Breadboard vs Perfboard: The Pros and Cons of Each Platform

In circuitry design, almost all projects start their life on one of two prototype platforms–breadboards and perfboards, sometimes both.

While each provides a basic grid layout with modular capabilities, both have unique advantages and disadvantages for makers of all skill levels.

Knowing the pros and cons of each system will help you decide which one is right for you as you continue to experiment and create within the world of electronics.

What is a Breadboard?

Even if you are just starting out in electronics, you have probably heard of the term “breadboard.”

Before the modern breadboard, engineers would often prototype by hammering nails into a wooden block or cutting board otherwise known as a “bread board.” This allowed them to mount components and make solid connections by wrapping wires and leads around the nails.

Side note: I built the circuit above to snap a picture and try out this old school way of making circuits and... it's pretty terrible - much more of a pain than just soldering everything together.

Since these early methods, the term “breadboard” has become synonymous with electronics prototyping. Later the modern breadboard was introduced making prototypes much much easier to build and modify.

Breadboards are laid out in a standard grid pattern. Holes are spaced 0.1” (2.54mm), the same as many common circuit components allowing them to slot right in. This includes DIP style chips which have two rows of leads and can be plugged in straddling the centerline of the breadboard.

The horizontal rows are connected internally as are the (+) and (-) columns on each side of the board. If you take a close look at the small circuit on the breadboard above, you can see that it is connected from the power rail (+) through a resistor, LED, switch and then to ground (-).

If the (+) and (-) were then connected to a battery or power source, you’d be able to make the circuit function and light up by pressing the switch.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Breadboards

Breadboards are nearly infinitely reusable. On a breadboard circuits are quick to build, extremely easy to modify and require no soldering or specialized skills. All you usually need to do to make a quick modification or fix a mistake is pull out a wire jumper and move it somewhere else.

But, that also means that all it usually takes for your circuit to stop working as intended is for one wire jumper to get bumped or tugged out of its spot. Because of this, breadboards can be a poor choice if you want your project to be durable or permanent or attached to anything that’s going to move or vibrate.

Also, while not needing to solder saves time and makes iterating easier, it also means you don’t get to solder. Soldering is a fun, useful skill that is great for moving past the prototyping stage and into the production of a final product.

Tip: If you need to learn how to solder or want to practice your skills, check out our Learn to Solder Kits!

What is a Perfboard

Like breadboards, perfboards are laid out in a grid you can add components to, making them great for prototyping.

Where they differ is in how they use and connect components. Perfboards are made of holes (or perforations) surrounded by conductive metal like copper. Components can be inserted similarly to a breadboard and soldered into place.

Our favorite perfboards are the ones made by Adafruit:

These ones are laid out identical to a breadboard making transferring a project from a breadboard to a more robust perfboard super easy.

On other perfboards, these holes are isolated. Often this requires using a wire or component lead to make connections to multiple components. This can be a bit more challenging than a simple through hole joint and a lot more challenging than just inserting a component into a breadboard.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Breadboards

However, where perfboards shine is in their permanence and durability. Though soldering can pose some challenges, once everything is soldered in place, you should have a board that can put up with a lot.

If you mess up during your circuit design on a perfboard, it can be a lot harder to rework and may require you to start over. But perfboards are usually very inexpensive and making mistakes can be a great learning opportunity.

What We Recommend for Beginners

Both breadboards and perfboards are great tools for makers of all ages.

We would advise to start out using breadboards, especially if you are a beginner and new to soldering, but would encourage you to try perfboards when you feel you are ready and confident in your skills.

If you want more insights and tips on electronics and circuit design, be sure to visit our blog to explore our past topics or sign up for our newsletter!