Freedom251 › Electrical Design Software
Proteus PCB Design
What Proteus PCB Design is
Proteus PCB Design is a Windows desktop suite for schematic capture, electrical simulation, and printed-circuit-board layout. Labcenter, headquartered in Skipton, North Yorkshire, England, founded the product in 1988. PCB tools include design-rule management, power planes, shape-based autorouting, and manual push-and-shove routing. Professional options add differential-pair routing and length matching, with differential pairs requiring PCB Design Level 2 or higher. Proteus 9.2 adds HDI micro-vias for 1+n+1 boards, STM32CubeIDE integration through GDB, and expanded BLE and RFID simulation. Manufacturing outputs include Gerber X2, RS274X Gerber/Excellon, IPC-D-356 netlists, and ODB++. Higher levels support STEP and IGES models plus STEP assembly export for MCAD. Libraries include over 10,000 supplied parts, web access to over 15 million SamacSys and SnapEDA parts, and imports from other vendors. Commercial packages are paid and include six months of Update Service Contract; a free trial is available.
Who it suits
It suits professional PCB designers, rapid-prototyping work, and education in electronics, embedded design, and PCB layout. Windows 10 is the listed minimum, and ARM processors such as Snapdragon are unsupported.
What it does well
- Schematic capture and PCB layout together
- Differential-pair routing and length matching
- HDI micro-via support in Proteus 9.2
- Multiple manufacturing output formats
- Large supplied and web-searchable part libraries
What to know first
- No free plan
- Windows desktop only
- Differential pairs require PCB Design Level 2+
- Demo cannot save work
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Proteus Design Suite (commercial packages) | Single-user prices are listed in GBP; multi-user pricing by contact · Configurable PCB, simulation and IoT modules · Six months of Update Service Contract included | On request |
As labcenter.com lists them, read 5 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
Proteus combines board design, simulation, extensive libraries, and manufacturing exports in a Windows suite. Its trial allows PCB layout without a time limit but restricts simulation and saving.
Facts from Proteus PCB Design's own pages
- Founded
- 1988 · labcenter.com, 28 Sept 2026
- HDI
- Proteus 9.2 adds HDI micro-via support with 1+n+1 board construction in the Stackup Wizard. · labcenter.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Headquarters
- Skipton, North Yorkshire, England · labcenter.com, 28 Sept 2026
- High-speed design
- Professional PCB features include differential-pair routing and length matching; differential pairs require PCB Design Level 2 or higher. · labcenter.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Proteus 9.2 adds STM32CubeIDE integration via GDB and expanded simulation for BLE and RFID. · labcenter.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- Labcenter describes Proteus as used in industry for professional PCB design and rapid prototyping, and in education for teaching electronics, embedded design and PCB layout. · labcenter.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Manufacturing output
- Proteus supports Gerber X2, traditional RS274X Gerber/Excellon, IPC-D-356 netlists and ODB++ output. · labcenter.com, 5 Oct 2026
- MCAD integration
- PCB Design Level 2 and higher supports STEP/IGES component models and STEP assembly export for MCAD tools. · labcenter.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Other library imports
- The library importer supports parts from vendors including Ultra-Librarian and PCB Library Expert. · labcenter.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Parts libraries
- The product includes over 10,000 supplied library parts and integrated web search for access to over 15 million parts from SamacSys and SnapEDA. · labcenter.com, 5 Oct 2026
- PCB design
- PCB tools include design-rule management, power planes, shape-based autorouting and manual push-and-shove routing. · labcenter.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Platform requirement
- The FAQ lists Microsoft Windows 10 as the minimum operating system and says ARM processors such as Snapdragon are unsupported. · labcenter.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Proteus combines schematic capture and PCB layout for designing, testing and laying out printed circuit boards. · labcenter.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Security
- Labcenter says its website uses SSL/TLS and that card details are handled by an external PCI DSS compliant payment provider and are not stored or seen by Labcenter. · labcenter.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Support
- Direct technical support is free for professional users, with email support preferred for project issues and a typical email response time of one to two working days. · labcenter.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Trial limits
- The demo has no time limit for PCB layout, limits microcontroller simulation to 14 days, and does not allow saving work or simulating custom microcontroller designs. · labcenter.com, 5 Oct 2026
Where Proteus PCB Design stands on Freedom251
- Electrical Design Software#30 of 41