PCB design on Android

The PCB design app for Android

Most PCB tools never left the desktop. Protoboard Designer did. It's a full, touch-first PCB editor that runs natively on Android phones and tablets — place footprints, route copper, run a Design Rule Check, and export Gerber files without ever opening a laptop. Free to start, and the same projects open in any browser too.

Get it on Google Play Open the Web App

★★★★★ 4.5 on Google Play · Free to start · No credit card required

A real PCB editor — not a viewer

This isn't a companion app for previewing boards you designed elsewhere. The complete layout workflow lives on your phone: search the footprint library and drag parts onto the canvas, draw copper pad-to-pad, pour a ground plane with AutoGround, and catch shorts and clearance issues with the on-device Design Rule Check. What you see on the screen is exactly what gets fabricated.

Looking for KiCad on Android?

There's no KiCad app for Android — this is the alternative

KiCad is desktop-only, so there's no official way to open it on a phone or tablet. Protoboard Designer fills that gap: a mobile-native PCB layout editor that also imports KiCad footprints (.kicad_mod), including whole libraries pulled straight from GitHub. Your existing KiCad parts come along, and you keep working on the go instead of waiting until you're back at a desk.

Switching from PCBDroid or another mobile app?

If you've used PCBDroid or another mobile PCB tool, Protoboard Designer is a modern alternative worth a look. It pairs the Android editor with a matching WebAssembly web app, so the same project moves between your phone and a desktop browser automatically. On top of the layout tools you'd expect, it opens Sprint Layout (.lay6) and Eagle (.brd) projects as editable boards and imports KiCad footprints. The free plan makes it easy to try side by side — no account cost, no commitment.

Start on your phone, finish anywhere

Every board is cloud-synced the moment you save it. Sketch an idea on your phone during a commute, refine it on a tablet on the couch, and export from a laptop later — it's the same project the whole way through, always at its latest version. When you're ready, order from any fab with Gerber export, or etch at home from a PDF mask. See the whole flow in how it works.

Android PCB design — FAQ

Can I design a PCB on my phone or tablet?

Yes. Protoboard Designer runs the full PCB editor natively on Android phones and tablets. You can place footprints, route copper traces, pour ground planes, run a Design Rule Check, and export Gerber or PDF files — all from a touchscreen, no desktop required.

Is there a KiCad app for Android?

KiCad itself is desktop-only — there is no official KiCad app for Android. Protoboard Designer is the closest mobile alternative: a touch-first PCB layout editor that also imports KiCad footprints (.kicad_mod), including straight from GitHub repositories, so your existing parts come with you.

Is Protoboard Designer a good PCBDroid alternative?

It's a modern mobile PCB editor with WYSIWYG layout, on-device Design Rule Check, Gerber and PDF export, and cloud sync between Android and the web. You can also import Sprint Layout and Eagle projects and KiCad footprints. The free plan lets you compare it against any other mobile PCB tool at no cost.

Do I need a desktop computer to design a PCB?

No. You can go from an empty board to fabrication-ready Gerber files entirely on Android. If you prefer a bigger screen, the same projects open in any desktop browser as a WebAssembly web app and sync automatically — start on your phone, finish on a laptop, or the other way around.

Is the Android PCB app free?

Yes, it's free to start. The free plan includes the full layout editor, Design Rule Check, 3 cloud-synced boards, and PDF export. Optional Maker and Engineer subscriptions, managed through Google Play, unlock more boards, footprint-library import, and Gerber export.

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