NextPCB has taken a step forward with the launch of kicadprojects.com, an initiative that seeks to bring together the global KiCad community around open projects, real collaboration, and direct support for EDA development. If you work with KiCad or are considering migrating, this new feature is of great interest to you—because it's not just a repository: it aims to become a meeting point for engineers, makers, and educators.
Beyond the headline, The move fits with NextPCB's sustained strategy: sponsoring, contributing code, promoting events, and providing free tools that bring design closer to the manufacturing ecosystem. All this with a clear focus on open source software, transparency, and practical impact on designers' workflows.
kicadprojects.com: an open hub for sharing and collaboration
Developed and maintained by NextPCB as a KiCad Platinum Sponsor, kicadprojects.com was born as an open and living community where anyone can publish designs, view schematics, and access collaboration-ready files. The idea is simple: share projects, learn publicly, and accelerate the ecosystem's improvement cycle.
In practice, The platform allows you to upload KiCad projects with their complete files, download resources, automatically generate bills of materials, and view designs directly in the browser thanks to NextPCB's KiCad-compatible EDA viewer. All designed to reduce friction and encourage participation.
The proposal does not stop at the technical: There is a direct incentive for the KiCad projectFor every approved project published on the platform, NextPCB will donate $10 to the official project, closing a virtuous cycle where each shared design becomes an impetus for new features and improvements.
The underlying message is clear: open collaboration has tangible impactYou upload a project, others reuse or improve it, and part of that movement flows back into KiCad itself, strengthening the core team and its roadmap.
Who should get on the bandwagon and what do they gain?
The invitation is for everyone: from amateurs just learning to seasoned professionalsThe value for students and makers lies in shared learning and visibility; for engineers, in accelerating collaboration and having a living knowledge base; and for companies, in identifying talent, components, and best practices.
Furthermore, Participating helps consolidate a de facto standard in free EDAThe more we share openly, the better the documentation, the more libraries, and the more real-world examples we have to solve everyday design and manufacturing problems.
If you have never contributed to an EDA project repository, This format lowers the barrier to entryYou don't have to set up your own infrastructure or struggle with exotic viewers: you upload, view, share, and that's it. And if you decide to take the plunge, you'll be supporting KiCad's development in the process.
If there were not enough reasons, NextPCB accompanies the launch with other initiatives that fit together perfectly: free DFM verification tools, conference support, and a gateway to access official downloads and resources.
NextPCB's contributions to the KiCad core and community
The relationship is not only economic. NextPCB has added two full-time engineers to its leading development team. from KiCad, and have already made their mark in version 9 with highly anticipated pieces: the Zone Manager and export to ODB++, essential for better integration with industrial flows.
At the community level, NextPCB has hosted the KiCad Asia Conference for two consecutive years., expanding the tool's visibility and adoption in the Asian market. Added to this is a KiCad distribution geared toward Chinese users (Huaqiu), which alleviates network and system constraints in that region.
Financial support is also present: By the end of 2024, they contributed $15.000 to KiCad's fundraising campaign., aimed at supporting the website and operations. These actions, when combined, reinforce the project's stability, scope, and pace of improvement.
In parallel, NextPCB organizes and supports activities and content related to KiCad and electronic design, feeding the organic marketing so characteristic of free software with events, guides and resource collections.
Free Tools and Add-ons from NextPCB
To facilitate the jump from design to manufacturing, NextPCB offers HQDFM, a DFM/DFMA analysis with over 150 rules. that detect common problems before they reach the factory. The suite includes useful tools such as quick panelization, an impedance calculator, and a footprint checker.
Furthermore, have launched free prototyping initiatives for certain select chips and modules. Currently, the program highlights the RP2040, which allows designers to experiment and validate ideas at zero cost on PCBA prototypes.
If you need to stock up or compare capacities, There is access to the NextPCB catalog already compiled a list of offers and programs for 2025, with a focus on shortening cycle times, encouraging testing, and reducing economic barriers in the early stages.
And for those who want to start now, NextPCB maintains a Gateway with official KiCad downloads and resources, simplifying the start-up without having to search for scattered links.
