KiCad

KiCad is a free, open-source electronic design automation suite for drawing schematics and laying out printed circuit boards. It combines project management, schematic and footprint editing, electrical and design-rule checks, circuit simulation, manufacturing-file inspection and 3D board visualization. It is suitable for learning electronics and producing professional board-design files.

Main features

• Create hierarchical schematics and custom symbols.
• Assign component footprints and lay out copper, vias and board geometry.
• Route connections interactively and check design rules.
• Inspect a board in 3D using available component models.
• Run supported SPICE simulations with suitable models.
• Export and review fabrication data, including Gerber and drill files.

A design tool does not fabricate or assemble a physical board. Components, manufacturing, assembly, test equipment and vendor services are separate. Electrical and layout checks help find defined violations but do not guarantee that a circuit works or meets every manufacturing requirement. Set rules for the intended fabricator and validate symbol pin mappings, footprints and component data before ordering.

Install and configure libraries

Install with brew install --cask kicad, or use the official Mac download and follow its installation instructions. The cask installs the KiCad application suite and demos and exposes kicad-cli plus included IDF conversion utilities. Launch the project manager, create a project, draw a schematic, assign footprints, then update the PCB and perform layout and checks.

On first use, configure the symbol and footprint library tables using the available standard libraries or your own tables. Check library paths and relevant environment variables if a symbol, footprint or 3D model is missing. Global tables make libraries available across projects, while project tables can keep project-specific dependencies together. Preserve custom libraries and their paths when migrating configurations between major KiCad versions. Downloading a third-party library or plugin does not validate its electrical or mechanical data automatically.

The Package and Content Manager can install supported add-on content. Network access is needed for downloads, remote libraries or optional online integrations; local editing does not require a hosted KiCad account. Plugins and third-party services may have their own requirements, licenses or accounts.

Mac platform and hardware

The recorded 10.0.6 download is the official unified universal Mac DMG for Intel and Apple Silicon. The current official Mac download page describes macOS 12 and newer as the installation baseline, while the project's support policy focuses testing and fixes on macOS releases still supported by Apple. The current cask does not declare a specific minimum macOS version; its broad platform list is not a substitute for the official package and support guidance. Check the archived package's requirements when running a particular older release.

KiCad's common hardware guidance lists 1 GB RAM, more than 2 GB recommended, up to 10 GB available disk space, and OpenGL 2.1 or newer with hardware shaders. A 1920×1080 or higher display is recommended, although 1280×1024 is usable. Large designs, libraries and 3D models can need more resources. These are general upstream guidelines, not a performance promise for every project.

The 10.0.6 DMG is 1,404,303,659 bytes according to official release-asset metadata. This is download size, not installed disk use or complete project-storage needs. The current cask declares no extra formula dependency or explicit cask conflict. Windows and Linux distributions use separate packages and platform support guidance; do not treat their dependencies as Mac installation requirements.

Cost and licenses

KiCad is free to use, including for commercial circuit design, without a mandatory subscription or activation account. Optional donations support development, and professional support or fabrication services may cost separately.

Most program code is GNU GPL version 3 or later, with additional third-party licenses where applicable. The official libraries use CC BY-SA 4.0 with a design exception: using their data in a design does not by itself force that design or generated files to use the library license. The exception permits commercial and closed designs. Redistributing library collections, including modified collections, remains subject to the library license and attribution requirements. Other libraries and models may use different terms.

The accompanying official PCB editor illustration uses the Windows interface and shows a sample board. Its KiCad version is not identified; it is a cross-platform product example rather than a verified 10.0.6 Mac screenshot.

Sources: Official features, Getting started, Mac downloads, System requirements, Program licenses, Library license and design exception, 10.0.6 release assets.