KiCad (kiːˌkæd/ KEE-kad) is a free software suite for electronic design automation (EDA). It facilitates the design and simulation of electronic hardware for PCB manufacturing. It features an integrated environment for schematic capture, PCB layout, manufacturing file viewing, ngspice-provided SPICE simulation, and engineering calculation. Tools exist within the package to create bill of materials, artwork, Gerber files, and 3D models of the PCB and its components.
KiCad was created in 1992 by Jean-Pierre Charras while working at IUT de Grenoble. The name came from the first letters in the name of a company of Jean-Pierre's friend in combination with the term CAD. KiCad originally was a collection of electronics programs intended to be used in conjunction with each other. The main tools were EESchema, PCBnew, a Gerber viewer, and a calculator.
What is KiCad?
KiCad by KiCad (developed by Jean-Pierre Charras) is open-source Windows software in the science & maths category. It ranks 2nd by popularity among science & maths in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 1992. It is written in C++. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux, macOS and BSD.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (NSIS) installers for 64-bit and ARM64 Windows. Installation asks for administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 10.0.6, released on August 29, 2026. The version history goes back to March 30, 2021: 53 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 9.8 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 126,728 times. The source code on GitHub (KiCad/kicad-source-mirror) has 3,066 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 22 of our languages. On Windows it registers 6 file types, including .pro, .sch, .kicad_pcb, .kicad_wks and .kicad_pro. Similar programs include Stellarium, Quarto and Qalculate!.
Project description on GitHub: “This is an active mirror of the KiCad development branch, which is hosted at GitLab (updated every time something is pushed). Pull requests on GitHub are not accepted or watched.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Native ARM64 build for Windows on Arm
- Documented silent install
- Frequent updates (about 9.8 a year)
- Also runs on Linux, macOS and BSD
- Mature project (since 1992)
Cons
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: KiCad is an open-source science & math tool for 64-bit and ARM64 PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is KiCad safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
9E24DC47119F7C472128C2F293C5E3F35569274A44C905E60A7514D47C16CE48· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 53 versions ›53 versions over 5 years · about 9.8 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10.0.6Latest | August 29, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 10.0.5 | July 22, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
| 10.0.4 | June 21, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
| 10.0.3 | May 20, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 10.0.2 | May 8, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 10.0.1 | April 15, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS) |
| 10.0.0-1 | March 20, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 9.0.8 | March 16, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS)ARM64 EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id KiCad.KiCad -echoco install kicad -yscoop install extras/kicadkicad-10.0.6-x86_64.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install --cask kicadflatpak install flathub org.kicad.KiCadInformation
- Publisher
- KiCad
- Developer
- Jean-Pierre Charras and Seth Hillbrand
- Category
- Science & maths
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/KiCad/kicad-source-mirror
- Written in
- C++
- Interface languages
- multiple languages
- Content rating
- 13+
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Other platforms
- Linux, macOS, BSD
- Version
- 10.0.6
- Released
- August 29, 2026
- First release
- 1992
- Added to the catalogue
- March 30, 2021
- Versions listed
- 53
- Updates / year
- 9.8
- Chocolatey downloads
- 126,728
- GitHub stars
- 3,066
- GitHub forks
- 761
- Website
- kicad.org
- winget ID
- KiCad.KiCad
- Chocolatey package
- kicad
- Scoop package
- extras/kicad
File types it opens (6)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is KiCad free?
Yes. KiCad is open-source software under the GPL-3.0 licence.
Is KiCad safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install KiCad with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can KiCad be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does KiCad run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of KiCad?
The versions page lists all 53 versions with links to their official installer files, back to March 30, 2021.
Can I use KiCad without administrator rights?
Yes, there is a per-user installer that does not need administrator rights.
What are alternatives to KiCad?
Stellarium, Quarto, Qalculate!, JASP and Klayout - Layout Viewer And Editor. The alternatives page compares them.
