How MostlyPCB™ compares
There is more than one way to get a circuit board designed. They are different kinds of thing, and the difference that matters is not on a feature list.
We compare approaches here, not companies. Where another approach is the better fit, we say so.
First: what each one is
A feature table that puts software next to a service makes both look wrong. So here is what each one actually is.
A design tool you run yourself
PCB design software you operate, or an AI model you direct. Either way you are the engineer: you check it, and you decide when it is done.
You want to design boards yourself, or you have someone on staff who does.
A full-service design house
A team of engineers who design the board for you from start to finish.
Your board is hard, large, or has to pass certification.
MostlyPCB
A service for simple and medium boards. You describe the board and we reply by email. Automation does the repeatable work, an engineer reviews it and signs off, and we mail you the board.
You know what the board should do and want it made right, without learning a design tool or hiring a team.
Where we differ from a design tool
| Topic | MostlyPCB | A design tool you run yourself |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | A board in the mail, reviewed by an engineer. | Software. The board is whatever you make with it. |
| Who does the design work | We do. You describe the board and we reply by email. | You do, or an AI model you direct does. You still decide, and you still check. |
| Price | One price per board, delivered, shown before you pay. No subscription. | Whatever the software costs, plus your own hours, plus fabrication and shipping. |
| Engineering review | An engineer reviews every board and signs it off. Your design files are not released to you until they do. | Yours to do, or yours to arrange. Software does not sign anything off. |
| Automated checks | Electrical rules, design rules, and schematic-to-board parity are checked on every build. A board whose checks found problems cannot be signed off. Judgement calls, like thermals, protection and margin, stay with the engineer. No automated result signs them off. | Built in. You run them, read the results, and decide what to fix. |
| Placement and routing | Routing is automated. Placement is still guided by a person. | You place and route, with whatever automation the tool has. You check the result. |
| Design files | Included with the board. The schematic and board files are text, so you can keep them under version control. | Yours, in the tool’s own format. |
| Parts and assembly | Your choice: a bare board you solder yourself, or parts sourced and assembled. | You choose the parts. Ordering and assembly are up to you. |
| Board complexity | Simple and medium boards. High-speed, BGA and dense boards are scoped and quoted by an engineer instead. | Whatever you can design. The limit is your skill and your time. |
| Getting started | Describe your board on the main page. Your board is queued and the next step comes to your inbox. | Install it or sign up, and start drawing. |
The one thing we will actually argue
Rule-checking is not review. A design-rule check tells you a trace is too close to another trace. It does not tell you whether the board survives inrush, whether the regulator is stable into its load, whether there is an ESD path into something that matters, or whether the thermals work. That takes an engineer reading the design. A design tool leaves that review to you, whether a person or an AI drew the board. We include it on every board.
- Does it survive inrush?
- Is the regulator stable into its load?
- Is there an ESD path into something that matters?
- Do the thermals work?
How you’d know if a different fit would be better
If you want these, there are others who can help:
- You want to do all the work and design the board yourself, making every decision.
- You want an instant response on a design. We’re quick, but not “2 am, I just had an idea” quick.
- You must edit a design with others.
- You must have a board in the mail tomorrow. Our shipping times come from fabrication, and while we can expedite design and shipping, we cannot expedite fabrication.
What we only handle by custom quote today
High-speed, BGA and dense boards do not go through our automated path. An engineer will scope one with you and quote it, and if it is past what we do well, we will say so plainly.
Start with a description
Name the parts and what the board is for. Your board is queued and the next step comes to your inbox.