Imagine a startup designing a $20 budget smart light—only to waste money on rigid-flex boards when a $1 traditional PCB would work. Or a factory producing 100,000 wireless earbuds using expensive FPCs, not realizing a simpler traditional PCB could cut costs by 40%. For electronics makers, choosing between FPCs (Flexible PCBs), traditional rigid PCBs, and rigid-flex boards isn’t just about "what works"—it’s about "what works at the right cost."
Low-cost doesn’t mean "cheap and low-quality"—it means matching the PCB to the device’s actual needs. A toy car doesn’t need a $5 FPC; a foldable phone can’t use a $2 traditional PCB. Below, we break down the cost differences between the three PCB types, their best-fit scenarios, and real examples of how choosing the right one saves money—without sacrificing performance.
Before choosing, you need to understand why costs vary. Here’s a real-world cost comparison (for 10,000-unit batches, 2-layer design):
The gap widens with larger batches: for 100,000 units, traditional PCBs cost $100,000–$300,000, while rigid-flex boards can hit $1.5 million. The key? Don’t pay for features you don’t need (e.g., flexibility for a device that never bends).
Traditional rigid PCBs are the cheapest option—and the best choice for devices that are flat, static, and have simple functions. They’re ideal when:
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The device doesn’t bend or move (e.g., a smart light, TV remote, or toy car).
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Components are heavy but don’t need to be rearranged (e.g., a power bank’s charging chip).
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Cost is the top priority (budget devices under $50).
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Budget Smart Lights: Philips’ $25 Hue A19 smart bulb uses a traditional rigid PCB. It’s flat, sits inside a fixed bulb housing, and has no moving parts. Using an FPC would add $3 per unit—unnecessary for a bulb that never bends.
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TV Remotes: A Chinese remote maker switched from FPCs to traditional PCBs for its $10 budget remotes. Cost per unit dropped from $2.50 to $1.20, and failure rates stayed under 1% (no flexibility needed for a remote’s static buttons).
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Toy Electronics: A toy car manufacturer uses $1 traditional PCBs for its $15 toy cars. Rigid-flex boards would add $7 per unit—wasteful, since the toy only needs basic power and LED control.
Pro Tip: If your device is flat, has no moving parts, and costs under $50, traditional rigid PCBs are almost always the low-cost choice.
FPCs are more expensive than traditional PCBs, but cheaper than rigid-flex boards. They’re worth the cost only when:
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The device needs to bend (e.g., a smartwatch strap, wireless earbud, or foldable keyboard).
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Space is extremely tight (e.g., a 1cm-wide earbud or a thin fitness band).
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You need to replace multiple rigid PCBs + wires (one FPC can reduce assembly costs).
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Wireless Earbuds: Apple’s AirPods use FPCs, but not by choice—there’s no room for a rigid PCB in the 1.5cm-wide earbud. A traditional PCB would be 3x thicker, making the earbud too bulky. The FPC costs $4 per unit, but it’s cheaper than redesigning the earbud to fit a rigid PCB (which would add $10 to the device’s cost).
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Smartwatch Straps: Fitbit’s Charge 6 uses an FPC in its strap to connect the heart rate sensor to the main body. A traditional PCB would need wires (adding bulk and assembly time), while the $5 FPC cuts assembly costs by 25% (fewer parts to install).
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Foldable Keyboards: A Chinese keyboard maker uses FPCs for its $30 foldable keyboards. Rigid-flex boards would cost $8 more per unit—unnecessary, since the keyboard only needs flexibility (no heavy components that require rigid layers).
Pro Tip: Use FPCs only if flexibility or space is non-negotiable. If you can fit a rigid PCB (even with small wires), stick with traditional PCBs to save money.
Rigid-flex boards are the most expensive—but they’re the only option when a device needs both:
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Rigid layers to hold heavy components (e.g., a foldable phone’s processor or a drone’s GPS module).
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Flexible layers to bend (e.g., a foldable phone’s hinge or a drone’s motor connection).
They’re never the "low-cost" choice—but they can save money by replacing multiple PCBs + wires, and avoiding failures in critical devices.
