Free and open source
A free AI-assisted PCB workflow with human approval
RoarCAD costs $0 to use, requires no account for its local workflow, and publishes its TypeScript source under the MIT license.
Included
- structured PCB drafting and import
- PCB and schematic views
- four bounded WebMCP tools
- immutable local revisions
- portable collaboration checkpoints
- engineering and fabrication gates
Not included
- verified teammate identity
- private cloud workspaces
- real-time coediting
- automatic divergent-board merges
- fabrication certification
- proof that a physical design works
How local-first works
Projects are stored in the browser with IndexedDB. A checkpoint packages one immutable head revision and its ancestry into a compressed URL fragment or JSON file. The recipient reviews it before continuing or adopting it. Possession of a checkpoint grants read access, and its hash proves unchanged bytes—not the sender’s identity.
Why it is free
The contest version uses browser storage and native web capabilities instead of accounts, a hosted database, or real-time infrastructure. That keeps the core design, review, and handoff workflow auditable and inexpensive. Manufacturing still costs money through the chosen fabricator, and RoarCAD never invents a quote.