Printed circuit boards are in the very core of every microcontroller, which makes them essential in the modern-day tech. There’s literarily no piece of electronic equipment, where PCBs weren’t used. On top of everything, the future of PCBs seems very bright, which is why learning PCB design is a wise choice.

In fact, the average yearly salary of a PCB designer in the USA is $71,000, but is expected to grow even higher in the near future. With all of this in mind, you surely want to be a part of it. The first step in learning PCB design is choosing the right software.

Best Free PCB Design Tools

In order to see if PCB design is the right career path for you, it’s best to use a software that’s free of charge. The good news is that there are lots of free tools for PCB design out there, but the problem is that most of them are too complicated. As you need it for learning the basics of circuit board design, you need one that’s simple to use.

Altium ‘s Circuit Maker might be the perfect solution. This software is free and easy to use, making it perfect for the newbies. The issue with Altium products is that they are designed for Windows, so if you are a Mac user, you might want to look someplace else. For example, you can use online PCB tool such as ExpressPCB or PCBWeb.

Although they might be great for learning PCB design, these free tools are not good enough for large-scale projects. The big PCB projects are where the money lies, so in order not to let a good opportunity slip away, you need to get proper software. When you think that you’re ready to start making your living from PCB design, it is time to get the real deal.

Best Paid PCB Design Tools

If you want nothing but the best, look no further than Altium Designer. This is by far the best PCB design tool on the market, with lots of features that will make any task a piece of cake. In fact, Designer has too many advanced tools to mention, but if you want to read about PCB software by Altium click here!

According to a number of experienced PCB designers, Altium Designer is a flawless program that makes a real difference in their work. What’s not so great about it, is its price! In order to get a lifelong license for this program, you will have to splash out several thousand dollars. It sure does pay off, but not everyone has so much money to spend.

Altium Designer’s price is what makes people think about the alternatives. People need a software that has as much amazing features as possible, while not costing too much. One such program is called EAGLE.  Developed by a German company in the late 1980, this software was acquired by Autodesk Inc. in 2016. What makes it great is that it’s easy to use, with a big number of helpful features included. Still, the reason why EAGLE is the first choice of many is that it costs a few times less than its rival, Altium Designer.

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Meet Morakhiya is a freelance journalistic writer. He enjoys sharing information, inspiring people, and writing about pretty much everything about technology that helps small businesses, build brand awareness, engage their target audience and generate more leads. To get in contact with Morakhiya, feel free to reach out to him via email at [email protected]