Online PCB viewers, ranked · Guide
Which viewer for which file: KiCad, Gerber, Altium, EasyEDA
KiCad projects open best in BoardRepo (schematic, PCB, 3D and BOM), with KiCanvas for a quick look at KiCad 6+ files. Altium and Eagle files open natively in Altium 365 Viewer. Gerber and drill files are best checked in Ucamco's Reference Gerber Viewer. EasyEDA projects open in EasyEDA itself.
At a glance
| Your files | What they are | Open natively in | Open after conversion in |
|---|---|---|---|
| KiCad: .kicad_pro, .kicad_sch, .kicad_pcb (KiCad 6+); .pro, .sch (KiCad 5) | Design source: schematic, layout, parts | BoardRepo (most complete), KiCanvas (KiCad 6+), Altium 365 Viewer (beta) | EasyEDA (import) |
| Altium: .PrjPcb, .SchDoc, .PcbDoc | Design source | Altium 365 Viewer | BoardRepo (source kept, converted for viewing), EasyEDA (import) |
| EasyEDA: Standard or Pro projects | Design source, stored in EasyEDA's cloud | EasyEDA | Export Gerbers for any Gerber viewer |
| Eagle: .sch, .brd | Design source | Altium 365 Viewer | KiCad's Eagle importer, then any KiCad viewer |
| Gerber (RS-274X, X2) and Excellon drill | Fabrication output: copper, mask, silk, drill | Ucamco Reference Gerber Viewer, tracespace view, Altium 365 Viewer | Not convertible back to a design |
| ODB++ | Fabrication output with more structure than Gerber | Altium 365 Viewer | – |
Formats and versions change. Each viewer's entry links to the vendor page this table was checked against; look there before relying on a format being supported.
KiCad files
A KiCad project is a folder: the project file (.kicad_pro), one or more schematic sheets (.kicad_sch), the board (.kicad_pcb), and often project-specific symbol and footprint libraries and 3D models. KiCad 6 changed the file formats, so the version you saved with matters.
- [BoardRepo](/viewers/boardrepo) has the most complete KiCad support: schematic, PCB, 3D and BOM, with saved versions. Upload the whole project folder, not just the board.
- [KiCanvas](/viewers/kicanvas) opens KiCad 6 and later schematics and boards. KiCad 5 files do not open, and some KiCad 7 features such as custom schematic fonts may not render.
- [Altium 365 Viewer](/viewers/altium-365-viewer) lists KiCad support as beta, naming .pro, .sch, .kicad_pcb and .lib files.
What is lost: 3D models that live outside the project folder (in KiCad's own library paths) are not in your upload, so the 3D view shows bare pads. Custom fonts may fall back to a default. Unfilled copper zones show as outlines until you fill them in KiCad and save. See Viewing a KiCad project online for the full walk-through.
Gerber and drill files
Gerbers are what the fab builds from: one file per layer plus Excellon drill files. They describe shapes, not design intent. There is no schematic, no component list, and (unless the files are Gerber X2 with net attributes) no nets.
- [Ucamco Reference Gerber Viewer](/viewers/ucamco-reference-gerber-viewer): the reference, from the company behind the format. Reads X1 and X2, Excellon, XNC, NC and IPC, shows X2 attributes, measures clearances and checks syntax.
- [tracespace view](/viewers/tracespace-view): renders the finished board, with files kept in your browser. The project is on hiatus.
- [Altium 365 Viewer](/viewers/altium-365-viewer): opens Gerber RS-274X and X2, and can compare two Gerber sets graphically.
- Your fab's own preview: most PCB manufacturers render Gerbers when you upload them for a quote. That render is what they will build, so check it last.
What is lost: with older Gerber X1 files, a viewer has to guess which file is which layer from the file name. If a layer shows up in the wrong place, or not at all, see the checklist.
Altium files
Altium Designer stores a project as a .PrjPcb file with .SchDoc schematic sheets and a .PcbDoc board. They are binary files that few tools read natively.
- [Altium 365 Viewer](/viewers/altium-365-viewer) opens SchDoc and PcbDoc natively, with schematic, PCB, 3D and BOM views. Uploads last for your browser session unless you share or save them.
- [BoardRepo](/viewers/boardrepo) keeps your Altium sources as uploaded and converts them for viewing, alongside versions and sharing. Check the converted view against the original before you send it out.
What is lost in conversion: any converted view is a translation. Compare the details that differ most between tools: copper pours and their clearances, design rules and net classes, design variants, and 3D bodies attached to footprints. Keep the original Altium files as the source of truth.
EasyEDA projects
EasyEDA projects live in EasyEDA's cloud (or its desktop client) and are opened in EasyEDA itself, in the Standard or Pro edition they were made with. Both editions are available on the free plan.
To show an EasyEDA board to someone without an EasyEDA account, export Gerbers and open them in a Gerber viewer, or check EasyEDA's export menu for the CAD formats it currently writes. What is lost: a Gerber export carries no schematic and no parts list; send the BOM export alongside it.
Eagle files
Autodesk has moved its electronics users from EAGLE to Fusion. Existing .sch and .brd files still open in Altium 365 Viewer. To keep working on one in an open tool, KiCad can import Eagle projects; after that, any KiCad viewer opens the result. Check the import: libraries and design rules do not always come across one to one.