TinyCAD review
A focused, free schematic editor for electronics—not general-purpose 2D CAD.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026
TinyCAD is a free, open-source schematic capture tool for electronic circuit diagrams. It is aimed at electronics hobbyists, students, educators, makers, and engineers who need to represent circuits rather than create conventional mechanical, architectural, or general-purpose 2D CAD drawings. TinyCAD v4 is available as a browser-based application and as a desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux, with offline mode listed among its category specifications.
Its strongest area is schematic depth. The feature set covers symbol libraries, custom library editing, wires, buses, labels, annotations, and multi-sheet drawings. Design Rules Check can identify wiring and pin-type errors, while netlist generation and SPICE simulation file output support downstream electronics workflows. The desktop app also provides VHDL file output. PDF and SVG export cover common diagram-sharing needs, and KiCad .kicad_sym symbol import connects the tool to KiCad symbol libraries. Google Drive is listed as an integration.
TinyCAD makes the clearest fit for users who want open-source access to electronics schematics across desktop and browser environments. It should appeal to learners, educators, makers, and engineers whose work centers on circuit diagrams, symbol management, validation, and design-file output. Users choosing a conventional mechanical or architectural 2D CAD package should look elsewhere: TinyCAD is not positioned around core DWG/DXF workflows, PDF underlays, parametric constraints, or batch printing. Its narrow electronics focus is an advantage for schematic work, but a limitation for broader drafting requirements.
TinyCAD pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Multi-sheet schematics with custom symbol library editing
- Design Rules Check flags wiring and pin-type errors
- Netlists, SPICE output, VHDL output, PDF and SVG export
- Where it doesn't
- Focused on electronics rather than mechanical or architectural CAD
- Core DWG/DXF workflows are not part of its positioning
- No verified PDF underlays, parametric constraints, or batch printing
TinyCAD fact sheet, pricing and score →
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