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Manufacturing · head to head

Duro PLM vs KiCad

Duro PLM logo

Duro PLM

Manufacturing

Hosted PLM for hardware startups, sold in fixed user bands with no published price

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
KiCad logo

KiCad

CAD

Free open source schematic capture and PCB layout with no seat, board size or layer limits

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only KiCad has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Duro PLM no pricing is published anywhere, so budgeting requires a sales conversation and buyers cannot compare against alternatives without entering a pipeline.; 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: Duro PLM covers Part library, KiCad covers Schematic capture.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Duro PLM and KiCad actually diverge.

Attributes where Duro PLM and KiCad differ
AttributeDuro PLMKiCad
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWindows, macOS, Linux
CategoryManufacturingCAD

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Duro PLM

  • Part library
  • Multi-level BOMs
  • Change orders
  • CAD integrations
  • Supplier and cost data
  • User band plans

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.

Duro PLM

  • A robotics startup imposing change control on a design before releasing it to a contract manufacturernot KiCad
  • A consumer electronics team tracking supplier part numbers and costs against every item in the BOMnot KiCad
  • A hardware company whose engineers keep overwriting each other's BOM spreadsheet versionsnot KiCad
  • A venture-funded startup that needs a defensible change history before a first production buildnot KiCad

KiCad

  • A hardware startup designing a multi-layer board without paying for an Altium seatnot Duro PLM
  • A university teaching PCB design where per-student licences are unaffordablenot Duro PLM
  • An open hardware project that needs design files anyone can open and modifynot Duro PLM
  • An engineer prototyping a board at home who needs commercial rights on the outputnot Duro PLM

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Duro PLM

  • No pricing is published anywhere, so budgeting requires a sales conversation and buyers cannot compare against alternatives without entering a pipeline.
  • Plans are sold in fixed user bands rather than per seat, so hiring an eleventh engineer moves you to the next tier instead of adding one seat.
  • Storage allowances are capped at 25, 50 and 100 GB, which is tight for teams keeping native CAD files rather than only neutral formats.
  • There is no self-hosted or on-premises option, which rules Duro out for defence and some aerospace suppliers with data residency or ITAR handling constraints.
  • Scope stops at engineering data: no requirements management, no quality module and no manufacturing process planning, so it does not replace the systems a company needs at production scale.

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

Duro PLM

On request
  • Team$undefined/year
    • Up to 10 users
    • 25 GB data storage
    • Part library, BOMs and change orders
  • Business$undefined/year
    • Up to 20 users
    • 50 GB data storage
    • CAD integrations
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • 20 or more users
    • 100 GB data storage
    • Extended support

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 Duro PLM if

  • You need part library.
  • You also want multi-level boms.
Duro PLM review

Choose KiCad if

  • You need schematic capture.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want pcb layout.
KiCad review

Questions people ask

Is Duro PLM or KiCad better?
Neither clearly leads. Duro PLM starts at On request and KiCad at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Duro PLM or KiCad?
KiCad has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Duro PLM and Free for KiCad.
Does Duro PLM or KiCad run on more platforms?
Duro PLM runs on Web. 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. Duro PLM starts at On request.
What is Duro PLM best used for?
Duro PLM is most often used for a robotics startup imposing change control on a design before releasing it to a contract manufacturer, a consumer electronics team tracking supplier part numbers and costs against every item in the bom, a hardware company whose engineers keep overwriting each other's bom spreadsheet versions, a venture-funded startup that needs a defensible change history before a first production build. Of those, a robotics startup imposing change control on a design before releasing it to a contract manufacturer and a consumer electronics team tracking supplier part numbers and costs against every item in the bom are not what KiCad is typically brought in for.
What can Duro PLM do that KiCad cannot?
Duro PLM covers Part library, Multi-level BOMs, Change orders, CAD integrations. KiCad covers Schematic capture, PCB layout, No design limits, 3D viewer.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Duro PLM: How much does Duro cost?

Duro does not publish prices. Plans are fixed annual subscriptions quoted by sales against a user band, billed Net 30.

KiCad: 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.

Duro PLM: Can I run Duro on my own servers?

No. It is cloud only, which is a hard blocker for organisations with data residency or export control requirements.

KiCad: 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.

Duro PLM: What happens when we exceed our user band?

You move to the next tier rather than adding individual seats, so growth arrives as a step change in cost.

KiCad: How is development funded?

Through donations and sponsors administered via The Linux Foundation, plus contributed engineering time.

Duro PLM: Is Duro suitable for medical device work?

Its change control is real but the workflow configuration and audit depth are lighter than dedicated regulated-industry PLM, so most ISO 13485 programmes need more.

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.

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