A more recent entry-level professional tier, sometimes referred to in maker circles, that offers a more affordable term-based license for individuals or small teams at around $995/year. Key Features of CircuitMaker (The Maker License)
| Feature | Altium Maker | KiCad (Open Source) | Fusion 360 (Personal) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Free (Non-Commercial) | Free (Any use) | Free (Non-Commercial) | | Layer Limit | Unlimited | Unlimited | 2 Layers | | Board Size | Unlimited | Unlimited | Limited (80 sq cm) | | Learning Curve | Steep (Pro tool) | Moderate | Moderate | | Export Limits | None (Gerbers fine) | None | Pro-only exports? (Restrictions vary) | | Offline Use | No (Requires phone home) | Yes | Yes | altium maker license
You have to convert your project files to a paid Altium Designer license. While this is technically easy (the files are the same), the cost is not trivial. Altium Designer licenses typically start around for a perpetual license (plus annual maintenance). While this is technically easy (the files are
Altium reserves the right to audit your usage. If your designs look too complex or high-volume, they may flag your account to request a commercial upgrade. If your designs look too complex or high-volume,
The logic behind Altium offering a cheap license is twofold: