Gerbv is a free, open-source viewer for Gerber RS-274X files, Excellon drill files and CSV pick-and-place files. It started life as part of the gEDA project and is released under GPL-2.0-or-later. For many years Windows users had to rely on third-party builds, but that changed with the project’s 2026 revival: v2.13.0, released on March 20, 2026, is the first release that ships native Windows builds published on the official GitHub Releases page. This guide walks through installing the recommended build — the NSIS installer for 64-bit Windows — verifying the download, and opening your first board files. If you would rather not install anything, read our companion guide to the portable MSYS2 ZIP build instead.
Before you start: which Windows build should you download?
The v2.13.0 release offers two Windows variants, and picking the right one saves confusion later. The first is gerbv-2.13.0-win64.exe (15,062,430 bytes), an NSIS installer cross-compiled from Fedora. This is the build most people should use: it installs Gerbv like a normal Windows program, with a Start menu entry and an uninstaller. The second is an MSYS2 UCRT64 ZIP archive (17,962,489 bytes), built natively on Windows with MSYS2. The ZIP needs no installation — you extract it and run the executable — which makes it useful on locked-down or shared machines. Both builds are 64-bit only, and Windows 10 is the platform the project builds and tests on. There is no 32-bit build and no Windows ARM64 build in the release.
One important exception: Windows 7 is only supported up to Gerbv 2.8.0. That limit comes from the upstream project itself, not from this site. If you are still running Windows 7, download release 2.8.0 (or older) from the GitHub releases archive instead of v2.13.0, and expect that older build to lack the export improvements and packaging changes described in our version history.
Step 1: Download the installer
Go to the download page and use the Windows installer button, which goes to the official file via /go/gerbv-win-exe. That link redirects to the v2.13.0 asset on github.com/gerbv/gerbv — the project’s own release channel. Save gerbv-2.13.0-win64.exe somewhere easy to find, such as your Downloads folder. The file is about 15 MB, so the download should finish quickly even on a modest connection. Avoid installers offered by random download portals: the project’s README states that official releases are published on GitHub Releases, and that is the only source this guide uses.
Step 2: Verify the SHA-256 checksum
Verifying the checksum takes less than a minute and proves the file you downloaded is byte-for-byte the file the project published — not corrupted in transit and not swapped by a mirror. Open Windows PowerShell, change to your Downloads folder, and run:
Get-FileHash .\gerbv-2.13.0-win64.exe -Algorithm SHA256Compare the output with the published SHA-256 for the v2.13.0 installer:
2bafa388c485a9bcecef40e8537cd90287e626f29ce20502ab472faf3cd349fbThe two values must match exactly, character for character. If they differ, delete the file and download it again from the official release; do not run an installer whose hash does not match. This check matters most if you ever use a mirror copy, but it is a good habit for the official download too.
Step 3: Run the NSIS installer
Double-click the installer and follow the NSIS setup wizard: accept the GPL licence, choose an install folder (the default is fine for most people), and let the wizard copy the files and create shortcuts. Administrative rights may be requested for a machine-wide install, which is normal for NSIS installers that write to Program Files.
Because Gerbv is a small open-source project, its installer is not code-signed with a commercial certificate. Windows SmartScreen may therefore show a “Windows protected your PC” prompt the first time you run it. As general guidance for unsigned open-source installers whose checksum you have just verified against the official release, you can click More info and then Run anyway to proceed. The checksum verification in Step 2 is what makes that decision a considered one: you already know the file is exactly what the project published. If the hash did not match, do not bypass the warning.
Step 4: First launch and opening your board files
Launch Gerbv from the Start menu. You will see an empty canvas with a layer list on the left. Use the File menu to open your fabrication files: Gerbv’s core format is Gerber RS-274X, and it also opens Excellon / NC drill files and CSV pick-and-place (centroid) files. Open each copper layer, the solder mask, the silkscreen and the drill file for the same board, and Gerbv stacks them so you can inspect the board as a whole. Right-clicking a layer in the list lets you reload it, change its colour and toggle how it is drawn, and the Cairo renderer can show layers with transparency so you can see what lies underneath. A measurement tool lets you check distances on the displayed image, and report windows summarise the Gerber and drill codes in use.
Two limits are worth knowing on day one. Gerbv does not support legacy RS-274D files — the README states this explicitly — and it is a 2D viewer: there is no 3D view and no design-rule or DFM checking. It also exports what you see to PNG, PDF, PS, SVG and (since v2.12.0, built in on all platforms) DXF, which is handy for documentation. For a tour of what changed in this release, see what is new in Gerbv 2.13.0.
Troubleshooting quick notes
If the installer will not start, re-check the SHA-256 value first — a truncated download is the most common cause. If Gerbv opens but a layer looks missing, make sure the file is really RS-274X or Excellon and not an RS-274D or proprietary CAD export. If you are on Windows 7, remember the 2.8.0 ceiling above. And if your workplace forbids installing software altogether, the portable ZIP build runs from an extracted folder or a USB stick with no installer at all. Full file details, sizes and checksums for every platform are collected on the download page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gerbv free to install on Windows?
Yes. Gerbv is open-source software under GPL-2.0-or-later, and the official Windows builds on GitHub Releases are free to download and use.
Does Gerbv v2.13.0 work on Windows 7?
No. Upstream supports Windows 7 only up to Gerbv 2.8.0. Use that older release on Windows 7; v2.13.0 is a 64-bit build tested on Windows 10.
Why did SmartScreen warn me about the installer?
The installer is not code-signed with a commercial certificate, so Windows may warn on first run. Verify the SHA-256 checksum against the official release first; if it matches, the usual guidance for unsigned open-source installers is to choose More info, then Run anyway.