Circuit Simulator Guide
EveryCircuit alternative (2026): When you need real SPICE analysis
Updated May 2026 · By the CircuitSim team · 8 min read
EveryCircuit is a circuit simulator from MuseMaze, Inc. that runs in a browser and as native apps on Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and Linux. The full version is a one-time $14.99 in-app purchase; the free tier limits user circuits to 5 components or fewer. It started life as a mobile app, and the touch-first, animation-first design still shows in the desktop and browser versions. The coloured charges moving through wires and the way a slider on a potentiometer makes the LED brightness change in real time are what the product is known for, and it looks good.
If what you need is real SPICE simulation, EveryCircuit is not the tool. The engine is built for real-time animation, not for SPICE-class numerical analysis. There is no DC operating point analysis, no AC small-signal Bode plot, no .model import for a transistor from a datasheet. The free tier also limits user circuits to 5 components; the full $14.99 in-app purchase removes that limit but does not change the underlying engine. Several user reviews note that integrated circuits are not emulated and that RC behaviour during capacitor charging does not always match real-world results.
This guide compares EveryCircuit with the alternative we build, CircuitSim, plus the other tools that come up when someone outgrows EveryCircuit and wants real SPICE.
TL;DR, Quick picks
- Best browser-based alternative with real SPICE: CircuitSim. Free during open beta, no component limit, runs DC, AC, and transient analysis with a real SPICE engine in the browser.
- Best free desktop SPICE if you can install software and you are on Windows: LTspice. Free, deep component library.
- Best free visualisation tool in the same animated category: Falstad Circuit Simulator. Free, open source, similar real-time animation, also not a SPICE simulator.
A note on bias
This guide is published on CircuitSim's website, so we have a horse in this race. CircuitSim is a free browser SPICE simulator built by the team that publishes this article. We have done our best to be straightforward about where EveryCircuit is still the better tool (it is, for several real use cases), where CircuitSim is the right step up, and where neither is what you need.
What EveryCircuit does well
EveryCircuit earned its reputation as a nice-looking, easy-to-use visualisation tool. The simulation runs visibly and continuously, and the visualisation responds to user input in real time. Drag a slider, the bias point moves; tap a switch, the LED turns on. The animated charges flowing through the wires turn an abstract concept (current) into something a beginner can see.
The other things EveryCircuit gets right:
- Truly cross-platform, mobile included. Native apps on Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and Linux, plus the browser. The mobile experience is not an afterthought; it is the point.
- One-time $14.99 price. No subscription, no annual renewal, no nag screen. You pay once and own the full version forever.
- Offline use on mobile. Once installed, the simulator runs without an internet connection.
- Cloud sync between devices. Build on a tablet, finish on a laptop.
- Good for teaching the conceptual fundamentals. Ohm's law, voltage dividers, the difference between series and parallel, how an op-amp behaves, the basics of digital logic. The animation often teaches these concepts more clearly than a static schematic does.
Best for
Mobile and tablet teaching where the animated current flow is the lesson. Casual hobbyists exploring on a phone. Educators who want a one-time purchase, no subscription, and a polished cross-platform app. First-time learners who benefit from seeing the simulation move.
Where EveryCircuit comes up short
EveryCircuit's real-time animation engine is the same engine that limits what it can analyse. The simulation runs at human-visible speed using simplified component models; SPICE-class numerical methods are not what is happening under the hood.
Concretely:
- No DC operating point or DC sweep analysis. You cannot ask "what is the bias point of this transistor at quiescent conditions?" or "what does the output look like as the input sweeps from 0 to 5 V?"
- No AC small-signal analysis. No Bode plots, no frequency response, no phase margin calculation. Filters and amplifiers cannot be characterised properly.
- No standard SPICE .model imports. If a datasheet gives you a SPICE model for a specific BJT or op-amp, EveryCircuit cannot accept it. Component coverage is whatever is built into the library.
- Integrated circuits are not emulated. The component library covers passives, common discrete semiconductors, and a small set of standard parts at a behavioural level. Real IC modelling is not on the menu.
- 5-component limit on user circuits in the free tier. Even a series-parallel resistor network exceeds it. The free version is more like a viewer for public circuits than a usable editor for your own work.
- Beginner depth even in the paid version. Multiple reviews note that the paid version raises the component limit but does not change the analytical depth.
None of this is a bug. EveryCircuit is designed to be approachable, animated, and visually intuitive, and it is excellent at that. It is wrong to expect SPICE results from a tool that was never built to produce them.
The closest browser-based alternative with real SPICE
CircuitSim Our pick
Yes, this is our tool, and yes, we put it first. With reason: CircuitSim is built specifically to put real SPICE simulation in a browser, with the same analysis types LTspice and CircuitLab users already know. Free during open beta, no install, no Windows requirement, runs on Chromebooks and iPads.
What works:
- Industry-standard SPICE engine. The simulation kernel is compiled to WebAssembly and runs locally in your browser. DC operating point, AC small-signal, and transient analysis, the same set used in professional EDA tools.
- Interactive simulation mode. CircuitSim has an interactive operating-point mode that updates the schematic in real time as you turn a knob on a component: the bias point and the live measurements re-solve up to 120 times per second. This is the closest browser SPICE equivalent to EveryCircuit's "tweak and watch" workflow.
- Custom interactive components. Sliders, switches, potentiometers, and custom-built parts that respond to live input during simulation. Pair this with the custom component creator (paste a .model, define a .subckt, or build a fully dynamic custom component) and you get the live-input feel of EveryCircuit with the analytical depth of SPICE underneath.
- Schematic editor and netlist editor side by side. Standard SPICE syntax pastes in unchanged. Analysis directives (.tran, .ac, .dc) work as-is.
- Free during open beta. No credit card, no install, no five-component restriction.
Where CircuitSim is still catching up:
- No native mobile app. CircuitSim runs in a mobile browser but is not built around touch-first interaction the way EveryCircuit is. If your workflow lives on a phone or tablet and the animated visualisation is the lesson, EveryCircuit remains the better fit for that use case.
- Open beta. The SPICE engine and editor are stable. A full launch is planned for July or August 2026.
Best for
Anyone who outgrew EveryCircuit's 5-component free limit or analytical depth. Students whose curriculum has moved past intuition into Bode plots, transistor biasing, op-amp design. Educators teaching intermediate analog on Chromebooks or in a browser tab. Anyone who wants live-tweak interactive simulation but with a real SPICE engine underneath.
Get started free at circuitsim.com →
Other alternatives worth considering
Falstad Circuit Simulator Same category, also not SPICE
Falstad is the venerable open-source visualisation simulator that pre-dates EveryCircuit. Like EveryCircuit, it runs real-time animated simulation in the browser with coloured current flow and immediate response to component changes. Like EveryCircuit, it is not a SPICE simulator and uses textbook component models without temperature dependence or BJT capacitance. Free, open source under GPLv2, with no account required and an active community of contributors on GitHub. The interface is older and less polished than EveryCircuit but the core simulation feel is similar, and the price is zero.
Tinkercad Circuits Classroom-focused
Tinkercad Circuits from Autodesk is free with an Autodesk account and combines a photoreal virtual breadboard with a built-in Arduino simulator. Strong for K-12 introductory lessons and Arduino-and-breadboard projects. Same simulation depth ceiling as EveryCircuit. See our Tinkercad Circuits alternative guide for the full comparison.
LTspice Best desktop SPICE on Windows
LTspice is Analog Devices' free desktop SPICE simulator. Deep, accurate, hand-tuned over decades, and free as in beer. Windows-first with a less capable macOS build. No browser version, no mobile, no Chromebook. If you need real SPICE and you can install software, LTspice is exceptional.
CircuitLab Paid browser SPICE
CircuitLab is a paid browser-based SPICE simulator. It is a real SPICE tool but uses an annual subscription model with reported billing friction and has not announced a new feature on its blog since January 2021. Our CircuitLab alternative guide covers the comparison in detail.
EveryCircuit vs the alternatives
| Capability | EveryCircuit | CircuitSim | Falstad | LTspice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runs in a browser | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Real SPICE engine | No (simplified) | Yes | No (textbook models) | Yes |
| DC operating point, AC analysis | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Transient analysis | Real-time animation | Yes (with integration control) | Real-time animation | Yes |
| Animated current flow | Yes (the highlight) | Interactive op mode (120 Hz) | Yes | No |
| Custom SPICE .model imports | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Native mobile app | Android + iOS | Mobile browser | No | No |
| Free-tier circuit size | 5 components max | No limit (open beta) | No limit | No limit |
| Offline use | Yes (after install) | Internet required | Loads then runs | Yes |
| Price | $14.99 one-time | Free (open beta) | Free, open source | Free |
Move from EveryCircuit to CircuitSim in 3 steps
- Screenshot the EveryCircuit design. EveryCircuit does not export to a SPICE netlist, so capture the schematic visually on whichever device you built it on. Note every component value and every connection.
