Gerber Viewer — Open, Inspect and Measure PCB Gerber Files for Free
A Gerber viewer turns the fabrication files your EDA tool exports into a picture of the board you are about to pay for. This page explains what a viewer does, why a desktop viewer keeps your design files private, and how Gerbv — a free, open-source viewer for Windows, Mac and Linux — fits that job.
Download Gerbv v2.13.0 FreeWhat does a Gerber viewer do?
When you finish a printed circuit board design, your CAD or EDA tool does not send the board itself to the factory. It exports a set of fabrication files — usually Gerber files for the copper, solder mask, silkscreen and paste layers, plus a separate drill file. A Gerber viewer opens those files and draws what the factory will see: each layer on its own, and all of them stacked together in registration. That simple act is the last independent check between your design intent and a manufactured board.
In practice, people use a Gerber reader to answer concrete questions before ordering. Are the top and bottom copper layers aligned? Does the solder mask actually clear the pads? Is the silkscreen printing over exposed copper? Are all the drill holes present, in the right places, and a sensible size? A missing layer, a mirrored export or a wrong unit setting is easy to miss in a file list and obvious the moment the layers are stacked on screen. Measuring makes the check quantitative: hole diameters, pad sizes, trace clearances and board outlines can all be verified against what you intended.
If you are new to the format itself, start with our explainer What is a Gerber file? — it covers what each layer file contains and why the drill data is separate.
Why use a desktop viewer instead of uploading your files?
Online viewers are convenient, but they ask you to upload your fabrication files to a third-party server. For a hobby board that may not matter. For a commercial design, an unreleased product or a client’s work, those files are the product — the complete manufacturing recipe for the board. A desktop viewer removes that question entirely: the files never leave your machine, there is no account, no upload queue and no dependency on a website being up. It also works on a plane, in a lab with no internet, and with large file sets that web upload forms often reject or time out on.
We compare the two approaches in depth in Online vs desktop Gerber viewers: which should you use? The short version is that online viewers are fine for a quick look at a file you do not mind sharing, while a desktop viewer is the right default for repeat, professional work.
Gerbv: the free open-source desktop option
Gerbv is a free and open-source Gerber viewer, licensed under GPL-2.0-or-later. It began as part of the gEDA project and is now maintained on GitHub. The current release, v2.13.0 (March 20, 2026), runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. It views three kinds of fabrication data: Gerber RS-274X files, Excellon drill files, and CSV pick-and-place files. You load several files on top of each other, toggle and recolour layers, use transparency to see what lies underneath, measure distances on the displayed image, and read report windows summarising the Gerber and drill codes in use.
Gerbv also exports what you see to PNG, PDF, PS, SVG and DXF — DXF export has been built in on all platforms since v2.12.0 — which is useful for documentation and design reviews. It is honest about its limits, and so are we: Gerbv is a 2D viewer. It has no 3D view, no design-rule or DFM checking, and it does not support legacy RS-274D files. Editing is limited to selecting objects to view their properties or delete them, translating between formats on export, and panelising boards from the command line. It is a viewer for fabrication data, not a PCB layout editor — see the version history for how it got here.
Quick start in four steps
- Download Gerbv from the download page — Windows installer or portable ZIP, macOS ZIP, or Linux packages, each with its SHA-256 checksum.
- Install it with the guide for your system: Windows, macOS or Linux. Windows users who cannot install software can use the portable ZIP build.
- Open your board files: load each Gerber layer plus the Excellon drill file for the same board, so they stack in registration.
- Inspect and measure: toggle layers, turn on transparency, check alignment and clearances, and measure anything that has to match the design.
What to check, every time you open a board
A viewer only helps if you look with a checklist in mind. Start with registration: stack all the copper layers and confirm that pads and vias line up through the board, then add the drill file and confirm every hole lands where a pad expects it. Next, look at each layer against its neighbour — the solder mask should open exactly where pads and test points need exposure and cover everything else, and the silkscreen should print on mask, never across bare pads where it can interfere with soldering. Then check the outline: the board edge should be closed, correctly sized and in the position the other layers assume. Finally, measure the handful of dimensions the design depends on — mounting-hole positions and sizes, connector edge distances, and any critical clearance — rather than trusting that the export preserved them. Gerbv’s layer toggling, transparency, measurement and report windows exist for precisely these passes, and exporting a PNG or PDF of the stacked view gives you a record of the check to file with the order.
How Gerbv compares
| Viewer | Type | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Gerbv | Desktop, free and open source (GPL-2.0-or-later) | Private, offline inspection and measurement on Windows, Mac and Linux |
| Online viewers | Web-based, upload required | A quick look at a non-sensitive file with nothing to install |
| KiCad GerbView | Desktop, part of the KiCad suite | KiCad users who already have the full suite installed |
For a fuller, honest roundup of the field, read Best free Gerber viewers in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gerbv really free?
Yes. Gerbv is open-source software under GPL-2.0-or-later. There is no paid tier, licence key or trial period — download it from the official GitHub release and use it for personal, educational or commercial verification work.
Which files can a Gerber viewer open?
Gerbv opens Gerber RS-274X layer files, Excellon drill files and CSV pick-and-place files. Legacy RS-274D files are not supported. If your EDA tool offers a choice, export RS-274X — it is the modern, self-contained variant of the format.
Does Gerbv work offline?
Completely. Gerbv is a native desktop application based on GTK 2 and Cairo. Once installed it needs no internet connection, and your fabrication files stay on your own machine.
Can Gerbv check my design rules or show a 3D view?
No. Gerbv reports statistics about the codes used in your files, but it does not run design-rule or DFM checks, and its view is 2D only. Treat it as an inspection and measurement tool — your fab house checks remain the final word.
Which operating systems does Gerbv run on?
v2.13.0 provides 64-bit Windows builds (Windows 10 is the tested target), an official macOS ZIP, and Linux packages for Debian 13, Ubuntu 22.04 and Fedora 43. Windows 7 is supported only up to Gerbv 2.8.0.