System Check: Your Opinion on Engineering Certificates

System check! Elektor wants to know: How do you feel about certificates in electronics and engineering? Have you ever paid for training that led to certification? Please share your opinion.

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Past Results

Wondering about the results from last week’s System Check on the topic of KiCad and open-source tools? Here are the results.
 
What does this mean? KiCad seems to be the primary schematic and PCB design tool among Elektor’s global community. With roughly two-thirds of respondents using KiCad, it significantly outpaces both paid solutions and hybrid workflows. This suggests that open-source tools have reached a level of maturity and accessibility that resonates strongly with engineers, makers, and students alike. Cost is likely a factor, but the scale of adoption also reflects confidence in KiCad’s capabilities. Meanwhile, the continued presence of paid tools (around 20%) and mixed workflows indicates that established industry platforms are still used, particularly in more specialized or legacy-driven environments.

Perception-wise, KiCad also performs strongly against its commercial counterparts. A majority of respondents report preferring KiCad over paid tools, reinforcing the idea that its usability, features, and community support are meeting or exceeding expectations. However, the data also highlights some nuance: a notable minority still sees paid tools as superior, and a portion of users consider the tools roughly equivalent. This split suggests that while KiCad is highly competitive, certain advanced features, workflows, or enterprise-level integrations offered by paid solutions may still give them an edge for specific use cases.

Overall, it seems open-source EDA tools are no longer just alternatives. They are becoming the default choice for a large segment of the electronics community.