Comparison · UK · Updated September 2026

Electrical plan software in the UK: an honest comparison of 5 tools

Q: Which electrical plan software should I choose?

Work out which job you are doing first, because these tools are not really competitors. If you need cable sizing, discrimination studies and certificates, you need a design package: ElectricalOM or Amtech ProDesign. If you need to decide and communicate where things go, you need a layout tool: Planelico, Easy Electrical Floorplan or RoomSketcher. Most domestic projects end up using one of each.

Q: What is the best free electrical plan software in the UK?

Nothing serious is entirely free. Planelico gives you a free project with up to two floors and two layers, with no install and no card, which is enough to lay out a house and see the circuit split. RoomSketcher has a free tier but the electrical symbol set is not part of it.

Q: Is there a cheaper alternative to ElectricalOM or Amtech ProDesign?

For calculations, not really — that work requires a proper design package and the licence cost reflects it. But a lot of what people open those packages for is simply deciding the layout and the circuit split. That part is much cheaper to do elsewhere, and the design package then only has to size what you have already agreed.

Q: Do I need design software as a homeowner?

No. Cable sizing, disconnection times and earth fault loop impedance are the designing electrician’s responsibility, and notifiable work has to be certified by a registered competent person regardless. What is genuinely worth your time is the layout: where the sockets, switches and lighting points go, and which circuit each belongs to.

Q: Why does Planelico work on a PDF rather than redrawing the plan?

Because the plan usually already exists — an architect drawing, a builder’s plan, an estate agent floor plan. Redrawing it costs half an hour to two hours, introduces dimension errors, and produces a document that is no longer the original. Annotating the PDF keeps fidelity to the drawing everyone else is working from.

Q: How long does it take to lay out a house?

For a typical three-bedroom house with around 120 electrical points, expect 30 to 60 minutes once the PDF is imported. Work room by room: place everything first, then group the accessories into circuits.

Q: Can I use more than one of these together?

That is usually the sensible route. Agree the layout and the circuit split on the plan, hand the PDF to the electrician, and let their design package do the sizing and the certification. You are not paying twice for the same work — each tool does the part it is actually good at.

Five tools people reach for in the UK — Planelico, ElectricalOM, Amtech ProDesign, Easy Electrical Floorplan and RoomSketcher. The useful thing to understand first is that they split into two groups that barely overlap: packages that calculate and certify an installation, and tools that lay it out and communicate it. Picking badly usually means buying the wrong group.

Transparency: we're the Planelico team. We tried to be honest about each tool's strengths — each wins on a specific use case. You judge.

Quick overview — 8 criteria, 5 tools

Criterion	Planelico	ElectricalOM	Amtech ProDesign	Easy Electrical Floorplan	RoomSketcher
What it is really for	Layout on an existing PDF	Design + calculation	Design + calculation	Mark-up on site	Floor plans, electrical on top
Starting point	Your existing PDF	Circuit data you enter	Circuit data you enter	Uploaded PDF or image	Draw, trace or convert
Platform	Any browser	Desktop	Desktop	iOS only	Browser
Account required to try	No	Yes (trial)	Yes	Yes (trial)	Yes
Electrical symbols	370+ IEC 60617	Schematic symbols	Schematic symbols	70+	250+ (paid plan)
Cable sizing & calculations	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
Circuit grouping from the plan	Yes, generated	Manual entry	Manual entry	No	No
Certification output	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
Pricing	Free · £19.90 lifetime · from £9.90/month	Paid licence	Paid licence	£5.99/mo – £59.99/yr	Paid plan for electrical

Table scrolls horizontally on mobile. Data verified June 2026.

The differentiator: you already have a PDF plan

The real question isn't “which tool is best?” but “where am I starting from?”. In 90% of cases, you already have a plan: architect drawing, builder's plan, real estate listing, an older plan of the house. That plan is precise, scaled, signed by a pro.

General floor-plan tools ask you to redraw that plan wall by wall, or to run it through a conversion that reinterprets it. That is half an hour to two hours lost, and what you end up with is no longer the drawing everyone else on the job is working from.

Planelico takes the opposite bet: keep your PDF as-is, annotate on top. You lose nothing — you add the electrical layer. The exported result is your original plan + your annotations, not a redrawn plan.

💡 Concretely: first symbol placed in under 60 seconds after the PDF is uploaded — because there are no walls to draw first.

Planelico

Annotate your PDF with IEC 60617 symbols

Install

None (browser)

Account required

No (the editor opens without an account)

Pricing

Free · Premium £19.90 lifetime · Pro from £9.90/month

1st symbol

< 60 s

✓ Strengths

You start from the PDF you already have, not a blank canvas
370+ IEC 60617 symbols, the same conventions as BS EN 60617
Derives a circuit split and a board layout from the placed accessories
No install, no card, no account required to try

− Limits

Not a calculation tool: no cable sizing, voltage drop or discrimination study
Does not produce certification documents
No 3D modelling

Best for: You have a floor plan as a PDF and want to settle the electrical layout — and the circuit split — before asking electricians to price it.

