Online PCB viewers, ranked · #1 of 6
BoardRepo
Verdict: The best online PCB viewer for KiCad projects: schematic, PCB, 3D and BOM in one link, with saved versions and access control for review.
BoardRepo is a shared workspace for hardware projects. You upload a board's source files and get a page that opens the schematic, the PCB, a 3D view and the parts list in the browser, plus the saved versions of the board and the context around it.
That makes it more than a viewer: it is where a KiCad project lives between edits. Reviewers open a link and see the same board you do, without installing KiCad; you keep editing in desktop KiCad and save a new version when you are done.
It is candid about its limits. KiCad is the format it supports most completely. Altium sources are kept as you uploaded them and converted for viewing, which means the view is a translation of the original. Some uploads do not render fully, so open the result before you send the link.
Who it suits
KiCad designers, makers and hardware teams who share boards for review and need versions and BOM context, not just a picture.
What it costs
Personal core features are free, including public and private boards, version history and KiCad sync. Team organizations are custom pricing through contact; Enterprise is agreed separately.
Best for
- A KiCad project you want reviewed without asking anyone to install anything
- Keeping a board's versions together and comparing what changed between them
- Sharing with a contract manufacturer or client who should see one board and nothing else
- Browsing real open-hardware boards by the parts they use
Not for
- Checking Gerber files the fab will receive: use a Gerber viewer for that final step
- Editing the layout in the browser: the editing stays in KiCad
- Teams that need several people editing the same CAD file at once and merging the results
Strengths
- Schematic, PCB, 3D view and parts list (BOM) from the same upload, in any browser
- Saved versions with visual comparison between them
- Share as public, unlisted (link only), password-protected or private; in an organization, admins invite members and assign board access
- Public library of more than 9,000 open-hardware projects, searchable by component, viewable without an account
- Upload a project folder or import it from GitHub; push and pull with desktop KiCad through the BoardRepo for KiCad plugin
- AI assistants (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor) can read boards through an MCP server and save only with your permission
Limits
- KiCad 6 or newer has the most complete support; Altium sources are kept and converted for viewing, so check the converted view against the original in Altium
- Some uploads do not render fully: a successful upload does not guarantee every view is produced
- Older KiCad, EAGLE and other formats can be stored and versioned, but may not get a preview
- It does not merge simultaneous CAD edits and has no pull requests
- Editing happens in desktop KiCad, not in the browser
On the six criteria
| Criterion | BoardRepo |
|---|---|
| File formats | PartlyKiCad 6 or newer is best supported (schematic, PCB, 3D, BOM, Gerbers, checks, compare). Altium is converted for viewing. Older KiCad, EAGLE and other formats are stored and versioned, without a guaranteed preview. |
| Layers | YesPCB view plus a render of each layer (copper, mask, silkscreen, courtyard, fab). |
| 3D | Yes3D view of the board in the browser. |
| BOM | YesParts list grouped by type, with references, values and footprints. |
| Privacy | YesBoards can be public, unlisted, password-protected or private, free for personal use. Files are stored until you delete them; BoardRepo's terms grant no model-training rights over your projects. |
| Sharing | YesPublic, unlisted link, password link or private; organization admins assign board access to members. |
Sources
Checked against these pages on 10 November 2026. Look there for anything that may have changed since.