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Foldable Phones: Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip can’t use traditional PCBs (they crack at the hinge) or FPCs (they can’t hold the processor). The $12 rigid-flex board is expensive, but it’s cheaper than using 3 separate PCBs + wires (which would cost $15 and add bulk).
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Drone Flight Controllers: DJI’s Mavic 3 uses a $10 rigid-flex board for its flight controller. It needs rigid layers to hold the GPS chip and flexible layers to absorb vibration from the propellers. A traditional PCB would fail in 20% of flights (due to vibration), costing $50 per drone in repairs—making the rigid-flex board a cheaper long-term choice.
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Medical Devices: A $200 glucose monitor uses a $15 rigid-flex board. It needs rigid layers for the display and flexible layers to fit around the battery (in a small, wearable design). A traditional PCB would require a larger device (increasing material costs by 30%), so the rigid-flex board saves money overall.
Pro Tip: Rigid-flex boards are only cost-effective if a device can’t work with FPCs or traditional PCBs. If you can compromise (e.g., use an FPC + a small rigid PCB), you’ll save money.
Even experienced makers choose the wrong PCB type. Here are the top mistakes:
A factory made $50 Bluetooth speakers with FPCs, thinking they’d save space. But the speakers are static (no bending), and a $2 traditional PCB worked just as well. They wasted $3 per unit—$300,000 for 100,000 speakers.
Fix: Ask: Does this device bend? If no, use a traditional PCB.
A startup designed a $30 flexible phone stand using rigid-flex boards, not realizing an FPC would work. The rigid-flex boards cost $10 per unit; FPCs would have cost $4. They lost $60,000 on 10,000 units.
Fix: Ask: Do I need rigid layers for heavy components? If no, use an FPC.
A maker of $40 smart thermostats used FPCs to fit around the display. Later, they redesigned the thermostat’s case to fit a $2 traditional PCB—cutting costs by 60%.
Fix: Can you adjust the device’s design to use a cheaper PCB? Often, yes.
To avoid costly mistakes, follow this simple checklist:
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Step 1: Assess Flexibility Needs
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Does the device bend/fold/move? → Skip traditional PCB.
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Is it static (no movement)? → Traditional PCB is best (cheapest).
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Step 2: Assess Component Weight/Space
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Needs to hold heavy components (e.g., processor, camera) and bend? → Rigid-flex board.
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Only needs to bend (no heavy components, tight space)? → FPC.
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Step 3: Calculate Total Cost (Not Just Per Unit)
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Traditional PCB: Low unit cost, but may need extra wires (adds assembly time).
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FPC: Higher unit cost, but replaces wires (saves assembly time).
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Rigid-flex: Highest unit cost, but replaces multiple PCBs (saves repair costs long-term).
Example: A wireless earbud maker used this checklist:
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Step 1: Earbud has no bending (static in case) → Traditional PCB is possible.
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Step 2: No heavy components (just a speaker and battery) → No need for rigid-flex.
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Step 3: Traditional PCB ($1.50) + wires ($0.50) = $2 total, vs. FPC ($4). They chose traditional PCB, saving $200,000 for 100,000 units.
Choosing a low-cost PCB isn’t about picking the cheapest option—it’s about picking the option that matches your device’s needs. Traditional PCBs are perfect for static, budget devices; FPCs shine for flexible, space-tight designs; rigid-flex boards are only necessary when you need both rigidity and flexibility.
The biggest cost savings come from honesty: don’t pay for flexibility if your device never bends, and don’t skimp on a rigid-flex board if your device will fail without it. A Chinese electronics maker summed it up best: "We used to overspend on FPCs for everything—until we realized 60% of our devices only needed a $2 traditional PCB. Now we save $500,000 a year."
Next time you’re designing a device, ask: What does this PCB really need to do? The answer will lead you to the low-cost solution—without sacrificing quality.
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Whether you are engaged in electronic manufacturing, smart device R&D, or any other field with circuit board needs, feel free to reach out to us via email at sales06@kbefpc.com. We look forward to addressing your inquiries, customizing solutions, and sincerely invite partners from all sectors to consult and collaborate, exploring new possibilities in the industry together.
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