“Design PCBs with AI” and “If you can type, you can build”
Flux is a browser-based electronics and PCB design tool with an AI assistant for schematic creation, component research, BoM generation, simulation, placement, routing, design rule checks, and manufacturing export. The platform combines ECAD capabilities with live component data, collaborative editing, and AI-powered hardware development.
Flux AI
Design PCBs with AI and If you can type, you can build
Location: USA ⓘ Defy Gravity Inc., 584 Castro St #2307, San Francisco, CA 94114-2512, United States of America
Free account after the trial period Access to public projects and the community; private project editing, exports, AI usage, and other professional features require a paid plan. Subscription Explore Entry point for learning and experimentation; includes AI Hardware Engineer, guidance, project planning, design, simulation, placement, routing, unlimited manual editor use, and the full electronics design suite.
Build For your first custom boards; includes Explore features plus a significantly higher monthly AI allowance and optional usage-based AI expansion.
Pro For complete product development; includes Build features plus a significantly higher AI allowance, discounted usage-based AI expansion, and hands-on support from electrical engineers.
Teams Organization plan with AI Chat, AI Task Completion, a shared ACU pool, Pro features, a team workspace, and centralized billing.
Enterprise Customized enterprise offering with Team features plus private workspaces, enhanced privacy & security, expanded export formats, SOC2, SLA, security audits, vendor onboarding, and invoicing. Other ACUs / Agent Compute Units Usage units for AI chat and AI workflows; monthly included quotas depend on the plan and can be expanded depending on the plan.
Pay-as-you-go AI usage Optional additional AI usage beyond the monthly quota; available depending on the plan.
Enterprise Security & Support Security audits, SOC reports, SLA, prioritized support, onboarding, and enterprise administration upon request.
Target audience
Flux.ai is aimed at electronics developers, hardware start-ups, embedded teams, makers, students, research groups, product developers, and companies that want to develop printed circuit boards faster and more collaboratively. Flux is particularly suitable for teams that want to bring together schematics, layout, simulation, component selection, bill of materials, and manufacturing data in a browser-based workflow.
Outstanding Features
Flux combines classic ECAD features with AI support. According to the documentation, the integrated AI assistant understands schematics, components, electrical connections, and bills of materials, and can help with component selection, alternatives, design feedback, and approved changes to the schematic. In addition, Flux offers real-time collaboration, live component data, version control, approvals, and manufacturing data export.
Key application areas
Typical application areas include PCB design, schematic development, embedded hardware, IoT devices, robotics, RF/telemetry projects, power delivery systems, industrial automation, hardware accelerators, prototyping, and production-oriented PCB development. Flux itself lists IoT & meshed devices, embedded AI, adaptive robotics, RF & telemetry, power delivery systems, industrial automation, and hardware accelerators as project areas.
Usage & Notes
Flux runs entirely in the browser and requires no local installation. For professional use, teams should clarify in advance which projects are public or private, which users receive editing permissions, which manufacturing data must be exported, and whether the data protection/IP protection framework for hardware designs is sufficient. Especially for confidential product developments, patents, client projects, or safety-critical electronics, the Enterprise DPA including subprocessors and SCCs should be reviewed.
| Target group | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Private individuals / Makers | Yes, with limitations – suitable for learning projects, prototypes, open hardware and Maker PCBs; after the trial period, private editing, export and AI use are subject to a fee. |
| Students / Education | Yes – well suited for learning PCB design, circuits, component selection and manufacturing exports. |
| Self-employed professionals / Freelancers | Yes – useful for rapid electronics prototypes, client projects, component research and AI-assisted design reviews. |
| Hardware start-ups | Very well suited – especially for early product development, prototyping, BoM, alternative components, real-time collaboration and manufacturing data. |
| SMEs | Yes – suitable for small hardware teams that want to collaborate in the cloud and use AI for research, layout, routing and design checks. |
| Large enterprises | Conditionally to well suited – Enterprise offers private workspaces, enhanced data protection, SOC2, security audits, SLA and centralized billing; EU data residency is not publicly guaranteed. |
| Electrical engineers / PCB designers | Very well suited – according to the documentation, Flux Copilot understands schematics, components, electrical connections and bills of materials and can execute suggestions and changes with approval. |
| Developers / Embedded teams | Very well suited – suitable for IoT, embedded AI, robotics, RF/telemetry, power delivery and hardware accelerator projects. |
| Privacy-sensitive organizations | With limitations – private projects are treated confidentially and Enterprise data is not intended to be used for training; however, processing takes place in the USA. |
Hosting & Data
1) On-prem / local hosting
Meaning: The company operates the solution on its own hardware or within its own infrastructure. In the strictest sense, not only the application runs locally, but ideally the model as well.
2) Private cloud / data center
Meaning: The solution runs in a dedicated or more clearly separated cloud environment, often with a hosting provider or hyperscaler, but in a German data center or in a particularly controlled environment.
3) EU SaaS / managed
Meaning: The provider operates the solution itself as a service. The company uses the tool as a ready-made cloud service, ideally with EU data residency.
4) Hybrid
Meaning: One part of the processing remains internal / local / in a private cloud, while another part runs in an external cloud or EU SaaS.
5) AVV / DPA
Meaning: This is the data processing agreement or Data Processing Addendum. It governs that the provider processes personal data on behalf of the customer and is bound by the customer's instructions.
6) No training
Meaning: The provider does not use your prompts, uploads, attachments, chat histories, or outputs for training or improving the general model — ideally excluded by contract.
7) Open-source / transparency path
Meaning: There is a path toward greater technical transparency and sovereignty, for example through:
- open models
- documented components
- self-hostable parts
- traceable architecture
- export / switching options
| On-prem / local hosting | ❓ |
| Private cloud / data center | ⚠️ |
| EU SaaS / Managed | ❓ |
| Hybrid | ❓ |
| DPA / AVV | ⚠️ |
| No training on customer data | ❓ |
| Open source / transparency path | ⚠️ |
On-Prem / local hosting: indirect / not available
The website describes Flux as a cloud-native/browser-based product. An on-premise, local, or self-hostable deployment is not specified on the website.
Private Cloud / data center: partial
For Enterprise, the website mentions 'advanced security, compliance, & deployment needs', 'Enhanced privacy & security', as well as contact for customizations. However, a dedicated private cloud or EU/EEA data center deployment is not specifically confirmed on the website.
EU SaaS / Managed: indirect / not available
A managed SaaS service is clearly available, but the website names the USA as the storage/processing location and lists US processing locations for the subprocessors. EU data residency is not specified on the website.
Hybrid: unclear
There is no specific information about a hybrid architecture in which some parts are operated locally/in a private cloud and other parts externally. Not specified on the website.
DPA / DPA: partial
The website refers several times to a 'Data Processing Agreement' and says the subprocessors list applies to services under this agreement. However, a directly accessible DPA text or clear conclusion modalities are not specified on the pages found.
No training: unclear
The security FAQ only states in essence that 'Your data is yours' and refers to the privacy policy for details. A clear, explicit exclusion stating that prompts, uploads, chat histories, or outputs are not used for training general models is not specified on the pages found. An explicit opt-out option for AI training was not found on the website.
Open source / transparency path: partial
There is a limited transparency path through documentation, privacy documents, subprocessors list, and export functions; in addition, Enterprise mentions 'Advanced export formats'. Open-source components, open models, or self-hostable parts are not specified on the website.
Data processing
The website describes Flux as a cloud-native/browser-based service. The privacy policy states that data is stored and processed in the USA; service providers may also process data outside the USA. The published subprocessors list names the USA as the processing location for AWS, Azure, Cloudflare, GCP, Pubnub, Stripe, OpenAI, Anthropic, Segment, Customer.io, and Intercom. Therefore, according to the information found, data processing is primarily US-centric; EU/EEA data residency was not found on the website.
Conclusion
For an EU/EEA tool directory, Flux AI can currently be rated positively from a hosting and GDPR perspective only to a limited extent. There are usable compliance building blocks on the website - privacy policy, GDPR reference, subprocessors list, DPA reference, and SOC2 notes. However, these are offset by clearly stated US processing, lack of EU data residency, no documented EU/EEA hosting option, and no verifiable on-prem/self-hosting alternative. Therefore, for EU/EEA users, additional contractual review would likely be necessary; the website alone does not demonstrate fully straightforward GDPR-compliant use.
Sources
| On-prem / local hosting | ❓ |
| Private cloud / data center | ⚠️ |
| EU SaaS / Managed | ❓ |
| Hybrid | ❓ |
| DPA / AVV | ⚠️ |
| No training on customer data | ❓ |
| Open source / transparency path | ⚠️ |
On-Prem / local hosting: indirect / not available
The website describes Flux as a cloud-native/browser-based product. An on-premise, local, or self-hostable deployment is not specified on the website.
Private Cloud / data center: partial
For Enterprise, the website mentions 'advanced security, compliance, & deployment needs', 'Enhanced privacy & security', as well as contact for customizations. However, a dedicated private cloud or EU/EEA data center deployment is not specifically confirmed on the website.
EU SaaS / Managed: indirect / not available
A managed SaaS service is clearly available, but the website names the USA as the storage/processing location and lists US processing locations for the subprocessors. EU data residency is not specified on the website.
Hybrid: unclear
There is no specific information about a hybrid architecture in which some parts are operated locally/in a private cloud and other parts externally. Not specified on the website.
DPA / DPA: partial
The website refers several times to a 'Data Processing Agreement' and says the subprocessors list applies to services under this agreement. However, a directly accessible DPA text or clear conclusion modalities are not specified on the pages found.
No training: unclear
The security FAQ only states in essence that 'Your data is yours' and refers to the privacy policy for details. A clear, explicit exclusion stating that prompts, uploads, chat histories, or outputs are not used for training general models is not specified on the pages found. An explicit opt-out option for AI training was not found on the website.
Open source / transparency path: partial
There is a limited transparency path through documentation, privacy documents, subprocessors list, and export functions; in addition, Enterprise mentions 'Advanced export formats'. Open-source components, open models, or self-hostable parts are not specified on the website.
Data processing
The website describes Flux as a cloud-native/browser-based service. The privacy policy states that data is stored and processed in the USA; service providers may also process data outside the USA. The published subprocessors list names the USA as the processing location for AWS, Azure, Cloudflare, GCP, Pubnub, Stripe, OpenAI, Anthropic, Segment, Customer.io, and Intercom. Therefore, according to the information found, data processing is primarily US-centric; EU/EEA data residency was not found on the website.
Conclusion
For an EU/EEA tool directory, Flux AI can currently be rated positively from a hosting and GDPR perspective only to a limited extent. There are usable compliance building blocks on the website - privacy policy, GDPR reference, subprocessors list, DPA reference, and SOC2 notes. However, these are offset by clearly stated US processing, lack of EU data residency, no documented EU/EEA hosting option, and no verifiable on-prem/self-hosting alternative. Therefore, for EU/EEA users, additional contractual review would likely be necessary; the website alone does not demonstrate fully straightforward GDPR-compliant use.
Sources
Strengths & weaknesses at a glance
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| • Browser-based ECAD with no installation required | • No publicly assured on-premise or EU hosting path |
| • AI support for electronics design and PCB layout | • According to the subprocessor list, subprocessors and data processing are predominantly located in the USA, including AWS, Azure, GCP, OpenAI, Anthropic, Stripe, Segment, and Intercom |
| • Real-time collaboration and project sharing | • For confidential hardware IP and personal data, a DPA/SCC/subprocessor review is required |
| • Live component data, pricing, alternatives, and BoM support | • Compared with desktop ECAD suites established over decades, specialized features for highly demanding high-end workflows may be lacking; Flux itself continues to cite desktop tools such as Altium/OrCAD as suitable for certain special cases |
| • Manufacturing data export for real PCB production | |
| • Enterprise plan with SOC2, security audits, SLA, hidden workspaces, and enhanced privacy/security according to the pricing page |
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GDPR-compliant usage possible?
From an EU/EEA perspective, GDPR-compliant use is not clearly established as standard SaaS. Positive aspects include a published privacy policy with explicit GDPR reference, a subprocessor list, and the indication that a 'Data Protection Agreement' applies for certain services. At the same time, the website states the USA as the storage and processing location; according to the website, the listed subprocessors also process data in the USA. EU data residency, EU data centers, on-premise, or self-hosting options are not specified on the website. Therefore, use in the EU/EEA is only justifiable under additional contractual and organizational conditions, not as a clearly unproblematic standard solution.
Positive
The website includes a privacy policy with information on legal bases under GDPR, data subject rights, and deletion options. In addition, there is a separate subprocessor list that explicitly refers to a 'Flux Data Protection Agreement'. For Enterprise, 'Enhanced privacy & security' and 'SOC2' are also mentioned.
Negative
The privacy policy states that Flux stores and processes data in the USA. The subprocessor list consistently identifies 'United States' as the processing location for infrastructure, communication, payments, instrumentation, and AI services. EU data residency, EU/EEA data centers, a published AVV/DPA text, SCC references, on-premise, self-hosting, or a clear contractual exclusion of AI training with customer data are not specified on the website.
Server location
According to the privacy policy, Flux stores and processes the collected information in the USA. According to the subprocessor list, the processing locations of the listed subprocessors are also in the USA. An EU/EEA server location or EU data residency is not specified on the website.
