Ohmbo and Quilter compared by the step each automates
Quilter places and routes a schematic you already captured. Ohmbo starts from a plain-language idea and carries the project through schematic, layout, firmware, enclosure and engineer review to a measured prototype.
Quilter automates one step of hardware design: placement and routing of a schematic you have already captured in your ECAD tool. Ohmbo covers the steps before and after it as well. You start from a plain-language idea; Ohmbo works out requirements, components and the schematic, lays out and routes the board, keeps firmware and the enclosure on the same revision, and continues into engineer review, a built prototype and per-board measured test.
This comparison is based on Quilter's public website and pricing page, checked on 2026-10-30. Ohmbo publishes it, so check Quilter directly for current capabilities and prices.
Compare scope at a glance
| Ohmbo | Quilter | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | A plain-language idea or an existing design | A schematic, board outline, fixed components and design context such as stackup constraints, prepared in your ECAD tool |
| Requirements and schematic | Included | Not included; you bring the schematic |
| Placement and routing | Included | Included, with hundreds of candidates and the physics checks run for each |
| Firmware and enclosure | On the same board revision | Not included |
| Review before fabrication | Automated checks plus engineer review | You review the candidates |
| Physical result | Prototypes built and tested per board against a written plan, under a quoted order | Fab-ready layouts; fabrication and assembly happen outside Quilter |
| Outputs | KiCad, Gerber, BOM, STEP and firmware source | Native files for Altium Designer, Cadence, KiCad, OrCAD and Siemens Xpedition |
| Board scope | Low-voltage boards up to 6 layers and 100 × 100 mm | 100 to 1,000 components per board; through-hole vias; blind and buried vias, length matching and full RF routing listed as in development |
| Pricing basis | Free plan with no subscription; paid plans add monthly work credits; prototypes quoted per order | Per project, priced by unrouted pin count, with unlimited iterations; cloud or self-hosted |
What Ohmbo covers that a layout engine does not
Layout is rarely what stops a first hardware product. The harder questions come before it (what should the board do, which parts, which interfaces) and after it (does the firmware run, does the board fit the enclosure, does it work when measured). Ohmbo answers both sides in one project, so you do not need a hardware engineer to capture the schematic first or a separate process to build and verify the prototype.
When Quilter is the better fit
If your team already captures schematics in a professional ECAD suite and spends weeks on layout of dense boards, Quilter speeds up that step inside your existing flow. Boards beyond Ohmbo's scope, such as more than 6 layers or high-speed interfaces, belong there too. Because Quilter accepts KiCad designs and Ohmbo produces KiCad files, a board that outgrows Ohmbo can continue in that flow; confirm compatibility for your project first.
Compare with the same brief
Write down what you already have (an idea, a block diagram or a captured schematic), the board size and component count, interfaces, quantity and what must be tested. Then compare which steps each option takes over and who is accountable for a working board. For the wider field, see AI hardware design tools compared and Ohmbo and Flux compared. Ohmbo's current offer is on the pricing page.