Circuit diagram makers compared: which one fits what you are drawing
A circuit diagram maker is a program for drawing circuits with standard symbols instead of by hand. They split by what the drawing is for: a picture for a report or a lesson, a schematic that will become a printed circuit board, a wiring diagram for an Arduino project, an industrial control panel, or a logic circuit you also want to run. Most of the good ones are free, so the question is which kind you need. If the diagram only has to look right, use a drawing tool; if it has to work, use a tool that simulates or builds it.
How to choose
For a clean schematic in a document or a homework sheet, Scheme-it, Circuit Diagram and draw.io all run in the browser for free: Scheme-it adds DigiKey part numbers and a parts list, Circuit Diagram exports SVG and netlists, and draw.io is a general diagram editor with electrical symbols that needs no sign-up. For a board you will actually manufacture, draw the schematic in KiCad or EasyEDA, because the same design carries on to PCB layout, and KiCad can simulate it with ngspice. For a maker project laid out on a breadboard, Fritzing draws the parts the way they look on your desk, and Cirkit Designer wires Arduino, ESP32 and Pico projects in the browser and runs their code. For industrial wiring and control panels, QElectroTech is free and comes with thousands of symbols. And for logic circuits, a simulator such as CircuitVerse, Logisim or digiwleea draws the diagram and runs it at the same time, so a wrong wire shows up as a wrong output.
Where digiwleea fits
digiwleea is the logic-circuit corner of this list: every diagram you draw in the lab is a working circuit, from single NMOS and PMOS transistors up through gates, adders, flip-flops and a small CPU, and the simulator shows every wire as 0, 1 or floating while you build. When the diagram is done, Export image saves it as an SVG for documents, a PNG for chat, or an animated GIF of the circuit running. If you start from an equation, the logic circuit generator turns a Boolean expression into a working gate diagram with its truth table. It does not draw analog schematics, wiring harnesses or PCBs; for those, use the tools above, and for analog simulation see online circuit simulators compared.
Circuit diagram makers side by side
| Tool | Draws | Runs on | Cost | Extra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheme-it (DigiKey) | Schematics, block diagrams, flow charts | Browser | Free; a DigiKey account to save | Parts linked to DigiKey's catalog, BOM; export as image or PDF |
| Circuit Diagram | Electronic schematics | Browser, with a download to keep offline | Free | Export as SVG or a netlist |
| draw.io | Any diagram, with electrical symbols and a circuit template | Browser and desktop | Free, open source (Apache 2.0), no sign-up | General drawing tool; nothing is checked electrically |
| QElectroTech | Industrial electrical diagrams, also hydraulics and pneumatics | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free, GPL | Over 8,000 symbols |
| KiCad | Schematics that become PCBs | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free, open source | SPICE simulation with ngspice |
| EasyEDA | Schematics that become PCBs | Browser or desktop | Free | Simple simulation in the Standard Edition; links to PCB ordering |
| Fritzing | Breadboard view, schematic and PCB | Windows, macOS, Linux | EUR 8 download (source is GPL) | Realistic breadboard pictures |
| Cirkit Designer | Arduino, ESP32 and Pico wiring diagrams | Browser | Free to start | AI wiring and code; runs the code in a simulation |
| CircuitVerse, Logisim | Logic circuit diagrams | Browser (CircuitVerse), desktop (Logisim) | Free, open source | The diagram runs as a logic simulation |
| digiwleea | Logic circuits, from transistors up | Browser, phones included | Free | The diagram runs; export as SVG, PNG or an animated GIF of it running |
Checked on each tool's own site on 2026-11-02. Prices and plans change, so confirm before you rely on one.
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 circuit diagram maker?
It depends on the diagram. For schematics in documents, Scheme-it, Circuit Diagram and draw.io are free in the browser. For schematics that become PCBs, KiCad or EasyEDA. For breadboard pictures, Fritzing. For industrial electrical diagrams, QElectroTech. For logic circuits you also want to run, a logic simulator such as digiwleea, CircuitVerse or Logisim.
Can I make a circuit diagram online without signing up?
Yes. draw.io needs no sign-up, Circuit Diagram has a web editor, and Scheme-it lets you draw and export without an account, though saving a project needs a DigiKey account. digiwleea's lab also runs in the browser without an account.
What is the difference between a schematic and a wiring diagram?
A schematic shows how parts are connected electrically, using standard symbols, without caring where the parts sit. A wiring or breadboard diagram shows the physical parts and the actual wires as they are placed, which is easier to copy when building but harder to read as a circuit.
How do I draw a logic circuit diagram?
Use a logic simulator or a diagram tool with logic gate symbols. In digiwleea you place gates and wires in the lab and the circuit runs as you draw it, or you type a Boolean expression into the logic circuit generator and get the gate diagram and its truth table.
Can a circuit diagram maker also simulate the circuit?
Some can. KiCad simulates schematics with ngspice, EasyEDA has simple simulation, CircuitLab and Falstad's simulator run analog circuits, and logic simulators such as digiwleea, CircuitVerse and Logisim run the logic. Pure drawing tools such as draw.io do not check the circuit at all.
Which circuit diagram maker is best for Arduino projects?
Fritzing is the classic choice for breadboard-style Arduino diagrams, and Cirkit Designer draws Arduino, ESP32 and Pico wiring in the browser and can run the code. For simulating Arduino code, also see Wokwi and Tinkercad Circuits.