- Rebuild the circuit in CircuitSim. Open circuitsim.com, start a new circuit, and recreate the schematic using the corresponding components. CircuitSim uses standard schematic symbols; ten to fifteen minutes is typical for an introductory circuit.
- Run the analyses EveryCircuit cannot run. Add a DC operating point to see the bias, an AC sweep for a Bode plot, or a transient analysis with integration step control. These are the analyses that are usually the reason you were looking for an alternative in the first place.
Frequently asked questions
What is EveryCircuit?
EveryCircuit is a circuit simulator from MuseMaze Inc. that runs on Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux, and in the browser. It is best known for its real-time animated current-flow visualisation: drag a slider, the simulation updates immediately on screen with coloured charges moving through wires. The pricing is a one-time $14.99 in-app purchase for the full version, with a free tier limited to circuits of 5 components or fewer.
Is EveryCircuit a SPICE simulator?
No. EveryCircuit uses a custom real-time simulation engine designed for animated visualisation, not the SPICE algorithm. There is no DC operating point analysis, no AC small-signal analysis, no Bode plot, and no .model import. Component coverage stays in the beginner range even in the paid version. Several user reviews note that integrated circuits are not emulated and that RC behaviour during capacitor charging does not always match real-world behaviour.
What is a free alternative to EveryCircuit that does real SPICE?
CircuitSim is a browser-based SPICE simulator that is free during open beta with no credit card, no install, no time limit, and no five-component restriction on user circuits. It runs DC operating point, AC small-signal, and transient analysis on standard SPICE component models. The trade-off: CircuitSim is schematic-first rather than animated-mobile-first, so the experience is more like LTspice or CircuitLab than like EveryCircuit.
Why would I move from EveryCircuit to something else?
Two common reasons. First, the simulation depth: EveryCircuit is designed for intuition and animation, not for textbook-accurate analysis. Once a curriculum needs a Bode plot or a transistor bias point that matches a hand calculation, EveryCircuit cannot get there. Second, the free-tier 5-component limit on user circuits makes evaluating the product on real work difficult; once you outgrow it, you either pay $14.99 or look for a tool with a more generous free tier.
Can I import an EveryCircuit design into CircuitSim?
Not directly. EveryCircuit uses a proprietary format and does not export a SPICE netlist. The practical workflow is to screenshot the EveryCircuit design and rebuild it in CircuitSim using the corresponding components. Most introductory circuits take ten to fifteen minutes to recreate.
Does CircuitSim run on a phone the way EveryCircuit does?
CircuitSim runs in any modern mobile browser, including Safari on iPhone and Chrome on Android. It is not a native mobile app and does not have the touch-first interface EveryCircuit is built around. If your workflow is primarily phone-and-tablet-driven and you value the animated current flow more than SPICE-accurate analysis, EveryCircuit remains the better choice for that use case.
When does EveryCircuit win versus CircuitSim?
EveryCircuit is the better fit for tablet-and-phone-first teaching where the animated current flow is the point of the lesson, for casual hobbyist exploration on a mobile device, and for anyone who values offline mobile use and the one-time $14.99 price. CircuitSim is the better fit when you need a real SPICE engine, DC operating point and AC small-signal analysis, custom .model imports, or interactive simulation with live parameter tweaking up to 120 Hz.
Is CircuitSim really free, or is there a paid tier coming?
CircuitSim is free during open beta with no credit card and no time limit. A full launch is planned for July or August 2026 with paid tiers for institutions and educators after launch; a free individual tier will continue. We will give plenty of notice before anything changes for existing users.
Sources
EveryCircuit is a trademark of MuseMaze, Inc. LTspice is a trademark of Analog Devices, Inc. CircuitLab is a trademark of CircuitLab, Inc. Tinkercad and Autodesk are trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. Falstad Circuit Simulator is the work of Paul Falstad and contributors. CircuitSim® is a registered trademark of Elsewhere Labs LLC. CircuitSim is not affiliated with any of the above. All other marks belong to their respective owners.