Flux.ai vs Quilter: two strong AI workflows
Flux rebuilds the PCB workspace around collaboration and AI. Quilter brings automated layout to the ECAD tools teams already use.
Updated 2026-07-26
Written and verified by John Merton · verified 2026-07-26
Flux combines PCB design, a shared browser workspace, and an AI copilot in one environment. Quilter is a physics-driven AI tool that automates PCB placement and routing, with native support for popular ECAD formats (Altium, Cadence, Siemens, KiCad, OrCAD), so a design from an existing EDA package can be uploaded and returned in its original format [1]. Flux is different: a full browser-based design environment with an AI copilot built into the flow, rather than a layer added on top of a different tool. That description is our reading of Flux’s positioning; the cited Flux sources on this page cover pricing, not product claims. The two aren’t substitutes: Flux offers a new place for the full design process, while Quilter adds a specialized layout engine to a toolchain you already have.
Flux: one shared environment from idea to board
Flux presents itself as a browser-based PCB design environment with real-time collaboration and an AI copilot built into the design flow, rather than a tool that plugs into a different EDA package. That wider scope is Flux’s advantage. The design, team discussion, and AI assistance can remain in one shared context instead of moving between a desktop ECAD package and a separate automation service.
On price, Flux’s Starter plan is $20 per editor per month on monthly billing, or $16 per editor per month when billed annually [2]. Its Pro plan is $142 per editor per month, roughly a 7x jump from Starter, with no tier in between [3]. Both tiers are recurring, per-editor subscriptions.
What Quilter is
Quilter is a physics-driven AI tool that automates PCB placement and routing, with native support for popular ECAD formats (Altium, Cadence, Siemens, KiCad, OrCAD), so a design from an existing EDA package can be uploaded and returned in its original format [1]. It isn’t a standalone design environment; it’s a layout engine that sits on top of the tool you already use.
Quilter prices per project rather than per seat: “Pay per Project. Not per Seat. No annual licenses.” [4]Each board’s cost is set by the number of pins to route, no specific prices are published, and prospects are directed to contact sales [4].
Head-to-head
| Tool | Approach | Where your design lives | Pricing model | Lock-in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flux | Design tool, licensed per editor per month [2] | Not covered by the sources cited on this page | $20/mo Starter [2] → $142/mo Pro, no tier between [3] | Not covered by the sources cited on this page |
| Quilter | AI tool that automates placement & routing on designs from your existing ECAD tool [1] | Uploaded from Altium, Cadence, Siemens, KiCad, or OrCAD and returned in its original format [1] | Per project, by pin count; no published rates, contact sales [4] | Low: reads & returns native ECAD formats [1] |
Values above are limited to what each vendor’s own cited page states, or are assessments we derive from those cited facts (marked “Low”). “Not covered by the sources cited on this page” means the cited source doesn’t address that column, not that the feature is absent.
Which workflow fits
Common questions
Is Flux.ai a replacement for Quilter, or vice versa?
No, they aren't substitutes. Flux presents itself as a full browser-based design environment with an AI copilot built into the flow, covering PCB design, collaboration, and AI in one place. Quilter is a physics-driven AI tool that adds automated placement and routing to a toolchain you already have, rather than replacing your design environment.
Can Quilter work with my existing KiCad or Altium files?
Yes. Quilter has native support for popular ECAD formats, Altium, Cadence, Siemens, KiCad, and OrCAD, so a design from an existing EDA package can be uploaded and returned in its original format. It's a layout engine that sits on top of the tool you already use, not a standalone design environment.
How is Quilter priced compared to Flux.ai?
Quilter prices per project rather than per seat, scaled to the number of pins to route, with no annual licenses and no published rates, you contact sales for a number. Flux charges a recurring per-editor subscription instead: $20 per month for Starter, or $142 per month for Pro, a roughly 7x jump with no tier in between.
When should I choose Quilter over Flux.ai?
Choose Quilter when your existing Altium, Cadence, Siemens, KiCad, or OrCAD workflow is already settled and automated placement and routing is the missing piece. Choose Flux when you want AI to live inside the primary design environment, and when browser access and team collaboration can shorten the path from idea to review.
Sources
- Quilter is a physics-driven AI tool that automates PCB placement and routing, with native support for popular ECAD formats (Altium, Cadence, Siemens, KiCad, OrCAD) so designs from existing EDA packages can be uploaded and returned in their original format. Quilter homepage (verified 2026-07-09, archived copy).
- Flux's Starter plan is $20 per editor per month on monthly billing ($16 when billed annually). Flux pricing page (verified 2026-07-09, archived copy).
- Flux's Pro plan is $142 per editor per month ($112 when billed annually) and includes 100 ACUs (Agent Compute Units) per editor per month. That is roughly a 7x jump from the $20 Starter plan, with no pricing tier in between; above Pro, Flux lists a Teams tier at $158 per editor per month and an Enterprise tier. Flux pricing page (verified 2026-07-09, archived copy).
- Quilter prices per project rather than per seat: "Pay per Project. Not per Seat. No annual licenses." Each board's cost is set by the number of pins to route; no specific prices are published, and prospects are directed to contact sales. Quilter pricing page (verified 2026-07-09, archived copy).
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