Comparison
Best Multisim alternatives in 2026
Updated August 3, 2026 · By the CircuitSim team · 11 min read
Multisim Live shuts down on September 15, 2026. If you have been using it for coursework, teaching, or weekend projects, you need somewhere else to go before the fall term starts. Here is what your options actually are, what each one is good at, and which of them can open the circuits you already have.
Confirmed shutdown timeline
Digilent has published Multisim Live's end-of-life dates. They are worth knowing exactly, because two of them have already passed.
- September 15, 2026 · Multisim Live reaches end of life. After this date Digilent does not guarantee continued access to any Multisim Live data, including your saved designs.
- August 1, 2026 · Last day monthly subscription licenses were available. Yearly subscriptions were withdrawn earlier.
- October 1, 2026 · Courtesy access to the NI Circuit Design Suite ends for existing subscribers.
Export your circuits now. Exporting is free and takes a couple of minutes per circuit. You can decide where they should live afterward. Our step-by-step guide is at Save your Multisim Live circuits.
Runs in your browser. No install, no credit card.
On this page
Quick-pick guide
If you already know what you need from a Multisim replacement, start here. The detailed reviews are below.
| If you need… | Use this |
|---|---|
| To open your existing Multisim Live files in a browser | CircuitSim only browser option |
| Real SPICE results with no install, on any laptop or Chromebook | CircuitSim |
| Deep analog design with manufacturer part models | LTspice (free desktop) |
| Schematic plus PCB layout in one browser tool | EasyEDA (free, account required) |
| Animated current flow for teaching intuition | Falstad (free, no account) |
| Arduino projects with code | Tinkercad Circuits or Wokwi |
| Licensing and rosters for a whole class | CircuitSim groups, or Multisim Desktop if your school already licenses it |
| Professional PCB design end to end | KiCad (free desktop) |
TL;DR
- Export from Multisim Live first, choose second. The data guarantee ends September 15, 2026. Everything else on this page can wait a week. That cannot.
- Only two tools open your existing files. Multisim Desktop, which is paid Windows software,
and CircuitSim, which imports
.ms14and.msjsin the browser. Every other option on this page means rebuilding by hand. - If you want SPICE results with no install, CircuitSim runs an industry-standard SPICE engine in your browser on a free plan.
- If you want the deepest free analog simulation and do not mind desktop software, LTspice is still the benchmark.
- If you need microcontrollers, none of the SPICE tools here will help. Wokwi and Tinkercad Circuits are the right answer.
Can it open the circuits you already have?
This is the part with a deadline on it, so it goes first. You may have twenty circuits sitting in your Multisim Live account, or two hundred. Most comparison pages will not tell you what happens to them.
Multisim Live exports as .ms14 and .msjs files. Digilent points you at Multisim Desktop,
which does open them, but it is paid Windows software. That does not help if you left Multisim Live over cost, or if
your school runs Chromebooks.
CircuitSim is the only browser-based simulator on this page that opens those files. Drop in
.ms14 or .msjs files individually, or a ZIP with a whole account's worth inside, and the
importer rebuilds the schematic rather than flattening it into a picture. Components map to real CircuitSim parts
that simulate. Wiring, junctions, placement, and rotation are preserved, so the schematic lands looking like the one
you drew, and net labels, probes, text labels, and comments come across with it. Anything without a clean mapping
arrives as a clearly marked placeholder you can fix, rather than quietly disappearing.
LTspice, EasyEDA, Falstad, and Tinkercad Circuits have no Multisim Live import at all. They are good tools and we recommend three of them below, but picking one means rebuilding every circuit by hand.
Rescue your circuits in 4 steps
- Sign in to multisim.com and open your saved circuits list.
- Download each circuit as
.ms14or.msjs. Do this before September 15, 2026. - Open CircuitSim and use Import on the circuits page. Drop in the files, or a ZIP of all of them at once.
- Spot-check one circuit. Run a transient analysis and compare the waveform against what Multisim Live gave you.
