9 Best Electrical Wiring Diagrams Softwares For Windows and Mac PC

If you need to design electrical wiring diagrams for your wiring system, you can use good software that has all the necessary tools to make the design easy and get the best results in all types of installations.

In this article, we are going to list the best software to make electrical diagrams, explaining the advantages of using a specific program and the factors that must be taken into account when choosing it. Do not miss it.

What is a Circuit Diagram?

For the clueless, wiring diagrams are a visual representation of an electrical circuit made with basic pictures of the parts used or even symbols used in industry.

There are two different types of wiring diagrams:

1. The illustrated version
2. The illustrated version and the schematic version.

Illustrated Version: Standard images of the components used in the circuit are used. The illustrated version is intended primarily for people who are less technically savvy and just want a general idea of what's going on.

Circuit Version: Uses industrial-grade symbols. The circuit version is primarily intended for the electrician who will be working on this circuit and developing it in real time. Therefore, it is more detailed and contains more symbols for better understanding.

List Of 9 Best Free And Paid Software To Make Electrical Wiring Diagrams

Whether you work in engineering or another technical field, you need to design circuits to optimize the electrical wiring process in your home or building. And in this section, you can choose the best free or paid electrical circuit design software from the list of recommendations below:

1. Lucidchart: Intelligent Diagramming Software

Lucidchart combines diagrams and data visualization to help you understand electrical circuits.

Drag and drop features allow you to quickly edit any diagram , saving you time when designing engineering processes.

Features include creating wiring diagrams with access to a library of standard illustrations, formatting connections, labeling power supplies, and labeling individual components in a structure.

Pros

• It allows you to import files from other software such as Visio, Gluffy and Draw.io.
• Presentation mode allows you to show the electrical circuit more clearly and attractively to your colleagues or viewers.
• Integrates with other apps to enable collaboration.

Cons

• Some form libraries are not available in the free version, such as UI and wireframe.
• If you want to integrate your data to automatically create electrical designs, you must purchase a paid design.

You can create a free account to get familiar with the platform, and then sign up for a paid plan starting at $7.95 per month if you want advanced features and unlimited editions.

Official Website

2. Altium: PCB Design Software and Tools

Another good program for drawing electrical schematics is Altium Designer, which allows you to draw schematics online and work between schematics and PCI files in a single interface.

Features include switching between 2D and 3D views of a full-scale model, rapid creation of single-line diagrams, secure data storage with Altium Vault, and access to over 300,000 components that can be used in any moment.

Pros

• There is no need to use additional applications to draw wiring diagrams, since the functions allow you to switch between files in one place.
• The schematic can be viewed in 2D or 3D.
• It provides an interactive route that allows you to define each angle easily and quickly.

Cons

• The free version of Altium Designer is very limited in time.
• It is more expensive than the other software on this list.

Altium Designer can be purchased in a single payment of $5,995 or twelve payments of $499 each. To request a free trial, fill out the form on the official website and get the app that fits your needs.

Official Website

3. eDrawSoft Free Viewer Version and Professional Editable Version

eDrawSoft is a program compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux that allows you to draw your own wiring diagrams in seconds using predefined symbols.

Provides sources for schematics, one-line diagrams, wiring diagrams, and drawings.

The library includes the following groups of symbols: transmission lines, switches, relays, semiconductors, and electron tubes. You can also easily draw components using drag and drop.

Pros

• You can download the app for free and with no time limit.
• Licenses are very affordable.
• Contains sources for all kinds of diagrams and circuits for wiring and piping systems in houses and buildings.

Cons

• May require integration with other related applications to extend functionality.
• There is no possibility to import or export to other file formats.

You can download eDrawSoft for free or request an annual subscription for $95 to receive guaranteed updates for one year. However, if you want to extend this benefit, order a perpetual license for a one-time price of $129 and use the program indefinitely.

Official Website

4. ProfiCAD - Electrical CAD Software

ProfiCAD is a free and easy-to-use diagramming program with an intuitive interface where you can easily place symbols and add threads to your project.

In addition to using the program's own symbols, you can also create your own symbols using the graphic editor.

It also supports the creation of net lists, cable lists, cable strip drawings, and cable connections.

Pros

• ProfiCAD can be downloaded free of charge for home use.
• Support multiple languages.
• The blocks are developed according to ISO 7200, so they can also be used in the commercial sector.

Cons

• The free version does not include components such as grid lists or modular coordinates.
• Free or automatic updates are not included.

To download this software for free, you need to go to the download page and click on “ New Installation ”, where the installer will appear. However, if you need it for business or academic purposes, buy one of the paid licenses for ¤247 and you will get more features.

