CircuitLab review
Advanced browser-based simulation at a low annual entry price, with limited physical-design coverage.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
CircuitLab is a browser-based electronics design tool for students, hobbyists, and professional engineers. It combines schematic capture and editing with analog, digital, and mixed-mode simulation, so users can create, analyze, plot, share, and export circuit designs without installing desktop software. Its documented simulation modes include DC, time-domain, and frequency-domain analysis, covering a broad set of early-stage circuit design and learning tasks.
Pricing is aimed at keeping entry costs low. CircuitLab Micro is listed at $24 per year for anyone learning electronics, which corresponds to the $2-per-month starting price when billed annually. CircuitLab Hacker Lite costs $79 per year or $16 per month with monthly billing and is intended for hobbyists. The Student Edition is a $2,400 annual site license for students and faculty, with an official .EDU email and paid school subscription required. Hacker adds custom access control lists and schematic revision history to the Hacker Lite features, while Pro is intended for engineers and authorized for commercial use. The published plans do not show prices for Hacker or Pro.
The standout capability is simulation depth within a web workflow. CircuitLab supports parameter sweeps, Laplace transfer-function blocks, SPICE-like device models, custom device parameters, behavioral sources, algebraic expressions, signal plotting with export, and schematic export to PDF, PNG, EPS, and SVG. Public, private, and unlisted sharing also supports collaboration around circuit designs. The platform fit is focused: the documented options are web and Chrome extension access, with no verified integrations, and the product has limited physical-design coverage. Choose CircuitLab for affordable simulation, education, hobby projects, and shareable schematics; choose an alternative when broader physical design or established integrations is central.
CircuitLab pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Analog, digital, and mixed-mode simulation in the browser
- Parameter sweeps, custom models, plotting, and export options
- Public, private, and unlisted circuit sharing
- Where it doesn't
- Limited physical-design coverage
- No verified integrations
- Commercial use is reserved for the Pro plan
CircuitLab fact sheet, pricing and score →
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