The full walkthrough with screenshots is on Save your Multisim Live circuits, and the importer's file-by-file details are in the Multisim Live import guide.
The full comparison
CircuitSim Best browser replacement
Browser-based · Free plan, paid tiers from $2.99/mo · No install · Imports Multisim Live files
Best for: anyone replacing Multisim Live who wants real SPICE results, keeps their existing circuits, and cannot install desktop software.
CircuitSim is a browser-based circuit simulator running an industry-standard SPICE engine compiled to WebAssembly. Simulation happens locally in your browser, not queued on a server, so results come back at desktop speed without a desktop install. It is the closest thing on this page to a like-for-like Multisim Live replacement: schematic editor, real SPICE, shareable circuits, nothing to download.
Six analyses cover the core of an analog and digital curriculum: interactive simulation, where you change values, flip switches, and turn potentiometers while the simulation runs and the waveforms update live; interactive operating point; transient analysis; AC sweep with Bode charts; DC operating point; and DC sweep with an optional nested second source. Instead of instrument panels, CircuitSim uses oscilloscope-style waveform charts with trigger modes, edge and threshold settings, time per division, capture history, and A/B cursors with delta readouts, plus a results table with per-series statistics. Waveform data exports to CSV or XLSX, and schematics export to PNG or PDF.
The library runs past 3,000 components and covers what teaching labs actually reach for: the 555 timer, op-amps including an Analog Devices-derived family, 2N2222A and 2N3904 transistors, 2N7000 and IRFP240 MOSFETs, diodes and zeners, logic gates in 2 to 8 input variants, 7-segment displays with hex decoders, regulators such as the 7805 and LM317, relays, switches, potentiometers, and three-phase sources. When a part is missing, the custom component creator takes pasted SPICE model text and detects PSpice, LTspice, and HSPICE dialects automatically.
Pros
- Imports Multisim Live
.ms14and.msjsfiles, including ZIP batches - Real SPICE engine, running locally in the browser
- No install, no extension, works on Chromebooks and Macs
- Free plan with no credit card
- 3,000+ components, plus pasted SPICE models for anything missing
- Groups, per-seat class licensing, and anonymous student seats
- CSV and XLSX waveform export
Cons
- No microcontroller parts, so no Arduino or firmware simulation
- No PCB layout
- Needs an internet connection, no offline mode
- Not mobile-optimized, plan on a laptop
- No LMS integration or built-in gradebook
- Free plan caps at five circuits and five components per circuit
- DC sweep requires a paid plan
CircuitSim is ours, so of course we like it. The cons list above is the real one, though, and the fastest way to settle it is to spend twenty minutes on your own circuits.
LTspice Best free desktop SPICE
Desktop, Windows and macOS · Free · Analog Devices · No account
Best for: engineering students and working engineers who need manufacturer-accurate analog simulation and are happy on a desktop.
LTspice has been the benchmark for free SPICE simulation for years, and it earns it. It ships with Analog Devices' own part models, so switching regulator and amplifier results track real hardware closely, and it stays fast on big analog designs. It is free with no subscription, no account, and no license server. The community around it is enormous, which in practice means almost any problem you hit has already been answered in a forum thread somewhere.
What you give up is the experience. The interface is dated, the learning curve is steep coming from a drag-and-drop web tool, and there is no browser or mobile version at all. If your school issues Chromebooks, LTspice is off the table.
Pros
- Manufacturer-accurate SPICE models
- Completely free, no account or subscription
- Fast on large analog designs
- Excellent for filter, amplifier, and power supply work
- Huge community and model library
Cons
- Windows and macOS download only
- No browser or Chromebook support
- Steep learning curve, dated interface
- No Multisim Live import path
- Awkward for digital and logic teaching circuits
- Sharing means sending files, not links
If you like LTspice's engine but need it somewhere you cannot install software, our LTspice alternative page covers the overlap in detail.
CircuitSim accepts pasted LTspice model text, though it does not open .asc schematic files.