ElectricalOM

BS 7671 design, calculation and certification

Install

Desktop application

Account required

Yes (licence, 14-day trial)

Pricing

Paid licence

1st symbol

Hours (it is a design package)

✓ Strengths

Full low-voltage design to BS 7671 and IEC 60364
Cable sizing, voltage drop and discrimination studies
Certification output; a CAD plan module is available as an add-on
Used by large consultancies, so the output is accepted everywhere

− Limits

Priced and scoped for professionals, not homeowners
The floor-plan side is an add-on rather than the core
Real learning curve before the first useful output

Best for: You are the designing electrician or consultant and you need calculations and certificates that stand up to scrutiny.

Amtech ProDesign

The long-established UK design package

Install

Desktop application

Account required

Yes (licence)

Pricing

Paid licence, renewal can be steep

1st symbol

Hours (it is a design package)

✓ Strengths

Long track record on UK commercial and industrial work
Comprehensive calculations and documentation
Well known to specifiers and building services teams

− Limits

Heavyweight for a domestic rewire or extension
Licence cost is hard to justify for occasional use
Not a tool a homeowner would ever open

Best for: You do building services design for a living and need the full calculation suite.

Easy Electrical Floorplan

UK iOS app for marking up plans on site

Install

iOS app

Account required

Yes (subscription, 1-month trial)

Pricing

£5.99/month to £59.99/year

1st symbol

Minutes

✓ Strengths

Upload a PDF or image plan, single or multi-page
70+ electrical components, no cap per project
Per-component pricing built in, useful for quoting on site
Genuinely cheap and quick for an electrician with an iPad

− Limits

iOS only — nothing on Android, Windows or in a browser
Smaller symbol library
No circuit grouping or board generation

Best for: You are an electrician who quotes from an iPad on site and wants component pricing in the same document.

RoomSketcher

Floor plans first, electrical symbols second

Install

Browser

Account required

Yes

Pricing

Free tier, but the electrical library needs a paid plan

1st symbol

15–30 min

✓ Strengths

250+ electrical symbols once you are on a paid plan
Can convert or trace an existing plan rather than only drawing from scratch
Good general floor-plan output, including 3D

− Limits

The electrical symbols are behind a paid plan — the free tier does not include them
Conversion redraws your plan rather than annotating the original PDF
Aimed at property marketing and interiors more than electrical hand-off

Best for: You need a presentable floor plan in the first place, and the electrical layer is a secondary output.

Which tool for your situation?

I already have a PDF plan

Architect plan, builder plan, real estate listing: you want to prepare the electrical layer fast and clean.

→ Planelico

I need cable sizing and certificates

You are the designing electrician: voltage drop, discrimination, disconnection times, and an EIC at the end.

→ ElectricalOM or Amtech ProDesign

I quote from an iPad on site

You mark up a customer's plan during the survey and want per-component pricing in the same document.

→ Easy Electrical Floorplan

I need the floor plan itself first

There is no usable drawing yet, and you need a presentable plan before worrying about the electrics.

→ RoomSketcher

FAQ — choosing electrical plan software

Which electrical plan software should I choose?

Work out which job you are doing first, because these tools are not really competitors. If you need cable sizing, discrimination studies and certificates, you need a design package: ElectricalOM or Amtech ProDesign. If you need to decide and communicate where things go, you need a layout tool: Planelico, Easy Electrical Floorplan or RoomSketcher. Most domestic projects end up using one of each.

What is the best free electrical plan software in the UK?

Nothing serious is entirely free. Planelico gives you a free project with up to two floors and two layers, with no install and no card, which is enough to lay out a house and see the circuit split. RoomSketcher has a free tier but the electrical symbol set is not part of it.

Is there a cheaper alternative to ElectricalOM or Amtech ProDesign?

For calculations, not really — that work requires a proper design package and the licence cost reflects it. But a lot of what people open those packages for is simply deciding the layout and the circuit split. That part is much cheaper to do elsewhere, and the design package then only has to size what you have already agreed.

Do I need design software as a homeowner?

No. Cable sizing, disconnection times and earth fault loop impedance are the designing electrician’s responsibility, and notifiable work has to be certified by a registered competent person regardless. What is genuinely worth your time is the layout: where the sockets, switches and lighting points go, and which circuit each belongs to.

Why does Planelico work on a PDF rather than redrawing the plan?

Because the plan usually already exists — an architect drawing, a builder’s plan, an estate agent floor plan. Redrawing it costs half an hour to two hours, introduces dimension errors, and produces a document that is no longer the original. Annotating the PDF keeps fidelity to the drawing everyone else is working from.

How long does it take to lay out a house?

For a typical three-bedroom house with around 120 electrical points, expect 30 to 60 minutes once the PDF is imported. Work room by room: place everything first, then group the accessories into circuits.

Can I use more than one of these together?

That is usually the sensible route. Agree the layout and the circuit split on the plan, hand the PDF to the electrician, and let their design package do the sizing and the certification. You are not paying twice for the same work — each tool does the part it is actually good at.

Sources

Feature and pricing details were taken from each vendor at the time of writing. Pricing changes — check the vendor before you buy.

Related guides

How to create a house electrical plan

Step-by-step guide from PDF import to export.

BS 7671 electrical plan

Final circuits, RCD protection, Part P notification.

Consumer unit diagram

Ways, RCBOs and the circuit schedule.

Create your electrical plan now

Planelico lets you create a professional electrical plan in minutes. Free, no installation.

Start for free →Try without an account