What is KiCad MCP Pro?
KiCad MCP Pro, by Osman Aslan (oaslananka), connects MCP clients to KiCad projects for schematic and PCB inspection, ERC and DRC through KiCad's own engines, design-for-manufacture checks, BOM and parts sourcing, and Gerber and fabrication exports. Its tools are grouped into profiles: the default profile exposes 25 read-only review tools, build and release open controlled edits and manufacturing handoff, and expert opens the full catalogue of 388 tools.
It is MIT-licensed Python with an npm wrapper, published as kicad-mcp-pro on PyPI and npm, with about 208 GitHub stars. v4.12.0 shipped on 11 November 2026, and PyPI counted 8,783 downloads in the week before. KiCad 10 is the primary target; KiCad 9 support has been removed and KiCad 8 is read and migration only. The repo URL sometimes given under Ansvar-Systems does not exist; the canonical repository is oaslananka/kicad-mcp-pro.
How to install KiCad MCP Pro
uvx kicad-mcp-proIs KiCad MCP Pro worth it?
KiCad MCP Pro is built around restraint. Out of the box an agent sees 25 read-only tools that cost about 2,403 tokens of catalogue, according to the project's own snapshot; the expert profile's 388 tools cost about 57,048. Edits need the build profile with write mode, and manufacturing outputs need the release profile, which the project calls a human-gated handoff. The rival KiCAD MCP Server from mixelpixx takes the opposite approach, with 247 tools and a core mode of 37, and it has far more users at about 3,070 stars against roughly 208.
The engineering habits show. Installation is uvx kicad-mcp-pro or npx kicad-mcp-pro rather than a clone and build, and a quickstart command configures a detected agent in read-only mode with a backup of its settings. The threat model documents argv-only subprocess calls with no shell, path confinement to the project root, and an optional bearer token with Origin checks on HTTP. Releases carry an SBOM, Sigstore signatures and attestations. The README says the signal-integrity, power-integrity, EMC and thermal tools are closed-form estimates of roughly 5 to 10% accuracy, not a field solver, and that every board needs qualified human review before fabrication.
What it does not do is as important. KiCad 9 is dropped, so a shop still on 9 has to use mixelpixx's server or upgrade. The README gives two figures for how much of KiCad's programmatic surface it drives, 84.4% in the badge and 76.6% in the text, and its own native-live outcome evidence reports insufficient_evidence. A KiCad 10 PCB editor plugin is a read-only development preview. The release cadence is fast, with v4.11.0 and v4.12.0 a day apart, which suits early adopters more than teams that pin tools.
The server runs locally and the privacy policy says it sends no design data anywhere by default; telemetry is opt-in to your own collector. Parts lookups reach the JLCPCB public catalogue, and Nexar, DigiKey and Mouser only with your API keys. The optional Cloud remote pairs a Windows machine through a browser and currently grants AI clients a project-summary permission only, with remote editing not yet available.
Where it earns its place
A hardware engineer at a ten-person robotics firm
Get a design review of a motor-driver board before sending it out
Run the default read-only profile: the agent reads the board summary, stackup and design rules, runs DRC and the manufacturer DFM check, and writes up findings. Nothing in the project can change in this profile.
A contract designer ordering from JLCPCB
Check the BOM for stock and price before release
lib_get_bom_with_pricing checks lines against the JLCPCB public catalogue; DigiKey or Mouser pricing needs those API keys. Free to run; confirm substitutes against datasheets.
A small product team preparing a fabrication package
Produce Gerbers and assembly files with a record of what was checked
Switch to the release profile with manufacturing mode, have the agent export outputs and report ERC, DRC, DFM and assumptions separately, then a qualified engineer signs off as the README requires.
Before you commit
- Setup
- uv tool install kicad-mcp-pro then kicad-mcp-pro setup, or uvx kicad-mcp-pro quickstart inside a project folder. Needs KiCad 10 with kicad-cli. Example configs for Claude Code, Codex, VS Code Copilot and OpenCode; a Claude plugin with five skills ships in the repo.
- Integrations
- Profiles: default and review (25 read-only tools), build (24, write mode), release (24, manufacturing mode), expert (388). Drives kicad-cli and KiCad IPC; parts from JLCPCB, plus Nexar, DigiKey and Mouser with credentials; optional Freerouting.
- Data and privacy
- Local; stdio by default, optional Streamable HTTP on 127.0.0.1:3334 with an optional bearer token and Origin checks. Reads and writes are confined to the project root; no shell is invoked. No telemetry by default. Write and release profiles change or export project files, so keep them under version control. Optional Cloud remote pairs a device through a browser.
- Cost at scale
- Free under MIT. Supplier APIs bill or rate-limit under their own terms; Cloud pricing is not published.
- Limits
- KiCad 10 primary; 9 dropped, 8 read-only. 19 open issues. SI, PI, EMC and thermal results are estimates of about 5 to 10% accuracy. Cloud remote editing is not available; the PCB editor plugin is a read-only preview.
What’s good
- Default profile is 25 read-only tools
- One-command install via uvx or npx
- Documented threat model and signed releases
- Honest accuracy limits on SI, PI and thermal tools
What’s not
- KiCad 9 support removed
- About 208 stars against mixelpixx's 3,070
- Conflicting parity figures in its own README
- Rapid release cadence, sometimes daily
Best for
Hardware teams on KiCad 10 who want an agent to review schematics and boards, run ERC, DRC and DFM, and prepare outputs under explicit permission tiers.
KiCad MCP Pro alternatives
KiCad MCP Pro: common questions
- Is KiCad MCP Pro worth it?
- The safer-by-default KiCad server: it installs with one command and starts read-only, though it gives up KiCad 9 and the size of mixelpixx's community to get there. We rate it 4.0 out of 5.
- How much does KiCad MCP Pro cost?
- Free and open source (MIT). An optional Cloud remote exists; its pricing is not published.
- What are the downsides of KiCad MCP Pro?
- KiCad 9 support removed; about 208 stars against mixelpixx's 3,070; conflicting parity figures in its own README; rapid release cadence, sometimes daily.
- Who is KiCad MCP Pro best for?
- Hardware teams on KiCad 10 who want an agent to review schematics and boards, run ERC, DRC and DFM, and prepare outputs under explicit permission tiers.
- How much does KiCad MCP Pro cost for a team or in production?
- Free under MIT. Supplier APIs bill or rate-limit under their own terms; Cloud pricing is not published.
- Is KiCad MCP Pro safe for company data?
- Local; stdio by default, optional Streamable HTTP on 127.0.0.1:3334 with an optional bearer token and Origin checks. Reads and writes are confined to the project root; no shell is invoked. No telemetry by default. Write and release profiles change or export project files, so keep them under version control. Optional Cloud remote pairs a device through a browser.
- What are the best KiCad MCP Pro alternatives?
- The closest alternatives we have reviewed are KiCAD MCP Server and OpenSCAD MCP.
Answers checked Nov 11, 2026.
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