Head-to-head
MakeIRL vs NextPCB Online Gerber Viewer (HQDFM): what each checks
Choose NextPCB's Gerber Viewer / HQDFM when you want the deepest free DFM check set — 50+ checks online with no login, or 1,200+ DFM/DFA checks in the free Windows desktop app. Choose MakeIRL when you want one paid, fab-neutral gate over the whole KiCad project: schematic ERC, DRC, schematic-to-PCB parity, and BOM availability against live distributor stock, with a plain BLOCKED / REVIEW / READY verdict.
NextPCB's tools are free and go deep on manufacturing-file analysis (the online viewer even accepts a native .kicad_pcb); MakeIRL is paid and gates the design source — including the schematic and the BOM — not just the board file.
Side by side
| MakeIRL | NextPCB Online Gerber Viewer (HQDFM) | |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | MakeIRL | NextPCB |
| Price | $79 one-time per board release, no subscription (as of July 2026) | Free, no login required for the online viewer (as of July 2026) |
| Runs as | Online release gate; also runs from Claude Code / Cursor via MCP | Online viewer plus a free Windows desktop app (HQDFM) |
| Input files | Native KiCad source: .kicad_sch + .kicad_pcb | Online: Gerber RS-274x, Gerber X2, Excellon drill files, and native KiCad .kicad_pcb. Desktop adds ODB++ |
| What it checks | ERC on the schematic, DRC on the layout, schematic ↔ PCB parity, BOM line completeness with MPN / package sanity and availability against live distributor stock, gerber / drill / placement export integrity, named heuristic checks (power, reset, programming, connector patterns) | 50+ DFM checks in the online viewer (shorts/opens, copper clearances, solder mask, drill hole analysis); the desktop HQDFM app runs 1,200+ DFM/DFA checks and a footprint checker covering 6 million parts |
| How results arrive | Plain-English report with a BLOCKED / REVIEW / READY verdict; every report states explicitly that function is not proven | Layer-by-layer and 3D rendering in the browser, a DFM health report; uploads auto-delete after 24 hours |
| Fab tie-in | Fab-neutral — the preflight is not tied to any one factory's ordering pipeline | Self-developed by NextPCB and used by their production teams; feeds NextPCB manufacturing |
Competitor facts checked against NextPCB’s public site as of July 2026. Pricing and capabilities can change — verify before you rely on them.
When NextPCB Online Gerber Viewer (HQDFM) is the better pick
You want the deepest free check set — including a native .kicad_pcb upload online, or 1,200+ checks in the free desktop app.
It is free, no login required for the online viewer (as of July 2026), so if a gerber-level check is all you need, there is no cost to trying it.
When MakeIRL is the better pick
You want one gate over the whole KiCad project before gerbers exist: ERC on the schematic, DRC on the layout, schematic ↔ PCB parity, and BOM lines checked against live distributor stock. It costs $79 one-time per board release (as of July 2026) and is fab-neutral.
Honest limits: KiCad projects only, it costs money while fab-side checkers are free, and it does not replace the manufacturer's own DFM review before production. When every check passes, the report reads “READY FOR MANUFACTURING — function not proven” — no automated check can prove a circuit does what you meant.
Frequently asked questions
Is the NextPCB gerber viewer really free?
Yes — NextPCB states the online viewer is free with no login required, and the HQDFM desktop app is also free (as of July 2026). MakeIRL charges $79 one-time per board release.
Can NextPCB's tools read KiCad files?
The online viewer accepts native .kicad_pcb board files alongside Gerber RS-274x, Gerber X2, and Excellon drill files. MakeIRL takes the full KiCad project — .kicad_sch and .kicad_pcb — because its ERC and schematic-to-PCB parity checks need the schematic too.
Which runs more checks?
By raw count, NextPCB's desktop HQDFM (1,200+ DFM/DFA checks per NextPCB) runs far more manufacturing-file checks than anyone else in this set. MakeIRL runs a different kind of check list — ERC, DRC, parity, BOM-stock, and export integrity on the KiCad source — so the counts aren't directly comparable.