EasyEDA Best for simulate-then-fabricate
Browser-based · Free, account required · Integrated PCB design
Best for: students and makers who want to simulate a circuit and then have the board manufactured.
EasyEDA puts schematic capture, SPICE simulation, and PCB layout in one browser tool, and connects straight to JLCPCB for cheap fabrication. For a capstone project or a maker build, going from idea to a board in your hand without switching tools is a real advantage, and the component library is deep because it is tied to an actual parts supply chain.
As a straight Multisim Live replacement it is more tool than most people need. You have to register before you can do anything, simulation plays second fiddle to PCB design, and there is no Multisim Live import. If all you want to do is simulate, you are carrying a lot of PCB machinery you will never open.
Pros
- Schematic, simulation, and PCB layout in one browser tool
- Direct JLCPCB fabrication integration
- Very large supplier-linked component library
- Free to use
Cons
- Account required before you can start
- Simulation is secondary to PCB design
- Heavier and less beginner-friendly for pure simulation
- No Multisim Live import path
Falstad Circuit Simulator Best for visual intuition
Browser-based · Free · No account · Open source
Best for: teachers explaining how a circuit behaves, and anyone who learns better by watching than by reading numbers.
Falstad's simulator is a great teaching tool. Current animates along the wires as colored dots, voltage shows as color on the nodes, and a student can see what a capacitor charging actually means in about four seconds. It opens instantly, needs no account, and the bundled example circuits are a small curriculum on their own.
It is not a SPICE simulator, though. Falstad uses idealized real-time models, which is right for building intuition and wrong for coursework where the numbers get graded. There are no manufacturer part models, the interface has aged, and mobile use is rough. Use it to show someone how a circuit works, not to check whether yours does.
Pros
- Animated current flow that makes behavior obvious
- No account, no download, opens instantly
- Large set of built-in example circuits
- Free and open source
Cons
- Idealized models, not SPICE
- No manufacturer part models
- Dated interface, poor on mobile
- No Multisim Live import path
- Limited saving and sharing
Tinkercad Circuits Best for beginners and Arduino
Browser-based · Free, account required · Autodesk
Best for: middle and high school classes, first-time learners, and Arduino projects that mix code with hardware.
Tinkercad Circuits is built for beginners and it does that job well. Components are photorealistic, wiring is drag-and-drop on a virtual breadboard, and the Arduino simulation with a built-in code editor makes it great for introductory maker classes. Autodesk backs it, it is free, and a lot of teachers already know it.
Past that level it runs out of room fast. Analog component support is limited, there is no real SPICE analysis, and the breadboard that helps beginners starts to get in the way once circuits get dense. Students who outgrow it usually need a SPICE tool next.
Pros
- Extremely beginner-friendly
- Arduino simulation with a code editor
- Virtual breadboard mirrors physical lab work
- Free, browser-based, widely used in schools
Cons
- Account required
- Limited analog components and no real SPICE analysis
- Outgrown quickly past introductory coursework
- No Multisim Live import path
Also worth knowing
These did not make the main list as a Multisim Live alternative, but each is the right answer for a specific job.
Wokwi · Browser · Free tier
The best browser tool for Arduino, ESP32, and Raspberry Pi Pico simulation, including Wi-Fi and peripherals. If your projects are firmware-first, start here. It is not a SPICE analog simulator, and plenty of people run Wokwi for the code and a SPICE tool for the analog side.
Multisim Desktop · Windows · Paid, usually via institution license
Digilent's own migration path, and the only other tool that opens Multisim Live files. Deep, professional, with virtual instrument panels that map onto how physical labs are taught. It is Windows-only paid software, and student access typically ends with your enrollment. Current options are at ni.com.
KiCad · Desktop, all platforms · Free and open source
A full professional PCB design suite with built-in SPICE simulation. Overkill as a Multisim Live replacement, and the right tool if your real goal is designing boards rather than analyzing circuits.
CircuitLab · Browser · Paid subscription
A polished browser simulator with a clean schematic editor. Capable, but it is a paid subscription with a limited free trial, which is a hard sell for people who just lost a tool they were paying little or nothing for.
