Back then, electrical engineers used to draw circuit diagrams with a conventional pen and paper. Due to the fast phased technology, creating diagrams has changed. Gone are the days of the traditional way as we will be putting emphasis on the circuit diagram creators today. These are particularly software programs with advanced options for notation, labeling, etc. Needless to say, it’s easier and much faster to create a diagram for the electrical circuit. So, without further explanation, we prepared 10 options for the best circuit diagram maker tools that you should look into. You can also click the image below to watch the video about how to create a circuit diagram online for free.
Best 10 Free Online Circuit Diagram Makers
GitMind
First on the list is GitMind. This is a free diagramming tool that comes with pre-set symbols designed to help you make circuits, UML diagrams, flowcharts, and many others. The best part is you can create electrical circuits from the pre-loaded clipart or upload one as you wish. After creating diagrams, you are entitled to export the diagram into different formats such as PNG and PDF files. Furthermore, the tool runs on almost any web browser available on your Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. It also has an AI version that can help your mind mapping to start quickly. Usability-wise, this online circuit diagram maker is easy to navigate even for those who are less familiar with the software.
EdrawMax
Another program you should consider using is EdrawMax. Upon opening it, you will be welcomed with an interface similar to MS Office. This means you’ll get used to the tool if you are an avid user of Microsoft Office software. Up the sleeve, you will find an extensive library of shapes that suit professional and educational purposes. Aside from being a circuit diagram creator, this is also capable of creating org charts, computer networking, UML diagrams, architectures, and a bunch more graphical representations.
SmartDraw
SmartDraw provides an online version for those who want to immediately access the tool. It is, therefore, a convenient program since you don’t need to bother downloading its desktop version. On the flip side, you might find its offline version helpful when an internet connection is inaccessible. Taking the functionalities into account, it offers a myriad of pre-made templates to speed up the process of creating circuit diagrams. Using this circuit diagram maker, you can create diagrams from basic to more complex ones. The only downside though is it is way compared to similar programs.
Visual Paradigm
Next on the list is Visual Paradigm. Similarly, you can use the program whether you are online or offline. It comes with a desktop and browser-based version. What’s captivating about this tool is that there are literally a massive amount of templates that are free to edit. Categories are arranged in alphabetical order so you can easily lookup up a specific template. Besides, you may change the font style, size of the elements, color, shape, and many more. Another prominent feature of this online circuit diagram maker is the ability to make a video conference. With this, you can collaborate and communicate effectively with other team members.
CircuitLab
CircuitLab is yet another program that is solely developed for circuit diagrams. What’s so good about this app is that it enables you to run a simulation to check if the components and plotting are accurate or correct. This makes the analysis much faster and it saves time and money as the practical implementation approaches. Unfortunately, you can only access this circuit diagram creator over the web. This means there’s no desktop version that grants you access offline. Nonetheless, it runs on famous websites such as Chrome, Edge, Firefox provided you have a stable internet connection.
CircuitMaker
You can also rely on CircuitMaker when it comes to creating professional circuit diagrams. It allows you to edit on a printed circuit board without any restriction to the dimension as well as layers. Moreover, you can enjoy up to 5 private projects with the freedom to decide whether to share them with the community or with selected users or authors. With its Altium Native 3D technology, you’ll be able to see the PCB layout in full 3D for an immersive view of the diagram. Other useful features of this free circuit design software include Push-N-Shove routing, multi-sheet schematic editor, and many others making it one of the best circuit makers.
Lucidchart
If you are looking for another go-to software to design circuit diagrams, you should probably choose Lucidchart. It provides flexibility when it comes to creating not only circuits but a bunch of electrical diagrams. It consists of categories such as resistors, transistors, and even power sources that cover a wide range of industry-level symbols for a great user experience. No wonder this circuit diagram maker is trusted by well-known organizations including Cisco, GE, Whole Food, and many more.
Schematics
Schematics does not only allow you to depict circuit diagrams but also parts of a machine, process, and device, hence the name. Simply put, the tool is helpful in drawing both schematic and circuit diagrams. What is more, this circuit diagram creator boasts the standardized structural representations of electrical symbols, components, and configurations. Also, all your projects are shareable which paves the way for easy collaboration with your co-workers. Perhaps you might want to access it from other platforms. That’s not a problem because the tool supports famous platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
EasyEDA
You can also use EasyEDA to visualize and analyze the output of a circuit. The tool provides a collaboration feature that helps you effectively plan a circuit layout with your team. Apart from that, the tool lets you enhance the diagrams you create using 3D views. This helps in understanding and visualizing your designs better. Over and above, diagram designs are highly configurable allowing you to adjust canvas attributes, grid, routing angle, and so much more. Furthermore, this free circuit design software provides designs that are readily available in the tool or imports existing circuit designs from other platforms.
Autodesk Eagle
For those who are hard users of a printed circuit board, Autodesk Eagle is no less than a superb application. This is particularly helpful if you are dealing with an enormous number of electronic components which are present in modern semiconductor chips. Hence, these types of programs are in demand. What’s gripping is that it comes with an extensive selection of PCB layouts. Along with this, users are given customize options like loop removal, cornering, routing, etc. On top of that, this circuit diagram maker enables you to incorporate 3D elements on diagrams with the perks of fusion 360 bringing lots of capabilities and possibilities.
Conclusion
There you have the top 10 options for the best circuit diagram makers that are available both for offline and online use. Each tool has the best asset of its own but shares the same purpose of drawing circuit diagrams. Still, it’s ideal to have a first-hand experience with these tools to identify which one really suits your needs best.
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