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CircuitMaker alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 8, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rankAll electronics design software

Top picks

Common reasons people leave CircuitMaker: only 5 private projects; most work is shared publicly, and needs an account and online connection to work. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces CircuitMaker, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Altium Designer currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingVerified priceOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Altium Designer logoAltium DesignerPaid—NoWindows5 of 576.8
2Proteus Design Suite logoProteus Design SuitePaid—NoWindows5 of 572.5
3KiCad logoKiCadOpen source—YesWindows, macOS, Linux5 of 568.8
4EasyEDA logoEasyEDAFree—NoWeb, Windows, macOS +15 of 564.8
5Flux logoFluxPaid—NoWeb7 of 759.4
  1. Altium Designer logo

    1. Altium DesignerTop pick

    Best for: Professional hardware teams designing complex, high-speed or rigid-flex boards

    PaidWindows

    76.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from CircuitMaker

    The paid professional tool CircuitMaker comes from, with private projects and advanced routing.

    Pros

    • Handles complex high-speed, HDI and rigid-flex designs
    • Schematic, layout and simulation share one data model
    • Cloud collaboration with version history and shared libraries
    • Widely used, so experienced designers are easy to find

    Cons

    • Expensive subscription, priced through sales
    • Windows only
    • Overkill for hobby and simple boards
    Visit Altium Designer Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.15100
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Altium Designer a good CircuitMaker alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Platforms
    Windows (64-bit)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026altium.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Simulation
    SPICE and signal integrity
    Checked Nov 8, 2026altium.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Rigid-flex
    Yes
    Checked Nov 8, 2026altium.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Co-authoring
    Multiple engineers on one PCB
    Checked Nov 8, 2026altium.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Students
    Free access
    Checked Nov 8, 2026altium.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Proteus Design Suite logo

    2. Proteus Design Suite

    Best for: Students and embedded engineers who want to simulate microcontroller firmware with the circuit

    PaidWindows

    72.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from CircuitMaker

    Adds microcontroller simulation to schematic capture and PCB layout, handy for testing firmware before building boards.

    Pros

    • Co-simulates MCU firmware with SPICE circuits
    • Perpetual licences you keep without paying maintenance
    • Large simulation model and part library
    • Modular packages, so you buy only what you need

    Cons

    • Windows only; no ARM processor support
    • Paid, with no free tier beyond the demo
    • Smaller user community than KiCad or Altium for PCB layout
    Visit Proteus Design Suite Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.15100
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Proteus Design Suite a good CircuitMaker alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Licensing
    Perpetual licence
    Checked Nov 8, 2026labcenter.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Simulation
    Mixed-mode SPICE plus microcontroller simulation
    Checked Nov 8, 2026labcenter.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Supported MCUs
    Over 750 microprocessor variants
    Checked Nov 8, 2026labcenter.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Windows 10 or later (x64)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026labcenter.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Part library
    15 million+ parts via SamacSys and SnapEDA
    Checked Nov 8, 2026labcenter.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. KiCad logo

    3. KiCad

    Best for: Hobbyists, startups and engineers who want a capable PCB tool with no licence cost

    Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux

    68.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from CircuitMaker

    Free and open source with no project limits or forced public sharing, and a strong library and 3D viewer.

    Pros

    • Completely free with no feature limits or seat caps
    • Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux
    • Large official libraries and an active community
    • Projects are local files you fully control

    Cons

    • Fewer advanced high-speed and team collaboration features than Altium
    • Managing custom libraries takes some learning
    • No built-in part sourcing like EasyEDA's LCSC link
    Visit KiCad Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is KiCad a good CircuitMaker alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    License
    GPL v3
    Checked Nov 8, 2026kicad.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Windows, Linux, macOS
    Checked Nov 8, 2026kicad.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Simulation
    Integrated SPICE
    Checked Nov 8, 2026kicad.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Manufacturing output
    Gerber and IPC-2581
    Checked Nov 8, 2026kicad.org(opens source in a new tab)
    First released
    1992
    Checked Nov 8, 2026kicad.org(opens source in a new tab)
  4. EasyEDA logo

    4. EasyEDA

    Best for: Hobbyists and small teams who design boards and order them from JLCPCB

    FreeWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux

    64.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from CircuitMaker

    Browser-based schematic and PCB design with one-click ordering from JLCPCB, and no install needed.

