CAD · head to head
3D-Coat vs KiCad
KiCad
CAD
Free open source schematic capture and PCB layout with no seat, board size or layer limits
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only KiCad has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: 3D-Coat specific pricing not disclosed on website; KiCad there is no vendor obligation behind the free software, so a blocking bug is escalated to a volunteer community unless you separately buy a contract from KiCad Services Corporation.
- They diverge on capability: 3D-Coat covers Voxel sculpting, KiCad covers Schematic capture.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which 3D-Coat and KiCad actually diverge.
Identical on both: platforms (Windows, MacOS, Linux), user rating (Not yet rated), category (CAD).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in 3D-Coat
- Voxel sculpting
- Surface sculpting
- Retopology
- UV mapping
- Texture painting
- PBR materials
- Smart materials
- Baking
Only in KiCad
- Schematic capture
- PCB layout
- No design limits
- 3D viewer
- Manufacturing output
- Scripting
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
3D-Coat
- Voxel sculpting from a digital clay blocknot KiCad
- Retopology of high-density sculpts into production meshesnot KiCad
- UV mapping and PBR texturingnot KiCad
- Preparing print-ready models for 3D printingnot KiCad
- Node-based material authoring on the GPUnot KiCad
KiCad
- A hardware startup designing a multi-layer board without paying for an Altium seatnot 3D-Coat
- A university teaching PCB design where per-student licences are unaffordablenot 3D-Coat
- An open hardware project that needs design files anyone can open and modifynot 3D-Coat
- An engineer prototyping a board at home who needs commercial rights on the outputnot 3D-Coat
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
3D-Coat
- Specific pricing not disclosed on website
- 3DCoatPrint free version limited to 40K triangles on export
- Requires contacting sales or visiting store for pricing details
KiCad
- There is no vendor obligation behind the free software, so a blocking bug is escalated to a volunteer community unless you separately buy a contract from KiCad Services Corporation.
- High speed design support, including advanced constraint management, differential pair and impedance tooling, remains behind Altium and Cadence, which matters as soon as boards carry fast interfaces.
- Rigid-flex and complex stack-up design is weak, so products with flex circuits usually need a commercial package.
- Component library and part sourcing integrations are thinner than the commercial tools, so parts data and availability checking is manual work someone has to own.
- Multi-engineer design data management is not provided; teams end up assembling Git workflows themselves, and merge handling on binary-adjacent design files is awkward.
Pricing, plan by plan
3D-Coat
$29/month- Amateur$99/month
- Non-commercial use
- Professional$379/month
- Full commercial license
- Floating$568/month
- Network licensing
KiCad
Free- KiCadFree
- Full suite under GPL
- No board size, layer or component limits
- Commercial use permitted
- Commercial support$undefined/year
- Support contracts sold separately by KiCad Services Corporation
- Priority issue handling and consulting
- Not included with the free software
Which should you pick?
Choose 3D-Coat if
- You need voxel sculpting.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want surface sculpting.
Choose KiCad if
- You need schematic capture.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
- You also want pcb layout.
Questions people ask
- Is 3D-Coat or KiCad better?
- Neither clearly leads. 3D-Coat starts at $29/month and KiCad at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, 3D-Coat or KiCad?
- KiCad has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for 3D-Coat and Free for KiCad.
- Does 3D-Coat or KiCad run on more platforms?
- 3D-Coat runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. KiCad runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
- Can I use KiCad for free?
- Yes. KiCad has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. 3D-Coat starts at $29/month.
- What is 3D-Coat best used for?
- 3D-Coat is most often used for voxel sculpting from a digital clay block, retopology of high-density sculpts into production meshes, uv mapping and pbr texturing, preparing print-ready models for 3d printing. Of those, voxel sculpting from a digital clay block and retopology of high-density sculpts into production meshes are not what KiCad is typically brought in for.
- What can 3D-Coat do that KiCad cannot?
- 3D-Coat covers Voxel sculpting, Surface sculpting, Retopology, UV mapping. KiCad covers Schematic capture, PCB layout, No design limits, 3D viewer.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
3D-Coat: Is there a free version of 3D Coat?
Yes, 3D Coat offers multiple free options. 3DCoatPrint is a special free version designed for 3D print-ready models, limited to 40K triangles on export. Additionally, a 30-day unlimited trial is available for the full version.
SourceKiCad: Is KiCad really free for commercial work?
Yes. It is GPL licensed with no restriction on commercial use, board size, layer count or component count.
3D-Coat: What is the 30-day trial period for 3D Coat?
3D Coat provides a 30-day trial with unlimited learning resources. The trial grants full access to all tools needed to create production-ready, fully textured 3D models.
SourceKiCad: Can I buy support?
Yes, but not from the project. KiCad Services Corporation sells commercial support contracts separately; CERN moved to exactly that arrangement after ending its donation programme.
3D-Coat: Does 3D Coat offer specialized versions?
Yes, 3D Coat offers 3DCoatTextura as a specialized version focused on texturing and rendering at a more affordable price than the full 3DCoat version.
SourceKiCad: How is development funded?
Through donations and sponsors administered via The Linux Foundation, plus contributed engineering time.
KiCad: Is it good enough to replace Altium?
For most low and medium speed boards yes. For high speed, rigid-flex and heavily constrained designs, the commercial tools still hold a clear lead.
Related pages
Other head to heads
- 3D-Coat vs FreeCAD
- 3D-Coat vs V-Ray
- 3D-Coat vs Enscape
- 3D-Coat vs KeyShot
- 3D-Coat vs Mudbox
- 3D-Coat vs ZBrush
- 3D-Coat vs Mari
- 3D-Coat vs Nomad Sculpt
- 3D-Coat vs Plasticity
- 3D-Coat vs Bentley MicroStation
- 3D-Coat vs Rhino 3D
- 3D-Coat vs Shapr3D
- 3D-Coat vs ANSYS Fluent
- 3D-Coat vs Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
- 3D-Coat vs Carlson Software
- 3D-Coat vs Arnold
- 3D-Coat vs Inventor
- 3D-Coat vs CloudCompare
- 3D-Coat vs SolveSpace
- 3D-Coat vs Altium 365
- 3D-Coat vs Bambu Studio
- 3D-Coat vs OpenSCAD
- 3D-Coat vs PrusaSlicer
- 3D-Coat vs Ultimaker Cura
- 3D-Coat vs RealityScan
- 3D-Coat vs Substance 3D Designer
- 3D-Coat vs Zoo
- 3D-Coat vs Solid Edge
- 3D-Coat vs Tinkercad
- 3D-Coat vs Vectorworks
- KiCad vs FreeCAD
- KiCad vs V-Ray
- KiCad vs Enscape
- KiCad vs KeyShot
- KiCad vs Mudbox
- KiCad vs ZBrush
- KiCad vs Mari
- KiCad vs Nomad Sculpt
- KiCad vs Plasticity
- KiCad vs Bentley MicroStation
- KiCad vs Rhino 3D
- KiCad vs Shapr3D
- KiCad vs ANSYS Fluent
- KiCad vs Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
- KiCad vs Carlson Software
- KiCad vs Arnold
- KiCad vs Inventor
- KiCad vs CloudCompare
- KiCad vs SolveSpace
- KiCad vs Altium 365
- KiCad vs Bambu Studio
- KiCad vs OpenSCAD
- KiCad vs PrusaSlicer
- KiCad vs Ultimaker Cura
- KiCad vs RealityScan
- KiCad vs Substance 3D Designer
- KiCad vs Zoo
- KiCad vs Solid Edge
- KiCad vs Tinkercad
- KiCad vs Vectorworks