Last updated on March 15th, 2024 at 01:08 pm
Online circuit simulators do not require any installation on your PC/laptop and can run resource-heavy simulations even on low-spec devices. These simulators allow students to learn practical concepts cost-effectively. Professionals can also benefit from these simulators as they can test out their theories and concepts before opting for a practical design.
There are many free online circuit simulators available on the internet. However, they are not always easy to use and may lack the advanced features that professionals need. To get the most out of these simulators, you must be familiar with basic circuit concepts such as voltage sources, current sources, resistors, capacitors, etc. If you are not familiar with these concepts then you should invest in a good textbook or take an introductory course before using online simulators.
In this article, we will discuss 11 free online circuit simulators along with the pros and cons of each simulator.
Here’s the list of Free Online Circuit Simulators
Best Overall: EasyEDA
EasyEDA easily takes this title because of its professional-level features and tools. It also has a PCB editor, which the majority of the other free circuit simulators lack. When it comes to the components library, it offers a huge library to select a variety of components.
Below is the list of 11 free online circuit simulators:
Tinkercad
Tinkercad is an Autodesk product that allows users to simulate electronic circuits. It comes with a fast simulator and a ton of components. You can edit components as well as connect them using wires. The most interesting feature of Tinkercad is Arduino simulation.
You can also export your circuit from Tinkercad as source code to edit using Code blocks or C++.
Pros:
- You can code your circuit using C++.
- You can create a virtual circuit.
- The simulator is fast and relatively accurate.
- You can add 3D design to your circuits.
- It has a huge component library.
Cons:
- Requires internet connection.
- Lacks a PCB editor.
- The 3D modeling environment is not beginner-friendly.
Falstad
This site contains a lot of educational-based simulators for subjects such as Physics, Math, and Engineering. The site allows you to design and simulate basic electronic circuits. It even animates the direction of the current flow.
Here’s is the list of some components present:
- Resistor
- Passive components
- Input and sources
- Output and labels
- Active components
- Digital chips
- Analog and hybrid chips
Pros:
- Free to use.
- Great simulation with current flow animation.
- Ideal for basic electronic circuit design.
Cons:
- Not ideal for advanced circuit design and simulation.
- Requires internet connection.
- It has a limited component library.
Simulator.io
This simulator also has a public library where you can browse circuit samples. It also allows you to load and tinker with these designs into your editor. This site has a great simulator that allows you real-time interaction with your tests via the clocks and switches. You will be able to control your simulations clock signal. The site also allows you to add up to 7 friends to collaborate on a project.
You will find the following components:
- Gates
- Adder
- Memory
- Switches and LEDs
- Advanced Output
- Code converter
Pros:
- Free to use.
- You can collaborate with your friends on a project.
- Allows real-time interaction of your circuit simulations.
Cons:
- Require internet connection.
- It has limited components.
Circuit.io
This online simulator is amazing as it has near-realistic electronic components. For example, when using the OR Gate you can see its all inputs and outputs. This gives a clear distinction between the Vcc and the Ground. You can also toggle between the basic and advanced views.
It has a majority of the basic components that have been categorized under:
- Power battery USB
- Connect
- Input
- Output
Pros:
- It has a realistic-looking component library.
- It provides both basic and an advanced view.
- You can save your work as a PDF.
Cons:
- Limited to basic components.
- Requires internet connection.
- Lacks a public library.
Circuit-Cloud
This is another great free online circuit simulator that offers a fairly good public library. The site has an added feature that allows you to specify who you wish to share your circuit designs with. You also have the choice of sharing the designs with the public. A handy feature is that you can make your public work private at any particular moment.
The website boasts of having both analog and digital components. Some of the components in these categories include:
Digital components
- Logic gates
- Flip flops
- Memory
- Counters
- Multiplexer
- Decoder and encoders
Analog components
- Measurement tools
- Sensors
- Sources
- Essential and basic components
- Junction devices
Pros:
- Shows all the errors present in the simulation circuit.
- Has a decent public library.
- Great selection of digital and analog components.
- Great simulation interface.
Cons:
- Requires internet connection.
- Limited components.
- Lacks a PCB editor.
PartSim
A great online circuit tool that allows you to carry out both basic and advanced circuit design and simulation. It comes with circuit design templates that will aid you in your design coupled with powerful search functionality.
The collection of components is good with the components being arranged in categories ranging from generic parts, vendor parts, electrical and electronic components, electromechanical, and many others.
Pros:
- Allows for manual inputs in-circuit testing.
- A great component collection library.
- You can order the components used in your design directly from the site.
- You can save your electronic design using the BOM file format.
Cons:
- Lacks a public library of user-made designs.
- Requires an internet connection throughout.
Docircuits
It’s a great online circuit simulator for both basic and advanced circuitry. The components are majorly dynamic allowing the user to assign whatever value they wish. It even contains both analog and digital components.
Pros:
- Lots of components for basic and advanced designs.
- You can perform DC analysis, Frequency Domain Analysis, and Time domain analysis.
- Great circuit library.
Cons:
- Internet connection is needed.
- Lacks PCB editor.
EasyEDA
This is easily the best free online circuit with its great features, professional-level components, and user interface. This site also includes a PCB editor. It allows you to control your component functionality. The component library is vast and if the component you desire is not present in the standard library, you can look for them in the user-contributed library.
Pros:
- You can color-code your circuit.
- You can control component functionalities.
- You can convert a circuit design into a PCB design.
- You can create a multi-layer PCB.
Cons:
- Internet is required.
- The simulator is not as fast as some paid simulators.
CircuitLab
This site is great for the design and simulation of intermediate circuits. It contains almost all the basic components. You can save your design as a PDF, PNG, or SVG file. You can even carry out time domain and frequency domain analysis on your circuit.
Pros:
- Provides time domain and frequency analysis tools.
- Has most basic components.
- Easy to use interface.
Cons:
- Not ideal for advanced circuits.
- Lacks a PCB editor.
- Requires internet connection.
CircuitSim
This is a great online circuit simulation that is not only free but also open source. It is one of the first free open-source online circuit simulators. It is great for beginners and students to learn some circuit basics.
Pros:
- Free and open source.
- Ther is no need to create an account.
Cons:
- The component library is not extensive.
- Has an outdated graphical user interface.
Everycircuit
It’s a simple easy-to-use circuit simulator with good quality graphics. The component library has enough components to design basic circuits or for learning purposes.
Pros:
- Uses spice simulator
- Available for both Android and iOS devices.
- Nice graphical interface.
Cons:
- Limited features for the free version.
- Requires internet connection.
- Limited simulation capabilities.
- Account required to use it
All the above-discussed online circuit simulators are free, hence they have limited functionalities as well as a small selection of components in their libraries. However, these are sufficient for basic circuit design and simulation. You can check them out and find out which among them meet all your needs.
The list above can help you get started with your design and simulation projects. If you already have experience with some online circuit simulators, feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.
