts. It's an excellent CometCAD alternative, especially for education and prototyping. Fritzing is a commercial and open-source solution available on Mac, Windows, and Linux.
KiCad
KiCad is a powerful open-source software suite for electronic design automation (EDA), making it a strong CometCAD alternative for designing schematics and printed circuit boards (PCBs). It's completely free and available on Mac, Windows, and Linux, boasting features like a 3D renderer, 3D sketching, and a vast library.
LibrePCB
LibrePCB is a free and open-source EDA software under heavy development, aiming to provide stable releases for printed circuit board development. As a free CometCAD alternative, it offers 3D sketching capabilities and is available on Mac, Windows, and Linux.
Autodesk EAGLE
Autodesk EAGLE is a widely recognized electronic design automation (EDA) software that enables PCB designers to seamlessly connect schematic diagrams and component libraries. It's a robust CometCAD alternative, offering a free personal version and commercial options, available on Mac, Windows, and Linux with an integrated development environment (IDE) feature.
gEDA Project
The gEDA project offers a full GPL'd suite and toolkit of Electronic Design Automation tools, making it a compelling open-source CometCAD alternative for electrical design. It's free and primarily available on Linux.
Proteus PCB design
Proteus PCB design combines schematic capture and ARES PCB layout programs into a powerful, integrated, and user-friendly suite for professional PCB design. This commercial CometCAD alternative is available on Windows.
iCircuit
iCircuit is an easy-to-use electronic circuit simulator and designer, perfect for students, hobbyists, and engineers. This commercial CometCAD alternative offers simulation and price alert features and is available on Mac, Windows, iPhone, Windows Phone, and iPad.
Upverter
Upverter offers tools for hardware engineering, including ideation, schematic capture, PCB layout, design hosting, parts library management, and affordable prototyping. This commercial CometCAD alternative is web-based.
DesignSpark PCB
DesignSpark PCB is touted as the World’s Most Powerful Free Schematic and PCB Layout software. It's a fantastic free CometCAD alternative, available on Windows.
OrCAD (All Products)
The Cadence OrCAD product line provides affordable, high-performance PCB design tools that boost productivity for smaller design teams and individual PCB designers. This commercial CometCAD alternative is available on Windows.
With such a diverse range of CometCAD alternatives available, you're sure to find a solution that perfectly aligns with your project requirements, budget, and preferred operating system. Explore these options to discover the best fit for your PCB design endeavors.