the GUI of DipTrace, aligning components etc and general feel is much nicer but KiCAD has good integration with Python and the file formats/structures are readable so scripting is possible.

PCB layout edit Engineering tool for board design with smart manual routing, differential pairs, length-matching tools, shape-based autorouter, advanced verification, layer stackup manager, and wide import/export capabilities. I am yet to decide whether to pay $125 for a non-profit DipTraceStandard (1k pins, 4l) or just go with KiCAD. DipTrace Schematic has ERC verification and Spice export for external simulation. and I have quite a few components defined in both. all my old designs are in DipTrace and all my new ones are in KiCad. The author gives his take on how EAGLE and DipTrace design tools fare when developing a 3D preview of a printed-circuit-board. We recommend this for electronics hobbyists, as it is a freeware allows us to design single layer and double layer PCBs upto 300 pins. again this would not have been supported by my licence. Under Review: EAGLE and DipTrace PCB Design Tools for 3D Previews. DipTrace is a software that allows you to create simple and complex Printed Circuit Boards from schematic diagrams to layouts. Along the way I had a design that was so space constrained I had to go to 4-layers.

My experience is that KiCad does work and I have had a few boards manufactured by the usual suspects (JLCPCB/PCBWay.) without a hitch it was relatively painless. I even tried KiCad DipTrace import but that was not very convincing). (I was offered a temporary trial but I decided to not try it as I knew my design would inevitably need revisions and I might find myself stuck. I was forced to try something else because my latest design had 503 pins! At that time I wasn't sure whether to buy a licence or to try KiCad so I tried KiCad.

Diptrace import pdf schematic