EasyEDA vs Kicad - looking for personal experiences

[atferrari]

Once I complete my current project I will probably start using whether Kicad or EasyEDA. While I've been user of Eagle for a long time, it seems it is time to move on. My intention is to get my PCB's eventually produced locally.

Could anyone, with experience in both applications, post some comments on his own experience? My goal is to compare them.

Links to the Web, please don't. I've been reading a lot already.

Thanks for any reply.

 

[Visitor]

I too am/was a long-time user of Eagle.

I looked at Kicad some time back and found it too confusing to use. As someone who mastered (to some extent) Eagle, that's saying a lot.

A few months ago....well, probably a year ago now...., I tried EasyEDA and I'm hooked. There are some minor things I initially missed from Eagle, but that didn't last long. EasyEDA is in fact easy to use; there's some learning curve but it's not steep. Like Eagle, there are a few quirks on how to do some things, but nothing a quick search didn't solve.

I'd say a primary point in EasyEDA's favor is the huge component library. Most parts LCSC (Chinese equivalent of Digikey) are in the library, as are most parts from the Western World. In addition to the included libraries, the user-contributed library is immense. If a certain part isn't in the libraries, it can often be added using the library managers provided by Digikey and Mouser.

A final compelling reason to use EasyEDA is JLC's approximately free SMT assembly service. For "basic" parts in their library, they will assemble SMT components on the board for $7(lot of 10 boards) plus the cost of the components. For "extended" parts in their library – less commonly used and not always loaded on the pick&place machines – there's a $3 charge that covers loading the reel onto the p&p machine. This makes using some of the impossibly small parts practical.

 

[Inquisitive]

My experience with Eagle was not the best. I found it backwards to my normal CAD experience.

However, I find Kicad to be very positive. No pun intended. I have done several pcb's with it and have no complaints.

 

[Pommie]

I concur with everything Visitor says. Have had two lots of boards assembled and the quality is superb. The boards were 45x25mm and 20 assembled boards cost US$63 - $3.15 each. Due to the fact they are assembled I can use 0402 resistors, 0603 LEDs, SSOP chips etc. With components this small, you can fit a lot in 45x25 but size isn't an issue either. Only (slight) problem is you have to populate and through hole components yourself.

This is one of the boards as received - before adding through hole component - $3.15 each.

The dearest bit was the pic chip (16F18854). Try it and I don't think you'll look back.

Mike.
Edit, mysteriously, the boards had two extra holes not in the original (top-left and bottom-right - not plated). Anyone else had this or know why they're there?

 

[Visitor]

Those are probably tooling holes to correctly position the board during pick&place.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

Anyone else had this or know why they're there?

Many years ago when submitting taped artwork, it came back with two drilled holes. They are basically alignment points.
Exactly how they are used, I don;t know.

I created 4 holes when I was exposing my own double sided boards to line up both sides of the exposure. I used tacks.
It wasn't precision, but close enough to work.

 

[Pommie]

Those are probably tooling holes to correctly position the board during pick&place.

I assumed this was the most likely use but thought I'd ask anyway. Good job there weren't any tracks in that vicinity.

I created 4 holes when I was exposing my own double sided boards to line up both sides of the exposure.

I did that myself - from memory, around 25 (or more) years ago. At $3.15 per board populated, it's just not worth it anymore.

Mike.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

I did a bunch of boards in our photo-lithography lab using a free DOS program called Easytrax. I made the sensitized boards using a spin coater and an oven. Exposure was using a 4"x4" mask aligner. Biggest problem was that I was severely limited in size. I remember doing multiple exposures, but I may have used a pre-sensitized board for that one. I had to modify the postscript printer code to get a ground plane.

 

[schmitt trigger]

I also vouch for immense component library.

Like to use IV-25 Russian VFD tube?
Components cannot become more obscure than these.

Yet there was already a component in the EasyEda’s library

 

[ACharnley]

Kicad is outstanding. I'd go so far as to say it's in my top 5 of all time Linux software. It really is an exception piece of engineering and worth the time investment. Id' not look at EasyEDA because it's proprietary, that simple.

 

[MaxHeadRoom78]

I would just like to echo ACharnley in my experience so far.
And I came up on the very $expensive$ OrCad.
Between the KiCad Forum instant assistance and several tutorials it is worth it IMO

 

[Visitor]

Kicad is outstanding. I'd go so far as to say it's in my top 5 of all time Linux software. It really is an exception piece of engineering and worth the time investment. Id' not look at EasyEDA because it's proprietary, that simple.

It's proprietary yes. However, it doesn't hold you hostage to one vendor; Gerbers in standard format that can be used by any fab house are one click away.

 

[billybob]

I too am/was a long-time user of Eagle.

I looked at Kicad some time back and found it too confusing to use. As someone who mastered (to some extent) Eagle, that's saying a lot.

A few months ago....well, probably a year ago now...., I tried EasyEDA and I'm hooked. There are some minor things I initially missed from Eagle, but that didn't last long. EasyEDA is in fact easy to use; there's some learning curve but it's not steep. Like Eagle, there are a few quirks on how to do some things, but nothing a quick search didn't solve.