KiCad vs. Altium: Key Differences and Where Each One Shines
Comparing KiCad and Altium has a trick: they are not pursuing exactly the same thingKiCad is free, cross-platform, and designed to reach everyone without any cost; Altium is a powerful business environment, packed with advanced features and cloud services that prioritize the efficiency of large teams.
In terms of target audience, KiCad is a great fit for students, makers and SMEs. Those who face low- to medium-complexity designs; Altium is geared toward demanding companies and industries (high-speed, rigid-flex, certifications) where traceability, multidisciplinary coordination, and connected flows are paramount.
The “cloud” layer marks another contrast: Altium 365 integrates collaboration, viewers, chat, and component data live (Octopart), while KiCad has hardly any native cloud solutions, relying on third-party integrations and tools.
With everything, KiCad has bridged the gap in what many real-life projects really need.: schematics, reliable layout, SPICE simulation, 3D, and customizable design rules. For most non-critical consumer products, it's more than enough.
Licensing and costs: what each choice entails
Let's talk about money, it counts. Altium Designer is subscription-based with several tiers: Standard (aimed at individuals) is around $355/month or $4.235/year; Pro (for individuals or small teams) starts at $460/month or $5.495/year, with variations by geographic location; and Enterprise is $6.995/year per seat, with continental and global stopovers and seat minimums.
For its part, KiCad is truly free and open source.: no mandatory registration, no ads, no restricted editions. It's supported by donations, sponsorships, and one-off campaigns—and that allows it to maintain a philosophy that's contrary to the SaaS model for core functionalities.
There are intermediate options in the Altium world: CircuitStudio with perpetual license at a lower cost (functionality closer to KiCad, without cloud) and Free CircuitMaker for hobby with significant limitations (public projects and 2-layer PCBs).
A recent relevant note: Altium has discontinued perpetual Designer licenses as of July 1, 2024., relying on subscriptions. There's a 14-day free trial to evaluate the full package.
PCB Types and Advanced Capabilities
Where Altium takes off is in complex designs: High-speed, HDI, rigid-flex, embedded components, and MCAD workflows. Manage impedances, advanced layer stacks, backdrill, xSignals for critical signals, signal integrity simulation, and detailed rules that run throughout your entire project.
In flex and rigid-flex, Altium offers 3D bend simulation, dynamic stack management for rigid and flexible zones, and highly polished manufacturing documentation tools. It's a natural fit for demanding devices and industrial series.
KiCad can address rigid surfaces without any problem and simple flexes with some skill, but for production-level rigid-flex, it often requires manual work on outputs and validation with external utilities. HDI offers basic support for microvias and blind/buried vias, far from the range of options found in Altium.
If you move within these requirements on a regular basis, Altium often justifies itselfIf not, KiCad will solve 80% of your cases reliably and at no cost.
Libraries, BOM and supply chain
Component management is another sticking point. Altium integrates ActiveBOM and Octopart, providing live price, inventory, and lifecycle data for tens of thousands of parts, along with supply alternatives and obsolescence alerts, directly within the design environment.
KiCad, on the other hand, does not have an integrated database with market data. It relies on community and manufacturer libraries, and third-party plugins. This is where the Auto BOM Parts Matching by NextPCB, which brings some of that automation closer to KiCad, although without the depth of ActiveBOM.
In 3D libraries, Altium supports STEP, SOLIDWORKS, and Parasolid, with a very fluid 3D viewer, interference checkers, and even a 3D “movie” editor; KiCad supports STEP and VRML, with an OpenGL viewer that has improved aesthetics and performance—especially with ray tracing—and is more than sufficient for verifying models and presentations.
In verification, both have solid ERC/DRCAltium adds a new constraint manager (on Pro plans) in addition to the classic rule manager; KiCad allows for increasingly granular global and custom rules, sufficient for most designs.
Flexibility, extensibility and supported systems
KiCad's open nature gives it wings: You can customize it, extend it with Python plugins and C++ modules., and integrate applications via the new IPC API introduced in version 9 (replacing the PCB editor-centric SWIG bindings). It's still a evolving path, but it opens the door to broader integrations.
