ProtoFlow
Free desktop PCB design app where AI drafts schematics from plain English with real distributor parts, then lays out, routes, and exports to KiCad or Altium.
What it does and how it connects
ProtoFlow is a free desktop PCB design app for Mac, Windows, and Linux where AI drafts the schematic from plain English with real parts from JLCPCB, DigiKey, LCSC, and Mouser, then lays out, routes, and exports the board. The homepage shows a one-prompt ESP32 breakout routed ERC and DRC clean in a 30-minute run.
The workflow runs describe, draft, lay out, route, verify, and export and order: sync to the PCB, place parts, set the stackup and pour copper, route with the built-in autorouter or by hand, run ERC, DRC, and SPICE simulation with ngspice, then export Gerbers, drills, BOM, and placement files checked by JLCPCB's audit before paying.
It opens KiCad, Altium, EAGLE, and EDIF projects and exports to KiCad, Altium, EAGLE, PADS, EDIF, Gerber X2, STEP, BOM, and placement files, per the homepage. Everything the AI makes is normal editable geometry, and generated symbols and footprints open in the normal editors for checking against the datasheet. The app also lists Git, ngspice, DXF, CLI, and MCP support.
Alternatives
Compare side by side- siliXon
A commercial web app where an AI agent picks parts, draws the schematic, and routes the board from plain English, with KiCad import and export on Pro.
- HeyPCB
A browser-based AI PCB designer that turns plain language into schematic, layout, and fabrication files as real KiCad files.
- PCBEditor
A free browser-based PCB editor where a plain-English description becomes parts, netlist, placement, routing, DRC, and fabrication files.
- DeepPCB
A cloud routing service for an already placed board, rather than a local tool that runs the whole design loop.
- Quilter
A commercial AI routing product with per-project pricing by unrouted pin count, rather than a full desktop design app.
Recurring errors it addresses
Error Index entries this tool is built to reduce or work around.
- Interactive routing creates unwanted micro-segments and awkward paths that take time to clean up.Error Index
- Grid snap and move commands can disconnect items or reposition them in unwanted ways.Error Index
- GUI lag, occasional freezes, and sluggish editor switching interrupt concentration.Error Index
- Wayland/NVIDIA users report graphical glitches, flicker, or instability.Error Index
Sources
Not verified
- Real user voices (no independent user post found in a web search).
- Repo stats (no public repo verified for this commercial product).
- A named individual builder beyond the ProtoFlow brand
Last verified November 6, 2026. Listings are informational. The evidence score measures public, verifiable evidence and is not an endorsement or a compatibility claim.