KiCad compatibility

GoatCAD reads and writes .kicad_sch and .kicad_pcb files directly. There is no import step and no private copy of the design.

What that means

• Opening a design does not rewrite or migrate it.
• Saving writes the same file types back, in the same place.
• The schematic and the board stay separate files, as in KiCad — never folded into one combined document.
• Anything GoatCAD needs that KiCad has no place for goes in a sidecar file beside the design, the way KiCad keeps project settings. It never replaces your files.

Versions and boundaries

KiCad’s file format changes across releases, so the range a build reads and writes is tied to that build. The authoritative answer ships with each release — see the release notes.

Commit or back up a design before opening it in a new tool for the first time. If a file does not open cleanly, open an issue with the KiCad version that wrote it.

Working alongside KiCad

Both tools can stay installed and open the same project. Neither one migrates it away from the other.