CircuitMaker
Free schematic and PCB design tool from Altium, built around a community of shared open hardware projects.
Updated · AppBreakup editorial · Windows
Is CircuitMaker free?
Yes, free to use
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All 5
Altium DesignerPaid
KiCadOpen source
- Verified facts
- 4 of 4
- Alternatives ranked
- 5
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
- 0
About CircuitMaker
CircuitMaker is Altium's free schematic capture and PCB layout tool, built on Altium Designer technology and aimed at hobbyists, students, makers and the open-source hardware community. It includes hierarchical schematics, interactive and automatic routing and Native 3D board views, with up to 16 signal and 16 plane layers and no limit on board size. Unlike many free EDA tools, there's no non-commercial clause, so you can sell what you design. Parts come from a large community library linked to Octopart data, and you can add your own. The trade-off is that CircuitMaker is built for sharing: projects live in the online CircuitMaker community, where others can view, rate and fork them, and private projects are capped at a small number. Collaboration runs on Altium 365, and finished designs can be sent to manufacturing partners. You need an account and an internet connection to use it, and it is a Windows desktop app.
Best for: Hobbyists and open-hardware makers who want Altium-grade PCB tools for free and don't mind sharing designs.
CircuitMaker pricing (checked Nov 8, 2026)
Each line is quoted from CircuitMaker's own site, with the page it came from.
| Plan or term | What it says | Checked | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Nov 8, 2026 | circuitmaker.com |
Pros and cons
What works
- Free with no non-commercial restriction
- Up to 16 signal plus 16 plane layers and no board size limit
- Large community parts library backed by Octopart data
- Fork and reuse other members' published designs
Why people leave
- Only 5 private projects; most work is shared publicly
- Needs an account and online connection to work
- Windows only
CircuitMaker vs Altium Designer, Proteus Design Suite and KiCad
From each app's listing and the prices verified on its own site. A dash means we haven't verified it yet.
| Attribute | CircuitMaker | Altium Designer | Proteus Design Suite | KiCad |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Paid | Paid | Open source |
| Verified price | — | — | — | — |
| Free plan | Free app | No | No | Free app |
| Open source | No | No | No | Yes |
| Self-hostable | No | No | No | No |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
Top CircuitMaker alternatives
See all 5- 1Altium Designer76.8
The paid professional tool CircuitMaker comes from, with private projects and advanced routing.
- 2Proteus Design Suite72.5
Adds microcontroller simulation to schematic capture and PCB layout, handy for testing firmware before building boards.
- 3KiCad68.8
Free and open source with no project limits or forced public sharing, and a strong library and 3D viewer.
- 4
EasyEDA64.8Browser-based schematic and PCB design with one-click ordering from JLCPCB, and no install needed.
- 5
Flux59.4Collaborative PCB design in the browser with an AI assistant that helps pick parts and review schematics.
Why people left CircuitMaker
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
No switching stories yet. If you moved away from CircuitMaker, review the app you switched to and tell us why.
Reviews
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CircuitMaker: common questions
What is CircuitMaker?
CircuitMaker: Free schematic and PCB design tool from Altium, built around a community of shared open hardware projects. Best for hobbyists and open-hardware makers who want Altium-grade PCB tools for free and don't mind sharing designs. Available for Windows.
Is CircuitMaker free?
Yes, CircuitMaker is free to use.
How much does CircuitMaker cost?
CircuitMaker is free to use. Price: Free. Checked on CircuitMaker's own site, November 2026.
Is CircuitMaker open source?
No, CircuitMaker is not open source. Open-source alternatives include KiCad.
What platforms does CircuitMaker run on?
CircuitMaker is available for Windows.
What are the best alternatives to CircuitMaker?
The highest-ranked CircuitMaker alternatives right now are Altium Designer, Proteus Design Suite and KiCad. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.
CircuitMaker vs Altium Designer: what's the difference?
CircuitMaker is free to use; Altium Designer is a paid product. Both run on Windows.