KiCad, a widely used open-source PCB design tool, can now run directly in a web browser. Emergence Engineering, a Hungarian development shop, released the first minimal viable product, allowing users to load demo projects or their own designs. Firefox offers the best experience, with Chrome performing well and Safari labeled as "working."
The project, called PCBJam, began as a hobby for Viktor, the company's CTO and former electrical engineer. Over time it evolved into a product focus, culminating in this browser-based MVP. The team rewrote KiCad's OpenGL canvas code as WebGL to avoid buggy emulation layers, comparing each step against the native version.
Building the web port involved overcoming significant technical hurdles. Viktor spent weeks debugging emulation issues before discovering that writing custom WebGL code to interface with KiCad's Graphics Abstraction Layer was faster and more reliable. The implementation was aided by Claude, an AI assistant, during feature development.
This release opens the door to running professional PCB design workflows without local installation. For hobbyists and engineers, it simplifies collaboration and access. However, the project is still in early stages, with plenty of room for performance and compatibility improvements.
As an MVP, stability and feature completeness are not guaranteed. The team acknowledged that significant work remains before PCBJam can rival the native KiCad experience.