Altium, for its part, offers a mature scripting ecosystem with DelphiScript, JavaScript, VBScript and Python via COM, as well as SDKs in C++/C# and API for Altium 365. The trade-off is the proprietary wall: if you need something outside of the scriptable, you depend on their roadmap.
On platforms, KiCad delivers on its cross-platform promise (Windows, macOS, and Linux) with official builds; Altium Designer focuses on Windows, which limits certain heterogeneous educational and business environments.
As a general philosophy, KiCad prioritizes stability and quality of life improvements Facing huge leaps forward each year, Altium pushes out annual releases with flashy features, sometimes perceived as greenwashing by long-time users, which are then refined in subsequent iterations.
Team, community and marketing
Organizations also make a difference. Altium is a company with more than 800 employees and a global presence, with R&D, sales, marketing, and support teams. Its communication is aggressive, and its value proposition is based on productivity and collaboration.
KiCad, on the other hand, It is supported by a small group of leaders (around 14 core developers, 18 librarians, 6 packagers and a technical writer) and a very large, passionate and somewhat chaotic community that contributes to forums, blogs, talks and events like KiCon.
This organic diffusion has a lot of pull: Partners, influencers and teachers feed knowledge and teach how to leverage new functions; in turn, sponsorships like NextPCB's help stabilize infrastructure and activities.
A background detail: KiCad has been in development since 1992 (started by Jean-Pierre Charras) and is now supported by individual donors, groups and corporations such as Digi-Key, System76, AISLER and NextPCB itself.
Advice according to your profile
If you are a student, Take advantage of free or discounted academic licenses for commercial tools to learn their workflows, but master KiCad and add both to your resume. Versatility opens doors.
If you are self-employed, Assess which Altium features you really miss for your clients. Managing converters and importers between Altium and KiCad will allow you to adapt to each project without being tied to a single stack.
For SMEs and startups, Weigh complexity, iteration speed, and costsIf you're not into high-speed/rigid-flex or demanding certifications, KiCad generally performs very well; when the bar is raised, Altium returns that investment in efficiency and compliance.
In large companies, collaborative flows, component traceability and enterprise support Altium's software is heavy. However, KiCad offers a very high level of customization—also with professional services—that can fit into mixed strategies.
KiCad within the Linux Foundation and sustainability programs
An important milestone for the project was his incorporation into the Linux Foundation, which strengthens governance, sustainability, and long-term visibility. This allows KiCad to benefit from infrastructure, initiatives like CommunityBridge, and more direct access to new sponsors.
In the words of those responsible for the Foundation and the project itself, the combination of technical maturity and total openness makes KiCad a pillar of accessible, multi-platform electronic design, untethered to proprietary architectures.
The community has grown significantly in recent years: Consulting firms reported significant increases in demand for KiCad designs, and annual donation campaigns—like the one in late 2022, which was key to boosting version 8 after the release of version 7—have proven essential for setting priorities and closing highly requested features.
In summary, The project's sustainability combines donations, sponsorships and code contributions —where actors like NextPCB are playing a notable role—with a community that teaches, tests, and disseminates.
Installing KiCad on Linux: Common Ways
If you're using Linux, there are several reliable routes. A classic option is to add the PPA maintained for specific stable versions and update from the package manager of your Debian/Ubuntu-based distro.
Alternatively, You can install KiCad from Flathub with Flatpak, which ensures that you have an updated and system-isolated package, ideal when you don't want to touch system repositories.
Both methods coexist well: Choose PPA for full integration with your system or Flatpak if you prioritize sandboxing and ease of multi-distro updating.
As always, check your distribution's documentation and the official KiCad website to confirm the version and channel most appropriate for your environment.
Other popular alternatives in PCB design
Beyond KiCad and Altium, There are options like Autodesk Eagle (with limited free version and many community libraries), Proteus (powerful in simulation and paid), Fritzing (ideal for education and makers, not so much for production), CircuitMaker (free but with public projects and limits) and DesignSpark PCB (free version with a good set of tools to get started).
The choice depends on technical requirements, budget and growth expectationsIf you're looking to professionalize and scale, look at what support they offer for high speed, rigid-flex, library management, and supply chain.
Whatever your starting point, Being fluent in KiCad is already a competitive advantage for accessibility, community and ease of sharing knowledge and projects.
