# 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](https://www.nextpcb.com/free-online-gerber-viewer.html) as of July 2026. Pricing and capabilities can change — verify before you rely on them.

## When each is the better pick

### 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

**Q: 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.

**Q: 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.

**Q: 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.

Updated July 2026