# KiCAD PCB Viewer vs Protoboard Designer

The clearest difference is price: Protoboard Designer at Free against KiCAD PCB Viewer's $1.99. Protoboard Designer also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 3 weeks). KiCAD PCB Viewer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and chart position (#146 vs unranked). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Protoboard Designer is free to download; KiCAD PCB Viewer costs $1.99 up front. Protoboard Designer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. KiCAD PCB Viewer asks for nothing beyond the download.

KiCAD PCB Viewer ships an update every 3 weeks, Protoboard Designer daily. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | KiCAD PCB Viewer | Protoboard Designer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[1.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kicad-pcb-viewer/id6450205342/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3** | — |
| Positive reviews | 15.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | **#146** | — |
| Size | 10 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [明杰 曾](https://appshunter.io/developer/1695506895) | [Protoboard Designer Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag](https://appshunter.io/developer/1095600199) |

## What reviewers say

### KiCAD PCB Viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kicad-pcb-viewer/id6450205342)

**Currently charting:** #146 Top Paid · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

This tool allows users to view and review KiCAD-generated PCB design files on mobile devices. It offers multi-layer browsing, interactive verification, and design rule checks to ensure manufacturing standards. Features include real-time zoom, pan, rotation, and annotation for collaborative design.

**Highlights:** View KiCAD PCB files on mobile, Multi-layer browsing and analysis, Interactive design verification, Design Rule Check (DRC), Annotation and marking for collaboration, Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux), AI model integration via MCP

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Protoboard Designer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/protoboard-designer/id6799526213)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Maker | $5.99 | per month |
| Engineer | $12.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is KiCAD PCB Viewer free?

KiCAD PCB Viewer costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Protoboard Designer free?

Protoboard Designer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do KiCAD PCB Viewer or Protoboard Designer have ads?

Neither KiCAD PCB Viewer nor Protoboard Designer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, KiCAD PCB Viewer or Protoboard Designer?

KiCAD PCB Viewer ships an update every 3 weeks, and Protoboard Designer daily. Most recently, KiCAD PCB Viewer was updated on September 9, 2026 and Protoboard Designer on September 14, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*