Official Website

5. Cofaso - Electrical CAD Software

Cofaso offers a solution to create automated power distribution systems, both to increase energy efficiency and to optimize any control system present in an electrical installation.

The interface offers great flexibility to adapt the circuits to the needs of any architectural installation. It also conforms to industry requirements and documentation, providing the user with a system controlled by measured parameters.

Pros

• It supports thirteen languages, so it can be used anywhere in the world.
• Includes sector-specific features.
• If you are a student or educator, you can get a free license for an unlimited time.

Cons

• You cannot buy directly on the website, you have to go to the nearest store or distributor.
• Cofaso is not available in all countries.

You can download a free thirty-day trial on your computer. Once it has expired, you will have to pay for one of the available packages. For more information, visit the official site.

Official Website

6. EasyEDA - Online PCB design and circuit simulator

With over 1.5 million users worldwide, EasyEDA is one of the most popular and widely used online circuit design software for creating schematics.

This powerful PCB design tool offers an affordable subscription plan and is ideal for team collaboration as circuit changes are automatically updated.

It is also highly recommended for its project management capabilities that allow private and public projects such as Spice circuit simulation to be generated and developed in a short space of time.

Other features

PCB schematics created in EasyEDA can be supplemented with 3D views for a better understanding of the schematic. A huge library of layouts is also available, which can be created or imported from existing platforms, to make customizing your circuits easy.

The app works closely with China's largest electronics supplier, LCSC, providing direct connectivity to the company 's more than 200,000 components .

Official Web

7. KiCad EDA - Schematic Capture & PCB Design Software

KiCAD EDA is one of the open source software products for creating electrical schematics.

It is an excellent software for creating and designing wiring diagrams and schematics.

KiCAD EDA can also be considered as an electronic design automation package that comes with a circuit editor.

It is widely used by electronics professionals and beginners to create mostly descriptive PCB circuits with over 32 copper layers and a push-push router for differential pair routing and lead length adjustment. trajectory.

Other features

This app can be used freely by users who can create numerous projects without facing payment limitations to unlock the features and options they need.

Once in the program, they can quickly begin building electronic schematics using the extensive library of official schematic symbols. Schematic diagrams can also be displayed in 3D for a more accurate and interactive representation of the project.

Official Website

8. DesignSpark - Free Design Software

Finally, there is Design Spark, which offers a wide range of professional CAD features for faster and more accurate design of complex electrical circuits.

This program includes a library of parts, updated daily, from which you can select a large number of symbols to use in your circuits and improve electrical connection systems of any complexity.

Pros

• The library contains millions of parts that you can freely choose from.
• It is compatible with previous versions of Windows, starting with 7.
• The interface is very intuitive and easy to use.

Cons

• The software installation system may seem complicated at first, since you have to request an activation code to access the interface.
• Support only in English Language.

Design Spark is 100% free. Just download the software from the official website and follow the installation instructions. It is also necessary to register to obtain the code and access the tutorials available on the platform.

Official Website

Why use a circuit design software?

The software mentioned in the list have various symbols that will help you understand how to design electrical circuits, from the simplest to the most complex.

The advantage is that you can discover wiring errors and fix them right before installing them in your home or building.

Points to consider when choosing the software

At this stage, you may not have a clue about the best software for your needs, either due to lack of money, knowledge or experience in the field. Therefore, you must take a series of factors into account before making a final decision:

• Analyze if you implement a control or accounting system for the business sector. Regarding the documentation, the printed graphics may become obsolete due to the updating of the quality certificates. Some softwares process this data so that you can design according to current security standards.
• Ask yourself if investing in a specialized program will improve the performance of your company. If so, you should discuss with your team when it makes sense to digitize electrical schematics.
• Ask yourself why you need electrical circuit design software. Is it for personal, academic or commercial use? Some companies offer different plans and support services for each.
• Compare the prices of each product. The “cheap is expensive” rule does not usually apply here, as sometimes the cheapest option has similar features at a lower price. In this case, contact the creators of the app and ask them what the offer on the website includes.
• Regardless of how easy the interface is to use, you should always set aside time for specialized training for your team. You should also consider the budget of the product and how the transition will benefit the entire company.
• Check if the software includes features to create connections or automatically change symbols to create diagrams. Com also tests if the library includes basic diagrams and how many free features you can purchase from the library.

The above content published at Collaborative Research Group is for informational purposes only and has been developed by referring to reliable sources and recommendations from experts. We do not have any contact with official entities nor do we intend to replace the information that they emit.