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KiCad vs Altium Designer: catalog facts
KiCad	Altium Designer
Best for: Designing a circuit board end to end without a commercial licence	Best for: Professional PCB design suite covering schematics, layout, and simulation
Free Free and open source under the GPL 3.0. Donations are handled through the Linux Foundation.	Paid Commercial license; no free tier.
Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows
Schematic capture, PCB layout, 3D viewer and Gerber export in one suite No limits on board size, layer count or exports All 4 strengths for KiCad Schematic capture, PCB layout, 3D viewer and Gerber export in one suite No limits on board size, layer count or exports Large bundled symbol and footprint libraries, plus a plugin manager Windows, macOS, Linux AppImage and Flathub builds	Covers the full workflow from schematic and simulation to layout and manufacturing files Widely used in professional electronics teams, so training and library resources are plentiful
A real learning curve; the workflow is unlike a drawing program Simulation is basic next to dedicated SPICE packages All 3 limitations for KiCad A real learning curve; the workflow is unlike a drawing program Simulation is basic next to dedicated SPICE packages Library management trips up most newcomers at least once	Expensive commercial licensing aimed at professional teams, not hobbyists Windows-only, with a steep learning curve for newcomers to PCB design
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Not open source
License: GPL-3.0	License not stated
No account 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 KiCad kicad.org kicad.org/download Catalog checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Altium Designer altium.com/altium-designer Catalog checked September 22, 2026

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