EveryCircuit · Mobile and browser · Paid
Beautiful animated simulation designed for phones and tablets, and the best option on this page for actually simulating on a phone. Small component library and a paid model, so it works better as a companion than a primary tool.
Overall comparison table
| Feature | CircuitSim | LTspice | EasyEDA | Falstad | Tinkercad |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opens Multisim Live files | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| No download needed | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works on Chromebooks | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Try before signing in | Yes | Yes | Limited | Yes | No |
| Real SPICE engine | Yes | Yes | Yes | Idealized | Limited |
| Manufacturer part models | Paste SPICE | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Transient analysis | Yes | Yes | Yes | Real-time | Limited |
| AC sweep and Bode charts | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited | No |
| DC sweep | Paid plan | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Animated current flow | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Waveform data export | CSV, XLSX | Yes | Yes | Limited | No |
| Custom SPICE models | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Share by link | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Class groups and rosters | Yes | No | No | No | Classroom |
| PCB layout | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Arduino and MCU simulation | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Works offline | No | Yes | No | Partly | No |
| Free tier | Yes | Fully free | Yes | Fully free | Yes |
| Available after Sept 2026 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Capability details reflect each tool's public documentation as of August 2026. Where a tool's behavior depends on a plan or a version, we have described the free or standard experience.
Pick by situation
You are a student whose course used Multisim Live. Export your circuits, import them into CircuitSim, and check one against a result you already trust. The free plan covers a light course load, and $30 a year covers a heavy one. If your work is deep analog design and you have a Windows or Mac machine of your own, add LTspice alongside it.
You are an educator replanning labs for fall. The deciding factors are usually hardware and administration rather than the engine. CircuitSim needs no install on any student device, has groups with shared libraries and per-seat term licensing, and anonymous student seats let students join by link or code without you collecting a single student email address, which keeps things FERPA and COPPA compliant. Two gaps to know about: no LMS integration and no built-in gradebook, so assignments stay in whatever you already use. More detail on the educators page and the schools page.
Your school runs Chromebooks. LTspice is out entirely. CircuitSim, EasyEDA, Falstad, and Tinkercad all work, and only CircuitSim gives you SPICE results plus your old circuits. See the Chromebook guide.
You are a hobbyist doing weekend projects. Falstad for a quick sanity check, CircuitSim when you want real numbers or want to keep the circuit, LTspice when you are designing a supply or a filter and accuracy matters more than convenience. All three are free to start.
Your projects involve a microcontroller. No SPICE tool on this page runs firmware, CircuitSim included. Use Wokwi or Tinkercad Circuits for the code, and bring the analog section into a SPICE simulator separately.
The short version
Multisim Live is going away on September 15, 2026, and the single most urgent thing is getting your circuits out while the export still works. After that, the choice is not especially hard. If you want SPICE results without installing anything, and you do not want to rebuild years of work by hand, CircuitSim is the one built for that move. If you want the deepest free analog simulation and desktop software is fine, LTspice. If you want to hold the board in your hand at the end, EasyEDA or KiCad. If you are teaching first principles, Falstad. If there is code involved, Wokwi or Tinkercad.
CircuitSim is built by Elsewhere Labs, which is Britt and Sam. Two people. We answer email ourselves, so if a circuit does not import cleanly, send it over and we will look at the actual file.
Free plan, no credit card. Drop in .ms14, .msjs, or a ZIP of both.
Frequently asked questions
When exactly does Multisim Live shut down?
Multisim Live reaches end of life on September 15, 2026. Digilent's official notice also states that monthly subscription licenses were available only until August 1, 2026, that yearly subscriptions are no longer sold, and that existing subscribers get courtesy access to the NI Circuit Design Suite through October 1, 2026. After September 15, Digilent does not guarantee continued access to any Multisim Live data, including saved designs.
Can I import my Multisim Live circuits into another simulator?
