Consequently, the “free” Altium 365 is less a standalone product and more a for paying Altium Designer customers. For a solo hobbyist or a bootstrapped startup without an Altium Designer license, Altium 365 offers little more than a web viewer and a small component library—useful, but not a complete design solution.
| Feature | Altium 365 (Free Tier) | KiCad (Open Source) | EasyEDA (Free Tier) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | No (requires paid Altium) | Yes (full, unlimited) | Yes (cloud-based, limited layers) | | Cloud Storage | Yes (1 GB) | No (local files only, unless using 3rd party) | Yes (unlimited public, limited private) | | Real-Time Collaboration | No (single editor) | No (file-based only) | Yes (multi-user editing) | | Component Library | 50 private components | Unlimited local | Unlimited public, limited private | | Supplier Link Integration | Yes | Limited (via plugins) | Yes (LCSC, DigiKey, Mouser) | | Cost | $0 (but requires Altium to create) | $0 | $0 (with watermarks for commercial?) | is altium 365 free
Ultimately, Altium 365 is free in the same way a hotel lobby is free: you can sit there, use the Wi-Fi, and admire the decor. But if you want a room—or in this case, a fully editable PCB project with real-time collaboration—you will have to pay for the key. Understanding this distinction is the difference between a useful tool and an unexpected bill. Consequently, the “free” Altium 365 is less a
From this table, it becomes clear: For a user without an existing Altium investment, KiCad or EasyEDA offers more functional freedom. Altium 365’s free tier only becomes valuable if you are already part of the Altium ecosystem. But if you want a room—or in this