Tool profile
Flux: cost, fit and limits
Flux is a browser-based PCB design platform made by Defy Gravity, Inc. that combines schematic capture, board layout, manufacturing preparation and simulation with an AI assistant that works from a plain-language idea to a routed board and fab-ready files.
What to know first
Flux sells five plans: Explore, Build, Pro, Teams and Enterprise. Build and Pro are monthly plans with a free trial, Teams is priced per editor per month with AI usage pooled across the team, and Enterprise is a custom quote with an SLA. The pricing page we read did not render the amounts, so cost is unknown until signup. The privacy statement names the United States as the hosting region.
Flux at a glance
| Maker | Defy Gravity, Inc., United States |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Free trial only |
| Entry price | Quote only |
| API access | No |
| Category | Best AI PCB Design Software in 2026, rank 1 of 12 |
| Website | flux.ai |
Who Flux is best for
Hardware startups prototyping fast
The homepage promises a schematic, routed PCB and fab-ready files from an idea, so a founder without a layout engineer can reach a first board design in the browser.
Teams that share one workspace
Teams plans give a shared workspace, centralized billing and AI usage pooled across editors, which suits a small group that edits the same design instead of passing files around.
Engineers leaving KiCad or Altium
The docs include migration guides from KiCad, EasyEDA, Altium, Upverter and Eagle, so existing libraries and projects have a documented path in.
Flux plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Build | Monthly, amount not shown on the pages read | Included AI usage with an optional pay-as-you-go AI add-on beyond that allowance, and a free trial before the first charge. |
| Pro | Monthly, amount not shown on the pages read | Everything in Build plus hands-on guidance from electrical engineers, with a free trial that needs a payment method. |
| Teams | Per editor per month, amount not shown | AI usage pooled across the team, a shared workspace, centralized billing and AI chat that completes tasks. |
| Enterprise | Custom quote | Hidden workspaces, enhanced privacy and security, an SLA with 2 hour response and 24 hour unblock times, a named account manager and invoiced billing. |
Checked November 2026.
What Flux does
- Idea to fab-ready files
- The homepage says Flux can turn an idea into a schematic, a routed PCB and fab-ready files with AI in the browser. No accuracy figures are given, so review each output before ordering boards.
- One platform for several disciplines
- Schematic, PCB, mechanical design, manufacturing and simulation live in the same workspace, which reduces file hand-offs between separate tools for a team that does all of them.
- AI usage metering
- Build includes a set amount of AI usage and offers optional pay-as-you-go beyond it, while Teams pools usage across editors. A heavy AI user should expect the AI line to drive the bill.
- Guidance from engineers
- Pro adds hands-on guidance from electrical engineers, a human layer on top of the AI assistant for users who get stuck on a design rule or part choice.
- Migration guides
- Docs describe moving projects from KiCad, EasyEDA, Altium, Upverter and Eagle, which lowers the cost of trying Flux on a board that already exists elsewhere.
How Flux handles your data
The privacy statement says account data is kept while the account is active and that a full profile is deleted within 90 days of a request. It names the United States as the hosting region and notes that service providers may process data outside the US or EU. The pages we read do not say whether customer designs train AI models, and they state neither SOC 2 nor ISO 27001. Enterprise adds hidden workspaces and enhanced privacy and security, whose details were not read, so ask for them in writing.
Where Flux falls short in practice
- Prices hidden behind signup. The pricing page showed dashes in place of amounts, so a buyer cannot compare Flux with DipTrace or EasyEDA before creating an account. Build and Pro both start with a free trial, and Pro requires a payment method.
- AI cost is separate from seats. Included AI usage is capped on Build, with pay-as-you-go beyond it, and pooled on Teams. A team that leans on the assistant daily should model the overage line before committing to a plan.
- Browser-only by design. Flux runs in the browser, so designs live on the vendor's service in the United States rather than on a local drive. Teams with air-gapped or export-controlled projects need the Enterprise conversation first.
Works with
Alternatives to Flux
Flux: common questions
Does Flux publish its plan prices?
The pricing page we read showed a dash instead of amounts for Build, Pro and Teams, so we could not verify them. It states that Build and Pro are monthly with a free trial, Teams is per editor per month, and Enterprise is custom. Check the live page or sign up to see amounts.
What does the Flux Enterprise plan add?
Enterprise adds hidden workspaces, enhanced privacy and security, a named account manager and invoiced billing. The SLA lists a 2 hour response time and a 24 hour unblock time. Pricing is custom. The pages we read give no certification names, so ask which reports back the security claim.
Can I import a KiCad or Altium project into Flux?
The Flux docs include migration guides from KiCad, EasyEDA, Altium, Upverter and Eagle. We did not test an import, so the quality of footprints, rules and copper pours is unknown. Try one finished board on the free trial and compare it against the original before moving a live project.
Where does Flux keep my designs?
The privacy statement names the United States as the hosting region and says service providers may process data outside the US or EU. Account data is kept while the account is active, and a full profile is deleted within 90 days of a request. It does not say whether designs train AI models.
Is the Flux AI a replacement for a layout engineer?
The homepage describes AI that takes an idea to a schematic, routed PCB and fab-ready files, but gives no accuracy or error-rate figures. The Pro plan adds hands-on guidance from electrical engineers, which suggests human review still matters. Treat generated boards as drafts and run your own design rule checks.