    Pros

    • Free, including the Pro edition
    • Runs in a browser with nothing to install
    • Shows LCSC part stock and sends boards straight to JLCPCB
    • Imports Altium, Eagle and KiCad designs

    Cons

    • Designs live on the vendor's cloud by default
    • Workflow steers you toward JLCPCB and LCSC
    • Less capable than Altium for complex high-speed boards
    Visit EasyEDA Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is EasyEDA a good CircuitMaker alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Price
    Free
    Checked Nov 8, 2026easyeda.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Web app
    Yes, no download needed
    Checked Nov 8, 2026easyeda.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Linux desktop client
    Yes
    Checked Nov 8, 2026easyeda.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Import
    Altium, Eagle, KiCad
    Checked Nov 8, 2026easyeda.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Team collaboration
    Yes
    Checked Nov 8, 2026easyeda.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Flux logo

    5. Flux

    Best for: Small hardware teams who want collaborative, AI-assisted PCB design in the browser.

    PaidWeb

    59.4

    score / 100

    Why switch from CircuitMaker

    Collaborative PCB design in the browser with an AI assistant that helps pick parts and review schematics.

    Pros

    • Runs in the browser with real-time collaboration and no installs
    • AI agent can choose parts with live stock and pricing, and route boards
    • Imports projects from KiCad, Altium, Eagle and EasyEDA
    • Built-in circuit, thermal and electromagnetic simulation

    Cons

    • Editing private projects and exporting require a paid plan after the trial
    • Boards are limited to eight layers
    • Cloud-only, so designs live on Flux's servers and need a connection
    Visit Flux Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Flux a good CircuitMaker alternative?

    Verified facts

    7 of 7 verified
    Free trial
    Yes, on individual plans
    Checked Nov 8, 2026flux.ai(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    No; paid plan needed for private projects
    Checked Nov 8, 2026flux.ai(opens source in a new tab)
    Max board layers
    8
    Checked Nov 8, 2026flux.ai(opens source in a new tab)
    Import from
    Altium, KiCad, Eagle, EasyEDA and more
    Checked Nov 8, 2026flux.ai(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Web browser
    Checked Nov 8, 2026flux.ai(opens source in a new tab)
    Extra AI usage
    $2 per ACU on Build and Pro
    Checked Nov 8, 2026docs.flux.ai(opens source in a new tab)
    Included AI usage
    Explore 40, Build 120, Pro 400 ACUs a month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026docs.flux.ai(opens source in a new tab)

The best CircuitMaker alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Altium Designer logo

Best CircuitMaker alternative for most people

Altium Designer

The paid professional tool CircuitMaker comes from, with private projects and advanced routing.

KiCad logo

Best CircuitMaker alternative for a free option

KiCad

Free and open source with no project limits or forced public sharing, and a strong library and 3D viewer.

KiCad logo

Best CircuitMaker alternative for open source

KiCad

Free and open source with no project limits or forced public sharing, and a strong library and 3D viewer.

EasyEDA logo

Best CircuitMaker alternative for Mac

EasyEDA

Browser-based schematic and PCB design with one-click ordering from JLCPCB, and no install needed.

Proteus Design Suite logo

Best CircuitMaker alternative for Windows

Proteus Design Suite

Adds microcontroller simulation to schematic capture and PCB layout, handy for testing firmware before building boards.

KiCad logo

Best CircuitMaker alternative for Linux

KiCad

Free and open source with no project limits or forced public sharing, and a strong library and 3D viewer.

Flux logo

Best CircuitMaker alternative for working in the browser

Flux

Collaborative PCB design in the browser with an AI assistant that helps pick parts and review schematics.

CircuitMaker alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to CircuitMaker?

Altium Designer ranks first right now. The paid professional tool CircuitMaker comes from, with private projects and advanced routing. Proteus Design Suite and KiCad follow it in our ranking.

CircuitMaker vs Altium Designer: what's the difference?

CircuitMaker is free to use; Altium Designer is a paid product. Both run on Windows.

Is CircuitMaker free?

CircuitMaker is free to use. Price: Free. Checked on CircuitMaker's own site, November 2026.

Is there a free alternative to CircuitMaker?

Yes. KiCad (open source) and EasyEDA (free) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to CircuitMaker?

Yes: KiCad.

Which CircuitMaker alternatives work on Linux?

KiCad and EasyEDA run on Linux.

Why do people switch from CircuitMaker?

The complaints we hear most: only 5 private projects; most work is shared publicly; needs an account and online connection to work; windows only.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces CircuitMaker, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.