I'd say a primary point in EasyEDA's favor is the huge component library. Most parts LCSC (Chinese equivalent of Digikey) are in the library, as are most parts from the Western World. In addition to the included libraries, the user-contributed library is immense. If a certain part isn't in the libraries, it can often be added using the library managers provided by Digikey and Mouser.

A final compelling reason to use EasyEDA is JLC's approximately free SMT assembly service. For "basic" parts in their library, they will assemble SMT components on the board for $7(lot of 10 boards) plus the cost of the components. For "extended" parts in their library – less commonly used and not always loaded on the pick&place machines – there's a $3 charge that covers loading the reel onto the p&p machine. This makes using some of the impossibly small parts practical.

I agree, although I'm not a long time user, EasyEDA is working well for me.

 

[Lo_volt]

My employer sent me for training on Pads early in my career so I have more than 15 years and many PC boards experience with it. My current employer bought Orcad/Allegro without asking the engineers. Everyone I talked to, regardless of what they were used to working with, thought it was garbage. Plenty of features, but outdated shortcut keys, obscure procedures for what should be simple tasks and worse. I tried Eagle when it was free, but never produced a board with it. Now that it's pay to play, I'll not bother.

With that background, I installed KiCad, created a simple schematic and was laying out a board within a matter of hours. It is that simple. It is limited on layer count and possibly some other minor issues, but overall easy to pick up and run with.

I have not tried EasyEDA.

 

[VanDerSnow]

I used Eagle during studies, now use KiCAD only.

I know few people who even moved from Altium to KiCAD (obviously the PCB's they design does not require features that KiCAD hasn't got).

I found KiCAD very easy and simple to use, use it daily in professional environment. There are few things missing/needs updating but good thing about it is that you can contribute and make those changes happen.

As a free suite, KiCAD is no brainer. You just need to be open minded and learn it.

 

[MaxHeadRoom78]

The new Kicad Ver 6 is due any time now, apparently.

 

[Visitor]

It's interesting that all of the ardent supporters of Kicad end their ringing endorsements with "I've never tried EasyEDA." Another common point seems to be "I use Kicad every day."

Initially, I used Eagle. It was a struggle to learn how to use Eagle; whether you have a Windows, Mac or Linux background, Eagle has an unfamiliar user interface. Once you get past the initial learning curve, it gets pretty simple to use.

I tried kicad. I couldn't make sense of it. Admittedly, this was sometime back, and I know many new versions have been released, but the logic of the way it worked just did not compute for me.

When I tried EasyEDA, there were some problems figuring a few things out, but the basic operation was in fact EASY. It didn't take long to draw a schematic and to have a board laid out.

EasyEDA has the following going for it:

> The learning curve is gentle. You may have to use Google to ask "How do I.....", but you won't be stymied from the get-go trying to get started.

> Commands aren't so complex that you'll forget them if you're not using EasyEDA every day.

> EasyEDA's symbol/footprint library is huge, covering most of components available at LCSC (Chinese equivalent of Digikey, and yes, they do include the full range of "non-Chinese" parts). Additionally, Eagle and Altrium symbols/footprints are easily imported.

> Ordering boards from JLCPCB is simple and just takes a click, and Gerber files are available so you can use any fab house you'd like. No editing had to be done when I sent the files to Elcrow for fab.

> EasyEDA makes using JCL's essentially-free SMT assembly service simple. It makes it easy to use parts that they will assemble, and the BOM and centroid files are in the proper format.


So, what are the down sides of EasyEDA? It is cloud-based, so they could disappear along with your files. However, there is a desktop version of EasyEDA, and you can store your files locally with a couple clicks, so this danger is easily mitigated.

Any symbol/footprints you create are publicly available (but your other files are not). This is some give-back to the community. If this is a problem for you, give the files a cryptic name and no description and nobody will look at them. Note: user-contributed libraries are separate from "official" libraries and should be verified before use.

EasyEDA's autorouter sucks. Most autorouters suck and most people laying out boards don't use them.


PS – A note about symbols and footprints

You may want to use some component that's not commonly used and you may not find symbols and footprints for it. Instead of wasting hours searching for the symbol/footprint, learn how to make your own. It's not difficult (I know it used to be with Kicad, but I believe that's been fixed), and you can create your own with a few minutes effort.

 

[shortbus=]

You may want to use some component that's not commonly used and you may not find symbols and footprints for it. Instead of wasting hours searching for the symbol/footprint, learn how to make your own. It's not difficult (I know it used to be with Kicad, but I believe that's been fixed), and you can create your own with a few minutes effort.

That is why I finally settled on DipTrace. Super easy to learn and to make your own footprint. none of the others and i tried them all were any where near as easy as DipTrace.

 

[ronsimpson]

I moved from Eagle to KiCAD. I am making about 2 boards a month. KiCAD has a forum that helps greatly.

 

[Pommie]

EasyEDA's autorouter sucks. Most autorouters suck and most people laying out boards don't use them.

Agree, they seem to be working on the cloud based auto router now and I've had occasions where a track wasn't routed and to manually route it just required one trace on the top side - not even needing a via!!! Hopefully, they'll get it all fixed and usable.

Mike.