PCBWay PCB fabrication

What hackers pick instead

• JLCPCBCheap, fast PCB fabrication and assembly from one vendor, especially for parts in its library. Most common caveat: parts outside its library and tariffs add hassle and cost.83recommend
• OSH ParkUS-based PCB prototype maker people pick for high board quality, local service and small runs. Main caveat: it costs more than overseas fabs and doesn't do assembly.17recommend
• The Grid by CircuitHubShort lead times for boards within its Proto Board spec, comparable to JLCPCB on those boards; critics say it costs more and its requirements and sign-up are strict.15recommend
• ProvenMetalPeople recommend it for circuit boards delivered in days, domestic production and component traceability; critics say it costs more when cost is the main constraint.15recommend
• Aisler PCB manufacturing servicePeople recommend Aisler for high-quality PCB printing and tight-tolerance layouts. The most common caveat is that assembly and board prices run well above JLCPCB, with longer production lead times.11recommend

Every quote

The 36 most detailed of 41 comments. Each links to the original.

1. I've found PCBWay preferable for small batch assembly because they just take a list of MPNs and give you back a quote

   Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “PCBWay sponsorship: full-size SD module for Arduino projects”

2. Both are genuine companies unlike all the borderline scams such as all the vpns, brilliant, mobile games, etc.

   Mixed · Apr 2026 · in “PCBWay sponsorship: full-size SD module for Arduino projects”

3. Getting production quality, one-off, multi layer PCBs done as a hobbyist is dirt cheap these days

   Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “Computer-generated dream world: Virtual reality for a 286 processor”

4. send your designs to a place like PCBWay or JLCPCB and get the aluminum parts reasonably cheap

   Recommends · Feb 2026 · in “Ask HN: How to get started with robotics as a hobbyist?”

5. I still find it amazing that I can get PCBs manufactured at such an affordable price.

   Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “PCBWay sponsorship: full-size SD module for Arduino projects”

6. Both are genuine companies unlike all the borderline scams such as all the vpns

   Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “PCBWay sponsorship: full-size SD module for Arduino projects”

7. JLCPCB and/or PCBWay can assemble boards for quite cheap these days

   Recommends · Feb 2026 · in “Building a 24-Bit Arcade CRT Display Adapter, from Scratch”

8. they didn't support any viable payment method for me in Canada

   Mixed · Mar 2026 · in “PCB devboard the size of a USB-C plug”

9. PCBWay will make anything you send them for reasonable pricing

   Recommends · Oct 2026 · in “Ledger confirms spy chip implant behind wallet crypto thefts”

10. Both are genuine companies unlike all the borderline scams

    Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “PCBWay sponsorship: full-size SD module for Arduino projects”

11. PCBWay suddenly had no reasonable payment options

    Mixed · Mar 2026 · in “My DIY FPGA board can run Quake II”

12. I sent it to PCBWay and it worked the first go.

    Recommends · Oct 2026 · in “AI-assisted PCB design for KiCad 10”

13. where you can get MOQ for as low as 5 PCB/PCBA

    Recommends · Nov 2025 · in “US Army to buy 1 million drones, in major acquisition ramp-up”

14. I sent it to PCBWay and it worked the first go

    Recommends · Oct 2026 · in “AI-assisted PCB design for KiCad 10”

15. the entire service is mind-blowingly cheap

    Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “PCBWay sponsorship: full-size SD module for Arduino projects”

16. They're really not expensive

    Recommends · Nov 2025 · in “Show HN: F32 – An Extremely Small ESP32 Board”

17. it can be a headache to get designs back from PCBWay / JLC between customers, tariffs, shipping

    Criticizes · Mar 2026 · in “Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (March 2026)”

18. It is puzzling why they would make it harder to do business with them from outside China.

    Criticizes · Mar 2026 · in “PCB devboard the size of a USB-C plug”

19. being ghosted like PCBway did to some hobbyists out there

    Criticizes · Nov 2025

20. my last PCBway order took four weeks to arrive

    Criticizes · Nov 2025

21. by leveraging services like Send-Cut-Send and PCBWay I can build all sorts of stuff that I otherwise would have spend 10x more on

    Recommends · Dec 2025 · in “If AI replaces workers, should it also pay taxes?”

22. ordering a board with full PCBA from PCBWay/JLCPCB/Aisler and printing the case yourself is pretty easy

    Recommends · May 2026 · in “I Built My Own Hair Electrolysis Machine”

23. the products JLC and PCBWay produce aren't high-quality: they are - for what they are

    Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “Designing and assembling my first PCB”

24. The marketing of companies like JLC or pcbway whenever I post a hardware project

    Mixed · Jul 2026 · in “Designing and assembling my first PCB”

25. I've been ordering from PCBWAY since 2016 for my company. 100s of projects

    Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “My DIY FPGA board can run Quake II”

26. I've had no problem communicating with them in English for basic stuff

    Recommends · Oct 2026 · in “The Grid, a factory-scale robot in Massachusetts that builds PCBs on demand”

27. I also ended up doing a rush order from US-based Osh Park

    Mixed · Nov 2025 · in “Show HN: I built a synth for my daughter”

28. with AI and software testing before sending it to PCBWay

    Mixed · May 2026 · in “I Made a Million Dollar Product from My Dorm Room (2025)”

29. that certainly matches my experience with jlc/pcbway

    Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “Designing and assembling my first PCB”

30. rather than pocket-lining government trough-feeders

    Recommends · Sep 2026 · in “The THAAD delusion”

31. Honestly they are both great and similarly priced

    Recommends · Jan 2026 · in “I built a light that reacts to radio waves [video]”

32. JLC and PCBWay are operating at another level.

    Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “Designing and assembling my first PCB”

33. Useful overview of PCBWay's capabilities.

    Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “PCBWay sponsorship: full-size SD module for Arduino projects”

34. For a hobbyist it's pretty neat.

    Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “PCBWay sponsorship: full-size SD module for Arduino projects”

35. using (for example) PCBWay for CNCing something out of aluminum is very expensive

    Criticizes · Jun 2026 · in “I Build a 10 Inch Mini Rack from Aluminium Extrusions”

36. higher quality than PCB way

    Criticizes · Oct 2026 · in “The Grid, a factory-scale robot in Massachusetts that builds PCBs on demand”