CircuitMaker review
CircuitMaker is Altium's free, community-oriented PCB tool. It gives Windows users an Altium-style editor and a shared parts library at no cost, with no board-size restriction and commercial use allowed, in exchange for designing mostly in public.
Verdict
A capable free tool for Windows users happy to design in public; KiCad is freer.
- Made by
- Altium
- Cost
- Free, with an Altium account, and commercial use is allowed. Up to 5 private projects; the rest are shared with the community. Check: altium.com/circuitmaker
- Runs on
- Windows
- Website
- altium.com/circuitmaker
Who it suits
Hobbyists and open-source makers on Windows who want an Altium-style editor for free and are happy to share their designs.
Who should look elsewhere
Mac and Linux users, and anyone who needs to keep designs private.
Strengths
- Free, including commercial use, with an editor built on Altium Designer technology.
- A community parts library with supplier data.
- Up to 16 signal and 16 plane layers, no board-size restriction, and ODB++ output.
Limits
- Windows only, and you need an account and an internet connection.
- Designed for public sharing: up to 5 private projects.
- No live co-editing or built-in design review.
How CircuitMaker scores
Each criterion is scored 0–2 against the rules on How we rank.
| Criterion | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cost and licensing | 1 | Free, commercial use allowed, but up to 5 private projects and closed source. Check: altium.com/circuitmaker |
| Learning curve | 1 | Official docs, but a desktop install and an Altium-style interface with a lot to learn. Check: Altium documentation |
| Library and component support | 2 | A community library with supplier data shown with parts. Check: altium.com/circuitmaker |
| Board size and layer limits | 2 | Up to 16 signal and 16 plane layers with no restriction on board dimensions. Check: altium.com/circuitmaker |
| Output files | 2 | Gerber and NC drill, ODB++, and the other outputs for manufacturing. Check: altium.com/circuitmaker |
| Platform support | 0 | Windows only. Check: altium.com/circuitmaker |
| Collaboration | 1 | Share a project with chosen authors or the whole community, who can fork it; no built-in review workflow. Check: altium.com/circuitmaker |
| Total | 9/14 | |
CircuitMaker compared with KiCad
KiCad is the open-source baseline every tool here is measured against. CircuitMaker scores 9/14 against KiCad's 11/14.
- Cost and licensing: CircuitMaker behind (1 vs 2). Free, commercial use allowed, but up to 5 private projects and closed source.
- Library and component support: CircuitMaker ahead (2 vs 1). A community library with supplier data shown with parts.
- Platform support: CircuitMaker behind (0 vs 2). Windows only.
See all the main options side by side →
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