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DipTrace vs CircuitMaker: catalog facts
DipTrace	CircuitMaker
Best for: Electronics engineers designing circuit boards on a perpetual license	Best for: Hobbyists and makers designing circuit boards for free
Paid Perpetual licenses, with a trial version available to download.	Free Free to use, including for commercial designs.
Windows	Windows
Real-time design rule checking with detailed constraints Push-and-shove routing that keeps traces attached when parts move All 4 strengths for DipTrace Real-time design rule checking with detailed constraints Push-and-shove routing that keeps traces attached when parts move Differential pair routing with length and phase rules Perpetual licensing instead of a subscription	Built on Altium Designer technology Up to 16 signal and 16 plane layers with no board size limit All 4 strengths for CircuitMaker Built on Altium Designer technology Up to 16 signal and 16 plane layers with no board size limit Commercial use allowed Large community library backed by Octopart
Commercial software beyond the trial Only a Windows installer is shown on the site	Only five private projects; others are shared with the community Proprietary, unlike KiCad
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Not open source	Not open source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Offline features available	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for DipTrace diptrace.com Catalog checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for CircuitMaker altium.com/circuitmaker Catalog checked September 24, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.