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TinyOhms vs Tinkercad Circuits
Both are free breadboard simulators that run in a browser. They are built for different jobs. Here is the honest version, checked September 2026.
| TinyOhms | Tinkercad Circuits | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs in | Any browser, plus an iPhone/iPad app | Any browser |
| Account | None to build and simulate; sign in only to save circuits | Autodesk account required |
| Price | Free on the web; app is free with a US$2.99/month Pro tier for advanced parts | Free |
| What you build on | A pictorial breadboard with real parts: battery packs, resistors, LEDs, buzzers, pots, capacitors, sensors, a transistor, 555 and 4017 chips | A pictorial breadboard with a large parts library, including Arduino and micro:bit boards |
| Programming | None — analog and logic circuits only | Arduino and micro:bit code, blocks or C++, with a debugger and serial monitor |
| Schematic view | No | Yes |
| Engine accuracy | DC and transient solver cross-checked against ngspice on every project (within 3%) | Interactive simulation aimed at teaching; accuracy figures not published |
| Learning content | A 10-level ladder of projects with the math worked out and a challenge at the end; troubleshooting pages that run the broken circuit | Starter circuits and lessons inside the editor |
| Made for | Teens and total beginners building with real parts at home | Classrooms and makers, especially Arduino learners |
Pick Tinkercad if…
You want to program an Arduino. That is Tinkercad's strongest feature and TinyOhms doesn't do it at all. Tinkercad simulates the board, runs your code, and shows a serial monitor, so a class can write a sketch with no hardware on the desk. It also has a schematic view and a much larger parts library.
Pick TinyOhms if…
You are starting from zero and want to understand the circuit, not just see it run. Every TinyOhms project shows the arithmetic — why this resistor, why 11 mA — and the Workbench is the same engine, so the numbers you calculate are the numbers you see. Nothing needs an account, which matters for a 12-year-old at a kitchen table. And the iPhone app carries the same bench with sound and offline use.
Use both
A sensible path: learn what a resistor, an LED and a transistor actually do on TinyOhms (Levels 1–6), then move to Tinkercad when you reach code (our Level 7 and up). The parts you learned are the same parts.
Try it now
Open the TinyOhms Workbench → 📱 Get the iOS app
Tinkercad facts from tinkercad.com as of September 2026; Tinkercad is a trademark of Autodesk, which is not affiliated with TinyOhms. See also TinyOhms vs EveryCircuit and free breadboard simulators compared.