Magic VLSI vs Electric VLSI: which free layout tool, and what to learn first

Magic and Electric are the two best-known free, open-source tools for drawing integrated-circuit layouts. Magic is a VLSI layout tool written at Berkeley in the 1980s by John Ousterhout (who later created Tcl); its maintainer's page calls it widely cited as the easiest tool to use for circuit layout, it is released under a Berkeley open-source license, and version 8.3 is current, with source release 8.3.689 dated October 29, 2026. It runs on Linux, and on Windows through WSL or Cygwin. Electric, from Static Free Software, is free software under the GNU GPL, written in Java so that it runs anywhere with Java 17 or later; version 9.08 is current, and its full release adds the IRSIM switch-level simulator and SkyWater process technology. Both are for laying out real chips. Here is how they differ, and where digiwleea fits before you get there.

Magic or Electric?

Pick Magic for a classic, scriptable layout flow on Linux: it is the long-standing open-source layout editor, and it writes the .sim netlists that the IRSIM switch-level simulator reads. Pick Electric if you want one Java program for integrated-circuit design that runs on any operating system, with IRSIM included in its full release. Both are free; in a course, use the one your instructor's process files and tutorials are written for. (digiwleea is an independent project, not affiliated with either.)

Where digiwleea fits

Layout tools assume you already know what the transistors should do. digiwleea teaches that part: in the browser you place NMOS and PMOS transistors as switches and build NOT, NAND and NOR, complex gates such as the AOI and the 28-transistor full adder, then latches, registers, RAM and an 8-bit CPU, through a 40+ level course where every part is checked against its truth table, with an AI tutor (Wleea). It has no layout, design rules or timing, so it is a first step before Magic or Electric, not a replacement. For a commercial teaching tool with layout and simulation, see our Microwind comparison. For the industrial flow, see the Cadence Virtuoso comparison.

Magic, Electric and digiwleea side by side

	Magic	Electric	digiwleea
What it is	VLSI layout editor	Integrated-circuit design system	Switch-level logic simulator and course
Runs on	Linux; Windows via WSL or Cygwin	Any system with Java 17 or later	Any modern browser
Current version	8.3 (source 8.3.689, October 2026)	9.08	Updated continuously
License and price	Free, Berkeley open-source license	Free, GNU GPL	Free lab and Act I; Premium course
Simulation	Writes .sim netlists that IRSIM reads	Full release includes IRSIM	Built in, at the switch level, zero delay

Before layout, see the transistor networks working: the CMOS inverter, NAND, NOR, AOI21 and the mirror full adder.

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: HDL, FPGA and chip design tools

IRSIM alternative Cadence Virtuoso alternative Microwind alternative KLayout alternative Icestudio alternative Tiny Tapeout Yosys alternative Verilog vs VHDL Lattice Diamond alternative Verilog vs SystemVerilog Quartus Prime Lite alternative Blocking vs nonblocking

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

Is Magic VLSI free?

Yes. Magic is open source under a Berkeley license, with source releases on opencircuitdesign.com and a GitHub mirror.

Is Electric VLSI free?

Yes. Electric is free, open-source software under the GNU GPL, distributed as a Java jar that runs with Java 17 or later.

Which is easier, Magic or Electric?

Magic's maintainer describes it as widely cited as the easiest tool for circuit layout, and it has a long tradition in university courses. Electric is attractive if you need it to run on any operating system through Java. The best choice is usually the one your course's process files and tutorials use.

What should I learn before using a VLSI layout tool?

How CMOS transistors form logic gates: pull-up and pull-down networks, inverters, NAND and NOR, and complex gates. digiwleea lets you build and test those at the switch level in the browser first.