Breadboard simulators: virtual breadboards compared
A breadboard simulator lets you push parts and jumper wires into a virtual breadboard the way you would on your desk, then see the circuit work before you build it for real. Tinkercad Circuits, Autodesk's free web app, puts components on a breadboard and simulates Arduino and micro:bit boards you program with Codeblocks. DCACLab, a paid browser lab, has added full breadboard simulation to its multimeters and three-channel oscilloscope. Fritzing, a desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux, is known for its breadboard view, which it also shows as a schematic and a PCB layout. CRUMB, by Mike Bushell, is a 3D circuit simulator on Steam for Windows where you build circuits as you would at the workbench, and its site announces CRUMB Advanced for Windows, macOS and Linux. Virtual Breadboard is an app for practical electronics whose Bread2Board project makes PCBs directly from breadboard designs. Pick by what you are building: a microcontroller project, lab measurements, a PCB, or a 3D workbench.
How to choose
For a free start in the browser, with Arduino or micro:bit code, Tinkercad Circuits. For measuring circuits the way a school lab does, with meters and an oscilloscope, DCACLab. To go from a breadboard layout to a schematic and a manufactured PCB, Fritzing. For a hands-on 3D workbench, CRUMB. If you mainly want to run microcontroller code and do not need a breadboard view, Wokwi simulates Arduino, ESP32, STM32 and Pico boards in the browser. (digiwleea is an independent project, not affiliated with any of these tools.)
Where digiwleea fits
digiwleea is not a breadboard simulator: there are no resistors, LEDs or chips to push into a breadboard. It covers what happens inside the logic chips you would plug in. In the browser you wire NMOS and PMOS transistors into gates, then build adders, latches, counters, registers, RAM and an 8-bit CPU that runs a stored program, with live 0 and 1 values on every wire, through a 40+ level course with an AI tutor (Wleea). It pairs well with a breadboard project such as Ben Eater's 8-bit computer: understand the logic here, then build it with real chips.
The breadboard simulators side by side
| Breadboard | Runs on | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tinkercad Circuits | Yes, with simulated Arduino and micro:bit boards | Browser | Free |
| DCACLab | Full breadboard simulation, with lab-style meters | Browser | Paid plans, free classroom demo |
| Fritzing | Breadboard view, also shown as schematic and PCB | Windows, macOS, Linux | EUR 8 download (source GPL v3) |
| CRUMB | A 3D workbench and breadboard | Windows (Steam) | $8.99 on Steam |
| Virtual Breadboard | A breadboard app, with Bread2Board for PCBs | App | See its site |
No sign-up is needed to start: open the lab and place your first transistor, or read the free theory course. The account (and the AI tutor) are optional.
More comparisons: Electronics and SPICE simulators
See for yourself: build a logic gate from transistors in the simulator, then follow the path from sand to an 8-bit CPU.
Open the digiwleea lab →Frequently asked
What is the best free breadboard simulator?
Tinkercad Circuits is free in the browser and has a breadboard with simulated Arduino and micro:bit boards. Fritzing's source code is free (GPL v3), but its ready-built download costs EUR 8.
Can I simulate a breadboard online?
Yes. Tinkercad Circuits and DCACLab both run in the browser with a breadboard view; DCACLab is a paid service with a free classroom demo.
Is there a 3D breadboard simulator?
CRUMB is a 3D circuit simulator on Steam where you build circuits on a workbench and breadboard; the current version runs on Windows.
Does digiwleea have a breadboard?
No. digiwleea simulates digital logic from transistors up, with wires and parts on a canvas rather than a breadboard. Use it to understand the logic, and a breadboard simulator to plan the physical build.