If you like WireViz but need to build the harness, look at Zorowire (imports WireViz YAML, adds a 1:1 formboard, cut list and quote, in the browser), harness.design (free 1:1 formboard panels), Splice CAD (free, exports WireViz) and Rapid Harness (Windows, full document set). Filare, a WireViz fork, adds multi-page documents but stays a diagram tool.
WireViz is free and open source (GPL-3.0), produces clean connection diagrams and a BOM from a YAML file, and versions well in git; on 30 October 2026 it had 5,316 stars on GitHub. Its own maintainers describe it as a tool for logical connections, not a physical layout. That is exactly where shops building harnesses run out of road.
What WireViz users ask for
- A cut list. A user put it simply in issue #434: after the diagram, the next thing needed is a cut list.
- A physical layout. There are no branch points and no branch lengths in a WireViz file, so there is no formboard to print.
- Excel instead of YAML. Users ask to bring their Excel wiring lists (issue #341); others describe hand-written YAML as slow and error-prone (issue #488).
- No install for the team. Python and Graphviz on every computer is a barrier for staff, as one shop owner noted on Hacker News.
The alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Cheapest paid, as listed | Free plan | Platform | 1:1 formboard | Quote from labour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zorowire | Starter €24 a month; Shop €79 a month for 5 users | Unlimited harnesses × 150 connections, 3 quotes a month | Browser (macOS, Windows, Linux) | Yes; tiled with marks and a check ruler, or one piece | Yes: labour from operations, setup, breaks, margin, customer PDF |
| WireViz / Filare | Free (GPL-3.0) | Everything | Python command line | No | No |
| Splice CAD | No paid plan yet | 50 harnesses on the web | Browser and desktop | No 1:1 formboard in our test | None |
| harness.design | $29 per seat a month; $24 billed yearly | Unlimited harnesses × 100 connections | Browser, macOS and Windows apps | Yes, tiled panels | None found |
| Rapid Harness | $219 a month per user (Standard) | 5 designs × 30 connections | Windows desktop | Yes, every plan | None found |
Which one fits
- Keep your YAML, add the build: Zorowire imports WireViz YAML (with its own reader; no WireViz code), then you add the branches and get the board, the cut list and a quote.
- Stay free and keep exporting WireViz: Splice CAD exports clean WireViz files and cut lists; its drawings were not 1:1 in our test.
- A free 1:1 board: harness.design prints tiled panels to scale on its free plan.
- Windows and a full document set: Rapid Harness.
From WireViz to a formboard in Zorowire
- Import the .yml file: connectors, pins, cables, conductors and connections come across.
- Add the branches and their lengths; a cable's overall length is kept as its conductors' fixed length.
- Read the findings — colour codes outside IEC 60757 are kept as written and reported.
- Print the calibration sheet, then the board.
More on Zorowire vs WireViz.
Start free
Start freeFrequently asked questions
Can WireViz make a formboard?
No. WireViz draws connection diagrams; its files contain no branch points or lengths for a physical layout.
Can Zorowire import WireViz files?
Yes. Zorowire reads WireViz YAML with its own reader written from a description of the format; no WireViz code is used.
Is there a WireViz alternative that runs in the browser?
Yes: Zorowire, harness.design and Splice CAD all run in the browser, with nothing to install.
Is WireViz free for commercial use?
WireViz is licensed under GPL-3.0, which allows commercial use under its terms. Check the licence for your case.
Sources
- WireViz on GitHub (GPL-3.0, latest release v0.4.1 of 2024-07-13) · retrieved 2026-10-30
- Splice CAD, Pricing (Free: 50 harnesses on the web) · retrieved 2026-10-30
- Zorowire hands-on test of Splice CAD, web app (fixture F2) — Zorowire test or research, 2026-10-31
- harness.design, homepage and pricing section · retrieved 2026-10-30
- harness.design docs, FAQ (Free limits, platforms, offline) · retrieved 2026-10-30
- harness.design docs, Formboard mode and panels · retrieved 2026-10-30
- Zorowire hands-on test of harness.design (Free plan, fixture F2) — Zorowire test or research, 2026-10-30
- Rapid Harness, Pricing · retrieved 2026-10-30
- Rapid Harness, homepage (features, Windows desktop app) · retrieved 2026-10-30
- Rapid Harness, version history · retrieved 2026-10-30
- WireViz issue #434 (cut list request) · retrieved 2026-10-30
- WireViz issue #341 (Excel import request) · retrieved 2026-10-30
- WireViz issue #488 (hand-written YAML) · retrieved 2026-10-30
- Hacker News comment on installing WireViz for staff (2024-04-15) · retrieved 2026-10-30
