Built for Pencil
Draw it. It understands.
Draw resistors, capacitors, diodes, LEDs and wires by hand. Your ink stays ink until you tap Recognize; then it becomes real parts and connections. When the app is unsure, it asks instead of guessing.
iPad, Mac and iPhone · November 11
Simple yet powerful.
Circuit boards, designed on iPad. Built for Apple Pencil, from the first sketch to files a factory can build.
PCB Canvas comes to iPad, Mac and iPhone together on November 11. Subscribe to the newsletter to hear when it is out.
- Pay onceno subscription; free to download, 14 days of Pro free
- Anywheredesign, check and export offline; your projects stay on your device
- Your own AIon the Mac: Claude, Codex, Cursor or a local model through MCP, no AI subscription
Made for makers
Autorouter
Autoroute in one tap.
Tap Autoroute and every unrouted connection gets copper, right on the iPad. It respects your net classes, keeps USB pairs together and leaves room for the ground pour. The result is one undo step, and every track stays editable.
Circuit check
Explains your mistakes.
The circuit check reads part data and does the arithmetic: an LED resistor that is too small, a regulator that will run hot, a fuse with little margin. It shows the numbers and, where it can, a one-tap fix.
Tutorials
Learn by building.
Your first board step by step, inside the real editor. The control to press is highlighted, Show me does the step for you, and the app checks your work before moving on.
No lock-in
Works with KiCad. Ready for the factory.
Uses KiCad symbol and footprint libraries and exports a complete KiCad project when you want to continue on a desktop. Gerber, drill, BOM and placement files for JLCPCB come out in one tap, with an order review that shows the board as the factory will see it.
Also in the app
- Schematic, PCB and 3D in one app
- Electrical and design rule checks with JLCPCB limits
- 2 and 4 copper layers
- Copper pours and teardrops
- 3D export: STEP, USDZ, STL, 3MF
- Enclosure and switch plate generator
- Schematic PDF
- Component wiki with example circuits
- Pencil hover, pressure and squeeze
- English, Czech, German and Spanish
Pricing
Free to download, 14 days of Pro free, then a one-time Pro unlock. No subscription.
Free
$0
Design, check and learn on your first board.
- One project of your own, plus every tutorial and example
- Schematic, PCB, 3D, circuit and design rule checks
- The autorouter in tutorials and examples, and 3 runs on your own project
- 14 days of Pro free: export your own projects during the trial or with Pro
Pro
$29.99one-time; iPad, Mac and iPhone
Everything, for good, for people who make boards often.
- Everything in Free
- Export your own projects: JLCPCB files, KiCad, PDF, 3D
- Unlimited projects
- The autorouter on every board
- KiCad project import and downloaded parts
- 4-layer boards, 3D export, enclosures
- AI chat with your own API key; AI agents through MCP on the Mac
- Future updates at no extra cost
Export your own projects during the 14-day free trial or with Pro: Gerbers and the JLCPCB order files, the KiCad project, schematic PDF, 3D files, enclosures and the DXF outline. Nothing is charged automatically; after the trial, without Pro, the Pro features and these exports lock. Tutorial projects always export, and opening, editing within the free version, your .pcbcanvas files and the assembly sheet PDF stay free. Pro is an In-App Purchase in the App Store (the App Store sets the price in your country, tax included), one purchase for iPad, Mac and iPhone with Family Sharing, and future updates come at no extra cost. Nothing is sold on this website. While the app is in testing, everything is unlocked. Pricing details
Questions
Which iPads does it run on?
Any iPad with iPadOS 18 or later. Apple Pencil is recommended (hover, pressure and, on Pencil Pro, squeeze), but fingers work too. We develop on an iPad Pro and set our speed budgets for the entry-level iPad; if you have an older or smaller one, tell us your model when you sign up. PCB Canvas also runs on iPhone with iOS 18 or later, and one Pro purchase covers iPad, Mac and iPhone.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Designing, checking and exporting work without a connection. The app goes online only to download library packs and, in the order review, to fetch JLCPCB part prices and stock.
Are my files KiCad-compatible?
PCB Canvas reads KiCad symbol and footprint libraries and exports a complete KiCad project (.kicad_sch, .kicad_pcb, .kicad_pro). Its own project file is plain text in the same S-expression style. PCB Canvas Pro also opens existing KiCad projects.
What happens to my designs and data?
Your projects stay on your iPad or Mac; there is no account and the app uploads nothing by itself. Feedback is sent only when you tap Send feedback, through Mail. Read the privacy page.
What will it cost?
The download is free, with 14 days of Pro free; nothing is charged automatically. Exporting your own projects needs the trial or Pro; tutorial projects always export. PCB Canvas Pro is $29.99, one-time (the App Store sets the price in your country), for iPad, Mac and iPhone, with future updates at no extra cost. No subscription. See pricing.
What about the Mac?
The Mac version comes together with the iPad: mouse, trackpad and keyboard shortcuts for every tool, plus AI agents through MCP. Windows, Linux and Android may follow later.
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