Yes, into two of them. Multisim Desktop, the paid Windows product, accepts them, and CircuitSim imports
.ms14 and .msjs files directly in the browser, including ZIP batches. CircuitSim's
importer rebuilds the schematic rather than flattening it: components map to real parts, and wiring, junctions,
placement, rotation, net labels, probes, text labels, and comments come across. LTspice, EasyEDA, Falstad, and
Tinkercad have no Multisim Live import path.
What is the closest replacement for Multisim Live?
CircuitSim is the closest in shape: a browser-based SPICE simulator with a schematic editor, no install, a free plan, and shareable circuits, and it is the only browser tool that opens your existing files. What it does not do is microcontrollers, PCB layout, or offline use.
Is a browser circuit simulator accurate enough for university coursework?
It depends on the engine, not the browser. CircuitSim runs an industry-standard SPICE engine compiled to WebAssembly, locally in your browser, so the numbers are SPICE numbers. Falstad-based simulators use idealized real-time models, which are excellent for intuition and not appropriate where numerical answers are graded. For coursework, use a SPICE-based tool. More on what that means in What is SPICE simulation.
What is the best free Multisim alternative?
For browser work with no install, CircuitSim's free plan covers five circuits, five custom components, and up to five components per circuit, with no credit card. For desktop analog design with manufacturer models, LTspice is free and unlimited. Plenty of people use both: LTspice at a desk, CircuitSim on whatever laptop is in front of them.
Which Multisim alternatives work on a Chromebook?
CircuitSim, EasyEDA, Falstad, and Tinkercad Circuits all run in a Chromebook browser. LTspice does not, because it is Windows and macOS desktop software. For managed school fleets, CircuitSim needs no install, no extension, and no admin deployment.
Can any of these simulate Arduino code?
Tinkercad Circuits and Wokwi can. CircuitSim cannot: it has no microcontroller parts and does not run firmware. A common split is Wokwi or Tinkercad for the code side and a SPICE simulator for the analog side.
Do I need an account to use these simulators?
Falstad needs no account. CircuitSim lets you open the editor and simulate without signing in, and asks for an account when you want to save, share, or import. EasyEDA and Tinkercad Circuits require registration before you can do meaningful work. LTspice needs a download instead of an account.
Which alternative is best for teaching a class?
For a class that needs SPICE results on mixed hardware, CircuitSim has groups with shared circuit and component libraries, announcements, discussion boards, and per-seat term-based licensing with bulk discounts and NET-30 invoicing. Anonymous student seats let students join by link or code with no student email addresses collected, which keeps classrooms FERPA and COPPA compliant. There is no LMS integration and no built-in gradebook today.
Is there a free version of Multisim Desktop?
Student editions of Multisim exist, but access is typically tied to an institution license, so it generally ends when your enrollment or your course does. NI's terms change often enough that we are not going to quote numbers here. Current options and pricing are at ni.com.
How much does CircuitSim cost?
The free plan is free forever with no credit card: five circuits, five custom components, and up to five components per circuit. Standard is $2.99 per month or $30 per year, and Premium is $8.99 per month or $90 per year, both with private circuits and higher limits. Full details at circuitsim.com/pricing. Downgrading never deletes or locks existing work.
What happens to my Multisim Live circuits if I do nothing?
They become unreachable. Digilent states that after September 15, 2026 it does not guarantee continued access to any Multisim Live data, including saved designs. Exporting is free and takes a few minutes, so export first and decide where they live afterward.
More from CircuitSim: Save your Multisim Live circuits · Import Multisim Live circuits · Multisim alternative · Circuit simulator for Chromebooks · For educators · For schools · What is SPICE simulation
Multisim, Multisim Live, LabVIEW, and Circuit Design Suite are trademarks of National Instruments and Digilent (Emerson). LTspice is a trademark of Analog Devices. EasyEDA, Tinkercad, Autodesk, KiCad, Wokwi, CircuitLab, EveryCircuit, and JLCPCB are marks of their respective owners. CircuitSim is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any of these organizations. End-of-life dates are quoted from Digilent's published Multisim Live EOL notice, retrieved August 3, 2026.